1 00:00:01,100 --> 00:00:02,400 What is really good to be with you? 2 00:00:02,400 --> 00:00:05,000 Thank you so much for your prayers for us a few weeks ago. 3 00:00:06,500 --> 00:00:09,600 You know, Emma's dad. My wife's dad had a early onset. 4 00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:13,700 Dementia and so is death was something that we had been 5 00:00:13,700 --> 00:00:17,100 expecting and pairing for for quite some time. 6 00:00:18,300 --> 00:00:22,000 But then he ended up going home to the Lord much sooner than we 7 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:25,800 expected. And so please continue to pray 8 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:29,400 for, especially Emma and her family as they grieve. 9 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:33,000 We're all doing well. It's just it just feels wrong. 10 00:00:33,300 --> 00:00:36,500 Her dad's not there with us. Sure. 11 00:00:36,500 --> 00:00:41,400 Many of you can relate to that. Zechariah. 12 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:45,300 Wow. Father Aaron just what a gift 13 00:00:45,300 --> 00:00:50,500 you give to all who preach here by having your church go through 14 00:00:50,500 --> 00:00:54,500 sector. Riot you guys seen the movie 15 00:00:54,500 --> 00:00:58,600 Knives Out. Really good mystery movie came 16 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:00,600 out a few years ago. I'm not going to give any 17 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:03,700 spoilers this morning though, if you haven't seen Knives Out by 18 00:01:03,700 --> 00:01:06,900 now, you probably wouldn't care. If I spoiled it because you're 19 00:01:06,900 --> 00:01:10,300 probably aren't going to see it. I don't know, but no sounds good 20 00:01:10,300 --> 00:01:13,900 film, good mystery, it begins as mystery, so often do with a 21 00:01:13,900 --> 00:01:17,900 crime, a murder, right? The A man lies dead, and then 22 00:01:17,900 --> 00:01:21,500 the rest of the mystery is, is kind of unfolding who committed 23 00:01:21,500 --> 00:01:25,200 this crime and why and knives out has this, this other 24 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:28,000 dimension to it? Where Just figuring out, you 25 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:32,500 know, who wounded this man. But it's also figuring out or 26 00:01:32,500 --> 00:01:35,700 learning about what this man did. 27 00:01:35,700 --> 00:01:39,200 The murdered one, what he did to ensure that one of the 28 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:44,600 characters, received the gift of his inheritance, and that's what 29 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:46,400 gets unfolded as the movie goes on. 30 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:50,100 It's part of why it's so clever. And I say that because our 31 00:01:50,100 --> 00:01:53,800 passage and Zechariah has a similar theme, I'm not sure if 32 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:58,400 you noticed this, but it begins with a murder, this unnamed, but 33 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:02,700 very important man lies dead in the middle of the city. 34 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:06,700 And the unfolding of this Vision, actually isn't focused 35 00:02:06,700 --> 00:02:09,500 at all on on, who did this. That becomes really clear at the 36 00:02:09,500 --> 00:02:14,200 beginning, but the focus is on the gifts that the murdered one 37 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:18,700 intends to give even in the moment of his being wounded. 38 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:22,700 Added. And unlike knives out. 39 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:27,200 These gifts are not meant for the innocent one in the story, 40 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:31,900 but these gifts are meant for the very ones, we took his life, 41 00:02:32,500 --> 00:02:36,400 the very ones who wounded him, who murdered him, who caused his 42 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:40,000 death. What Zechariah sees in this 43 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:43,600 vision? Is nothing less than Good 44 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:47,200 Friday, and Jesus death on the cross. 45 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:51,600 In central to his vision, is not guilt or shame though. 46 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:54,900 Those are deserved for the people who took this man's life, 47 00:02:54,900 --> 00:02:58,900 but Central to his vision is God's love, and mercy, and 48 00:02:58,900 --> 00:03:02,500 forgiveness. Even in the moment of his 49 00:03:02,500 --> 00:03:08,200 ultimate rejection. How can healing come from a 50 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:14,700 womb? How could God be so kind in this 51 00:03:14,700 --> 00:03:20,800 moment of all moments? That is the real mystery of 52 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:26,400 zechariah's vision as the wounded one gives three gifts to 53 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:32,000 heal and restore the very ones pierced him who took his life 54 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:33,500 in. This is encouraging news. 55 00:03:33,900 --> 00:03:38,400 For those of us this morning, who come here stuck in shame. 56 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:44,400 Feeling the weight of guilt Upon Our shoulders or feeling stuck 57 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:50,000 in patterns of sin. We can't seem to escape So look 58 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:53,000 with me at these three gifts, beginning in verse 10. 59 00:03:54,300 --> 00:03:56,400 There's a lot in here, so I really encourage you to have 60 00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:58,800 your Bibles open or have your bulletin. 