“They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; And each one will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’” Zechariah 13:9
Zechariah was prophesying about the coming of the Messiah, the One who was pierced. It is amazing how Jesus was sentenced to die by crucifixion even though the Jewish law required Him to be stoned. And when He was crucified, the Roman soldier, though ignorant of the prophecy, pierced him with his spear. The prophecy was fulfilled right down to the very last detail. Jesus Himself testified that every prophecy in the Old Testament would be fulfilled: “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (Matt. 5:17).
Just as the prophecy of Jesus’ death was fulfilled, the conversion of the Jews promised in this same verse will come to pass. Though the Jewish people were guilty of Jesus’ death, the day will come when they will repent and believe on Him. In Zechariah 12:10, it reveals the way this repentance will come to the Jewish people. This is also the same way we experience repentance.
1) Repentance is the work of the Holy Spirit. “I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication.” “And when He [the Holy Spirit] has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:8). Repentance is not produced by our conscience, by terror, or by the persuasion of men. It comes as a gift of grace. It is the work of the Holy Spirit. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8).
2) Repentance comes by looking to Jesus. “Then they will look on Me whom they pierced.” As we gaze at the holiness and purity of Jesus, we will realize how terrible a sinner we are. When we look at the cross of Calvary, we see the horrible hatred that sin bears toward purity, because it slew an innocent Man, the Holy Son of God. We will realize such is the terrible guilt of our sin that nothing but death can atone for it. Jesus became that sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sin.
3) Repentance is a deep godly sorrow. “They will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son.” The effect of us looking to Christ is that it makes us mourn in sorrow for the condition of our heart. Paul said that “godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted” (2 Cor. 7:10). This was what happened on the Day of Pentecost, when Peter preached to the multitude. When the people heard the message, those who had a hand in “piercing the Messiah” were cut to the heart, and cried out, “What shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). As a result, there was great repentance.
Zechariah was prophesying about the coming of the Messiah, the One who was pierced. It is amazing how Jesus was sentenced to die by crucifixion even though the Jewish law required Him to be stoned. And when He was crucified, the Roman soldier, though ignorant of the prophecy, pierced him with his spear. The prophecy was fulfilled right down to the very last detail. Jesus Himself testified that every prophecy in the Old Testament would be fulfilled: “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (Matt. 5:17).
Just as the prophecy of Jesus’ death was fulfilled, the conversion of the Jews promised in this same verse will come to pass. Though the Jewish people were guilty of Jesus’ death, the day will come when they will repent and believe on Him. In Zechariah 12:10, it reveals the way this repentance will come to the Jewish people. This is also the same way we experience repentance.
1) Repentance is the work of the Holy Spirit. “I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication.” “And when He [the Holy Spirit] has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:8). Repentance is not produced by our conscience, by terror, or by the persuasion of men. It comes as a gift of grace. It is the work of the Holy Spirit. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8).
2) Repentance comes by looking to Jesus. “Then they will look on Me whom they pierced.” As we gaze at the holiness and purity of Jesus, we will realize how terrible a sinner we are. When we look at the cross of Calvary, we see the horrible hatred that sin bears toward purity, because it slew an innocent Man, the Holy Son of God. We will realize such is the terrible guilt of our sin that nothing but death can atone for it. Jesus became that sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sin.
3) Repentance is a deep godly sorrow. “They will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son.” The effect of us looking to Christ is that it makes us mourn in sorrow for the condition of our heart. Paul said that “godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted” (2 Cor. 7:10). This was what happened on the Day of Pentecost, when Peter preached to the multitude. When the people heard the message, those who had a hand in “piercing the Messiah” were cut to the heart, and cried out, “What shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). As a result, there was great repentance.
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