And he spoke and said to those who were standing before him saying, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” Again he said to him, “See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes.” (NAS) Zechariah 3:4
In Zechariah 3, God gives us a picture of what Jesus Christ accomplished for us on the cross. . .
Joshua, the high priest (not the Joshua at Jericho), has returned from captivity in Babylon. He stands before God and Satan in filthy garments. Joshua is representing the sinful people. God is there to judge him. Satan is there to accuse Joshua – he’s like the prosecuting attorney with a seemingly open and shut case. But Joshua has an advocate, Jesus Christ, acting as the defense attorney. Jesus stands at God’s right hand, and silences all the accusations of Satan. Christ has already served the sentence for the peoples’ sin. Instead of condemnation, God removes Joshua’s filthy clothes, symbolizing his sinful nature, and replaces them with clean, rich garments. Joshua is made clean. He is forgiven.
This is what Jesus Christ has done for us. He has already paid the price, on the cross, for our sins. God removes the filthy garments of our sin and clothes us in His righteousness.
God’s desire is that we repent of (or turn away from) our sins and turn to Him. Have you, in faith, turned to God? confessed that you have sinned? and believe that Jesus’ death on the cross is payment for your sins? If not, please don’t waste another day, investigate Jesus Christ. Why not trade in those “old dirty rags” for a set of “clean royal garments” given by the King of Kings?