61 00:03:59,500 --> 00:04:05,000 So, versed in Zechariah says, or God says through Zechariah, and 62 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:08,300 I will pour out on the House of David in the inhabitants of 63 00:04:08,300 --> 00:04:13,700 Jerusalem, a spirit of Grace. And pleas, for Mercy, this is 64 00:04:13,700 --> 00:04:18,500 the first gift, a new spirit, a spirit of Grace, meaning 65 00:04:18,500 --> 00:04:25,000 something like warm-heartedness or compassion, Tenderness along 66 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:28,900 with this Spirit of pleading for mercy of Sorrow, this the spirit 67 00:04:28,900 --> 00:04:32,600 of Contrition of a desire to change of repentance. 68 00:04:32,900 --> 00:04:35,900 So why does God say that? He's going to give this gift of 69 00:04:35,900 --> 00:04:40,200 compassion and repentance? Well, it's because the murderers 70 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:44,500 are going to realize that they have made a horrible mistake, 71 00:04:45,300 --> 00:04:51,500 see the rest of verse 10. So that when they look on me on 72 00:04:51,500 --> 00:04:56,600 him who they have pierced, they shall mourn for him as One 73 00:04:56,600 --> 00:05:01,100 Mourns for an only child. And we literally over him as 74 00:05:01,100 --> 00:05:04,800 when weeps over a firstborn, this is where we find out about 75 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:08,900 the murder. At this unnamed person has been 76 00:05:08,900 --> 00:05:13,400 fatally pierced. But do you notice the awkward 77 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:19,600 construction of this sentence? So that when they look on me on 78 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:23,600 him whom they have pierced, you know, Hebrew scribes have copied 79 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:26,400 this, they thought, you know, maybe someone made a mistake in 80 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:30,400 the past because how could, you know, an invisible and 81 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:35,600 all-powerful God, how could he suffer injury at the hands of 82 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:39,500 men? Why would God identify himself? 83 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:44,500 As the one who's pierced. And somehow in zechariah's 84 00:05:44,500 --> 00:05:46,400 Vision. God. 85 00:05:46,900 --> 00:05:53,600 And this man are so aligned with each other that to wound one is 86 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:58,900 to wound the other. And of course, as we read this, 87 00:05:58,900 --> 00:06:03,300 through the lens of Christ's death and Resurrection, it makes 88 00:06:03,300 --> 00:06:07,200 perfect sense. That Jesus the perfect 89 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:10,900 representative of God, the father because he is God's 90 00:06:10,900 --> 00:06:14,900 eternally, begotten son. And in in because he's forever 91 00:06:14,900 --> 00:06:17,700 existed. As the second person of the one, 92 00:06:17,700 --> 00:06:23,200 trying God, he came to do the one thing that God cannot do, 93 00:06:24,100 --> 00:06:29,200 which is to die. To die at the hands of sinful 94 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:33,300 men. And God says, in verse 10 that 95 00:06:33,300 --> 00:06:35,200 the people will mourn for this man. 96 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:40,800 As if he was an only child the same word used. 97 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:45,500 When God says to Abraham will read at the Easter Vigil, take 98 00:06:45,500 --> 00:06:50,600 your son, your only son, Isaac, which interestingly the Greek, 99 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:54,700 the Septuagint in both places translates as 11th. 100 00:06:55,400 --> 00:07:01,200 Take your beloved Son, the mourn for him as a beloved child. 101 00:07:02,100 --> 00:07:04,800 Beloved like when the father Speaks Over Jesus at his 102 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:08,900 baptism, this is my beloved Son with whom I am. 103 00:07:08,900 --> 00:07:13,700 Well pleased. Back to verse 10, the wheat for 104 00:07:13,700 --> 00:07:18,900 this only beloved child as one weeps for a child who is first 105 00:07:18,900 --> 00:07:23,600 born. like when Paul writes in Colossians that Jesus is the 106 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:29,900 firstborn, the inheritor, over all creation, all of this to 107 00:07:29,900 --> 00:07:34,800 underline, the atrocity, and the seemingly there, the seeming 108 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:41,900 irreversibility this awful Act But through this wound comes a 109 00:07:41,900 --> 00:07:46,700 gift of healing. God says, he'll pour out on the 110 00:07:46,700 --> 00:07:50,300 House of David and all Jerusalem, a spirit of Grace, 111 00:07:50,500 --> 00:07:56,500 compassion and pleas for mercy. And then verse 11 on that day, 112 00:07:56,500 --> 00:07:58,600 the sprays that gets repeated throughout. 113 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:02,300 This passage each time signaling, the gift being given 114 00:08:02,300 --> 00:08:07,200 by God on that day. The morning in Jerusalem will be 115 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:11,300 as great as the morning for Haddad Rimmon in the plain of 116 00:08:11,300 --> 00:08:15,000 megiddo. You're probably wondering what 117 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:19,500 Haddad Riemann means and so am I it apparently so are many or 118 00:08:19,500 --> 00:08:22,300 not, really sure. It kind of got lost to history, 119 00:08:22,700 --> 00:08:25,600 the reference to megiddo. I mean, King Josiah, who's this 120 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:28,500 great king? Perhaps the Exile wouldn't have 121 00:08:28,500 --> 00:08:30,900 happened. If Josiah's rain had just been a 122 00:08:30,907 --> 00:08:34,600 little bit longer He died in megiddo and so maybe there's 123 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:37,900 some kind of Memorial in Jerusalem that that happened 124 00:08:37,900 --> 00:08:40,299 regularly to remember. King Josiah. 