Jesus Rose and Started Building Zechariah 6:9-15
If I asked you what your greatest earthly desire would be, what would you say? If you could have any earthly desire fulfilled, what would you want? If you ask any Jewish person for the greatest hope that they would like to see in their generation, the first one is to firstly be back in the land of their identity and specifically to see the rebuilding of Jerusalem. For many Jews, that has become a present reality. The number of Jewish people living in Israel is now about half (45%) of all those who identify as Jewish in the world. After the desire for Alijah, the return to their homeland of Israel, the other highest priority is to build the temple.
But the place upon which they desire to build it, the Temple Mount, is a disputed block of ground.
The reasoning for building the temple is based on passages just like the one we read. There are a number of others.
What was Zechariah referring to? He described someone coming who shall be called the Branch – this title is also given to someone who would come from the branch of Jesse or King David. We know this to be perfectly fulfilled in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is from the root of Jesse; he is the Branch referred to here. The prophet Jeremiah said of Him, “a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.” (Jeremiah 23:3) Isaiah 11:1, 2 says, “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.”
So, Zechariah was prophesying about the Lord Jesus Christ. Zechariah asked in verse 11 that a crown of silver and gold be made to sit on the head of Joshua who was the High Priest. The Hebrew for Joshua: “God’s Salvation” which, of course, is the Greek version of the same name Ἰησοῦς – English: “Jesus” meaning “salvation.” So, this High Priest Joshua represented the future ministry of this Branch whom we know as Jesus. The crown had to be made of silver and gold; silver representing the Priesthood; Gold representing Kingship. The crown made of both represented that both those roles would be fulfilled in Joshua the High Priest, which had never been the case in the Old Testament. Levi, the Priests, was separate from Judah, the kings. But Jesus fulfils both; He is both Priest and King.
But what about the temple? Zechariah said this future Priestly King (the Branch in verses 12 and 13) “shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD. It is he who shall build the temple of the LORD and shall bear royal honour and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”
As we said, the Branch refers to Jesus. How will Jesus do this? Is it referring to a literal temple? There are two parts to the answer. In John 2:18-22, after Jesus had turned over some tables in the temple and caused a bit of a scene, “the Jews said to him, "What sign do you show us for doing these things?" Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews then said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?" But he was speaking about the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken”.
Mark also helps us understand what temple was being spoken about in Mark 14:58 when the accusers of Jesus were testifying against him, “"We heard him say, 'I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.'" So, not a literal temple. The Branch will branch out: the gospel is clearly meant here and will go out into all the world as commanded by Jesus in the Great Commission. (Matthew 28:18-20) The church, Christ’s body that was established at His resurrection, His temple the church, is still being built.
The crown of Joshua the high priest points to a greater priest, a greater building, a higher calling for us all. (Verses 14, 15) “And the crown shall be in the temple of the LORD as a reminder to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah. "And those who are far off shall come and help to build the temple of the LORD. And you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. And this shall come to pass, if you will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God."
The Jews think that the fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy is them building a temple on the temple mount. There will be a temple built; it will be destroyed. But the Lord has called a different set of priests to build in the power of the resurrection. You are called a royal priesthood. You are members of Christ’s body and are building something made without hands. This temple of the Lord is made of people who become part of Christ’s body by grace.
Mark told us how this happened. (Mark 16: 1-7) “When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?" And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back---it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, "Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you." This was the greatest event ever to occur in Earth’s History – It established the gateway of man back to God – for eternity.
So, what would be your greatest earthly joy and desire? Surely, our hearts as we conform to Christ (Romans 8:29), want to desire what He does. His heart is to see the church, His body/temple, rule and reign over the earth. May we with every breath we have, every fibre of our being, desire this.
His departing words to the disciples and also to us: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19, 20)
Like Joshua, Jesus is our high priest, the mediator between God and humanity who has made a way for us to be reconciled to the Father. Through His sacrifice on the cross, Jesus has paid the penalty for our sin and has given us access to the abundant life that God desires for us.
As we celebrate Easter Sunday, let us remember the hope and renewal that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. May we never lose sight of the fact that God is in control of all things, and that His grace and mercy are available to all who seek Him. Let this be a day of rejoicing and worship, as we give thanks for the victory that Jesus has won on our behalf! Jesus rose and started building through His Holy Spirit; let’s do the same!