March 24, 2005 Zechariah 9:11-12
As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit. Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.
Almost every Disney classic presents the scenario of a captive and a hero sent to set the captive free. Cinderella had her fairy godmother. Sleeping Beauty had Prince Charming. Even the modern movie Shrek had an ugly ogre come to free the captive maiden. It makes for a good story - some fair maiden in distress waiting to be rescued from the evil prince.
Today’s text in Zechariah also talks about “prisoners” and a “waterless pit” and a “fortress” as well. Paul said in his letter to the Galatians that, “the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin.” (Ga 3:22) The picture that God’s Word draws is that we are held prisoners by our own sin - something we are born into - inherited from Adam and Eve.
Yet the Gospel - the whole message of the Passion - is that God would not allow Satan to keep us captive to death and hell. The Greatest Prince Charming would not allow us to remain captives. He would not allow the Devil to win. Just prior to today’s text, in verses 9-10, Zechariah mentions the unlikely beast of burden that the Prince would ride in on - a donkey! That’s what we looked at last Sunday. Today, on this Maundy Thursday, we change our focus to the following verses of Zechariah. I never really considered these verses, until I happened upon them somewhat by accident when doing a text study for tonight’s sermon. I thought it was interesting that it occurs RIGHT AFTER the Palm Sunday sermon text. Instead of focusing on the animal the Prince would ride, it changes focus to the WEAPON of the Prince. That weapon was blood - the blood of the covenant - the blood of God’s covenant. Therefore, this text automatically connects with the night of Jesus’ institution of the Lord’s Supper - as He also called it, “the blood of my covenant.” Tonight, as we contemplate the institution of the Lord’s Supper, we’ll see how -
The Blood Sets Us Free
In the Old Testament blood had a binding nature to it - a covenantal nature. It was used kind of like a bond - a heavenly super glue - if you would - to bind two parties together - God and man. A very visually bloody scene is presented to us on Mt. Sinai, after the presentation of the Ten Commandments to the people of Israel. It states -
When Moses went and told the people all the LORD’s words and laws, they responded with one voice, “Everything the LORD has said we will do.” Moses then wrote down everything the LORD had said. He got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel. Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings to the LORD. Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he sprinkled on the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, “We will do everything the LORD has said; we will obey.” Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.”
As Moses splattered the blood on the people - he was covenanting the people together with the LORD. This Old Testament covenant was a two sided agreement. If the people remained faithful to God, He would in turn remain faithful to them. The Old Testament word for covenant - if I remember correctly - comes from the word - “berit” which means literally to CUT a covenant.
The writer to the Hebrews expounds on WHY blood was necessary to ratify a covenant. It states, “In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.” (Hebrews 9) God was declaring in His will - the promise of the Promised Land. So he had animals sacrificed. Like with any will - it is not bequeathed until someone dies. This makes sense even to us today. I don’t inherit something from my grandparents or parents until they actually die. Until that time, they still have use of it. But once they are dead - they no longer need it.
God gives us plenty of things without blood being shed. He doesn’t really need anything. Yet He gives us our house and home, wife and children, all kinds of things just by His good and gracious hand. But the second covenant - the covenant of forgiveness and holiness and salvation - needed blood to be ratified. The reason for this was because of the HOLINESS and JUSTICE of God - and the demands of the LAW of God. The soul who sins is the one who will die. (Ezekiel 18:20) If God wouldn’t give the LAW without blood being shed - then who would imagine He would then give the GOSPEL without being shed. The Gospel - in reality - is the ultimate fulfilment of the law - it is the completion of the law. It’s not just the demand of the law - it’s the obedience of the law - the acquital of the law. It is only natural that a Holy and Demanding God would then demand that Holy Blood be shed in order for this covenant to be fulfilled.
This is what Zechariah says happened. As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners. Look at what Zechariah specifically says. Who is he talking to? “YOU.” Who is the “you?” This text immediately follows God talking about the King riding into Jerusalem to establish peace. Therefore, it would naturally follow that God is talking to Jesus - about the covenant that He would establish with Jesus - to free His prisoners from the waterless pit. Luther states, “This entire passage is a kind of contrast, for he clearly distinguishes the blood of the old covenant from the blood of this King. “Indeed, Moses had blood, but it was the blood of goats and calves, but You have Your own blood with which You establish Your covenant.” The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews explains this passage beautifully (Heb. 9:12): “He entered once for all into the Holy Place, taking not the blood of goats and calves but His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.
To me, this is a really interesting passage. It speaks in such colorful terms. Prisoners being captive in a waterless pit. It brings to mind images of Joseph - lowered down in the dry well - awaiting captivity to his Egyptian slaveowners. The “waterless pit” however, is not only referring to a dry well - but the most waterless pit of all - in hell. Jesus described how dry it was - as the rich man said to Abraham, “send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.” (Lk 16:24) This pit is the most terrifying of all - it involves eternal torture of fire - without water. It is inescapable - impossible to climb out of. The wrath of God - the law of God - has allowed no one to leave without being punished or giving complete obedience.
