Audio Sermons

Building up the Church of Christ:

Jesus, the Mighty Saviour

Life B-P Church Worship Service, 2 June 2024

Text: Zechariah 12:1-14

• In chapters 9-14 God revealed His will to give the Jews a Messianic King.
• Chapters 9-11 foretell His coming to them, His blessings on them, and His rejection by them.
• Chapters 12-14 foretell the Messianic King’s salvation of the Jews.
• We can learn four things about His salvation from Zechariah 12:

1. He often prepares us for salvation through trials. (vv.1-9)

• Israel will suffer its worst trials when all the nations are gathered against Jerusalem. (v.2; cf. 14:2)
• Jesus will come to save Israel and defeat all its enemies. (vv.1-4; cf. Revelation 19:11,15)
• Israel’s leaders will be greatly encouraged (vv.5,6) and its weakest people will be greatly strengthened through Him. (vv.7-8)
• Lesson: Trials are designed to make us see our need for God.

2. He brings us to salvation through the Holy Spirit. (v.10a)

• No one can be saved without the work of the Holy Spirit. (cf. John 3:5)
• The Holy Spirit will likely be poured out on the people just before the events described in verses 5-8.
• He will do a work of grace in them to reconcile them to Jesus whom they had rejected. (cf. Ephesians 2:8.9)
• Lesson: All the glory for our salvation belongs to God alone.

3. Salvation results from looking to Him with faith. (v.10b)

“…and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced…”

• The Jews will be saved as a nation after they recognise who Jesus is. (cf. John 19:34,36,37; Luke 24:39; Revelation 1:7; Isaiah 53:5,6; Romans 11:25,26) 

• They will be saved from their sins only through believing in Him. (cf. Isaiah 45:22)
• Application: Have you looked to Jesus with faith for your salvation?

4. Salvation produces genuine repentance in our hearts. (vv.10c-14)

“…and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.”

• The Jews will repent of their sin of rejecting their Messiah when He first came to them.
• Repentance is all about change. God will do everything that is necessary to change them because of His covenant with them.
• Their repentance will be both personal and national. (vv.11-14; cf. 2 Chronicles 35:24,25)
• Lesson: Genuine repentance means putting away our sinful ways.
• Application: Have you truly repented of all your sins? 

Questions for Reflection:

1. Do you ascribe all trials in your life as being caused by the Devil or by God?
2. Should you pray that God will bring trials into the lives of your loved ones in order to bring them to salvation?
3. How can mourning over our sins help us to ‘rejoice always’? (Philippians 4:4)