125 00:08:40,700 --> 00:08:42,900 Not sure what that phrase is about, that's what I'm saying 126 00:08:42,900 --> 00:08:45,400 but what's clear is that this murder happened in the city of 127 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:49,300 Jerusalem and it's the people of Jerusalem who bear the 128 00:08:49,300 --> 00:08:54,900 responsibility And so, look at verse 12, the land shall mourn 129 00:08:55,300 --> 00:09:00,600 each family by itself. And then we get this repetition, 130 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:05,200 the family of David by itself, and their wives in the family of 131 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:08,300 Nathan, and their wives in the family of Levi, and their wives 132 00:09:08,300 --> 00:09:10,800 in the family of shimei and their wives, and all the 133 00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:13,300 families that are left. So, what's the significance 134 00:09:13,300 --> 00:09:15,600 here? While these names will, you 135 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:19,400 know, David, I mean, David the great kind of the paradigmatic 136 00:09:19,400 --> 00:09:23,200 king of Israel. Well, and, you know, that David 137 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:26,600 had sons and one of those Sons is named Nathan. 138 00:09:27,700 --> 00:09:31,200 And so here, David and Nathan are representative of the royal 139 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:33,800 family. It's the Royals who bear 140 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:37,700 responsibility and mourn, and then, you know, Levi, Levi, the 141 00:09:37,700 --> 00:09:41,600 son of Jacob and he's the father of the whole Priestly caste and 142 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:43,600 Israel. And he had some sons and one of 143 00:09:43,608 --> 00:09:47,200 those Sons his name shimei. And so here, Levi and shimei, 144 00:09:47,200 --> 00:09:51,200 they represent the priest, the religious caste, and the 145 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:53,200 religious. Leaders in Israel. 146 00:09:54,300 --> 00:09:57,100 And it has the mention of the wives by themselves because 147 00:09:57,400 --> 00:10:00,400 early in the mission of there is this tradition this Jewish 148 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:03,300 tradition that that during a time of mourning, the genders 149 00:10:03,300 --> 00:10:06,000 would be separated and so that's what's happening there. 150 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:09,200 And then the whole city of Jerusalem gathers in this, and 151 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:14,800 all of this repetition is meant to show that all are implicated. 152 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:19,600 Even the most powerful in Jerusalem, in fact, especially 153 00:10:19,700 --> 00:10:21,700 the most powerful. They're the ones that get called 154 00:10:21,700 --> 00:10:25,100 out by name. It's the Royals, the Civic 155 00:10:25,100 --> 00:10:28,600 leaders and it's the religious leaders in its everybody who 156 00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:32,700 Bears responsibility for this man being killed. 157 00:10:35,900 --> 00:10:38,300 And the effect of this repetition is to show that the 158 00:10:38,300 --> 00:10:41,800 morning is genuine. This is real Contrition. 159 00:10:41,800 --> 00:10:44,800 They're not putting on a show, they're genuinely. 160 00:10:44,900 --> 00:10:49,800 Sorry, there's sorrow throughout the city for this murder. 161 00:10:49,800 --> 00:10:51,500 And so what do we make of all of this? 162 00:10:52,900 --> 00:10:57,800 That sorrow for sin. Is a gift of God. 163 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:03,300 That's the first gift that's given repentance Contrition 164 00:11:03,400 --> 00:11:07,900 desire to change. All of these are a gift of God. 165 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:11,500 And we need to remember this because this this can actually 166 00:11:11,500 --> 00:11:16,400 be a source of deep encouragement. because often an 167 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:20,600 in it when we're stuck in sin, it can feel as if God is very 168 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:25,800 far away from us, And this is where we need to remember that 169 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:28,800 repentance. And even that small desire to 170 00:11:28,800 --> 00:11:34,000 change is a gift of God's spirit within us. 171 00:11:35,100 --> 00:11:38,800 So, I experienced this recently, I was going on a high school 172 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:40,700 Retreat. You know, there are high school 173 00:11:40,700 --> 00:11:45,200 students and in talking to the girl, on the bus who is sitting 174 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:47,800 next to me and just kind of asking her, you know, tell me 175 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:49,500 about your spiritual life. You know what's going on for 176 00:11:49,500 --> 00:11:51,500 you. And, and she went on to tell me 177 00:11:51,500 --> 00:11:53,600 that she I felt very far from God. 178 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:56,300 And that they were. And I said, well, do you know 179 00:11:56,300 --> 00:11:58,900 why that is? She said, I have some ideas. 