The Lionel Messi of Biblical Fulfilment

Every day we’re asking four questions about part of the Bible. Today Owen Lynch answers:

What did I like about today’s passage?

I’m not a fan of Arsenal Football Club, but my friends Andy and Tom are. And right now I pity them, because Arsenal are having a torrid time, sitting 15th in the league and getting knocked out of the Carabao Cup mid-week. Arsenal’s motto is Victoria Concordia Crescit, which means “victory grows through harmony”. Sadly, there’s not a lot of harmony in the team and rather than working together, the team are working against each other and their manager.

I’m reminded of this as I read Zechariah 6:12-13 where Zechariah hears God choose Joshua to be the High Priest and another - possibly Zerubbabel to be the King or Ruler of the new Jerusalem. There’s that phrase - the King will sit on a throne and the High Priest will sit on a throne and there will be harmony between the two.

There’s a double entendre here - current and future; Joshua is descended from the Priestly tribe of Levi and Zerubbabel is descended from King David - so here we have the two men charged with the responsibility for rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem - one from the line of priests and one from the line of kings. Priest and King - the two highest offices in Jewish religious/culture working in harmony to rebuild the temple.

But there’s a deeper meaning here as well. In your Bible, you might see the King referred to as the ‘Branch’. After Zechariah put the crown on Joshua’s head, God told him to announce that a man whose name is Branch who would sit as a priest on David’s throne (vv. 12–13). Both Isaiah and Jeremiah use the word ‘branch’ for ‘Messiah’ (Is 11:1, Jer 23:5). Zechariah is communicating that the Messiah will one day sit on the throne of David and not only will he be King, he will also be the High Priest. The two highest positions in Biblical theology in the same person - the Messiah. Hebrews 7 confirms that person is Jesus - who as High Priest does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, because he sacrificed for all humanity’s sins once for all when he offered himself on the cross. Not only that, Jesus rebuilds the dwelling place of God (the temple) in each and every person.

Victory through Harmony - who’d have thought that Arsenal’s motto was a Messianic prophecy! This is beautiful theology that adds Zechariah to Isaiah and Jeremiah on the list of Messianic prophets.

What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?

It shows me that Jesus is the complete package, he’s the Lionel Messi of Biblical prophecy - Priest and King. He can do everything!! And as we celebrate his birth, it’s no wonder that his birth was announced in the stars and heralded by angels! And Zechariah 6:15 also reminds us that the Messiah would be a saviour not just for the Jews, but for everyone. Everyone gets preferential treatment because of Jesus, everyone!!

What am I going to do differently as a result?

I think the expectation that the vaccines will save us from this wretched corona virus has given me a new perspective on what it would be like for the whole world to be crying out for salvation. I’m going to pray that everyone on the planet and a few people known to me personally would feel their need for God’s unconditional love as much as they feel their need for a corona virus vaccine right now.

Who am I going to share this with?

You all, why don’t you pray for this too as we start 2021?