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| Judas - Artist unknown |
TO CHEW ON: "So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me, 'Throw it to the potter'—that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord for the potter." Zechariah 11:12,13
Does today's focus verse remind you of another passage in the Bible that involves 30 pieces of silver, that silver thrown into the temple, and the money used for something to do with a potter?
What about the story of a traitorous disciple named Judas? Read the account in Matthew 27:3-19. There are identical elements in both passage, only Zechariah's was written about 400 years before Matthew's historical reporting of the story. The similarity almost gives one shivers!
Zechariah is full of such messianic prophecies. My Bible's introduction says:
"Zechariah is sometimes referred to as the most messianic of all the Old Testament books. Chapters 9-14 are the most quoted section of the prophets in the passion narratives of the Gospels. In the Revelation Zechariah is quoted more than any prophet except Ezekiel" - David Warren Shibley, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1248.
Note these prophetic references to Messiah in Zechariah as he writes of:
- The Lord's servant the Branch - Zechariah 3:8, of man the Branch - Zechariah 6:12 and that Branch as ruler and priest - Zechariah 6:13.
- False shepherds - Zechariah 11:4-11. This brings to mind Jesus' words about good and bad shepherds in John 10:1-30.
- Messiah's triumphal entry into Jerusalem - Zechariah 9:9, compare Matthew 21:5 and Mark 11:7-10.
- Messiah's betrayal for the sum of 30 pieces of silver (noted above).
- His crucifixion - Zechariah 12:10.
- His suffering - Zechariah 13:7.
- His second coming - Zechariah 14:4.
The Bible's reputation and track record as a book of reliable prophecy is one of the reasons I trust its message in other categories as well, like its way of salvation and its ethical and moral principles. What an amazing library of books, authored by many individuals over centuries, yet with a consistent message throughout. I look back at how it has come true in the past, then look ahead with confidence that its predictions for the future will come true as well.
PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the amazing word I know as the Bible. Help it to stay fresh and powerful to me as I apply it to my life and obey it. Amen.
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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