180 00:11:59,300 --> 00:12:02,100 I said, you know, sometimes it's our sin that can make us feel 181 00:12:02,100 --> 00:12:04,800 far from God and she said, yeah, you know, there are few things 182 00:12:04,800 --> 00:12:08,500 in my life, there's some things that I'm doing that, I know I 183 00:12:08,500 --> 00:12:12,800 shouldn't be doing but the problem is I don't really want 184 00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:16,100 to change. Did any of you relate to that? 185 00:12:16,700 --> 00:12:21,000 Like very clearly, you know, in yourself what the problem is but 186 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:25,400 you're not yet convicted all the way that you're ready to part 187 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:27,300 ways, with whatever this thing is. 188 00:12:27,300 --> 00:12:30,600 And so that's where she was. And I said, well, how do you? 189 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:34,600 How do you feel like, God feels towards you right now. 190 00:12:36,100 --> 00:12:38,700 Like, if you could see his face, what would his face look like? 191 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:43,800 And she thought about it for a moment and then a very quickly 192 00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:45,900 said, I think he'd feel disappointed. 193 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:50,700 When she thinks about God, she sees someone who's disappointed 194 00:12:51,100 --> 00:12:56,400 in her. He feels far away. and what I 195 00:12:56,408 --> 00:13:01,700 encouraged her, as I said, And I understand that you feel that 196 00:13:01,700 --> 00:13:03,000 way. But this is this is what I want 197 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:06,800 to tell you. That here on this bus ride to 198 00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:10,300 the retreat. You would not have told me any 199 00:13:10,300 --> 00:13:14,900 of this. If God's spirit was not actively 200 00:13:14,900 --> 00:13:19,100 working within you, I know that you feel far from God. 201 00:13:19,100 --> 00:13:22,300 I know that you don't feel ready to change certain things in your 202 00:13:22,300 --> 00:13:26,200 life, but you would not have even told me as much as you did, 203 00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:30,300 if God's spirit, we're not in you motivating. 204 00:13:30,300 --> 00:13:34,000 You convicting, you even that little amount. 205 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:36,700 Do you believe that That do you believe that God's spirit is 206 00:13:36,700 --> 00:13:40,300 actually very near to you even in this moment where you feel 207 00:13:40,300 --> 00:13:43,600 completely conflicted? Tears. 208 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:47,600 Begin to fall from her eyes, she hadn't considered that God was 209 00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:50,700 near to her. That's what I said to her is the 210 00:13:50,700 --> 00:13:53,200 rest of this week and you're going to be given opportunities 211 00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:56,300 to think about these things that you don't know if you want to 212 00:13:56,400 --> 00:14:00,400 let go of and my encouragement to you would be to Simply keep 213 00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:04,600 doing what you just did. Keep leaning in to that voice 214 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:10,600 saying, share confess confess about precisely where you are 215 00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:14,000 right now confess that little amount of conviction and see 216 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:18,700 what the Lord does with that. That's the gift that God gives 217 00:14:18,700 --> 00:14:21,700 us sorrow. Over sin, is a gift of God, and 218 00:14:21,700 --> 00:14:25,300 even when you're not ready to, let go of sin in your life, just 219 00:14:25,300 --> 00:14:29,300 lean into that get and he will provide the strength. 220 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:34,200 We go forward will always put the opportunity before you and 221 00:14:34,200 --> 00:14:36,900 you have to you have to take them up on the opportunity. 222 00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:39,600 You won't put these words in your mouth. 223 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:43,400 It'll put the opportunity before you confess. 224 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:46,300 Repent. See what he does with that. 225 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:50,700 Spirit of repentance is a gift. Let's look. 226 00:14:50,700 --> 00:14:56,300 Now at the second gift of the Wounded one, we could 13:1 this 227 00:14:56,300 --> 00:15:00,700 gift of forgiveness. And that day there shall be a 228 00:15:00,700 --> 00:15:05,100 fountain opened for the House of David in the inhabitants of 229 00:15:05,100 --> 00:15:09,900 Jerusalem to cleanse them from sin, and uncleanness again that 230 00:15:09,900 --> 00:15:13,800 phrase on that day and that very day. 231 00:15:13,800 --> 00:15:17,900 When God's representative is pierced, not only is the gift of 232 00:15:17,900 --> 00:15:24,200 Sorrow for sin given but a means of atonement is provided, a 233 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:29,100 means of making things right, again is provided It by the very 234 00:15:29,100 --> 00:15:35,400 one who suffered the injury. This, the image is of a fountain 235 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:39,100 which throughout the scriptures and even another literature is 236 00:15:39,300 --> 00:15:42,700 you know is representative of a source of life. 237 00:15:44,100 --> 00:15:46,400 And I'm sure you've seen throughout this sermon series 238 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:49,800 that Zechariah, he borrows imagery from other Major 239 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:53,800 Prophets, like Isaiah and Ezekiel Ezekiel to had this 240 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:57,200 theme of water throughout his writings that God would bring 241 00:15:57,200 --> 00:16:01,200 his people home and he would sprinkle clean water on them so 242 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:04,300 that they would be clean from all their uncleanness. 243 00:16:05,100 --> 00:16:08,700 And from all of their idols. On that day, the day of his 244 00:16:08,700 --> 00:16:13,500 wounding, the gift of God is Not Just repentance, but cleansing. 245 00:16:14,100 --> 00:16:19,900 Forgiveness of sin and we live in a culture that demands 246 00:16:19,900 --> 00:16:24,200 atonement, we live in a culture that is so good at identifying, 247 00:16:24,200 --> 00:16:25,400 what's wrong? In this world? 