The Seventh Sunday after Epiphany (OTA)

Zechariah 3:1-10

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. ² And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” ³ Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. ⁴ And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” ⁵ And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord was standing by.

⁶ And the angel of the Lord solemnly assured Joshua, ⁷ “Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here. ⁸ Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch. ⁹ For behold, on the stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven eyes, I will engrave its inscription, declares the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. ¹⁰ In that day, declares the Lord of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree.”

Joshua the high priest stands in the place of all Israel. He stands there accused of all the people's sin. He stands there in our place. God looks at this high priest and has mercy upon us. He takes off his filthy rags and gives him fine linen to wear. Jesus is the righteous branch he is the vine and we the branches. Jesus is our great high priest who take on the sin of the world. Jesus does this same removal and clothing for all his people.

Some may ask how their cloths have become so dirty. Others may ask why they can not just simply be washed in oxyclean or bleach. But the truth is that our clothing, our flesh, our life, is filthy because of our deeds. We have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We have become angry with our parents, children, neighbor, friends, and even God. We have sworn falsely concerning these people and God.

We are not worthy of the filthy clothes we even wear. We should be stripped naked, and condemned for our deeds. But Christ, the Angel of The Lord, has come to cloth us with his mighty garment. He clothes us with his deeds. Jesus even offers his precious blood for our cleansing. Jesus is our true and perfect high priest.