When God says, “I will do something,” it is worth stopping and paying attention to what He says He is going to do. There are four instances of God’s stated purpose for humans in this passage.
Only God can cleanse and forgive humans for their sins, and that is what He says He will do.
On that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity (Zechariah 13.1).
The act of forgiveness for our sins came at a significant cost, requiring the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. This high price underscores the depth of our sin problem.
John stated the proper response to God’s offer of forgiveness.
If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1.9).
Cleansed from Sin and Idolatry
The second aspect of God’s purpose for humans involves the removal of the influence that idolatry and false prophets have on humans.
On that day, says the Lord of hosts, I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, so that they shall be remembered no more, and also I will remove from the land the prophets and the unclean spirit (Zechariah 13.2).
When we make our needs paramount, we turn God into a means to the end. To that extent, He becomes an idol, or we are tempted to serve other idols as substitutes for Him.
False prophets are those who say, “You can continue in your sin and rebellion and still have peace with God.”
God’s purpose is to remove the influence of idols and false prophets.
When we make the greatest commandment our goal, God becomes the end, and we use every means possible to love Him with our whole being.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might (Deuteronomy 6.5).
Jesus’ Prediction
The third part of God’s purpose for humans involved Jesus’ prediction to his disciples. He quoted from Zechariah 13 and told his close followers that when he was arrested, they would be scattered.
“Strike the shepherd, that the sheep may be scattered” (Zechariah 13.7).
One of the most authentic aspects of the Bible is the way it treats its heroes. In the ancient world, heroes like Peter and James would not be found running for their lives in fear of the authorities. They would be faithfully following the Lord.
The truth is, they scattered because Jesus said, that as the shepherd was struck, it would take place.
If Jesus’s closest followers needed divine help to remain faithful, so do we. Praise God, we have the Holy Spirit to strengthen us in our relationship with the Lord and witness to the world.
A Blessed Relationship
The fourth expression of God’s purpose stands as one of His most precious gifts to us. Through His grace, He empowers us to call on His name.
By the same grace, He responds to us, affirming, “You are my people.”
This allows us to dwell in His presence, living as a testament to His abundant grace.
“They will call on my name,
and I will answer them.
I will say, ‘They are my people,’
and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’” (Zechariah 13.9)
If I hadn’t been a preacher, I would have probably been a salesman. I was a marketing major in college, and one of the things I believed was that if I had a good product, I could sell it.
There is no better product to present to people than what God has done for us in these verses, followed by the life of Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The best thing we can do is to receive His free gift. We don’t have to buy it, but we certainly can live in it by His grace.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
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