248 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:28,200 And that's a good thing. But we're also a culture. 249 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:31,800 That's very confused and lost when it comes to how things are 250 00:16:31,800 --> 00:16:35,000 made. Right, again, In this concept of 251 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:38,500 forgiveness is Scandal it. And are you guys did a sermon 252 00:16:38,500 --> 00:16:42,400 series this fall? This very topic of forgiveness. 253 00:16:43,700 --> 00:16:46,400 And so in our culture needs stories about forgiveness, I 254 00:16:46,400 --> 00:16:50,400 mean, ways of making sense. How is this supposed to look? 255 00:16:51,700 --> 00:16:54,900 And so, the story that came to mind is thinking about this text 256 00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:59,300 forgiveness, in the very moment of a wound, comes from a book, 257 00:16:59,300 --> 00:17:01,200 have any of you read this Called Peace? 258 00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:04,200 Like a river. I think it's by Leaf anger. 259 00:17:05,200 --> 00:17:08,000 If you're from the Midwest, I mean, it's a very Midwestern 260 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:11,000 novel, it precedes. Very, very slowly and 261 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:15,300 methodically and some would say it's boring, but I would simply 262 00:17:15,300 --> 00:17:19,500 say it's Midwestern. And if you're from Minnesota, 263 00:17:19,500 --> 00:17:21,900 it's very minnesotans, you should check it out. 264 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:25,599 In this novel, you know, boys reflecting on his father his 265 00:17:25,599 --> 00:17:29,900 father's, a good man who's come under hardship around him in his 266 00:17:29,900 --> 00:17:31,400 life. He's working at a job as a 267 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:34,800 janitor at a school. Not exactly a glorious job for 268 00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:37,900 your dad to be doing and one day, all the students are in the 269 00:17:37,900 --> 00:17:41,700 lunchroom and in the principal, or the superintendent walks into 270 00:17:41,700 --> 00:17:44,400 the lunchroom, the superintendent's, pretty evil, 271 00:17:44,400 --> 00:17:46,400 man, and his space, even reflects this. 272 00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:50,100 He's he's got boils on his skin and kind of this redness that 273 00:17:50,100 --> 00:17:54,200 comes through and he's always Getting and angry and he gets 274 00:17:54,200 --> 00:17:56,800 angry at the kids and goes to do something about it. 275 00:17:57,100 --> 00:18:00,500 And the superintendent knocks over, you know this this tray of 276 00:18:00,500 --> 00:18:04,700 milk bottles shattering them. And just at that moment, the 277 00:18:04,700 --> 00:18:09,200 boy's father walks in the janitor, the clean it up, the 278 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:12,200 superintendent's embarrassed. And so, he's gonna take out his 279 00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:14,900 embarrassment on somebody else, he's going to shift his 280 00:18:14,900 --> 00:18:16,200 embarrassment on to somebody else. 281 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:19,000 Since we shifted onto the janitor, who he's seen walking 282 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:21,100 around the school muttering to himself. 283 00:18:21,700 --> 00:18:23,100 Oh really? What the dad was doing was 284 00:18:23,100 --> 00:18:27,100 praying, but the superintendent in front of everybody, Shane's 285 00:18:27,100 --> 00:18:31,100 him. Accuses him of being a drunk 286 00:18:31,700 --> 00:18:35,000 walking around the school's weird time, saying things to 287 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:38,700 himself. And the boy says that, that most 288 00:18:38,700 --> 00:18:40,500 boys have never had to watch something. 289 00:18:40,500 --> 00:18:44,300 Like, most boys have never had to watch as their father was 290 00:18:44,300 --> 00:18:49,700 stripped of his livelihood of his dignity in the, in front of 291 00:18:49,700 --> 00:18:53,000 many other people. But the cruelty of that moment, 292 00:18:53,300 --> 00:18:55,900 still impresses all these years later. 293 00:18:57,500 --> 00:19:00,800 The superintendent fires, his father takes out his 294 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:05,500 embarrassment on this man. And then this moment happens, 295 00:19:05,500 --> 00:19:09,200 the father reaches up and so quickly me you blink and you'd 296 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:15,300 miss it the father touches the superintendent space, he said it 297 00:19:15,300 --> 00:19:18,100 was almost like a slap and then it was just it was gone. 298 00:19:19,100 --> 00:19:22,700 And with that, touch the superintendent space was healed. 299 00:19:22,900 --> 00:19:26,000 All of the redness, went away, all of the sweat, dried up all 300 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:29,600 the boils receded, the principal himself didn't understand what 301 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:34,600 was happening. And the boy says it is not an 302 00:19:34,600 --> 00:19:37,400 easy thing to watch a miracle happened. 303 00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:40,900 And we think oh we'd love to see Miracles. 304 00:19:41,100 --> 00:19:44,600 He says, in this moment it was not an easy thing to see this 305 00:19:44,600 --> 00:19:49,300 miracle happen. Why did my dad heal him? 306 00:19:50,100 --> 00:19:52,700 Why did my dad? He'll the one who had just 307 00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:54,700 insulted him in front of everybody. 