Righteous in Christ

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

I mean no disrespect when I say, the Bible is a lot like a good movie. In God’s unfolding, redemptive story, there is foreshadowing. In other words, He gives us a glimpse, a silhouetted outline, of things that are coming, but doesn’t give the plot completely away. 

We see this in the first silhouette of grace and mercy, Genesis 3.15, when God told Satan, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” That was the first hint ever of the Gospel. It foreshadows the cross where Satan gave Jesus a wound, but it ultimately crushed him.

A little later, another silhouette appeared. It’s when God had Adam and Eve remove their fig leaves in order to cover them with more permanent skin garments. An animal had to die in order to provide that covering. That foreshadowed the death of an innocent victim so that a new garment could be worn. That is a theme that runs through the entire Bible. Zechariah 3 is a prime example:

Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, "Take off his filthy clothes." Then he said to Joshua, "See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you." Then I said, "Put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood by. [3.3-5] 

Zechariah wasn’t just speaking just about clothes in that passage. A few verses down, he explained what God was going to do:

"'... I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,' says the Lord Almighty, 'and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day.’" [3.8-9] 

It’s a foreshadow, but it’s getting clearer. God is going to cleanse the sins of His people through the “Branch.” 

Who is that Branch? Isaiah said He would come from the “stem of Jesse” [the father of David - Isaiah 11.1]. Paul made is absolutely clear, “Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel” [2 Timothy 2.8].

No more shadows! The light of Jesus caught up with the foreshadow of prophecy. Now, you and I can put on the new garments of righteousness, which only He can provide.

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5.21