That’s right; Satan had absolutely nothing to say! What could he say? “Joshua’s a horrible sinner, burning away in the fire of lust”! Oh, wait, no he isn’t, he’s been snatched out of the fire. “Joshua’s got filthy clothes on so he isn’t fit for God’s presence” …oh wait, no he doesn’t, his filthy clothes have been taken off of him. “Well, he’s naked in sin.” Wrong again. He’s got clean, beautiful new clothing on! Satan’s got nothing to say!
Friend, apply this now to your own life. Put your name in the following blanks:
“_______________ is a horrible sinner, burning away in the fire of lust!” No, you have been “snatched from the fire” through the death and resurrection of Jesus.
“_______________ has the filthy clothes of sin on, so he/she is not fit for God’s presence.” No, your sin has been removed from you at the cross and put on Jesus. He wore your filthy sin clothes, and He died in them.
"Well, ______________ is naked in his sin!" No, you have beautiful, clean, new clothing on. You are wearing the righteousness of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21), you have His holiness and His perfection covering you like a robe. You are clean!
This passage is designed to show us what happened at the cross, and how we are to use the gospel to silence Satan, the “accuser of the brethren” (Revelation 12:10).
Every single time you are reminded of your past sin, remember that at the cross you exchanged clothing with Jesus: He wore yours, you are wearing His. You are now literally clothed in righteousness, covered in it, (Isaiah 61:10)! You are clean!
Finally, how do we know that this passage in Zechariah chapter 3 is designed to teach us, believers, about what happened at the cross? Isn’t it just a historical account of Joshua and what happened in his situation?
We must remember that all Bible stories illustrate the main Bible story: the cross of Jesus Christ! Notice this next passage:
Zechariah 3:8-9 NIV “Listen, High Priest Joshua, you and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. (9) ...says the LORD Almighty, ‘and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day.”
Yes, we are instructed to view this particular story as “symbolic of things to come.” Specifically when “the Branch” (a reference to the then coming Messiah - see Isaiah 53:2 and Jeremiah 23:5) would, by the Lord Almighty, “remove the sin of this land in a single day.”
Friend, Jesus died on the cross and removed sin from the land in a single day. On that day, Jesus exchanged “clothes” with all who believe. He took our filthy clothes of sin and gave us His robe of righteousness. He took our sin, canceled our debt, and disarmed the evil powers and authorities. Now, no accusations can stand against us! The devil’s mouth has been shut; he has nothing with which to accuse you! So don’t put words in his mouth. Don’t start rehearsing your list of wrongs you’ve done, the failures you’ve had. Those have all been forgiven and buried. Don’t dig them up ever again!
Question 7. As we close this study today, please explain how human beings who have been engaged in impurity, become clean.
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