308 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:59,500 He said the Injustice of this miracle took my breath away. 309 00:20:01,500 --> 00:20:03,600 That's the kind of thing we have Happening Here. 310 00:20:05,200 --> 00:20:10,800 In the moment of this wound, a fountain appealing is opened up 311 00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:15,300 the piercing leads to this Fountain of cleansing for the 312 00:20:15,300 --> 00:20:20,800 murderers themselves. I mean, the gospel writer John, 313 00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:27,200 he quotes this very passage in Zechariah John chapter 19, they 314 00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:30,500 will look on him whom they have pierced. 315 00:20:30,500 --> 00:20:34,100 As Jesus is on the cross. When he tells this story about 316 00:20:34,100 --> 00:20:37,500 Jesus was dead in the soldier, brings a spear just to make sure 317 00:20:37,500 --> 00:20:41,200 that he's dead. He pokes, the dead body of Jesus 318 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:45,400 in the side and out of Jesus side, come blood and water 319 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:48,800 blowing. See the prophet. 320 00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:53,300 Ezekiel had a dreamed that someday there would be a new 321 00:20:53,300 --> 00:20:58,700 Temple in out of this Temple would flow a river and wherever 322 00:20:58,700 --> 00:21:03,800 this River went life, would spring up from the ground 323 00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:06,600 animals. Would swarm in these trees would 324 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:09,900 come up from this river, that comes from the temple, and these 325 00:21:09,900 --> 00:21:12,200 trees would bear fruit. And, and those fruit bearing 326 00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:14,200 trees would never be out of season. 327 00:21:15,100 --> 00:21:19,200 But day in and day out, they would, they would bear fruit. 328 00:21:20,600 --> 00:21:23,600 Earlier in John's gospel, Jesus said about his own body. 329 00:21:23,600 --> 00:21:29,200 That it's a temple, destroy this Temple and I will raise it in 330 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:33,600 three days. That's what's happening on the 331 00:21:33,600 --> 00:21:39,500 prop blood and water flow out. Blood given to us even today in 332 00:21:39,500 --> 00:21:45,200 the Eucharist blood for the Forgiveness of sins water in 333 00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:47,900 baptism given that we might be cleansed. 334 00:21:47,900 --> 00:21:52,800 In the very moment of his death comes cleansing, even for the 335 00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:58,200 ones who have injured an assault it It's incredible. 336 00:21:58,700 --> 00:22:01,000 Second gift is the gift of forgiveness. 337 00:22:02,500 --> 00:22:05,700 Now look at verse 20, the final gift of the Wounded one. 338 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:10,800 On that day, declares the Lord of hosts. 339 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:16,100 I will cut off the names of the idols of the land so that they 340 00:22:16,100 --> 00:22:22,300 will be remembered no more. For the Jews Idols were images 341 00:22:22,300 --> 00:22:26,700 used in worship of other gods, Gods named asherah or bail. 342 00:22:27,900 --> 00:22:31,600 And we know them today for the things that these Idols promised 343 00:22:31,800 --> 00:22:38,400 to provide money, sex, and power, and influence, and 344 00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:41,500 fulfillment. All of these things that can be 345 00:22:41,500 --> 00:22:46,000 good in their place, but when they become the thing, that our 346 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:50,200 lives are missing the thing that would bring us happiness and 347 00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:53,800 security, then they become deadly to ourselves and to 348 00:22:53,800 --> 00:22:57,500 others. Zechariah says, on that day, 349 00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:00,400 those things will be cut off. I mean, don't you long for that 350 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:03,100 temptation? Just cut off. 351 00:23:03,700 --> 00:23:05,500 No more. The things that you struggle 352 00:23:05,500 --> 00:23:11,600 with cut off no more. Zechariah then says that God 353 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:15,800 will remove from the land. The prophets, meaning the false, 354 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:19,500 prophets in the spirit of uncleanness, he's talking about 355 00:23:19,500 --> 00:23:22,700 these false prophets, that entice, the people with these 356 00:23:22,700 --> 00:23:26,500 promises of fulfillment. But leave them hurting instead. 357 00:23:27,700 --> 00:23:32,600 you see verse 3, if anyone again prophesize, Is father and 358 00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:35,900 mother, Who Bore him will say to him, you shall not live for you, 359 00:23:35,900 --> 00:23:38,000 speak lies in the name of the Lord. 360 00:23:38,700 --> 00:23:41,300 And what he's referring to is, you know, this part of the law 361 00:23:41,300 --> 00:23:44,900 in Deuteronomy that says, if a prophet is prophesying, falsely, 362 00:23:44,900 --> 00:23:47,400 should be put to death. And so the implication here, is 363 00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:51,000 that even the false prophets own family will have the discernment 364 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:53,900 to know right from wrong. They're not going to put up with 365 00:23:53,900 --> 00:23:56,400 it just because that profit is there. 366 00:23:56,400 --> 00:23:59,600 Son? And false prophets. 367 00:23:59,700 --> 00:24:03,500 You know they trafficked and false hope just like they do 368 00:24:03,500 --> 00:24:06,500 today. They're the ones who say that 369 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:10,000 that you can go around suffering in this life. 370 00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:14,200 The false prophets are the ones who say that your most important 371 00:24:14,200 --> 00:24:20,100 job is for you to be happy. And that this is what God wants 372 00:24:20,100 --> 00:24:22,800 for you to. But the truth is always more 373 00:24:22,800 --> 00:24:25,500 subtle and what the false prophets say? 374 00:24:27,100 --> 00:24:31,200 You cannot Escape suffering in this life, but the Lord will 375 00:24:31,200 --> 00:24:34,900 deliver you one day from all suffering in. 376 00:24:34,900 --> 00:24:38,800 Your most important work, is not to be happy that the Lord can 377 00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:43,300 and will satisfy the longings of your heart. 