The Coming Messiah: A Study in ZechariahSample

What does it say?

Jerusalem will be cleansed of idols and false prophets. The Lord will refine His people like silver, and they will call on His name.

What does it mean?

Zechariah poetically refers to the blood of Christ as a fountain having the power to spiritually cleanse (Heb. 9:14; 1 John 1:7). Sadly, the Jewish people will largely ignore its existence until His second coming. The sins of idolatry and false prophecies that ensnared Israel for centuries will be met with immediate justice when God’s people finally look to Jesus as their atoning sacrifice. The third of the Jewish nation surviving the horrors of the Tribulation will turn to the Lord and experience a renewal of His covenant – the New Covenant made possible by His blood (Luke 22:20).

How should I respond?

As church-going, Bible-believing followers of Christ, we readily accept Christ’s death as payment for our sins. Jesus’ blood has been applied to our hearts just as the lamb's blood was during the Passover (Exodus 12:12). Where the blood of Jesus is present, sin should be absent. That doesn’t mean it removes your ability to do wrong; you still have free will. It does mean that within you is the power to choose not to sin. What temptation seems to trip you up frequently? There is power in the blood of Jesus to cleanse you from that sin and, by faith, keep you in a covenant relationship with Him.