And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.”
What a relief! When I would come home from throwing hay, I would be hot and sticky and dirty. I certainly wouldn’t have been invited to any parties in that state. All I wanted to do was to get clean—to get out of the filthy clothes, take a shower, and put on something fresh.
In a vision from God, the prophet Zechariah saw the high priest, Joshua, clothed in dirty rags. Israel had sinned and been sent into exile. The nation would return to the promised land chastised and forgiven but was still in need of spiritual revival. Only God could wash clean the guilt, and this is what Zechariah saw—God’s cleansing power.
While we speak (and sing) much of this power, we ought also to take note of the love behind the washing. God desires to purify us and make us holy. He wants to dress us in clean clothes. He paid an awful price to do just that.
There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel’s veins, and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
That’s something to think about.
Westside Church of Christ 