378 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:49,700 We don't use the language of false prophets often anymore. 379 00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:52,000 Our profits. They don't they don't go around 380 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:55,900 and Harry cloaks like Elijah War you'll parading themselves as 381 00:24:55,900 --> 00:24:59,600 prophets. They go by other names today. 382 00:25:00,300 --> 00:25:04,900 I think the the name that came to mind is influencer Those 383 00:25:04,900 --> 00:25:06,600 might be some of the false prophets today. 384 00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:09,500 They don't have a hairy cloak but they have this nice pleasing 385 00:25:09,500 --> 00:25:12,400 background that somehow they figured out how to make you 386 00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:15,600 watch that video and think oh this person knows what they're 387 00:25:15,600 --> 00:25:19,300 saying and they come to us with different voices, you know, 388 00:25:19,300 --> 00:25:24,600 there's the shaming voice of the the mommy Instagram influencer 389 00:25:25,100 --> 00:25:28,800 that make you feel kind of smug and self-satisfied about how you 390 00:25:28,900 --> 00:25:32,500 are choosing to parent which is so much better than how they 391 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:36,300 chose to parent. Or are choosing to parent. 392 00:25:36,300 --> 00:25:39,800 It's it's the voice, you know, those angry diatribes of these, 393 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:42,800 in a political influencers, on one side of the other that make 394 00:25:42,800 --> 00:25:46,500 you feel better than the less enlightened around you. 395 00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:51,100 It's the false prophets you know who have the the cynical 396 00:25:51,100 --> 00:25:55,500 confidence of the deconstructor, right who can take something 397 00:25:55,500 --> 00:25:58,500 that spiritually you held dear, you know they can take your 398 00:25:58,500 --> 00:26:02,600 faith like a child and just pick it apart that you're left with 399 00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:06,200 nothing. It's the voice of, you know, the 400 00:26:06,200 --> 00:26:10,200 self-assured kind of machismo of that, that big tough man, 401 00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:15,100 promising, you know, muscular gains and and a steady stream of 402 00:26:15,100 --> 00:26:18,100 income, you know, from like passive income, you know, that 403 00:26:18,100 --> 00:26:21,600 sort of thing. Yeah, these are the false 404 00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:25,500 prophets and every time you get on an Instagram or YouTube, you 405 00:26:25,500 --> 00:26:26,700 see these people. Why? 406 00:26:26,800 --> 00:26:29,500 Because they have a message that's appealing. 407 00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:32,600 And so you stick around long enough to listen to what they 408 00:26:32,600 --> 00:26:35,500 have to say. And then that social media says, 409 00:26:35,500 --> 00:26:38,300 oh man, they like this stuff. Let's give him some more. 410 00:26:38,300 --> 00:26:40,700 Let's keep feeding them these messages. 411 00:26:42,100 --> 00:26:46,500 And they influence us. And Zechariah seize the day when 412 00:26:46,500 --> 00:26:50,500 such false prophets will be ashamed of their words. 413 00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:54,300 Ashamed of the things they said the promises they made about 414 00:26:54,300 --> 00:26:56,900 what would bring fulfillment in verse 5. 415 00:26:56,900 --> 00:27:00,800 They'll deny that they ever pretended to be an influencer. 416 00:27:02,400 --> 00:27:06,100 Verse 6, if somebody asks the false prophet, you know what are 417 00:27:06,100 --> 00:27:07,800 those wounds on your back? Maybe that. 418 00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:11,800 What is he talking about there? So, apparently this, you know, 419 00:27:11,800 --> 00:27:14,000 wounds on your back, it actually means, you know, wounds 420 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:17,400 somewhere between your hands, it could be on the back or it could 421 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:20,800 be on the chest. If you remember that, that story 422 00:27:20,800 --> 00:27:24,500 of Elijah on Mount Carmel. Now he's going toe-to-toe with 423 00:27:24,500 --> 00:27:28,200 all these false prophets and in there, you know, passionate 424 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:32,100 desire for bail to show up and act. 425 00:27:32,300 --> 00:27:34,800 And defeat the god of Yahweh. What do they start doing? 426 00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:39,400 Is start adding themselves. Start wounding themselves. 427 00:27:40,600 --> 00:27:43,100 It's a Zechariah sees this day that somebody would see these 428 00:27:43,100 --> 00:27:46,400 wounds of the false prophet and say, how did you get those 429 00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:49,600 wounds in the false prophet would say this? 430 00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:52,000 And this actually really important, he says these are the 431 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:56,300 wounds that I receive in the house of my friends. 432 00:28:00,600 --> 00:28:04,200 False prophet bought into this message of fulfillment to this 433 00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:06,800 message. This false hope that will only 434 00:28:06,900 --> 00:28:10,000 leave you wounded if you're to follow it. 435 00:28:11,100 --> 00:28:13,500 He says yeah that's I got it from my friends. 