I came across this in my Bible reading this week:
Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” 3 Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. 4 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.” 5 And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord was standing by.
6 And the angel of the Lord solemnly assured Joshua, 7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here. 8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch. 9 For behold, on the stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven eyes, I will engrave its inscription, declares the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. 10 In that day, declares the Lord of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree.” – Zechariah 3
I have included the whole chapter here because it’s hard to not have the whole context of the vision. Here you have the high priest, Joshua, standing before an angel on one hand and Satan on the other. Satan is accusing Joshua, which is his thing. And Joshua, who is the priest, in his priestly garments, is covered in filth. Even the one who is made ritually made clean with those very vestments to enter the Holy of Holies and offer a sacrifice on behalf of the people, even he, is filthy. He’s not worthy to come near the presence of God – and yet, the promises of God are exquisite. He shows Joshua being made clean, removing the sin that plagues him. And then there is a reminder that because of that grace, being made clean, to walk in the ways of the Lord.
And then of course he promises the Branch, bringing in language also given to the prophet Isaiah. And because of the branch, God will remove the iniquity of the land on one single day – at the cross. And as a result, peace – hospitality, a welcome – love of neighbor, and eternal rest. Jesus is the one great high priest who will always intercede on our behalf before the Lord, and he is the one priest who ironically offers himself as the sacrifice, the one-time sacrifice to deal with all sin of those who love God in a single day. And he says in that moment, “It is finished.”