This is where the blood of the covenant is so important. Jesus said on the night He was betrayed, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:28) In the earlier covenant the captives were freed from Egypt and were transferred to the land of Canaan. In this covenant the King transfers captives from the pits in which there is no water, that is, from death, sin, and hell. You see, those who have the feeling of sin also truly have the feeling of death and hell. They have neither peace nor consolation, but eternal thirst. Isn’t it ironic then, that as Jesus established the Lord’s Supper - what did He have us DO with His blood? He says, “take drink, this is my blood.” Jesus wants us to DRINK His blood, as a visual reminder to us as to what SATISFIES our most desperate thirst - the thirst for forgiveness, holiness, and redemption. When the Psalmist declares, “oh taste and see that the Lord is good,” we can do that in the Lord’s Supper.
Therefore, Zechariah encourages God’s people with the blood of the covenant. He says, Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you. What is our fortress? Like the Psalmist says in Psalm 46:7, “The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” This was Luther’s strength and stay as his life was under danger from the Catholic Church. He realized where the strength and the might of our LORD truly is. The greatest strength of God is not in His wind, is not in His sun, is not in His creative power. The greatest strength of God is in the CROSS of Christ. It is here that we see God’s wonderful strength of forgiveness and love shine forth. When God not only takes on blood - but is willing to send His own Son to SHED that blood on a cross - this is where we find God’s greatest strength. So when Zechariah says to “return to your fortress,” what does He mean but that we return back to the covenant of our God. In this covenant of blood God says to us, “I don’t forgive you because of how faithful you are. I don’t forgive you because of how many sacrifices you can make. I forgive you and pledge my love to you in MY BLOOD sacrificed for you on the cross.” This is our fortress, our foundation, our Rock that never shakes. This is what we find in the Lord’s Supper. In it God pledges to us, “this is MY BODY, which is given FOR YOU. This is MY BLOOD, that was SHED FOR YOU for the FORGIVENESS of sins.”
Who does he tell to return to it? The “prisoners of hope.” That phrase is a sermon in itself. What is a prisoner of hope? Let me start with who it isn’t. It can’t be someone who has everything they want. If you find yourself perfectly content with the world you live in - the food you eat - the way you live - the house that shelters you - the body you walk in - then you aren’t a prisoner of hope. If you find yourself not looking forward to something better in the future - then you aren’t a prisoner of hope. Paul describes what this term really means in a positive sense. He says, “we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” (Ro 8:23-25) Prisoners of hope are those who are bound to wait for something better - the redemption of the body.
Here’s the bottom line. As Christians, we recognize and believe what Paul said about our bodies. Paul said in Romans 7, “I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. . . . I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. (Ro 7:14-18) You see a contrast between Biblical Christianity and the philosophy of the world. The philosophy of America - even within the confines of Christianity - likes to imagine peace on earth - the perfection of the body - the elimination of death - and the ability to reach perfection in this world. Christianity is not so optimistic. We recognize that as sinners this world will remain under sin. But we also believe that by the death of Christ and baptism - we are freed from the condemnation and controlling power of sin. We believe that by the resurrection of Christ - we will be freed from the result of sin. This is not until the resurrection of the dead, however. Therefore, we live as prisoners of HOPE. Our own faith - our own religion - makes us prisoners of hope. We don’t live in a pipe dream that everything in this world will be peaches and cream. We live in the realization that this can only be HOPED for the future.
So Zechariah says to us, “return to your fortress!” It is essential that we, as Christians go back to the blood of Christ time and again. This is our fortress. This is where our hope for eternity is found. If we don’t return to this fortress - we will have no lasting hope. This is a part of going to the Lord’s Supper then this evening. As you take and drink this blood - you are once again escaping the sin and condemnation of this world - and drinking from the Living Water. When you take that blood, God is saying to you that your sins are forgiven. As those words of promise hit your soul, it will produce a fountain of hope for you to continue to live in this world of sin - knowing that when Jesus comes - He will take you into an eternal home. Zechariah states, even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.
When the movie Shrek came out, it was unique in that the Prince Charming was an ugly ogre. It was also unique in that his saving of the Princess turned her into an ugly ogre as well. If you think about it, the story of Jesus Christ - as displayed in Zechariah - is unique in a different way. The Prince is beautiful and holy, but the maiden is terribly ugly and vile. She doesn’t want to be rescued. But His forgiveness and love makes her holy and changes her attitude. Also, it is different because the Savior dies as He is freeing His prisoner, but then he raises to life. What else is unique? The arch-enemy is defeated, but still allowed to torment and make life miserable for the rescued prisoner! The Savior returns to His castle, but he seemingly leaves the maiden behind! Instead of making life immediately happily ever after, she is given a promise of eternal redemption and perfection at death. In the meantime, she is given HOPE in a drink - a bloody drink. It is to remind her of the sacrifice her Savior made - to remind her she is holy and forgiven. It is given to give her hope - hope of freedom through the death of Christ. This is the Lord’s Supper. This is the blood that sets us free. It is a story that goes beyond any story - not just because it is beyond reason - not just because it’s different - but because it’s true. Amen.