436 00:28:14,100 --> 00:28:17,400 The ones I thought would take care of me from from the voices, 437 00:28:17,400 --> 00:28:20,800 the false promises. That's where I got these wounds. 438 00:28:23,800 --> 00:28:25,700 The gift. The third gift that's given 439 00:28:25,700 --> 00:28:28,700 after repentance and forgiveness is victory. 440 00:28:29,200 --> 00:28:34,400 Over Idol has victory over these false hopes. 441 00:28:36,400 --> 00:28:39,600 And of course, we know that this is day that Zechariah sees 442 00:28:40,300 --> 00:28:42,400 knows. It was a long day, right? 443 00:28:42,400 --> 00:28:45,500 It started on Good Friday but this day isn't yet over. 444 00:28:45,500 --> 00:28:49,000 We're still waiting for the Fulfillment of this day when 445 00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:51,700 these Idols are put away forever. 446 00:28:53,100 --> 00:28:56,100 But we are given now a gift of discernment. 447 00:28:57,200 --> 00:29:02,000 The sermon to know truth from falsehood in the measuring line 448 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:06,200 that were given is the cross. So anytime you hear a message 449 00:29:06,200 --> 00:29:12,200 that promises fulfillment of some kind judge it by the cross, 450 00:29:13,500 --> 00:29:16,300 The Cross isn't a symbolic victory of Jesus, but it's a 451 00:29:16,308 --> 00:29:19,400 real Victory. It's a real actual historical 452 00:29:19,400 --> 00:29:24,000 victory of Jesus, over the powers of sin, the Flesh and the 453 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:28,100 devil. And so, beware, beware of any 454 00:29:28,100 --> 00:29:33,100 message that would say you can find fulfillment separate from 455 00:29:33,100 --> 00:29:36,000 Suffering. The Lord's going to lead you 456 00:29:37,300 --> 00:29:41,000 Through suffering and out of it. That's the message of the Cross 457 00:29:41,100 --> 00:29:44,000 and we can't escape suffering. But the message is that the Lord 458 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:47,800 can redeem any suffering. So, beware of a message that 459 00:29:47,800 --> 00:29:51,800 says, you can get around it. Beware of any kind of message 460 00:29:51,800 --> 00:29:55,300 that says, you can get around your responsibility to love your 461 00:29:55,300 --> 00:30:01,100 neighbor that you can get around any responsibility to love God. 462 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:05,100 That's not the message of the Cross message of the Cross is 463 00:30:05,100 --> 00:30:07,700 sacrificial. Love, and Jesus were to ask is 464 00:30:07,700 --> 00:30:12,000 to take up your cross and follow me beware of any message that 465 00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:16,300 says, otherwise, Beware of any message that says, you can be 466 00:30:16,300 --> 00:30:20,200 fulfilled. Apart from communion. 467 00:30:21,500 --> 00:30:27,300 With Christ and his body. You cannot, we are not made for 468 00:30:27,300 --> 00:30:30,300 fulfillment separate from the Lord Jesus. 469 00:30:30,400 --> 00:30:34,100 So beware of any message that says, you can find fulfillment 470 00:30:34,200 --> 00:30:36,600 outside of the church or somewhere else. 471 00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:41,100 You can't, you can only find fulfillment in Jesus. 472 00:30:41,800 --> 00:30:47,600 That's the message of the cross. The gift is discernment of his 473 00:30:47,600 --> 00:30:54,100 victory, over these powers. Well, conclude there. 474 00:30:54,900 --> 00:30:59,100 This is what Zechariah sees these three gifts, the gift of 475 00:30:59,100 --> 00:31:02,800 repentance, it gift of forgiveness, that gift of 476 00:31:02,800 --> 00:31:07,800 Victory, given these gifts given to the ones who are the very 477 00:31:07,800 --> 00:31:12,700 most undeserving, but given, because God's love will have the 478 00:31:12,700 --> 00:31:15,300 final Victory. Amen. 479 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:18,900 Given to the ones who are undeserving, because God's love 480 00:31:18,900 --> 00:31:22,400 will have the final Victory. And so, the encouragement for us 481 00:31:22,400 --> 00:31:25,400 today, Day. This is wonderful timing halfway 482 00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:27,800 through land. Just over halfway through Lent. 483 00:31:29,300 --> 00:31:32,200 Is to receive the gifts that God wants to give you. 484 00:31:32,200 --> 00:31:37,200 We take this time to meditate on Christ's death and resurrection 485 00:31:37,400 --> 00:31:40,100 and when he looks at you he has not disappointed with you. 486 00:31:40,300 --> 00:31:42,900 But his spirit is in you saying come home. 487 00:31:43,500 --> 00:31:47,300 Now is the time to come home. Maybe you've started these 488 00:31:47,300 --> 00:31:52,400 Lenten disciplines And so far you failed at most of them, you 489 00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:54,700 don't have to say, Amen. But I'm sure that some of us in 490 00:31:54,700 --> 00:31:57,400 this room, you picked up some Lenten disciplines, the ones 491 00:31:57,400 --> 00:32:01,000 that you knew you needed and it's just been a total failure. 492 00:32:02,500 --> 00:32:06,700 Well, today's a new start. Lean into the grace that Jesus 493 00:32:06,700 --> 00:32:11,600 provides pick those up again to become weak before the Lord's 494 00:32:11,600 --> 00:32:14,400 that he can fill you up with his strength. 495 00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:20,700 This is what lent is all about going deeper into the mystery. 496 00:32:21,500 --> 00:32:27,700 The true mystery of God's love for us in the death Resurrection 497 00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:33,000 his son Jesus Christ. The name of the father and the 498 00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:35,500 son and the holy spirit. Amen. 499 00:32:31,800 --> 00:32:34,500 The name of the father and the son and the holy spirit. 500 00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:35,500 Amen.