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Bible Notes - Tabernacle Commentaries
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Zechariah 13:7
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Now there is a change of subject. The time will come when God will put in motion these events. All of these events are about to be fulfilled when God says the word, and when the forces of darkness are allowed to rise up against the Saviour on Calvary. Christ quoted these words to predict the offence of his disciples at his arrest and their desertion of him: ‘And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered’ (Mark 14:27). He must go to Calvary alone; he must bear the punishment of sin without any other to help him. Even this small comfort of the loyalty of his disciples at such a time will be denied him. How could the sheep continue to stand when the Shepherd himself appeared to be overcome? Sheep do not come to the rescue of shepherds, but shepherds to the rescue of sheep. This was all according to the Scriptures which Christ knew intimately. Afterwards they would be recovered: ‘But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee’ (Mark 14:28), but during this baptism of fire Christ must be totally unsupported by the creature. Peter also would fail and deny his Lord. The Shepherd must be struck, for he has taken the place of his people to suffer for them. He is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. The sword acts in divine justice against the man that is my fellow, Jehovah’s fellow, the incarnate Son of God. He is a separate person and yet one with me, says the Father. He is co-equal with the sender.
Application
Here is the event on which all the good things prophesied by Zechariah rest; here is the foundation of the new temple, the church of God; here is the victory over every enemy of the church. God’s hand of mercy – not of justice: that was in the form of a sword laid on Christ – will be laid on the little ones, on Christ vulnerable little children, who are small in their own estimation (Gill). These will be gathered with his arms and carried in his bosom (Isaiah 40:11).
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