“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.” Romans 8:11
The prophet Zechariah’s message to the returning exiles involved rebuilding the temple. But unlike Haggai, Zechariah did not speak to a stubborn, selfish people. His audience, instead, was afraid, confused, and not feeling up to the task. Their temple was so much smaller than Solomon’s—which Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed. They felt they lacked the strength to complete even a small temple. By reminding them of the Spirit’s power, Zechariah assured them that the job would get done. Behind their objection, though, was a bigger problem. It’s what’s behind all of our problems: sin. Even a nicely rebuilt, fully-functional temple would not address their real need. They would never obey perfectly. Zechariah had a bigger solution for them. He prophesied words of hope about a coming Branch, a perfect High Priest who would remove the sins of the people in a single day (3:9). We know His name. It’s Jesus, who saved all of His people one day on the cross. His salvation is ours, not by our might, but by faith and by His Spirit.



Scripture Focus

Zechariah 4:6-9

Insight

“Like living stones, [you] are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God.” (1 Peter 2:5)

Bible In A Year

  • 1 Chronicles 6-7
  • Proverbs 27
  • Revelation 8-10

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