Me Whom They Pierced

Zechariah is one of the more underrated of all prophets.  He is definitely a 5 star kind of guy but is marginalized by being squished in among the "minor" prophets.  That is my scouting.com evaluation anyway.  He is the Steve Largent, Casey Candaele, Bill Spiers of the prophetic community.  Yes, I will admit, he sometimes delves into the typical gore speak which was the go-to for the spokesmen of a ticked off God back in the day, but he was also the recipient of some tremendous little nuggets people rarely see.  

One of my hall of favorites includes Zechariah 12:10 where he quotes the Creator God of Israel saying "I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn."  Why is that one of my favorites?  It is all about relationship.

Do you see what I see here?  Remember who is speaking.  Not Zechariah, he was just the prophet who authored what he was told.  Zechariah 12:1 tells us that it was "the Lord who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him."  Is that clear enough?  So why is that important?  Well, because of the context that follows.  In verse 10 after saying the God who creates and forms would pour out the Spirit, He says it is "so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced."  But wait a tick!  Who was it that was pierced, and for whom did the house of David mourn as for a firstborn son?  John 19:34 "But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out."  In John 19:37 the apostle even zeroes us in on the prophecy and quotes Zechariah 12:1 to make sure we didn't miss who was being crucified on that cross.

So if the Creator said He would be pierced, then we see Jesus Christ being pierced, what does that tell us about Jesus?  Certainly that He is One with the Father and Spirit.  John even continues this revelation in Revelation 1:7 "Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him.  So it is to be.  Amen."  This is so beautiful to me because of the unparalleled unity between a Father and His Son.  Zechariah 12:10 is not metaphorical prophet speak; it is a direct quote from a loving Father telling us that when they pierce the Son, they are piercing Him as well.

While all of that is really awesome, that isn't even the most spectacular thing.  Jesus wants us to experience the kind of unity He has with the Father, and as sons we can get a taste of it by the unifying Christ who lives within us all as believers.  John 17:22-23 "The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and love them, even as You have loved Me."  In our unity with our brothers and sisters in the Lord we experience the sacrificial love of our Savior.  As we love each other, the Father loves us as He has loved the Son.

That means that just as the Father experienced the death of His Son on the cross, He also experiences and feels the sufferings you face.  He also experiences the elation, the frustrations, the sadness, the joy...  He feels them not because He is sympathetic but because He lives within you and is united with you eternally.  He is not distant and far off; He just felt that gurgle in your belly reminding you that you have Lucky Charms yet to be eaten this morning.  He isn't aloof and being palm fanned by the angels while sitting on His golden throne; He is clearing your obstacles, wiping your tears and listening to your cares.  Worship Him today knowing that He walks with you and holds your hand.  He feels the piercings you face and has the signs in the holes of His very own hands.  Go love well and be loved.