MIDWEEK
LENT 5 March 18, 2026 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude
“THE KINGLY PRIEST”
Zechariah. We have come to know him as
the Holy Week Prophet because so many of his Messianic prophecies that shone
the spotlight on our Savior Jesus were fulfilled during Holy Week. I know, I
know. The last time I presented a Zechariah prophecy I insulted your intelligence.
The connection was too easy. 30 pieces of silver. The price paid by the chief
priests to Judas to get him to betray. It did help us to examine how we value
our Lord Jesus. Today I will challenge you a bit. See if you can figure out how
this picture prophecy about Jesus was filled during Holy Week.
Zechariah
6:9-13 (EHV) “The word of the Lord came to me: 10 Take
an offering from the exiles—from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have come
from Babylon—and on that very day go into the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah. 11 Take
the silver and gold and make a crown, and place it on the head of Joshua son of
Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 Tell him that this is
what the Lord of Armies says: There is a man whose name is the
Branch, because he will branch out from his place and build the temple of
the Lord. 13 He is the one who will build the
temple of the Lord. He will be clothed with majesty, and he will sit and
rule on his throne. He will be a priest on his throne, and there will be harmony
between the two offices.”
I can imagine that Zechariah’s first
reaction upon hearing the word of the Lord was, “What? Are you crazy?” I can
imagine that the reaction of Joshua son of Jehozadek, the high priest, was much
the same, maybe even more vehement when Zechariah set the kingly crown on his
head. “The Lord forbid you do such a thing!” And then Zechariah had to tell
him, “Actually, the Lord has commanded it!” Why was this shocking? The Lord was
commanding the combination of church and state. You may think that the
separation of church and state is an American thing but it is God who
established the church and gave it the tool of His word to use to carry out its
work. And it is God who established the government and gave it the tool of the
sword to use to carry out its work. They are two separate and distinct
institutions that God has established. Each is to stay in its lane. Many people
throughout history have thought having the two together would be a good idea.
Just think if all of the laws of the nation followed the principles of the 10
Commandments! No matter that you would have to use the sword to get it. Just
think if all the people of a nation were forced to be Christian whether they
liked it or not and if they didn’t you could throw them in prison or kill them.
Wouldn’t that be a great way to build Christ’s church? Probably the only time
that worked reasonably well was when Moses served as spokesman for both in a
theocracy for Israel. Still read through Exodus to Deuteronomy and you will
still find plenty of ick! Go through more recent history and watch millions of people
killed in the Christian crusades that were not about Christianity but about
power. Observe faithful men and women who tried to get their church back to
faithful teaching of Jesus put to death as heretics by a government in league
with the church. Watch cities and nations that try to force Christian morals on
its non Christian citizens produce more Pharisees than faithful followers of Christ.
In Old Testament Israel kings that tried to do the job of priests were punished
by God and priests that were more interested in politics than preaching starved
the faithful.
And yet here it was God Himself
telling Zechariah to combine the office of
High
Priest and King and that it would work perfectly. There would be harmony
between the two. All that consternation I’m sure changed though once the Lord
announced that this was actually about the Branch. Now it made sense. This was
a picture and prophecy about the Messiah. He would be both King and High Priest
at the same time. He would build the temple of the Lord which is the church. He
would reign forever. Though Zechariah did not know this Branch by name, you do!
It’s Jesus. Now for the challenging part. Remember this is a Holy Week
prophecy. Where do we see Jesus as both king and High Priest during Holy Week?
It’s Good Friday! Oh how the current
high priest and chief priests must have sneered at Jesus when He stood before
them. Here was the one who claimed to be the Messiah, the Branch. The one who
was supposed to be High Priest and King at the same time. Look at him now.
Bound. Beaten. Blindfolded. About to be executed. But what the current High
Priest and the chief priests had forgotten was the role of the High Priest. His
job was to care about the spiritual needs of the people and to make sacrifices
for their sins. Oh, how Pontius Pilate must have sneered in arrogant Roman
disgust when Jesus was brought before him. The King of the Jews? Are you
kidding me? How many different would be kings for would be people had met the
same fate? Execution by the mighty conquering legions of Rome. But what Pilate
was forgetting is both jobs of a king. Yes, it is to rule people, but it is
also to fight and defeat the people’s enemies. So where do we see Jesus, the
Kingly Priest, combining both roles during Holy Week and with harmony between
them?
It is at the cross. They made him look
like a mock king with the crown of thorns and fake royal robe. Pilate thought
he was being so cute as he hung the sign “King of Jews” over Jesus head but
none of them saw what they needed to see, the Kingly Priest, going to the cross
as High Priest to make that once and for all sacrifice for sins. Going to the
cross as the King of kings to defeat the enemies of His people, sin, death and
the Devil. They did not see what they needed to see, but you do.
Are you disappointed? That is the bane
of the people of God. “Yes, yes, you paid the terrible price for my sins Jesus,
but what I really wanted you to do was defeat the enemy of this disease in my
body. Jesus the High Priest I want you to be is the one who intercedes with the
Father so He does what I tell Him, I mean, ask Him to do. Jesus can you use
your kingly power and your angel army to put all the ungodly people around is
in their place and show them who is boss!” Brothers and sisters there are times
when I find myself disappointed in my Kingly Priest too. Shame on me! Right
back to our Kingly Priest on the cross. Because of what He did for me there
will be none of the shame sticking to me that there ought to be when I see my
God face to face. None for you either.
The Kingly Priest. Jesus. In complete
harmony. Doesn’t work anywhere else that church and state have been combined.
But did you know that God did this same thing again in another way. The Apostle
Peter brought that to light when he wrote, (1 Peter 2:9) “But
you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, the people who are
God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of him who called
you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” Did you hear that? You are
kingly priests too. But instead of paying for sin and defeating sin death and
the Devil, God has a different job for you. Proclaim His praises, the great
things He has done! Amen.
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