To Encourage You

Zechariah 12:10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.”

In the verse above we see a prophesy about the nation of Israel, “the house of David,” the Jews.  It tells us plainly that there is coming a day when they will look on the One Who was pierced.  And who is that One? It is Jesus.  He was the One who was crucified in response to the Jews’ demands, and Who was so abused as to have His side pierced after He had died. The cruelty was unrelenting to the very end. 

We are told in the account of the pierced side that “at once there came out blood and water (John 19:34).”  Here was the blood of the sacrificial Passover Lamb of God Who died for the sins of the world. And here was water, symbolizing not just forgiveness and cleansing for all the wicked sins that had been committed against Him. Here was One, the only One, Who made it possible that “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool (Isaiah 1:18).”

Of course, this was the last thing on the minds of the Jews as they witnessed Jesus’ death on the cross. They were glad to be rid of Him. They were overjoyed to not have to any longer listen to His words.  But in the end, Zechariah tells us there is coming a time when “the house of David” will mourn when they look on the One they have pierced. There is coming a time when God will open their eyes to the fact that the One they crucified was the very Messiah to Whom the entire Old Testament had been pointing. Like Joseph’s brothers, who were overwhelmed to find that the prince of Egypt, who had disguised himself from them, was the very one they had thrown in a pit and then sold to the Ishmaelite caravan to rid themselves of him forever, the Jews, as a nation, will one day realize Who Jesus really is.  At that time, they will weep, overwhelmed with the guilt of their sin, and convicted to the heart for what they have done.  That’s the only way anyone is ever forgiven and cleansed. Each one of us must look to Jesus, indeed, look closely at Him, and see the One Who, in response to our rejection and unbelief, poured out His own blood for our forgiveness, and water for our cleansing. 

Have you looked closely at this One who died for you? Have you realized the sin of your own unbelief?  Are you sorry about it?   Are you one whose laughter at the only One Who has the love and power to save you has been turned to mourning and whose joy at living life in oblivion to Him has turned to gloom (James 4:9).  How awesome that our Lord has said, “Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4).  It’s not what any of us deserve, i.e., blessing in response to the guilt and mourning over sin, but it’s the glory of God to forgive those who confess their sin, for indeed it is “by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). 

May God grant you the grace to not wait any longer but to turn and “look on Him whom they have pierced” so that you might live forever.