Passage: Zechariah 3:1-5
The Big Idea
Zechariah sees Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord in filthy clothes, with Satan at his side accusing him. Joshua can’t change his own clothes. But Jesus can, and He does. This is the gospel in a single picture: how God can accept sinners.
Read: Zechariah 3:1
Joshua the high priest stands before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan stands at his right hand to oppose him.
The accuser
What is Satan doing? The name Satan means adversary or accuser. He’s accusing Joshua, and through him, the whole nation, and all of us.
And he has good reason: our sin. I can picture his outrage. He was thrown out of heaven for his rebellion, and here we are, sinners, standing before God. Totally unfair, from his point of view.
But his end is coming. Revelation tells of the day when the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before God day and night, is thrown down (Revelation 12:10). He stood before God accusing Job too (Job 1-2). This is part of why we pray, “Your kingdom come.”
We stand before Jesus with nothing hidden, just like Adam and Eve were naked in the garden. So don’t try to hide. He sees our condition and still loves us.
But how can He accept us?
“The Lord Rebuke You” (Zechariah 3:2)
The Lord rebukes Satan and points to Joshua as a burning stick snatched from the fire (Zechariah 3:2).
What about us and the devil?
We are in a real fight, not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of wickedness (Ephesians 6:12). Born-again believers are no longer slaves to Satan or sin (Romans 6:6-7), but we still face his temptations.
Notice who does the rebuking here: the Lord. Scripture doesn’t tell us to go around rebuking the devil. It tells us to submit to God and resist the devil, and he will flee (James 4:7). Even Michael the archangel didn’t bring a rebuke of his own against the devil, but said, “The Lord rebuke you” (Jude 9).
So when we’re attacked, we appeal to Christ. Instead of focusing on defeating the devil, we focus on Jesus and trust Him to defeat the forces of evil. We look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who endured the cross and sat down at the right hand of God (Hebrews 12:1-2). When Jesus was tempted, He answered with Scripture (Matthew 4:1-11). Our faith and God’s Word are our weapons.
A burning stick snatched from the fire
Joshua is like a stick pulled out of the fire just in time, still smoking. That’s what God’s people were, rescued from Babylon. And that’s what every believer is. God’s answer to every accusation is, “I rescued this one. He’s Mine.”
Filthy Garments (Zechariah 3:3)
Joshua was clothed in filthy garments.
That perfectly describes Joshua, Israel and all of us, wearing sin like a robe. All our righteous acts are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). The Hebrew word here is graphic; it pictures clothes covered in excrement. No matter who you are, you can’t stand before God in your own clothes, your own works.
That’s what our fleshly resources produce. We’re like the male steamer duck. The females can fly, but most of the males are too heavy to get airborne. They beat their wings furiously across the water like paddles, splashing everywhere, but never quite take off.
Jesus told of a man at a wedding feast who showed up without a wedding garment, and he was thrown out (Matthew 22:11-13). If you try to get into heaven in your own clothes, you have a sad day coming, because you’ve rejected God’s way of making you right. Many, ignorant of God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, haven’t submitted to the righteousness of God (Romans 10:3).
Can Joshua change his own clothes? No. But Jesus can. And He will.
Rich Robes (Zechariah 3:4-5)
The Angel orders the filthy garments removed. Then He tells Joshua that He has taken away his iniquity and will clothe him in rich robes. Zechariah asks for a clean turban to be put on his head. And they do, while the Angel of the Lord stands by (Zechariah 3:4-5).
- Only Jesus has the right to make someone clean.
- Only Jesus has the ability.
- Only Jesus is willing to do the work.
“See, I have removed your iniquity.” It’s done. “I will clothe you with rich robes.” It’s a promise.
Why does He do it? For His own sake. He blots out our transgressions and will not remember our sins (Isaiah 43:25).
How much does He clean? God promised to sprinkle clean water on His people and cleanse them from all their filthiness and all their idols (Ezekiel 36:25). All of it.
So in our daily lives, we stand before the Lord, with Him and in Him, with no sin on our record.
Put Him on
As many as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ (Galatians 3:27). Rich robes indeed: His righteousness, His works.
Paul wanted to be found in Him, not having his own righteousness from the law (filthy rags), but the righteousness that comes from God through faith in Christ (rich robes) (Philippians 3:9).
Every day
How do we live in this every day? John saw a great multitude who had washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 7:14).
There is no condemnation for those in Christ (Romans 8:1). How do you “bathe” in His blood? By faith. Remember the cross and apply it to your life. Thank Jesus for dying for you and trust what He did there. Day by day, walk with Him.
A clean turban
The high priest’s turban carried a gold plate engraved “Holiness to the Lord” (Exodus 28:36-38). These people had just come out of Babylon, a land full of idols. Now Joshua is clean, crowned with holiness, and ready to serve.
Notice the order. He was cleaned before he could serve. Service flows from being made right with God, not the other way around.
Grace Takeaway
Satan’s accusations may be accurate, but they aren’t the final word. Jesus is. He has taken away your filthy clothes and dressed you in His own righteousness. You are a stick snatched from the fire, and you belong to Him.
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