#DailyDevotion Which will you choose, Life or Death?
February 2nd
Read Zech 12:1—13:9
Zec 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.
Zec 13:6 And if one asks him, ‘What are these wounds on your back?’ he will say, ‘The wounds I received in the house of my friends.’
The New Testament has a double fulfillment of these prophecies. We see these Joh 19:35-37 “He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. (36) For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” (37) And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.” And Rev 1:7 “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.”
The first is the fulfillment when Jesus is crucified. There in the house of friends, his holy people, Jesus is beaten and crucified. All Jerusalem has seen this happen. They crucified the Lord of Glory. Because of the continued rejection of him even after having seen the witness of the empty tomb, people in Jerusalem and Judah still rejected him. The Lord sent the Romans to deal with them in 70 AD. But to those who believe in Jesus, who put their trust in the witness of his resurrection, we become the New Jerusalem the prophet speaks about whom the Lord protects and defends on the Last Day.
The Last Day is the other time this prophecy is fulfilled. Those who should have believed in Christ will be asking this question when they see the Lord of Glory, Jesus of Nazareth descending with the clouds and his holy angels to defend his Church against the world. Then they will wail because they will know their rebellion against him will not stand. On that Day, all who put their trust in Jesus will be raised from the dead or transformed into immortality and receive the gift of everlasting life. Those who rejected him will be destroyed and received everlasting condemnation. (Rev. 19)
So which is it going to be for you? Life or Death? Choose Life.
Heavenly Father you sent your Son Jesus Christ, to be your Prophet and the King of your people. By the rejection of the Jews we have received eternal life. Keep us always in this faith and grant to all who hear the good news repentance and faith to life everlasting. In Jesus’ name. Amen.