Matthew Henry Commentary Zechariah 3

The angel showed Joshua, the high priest, to Zechariah, in a vision. Guilt and corruption are great discouragements when we stand before God. Because of the guilt of the sins we have committed, we are liable to God's justice; because of the power of sin that dwells in us, we are abhorrent to God's holiness. Even God's Israel are in danger on these accounts, but they have relief from Jesus Christ, who, by God, has been made for us both righteousness and sanctification.

Joshua, the high priest, is accused as a criminal but is justified. When we stand before God to minister to God, or to stand up for God, we must expect to meet all the resistance that Satan's subtlety and malice can offer. Satan is checked by one who has conquered him and has many times silenced him. Those who belong to Christ will find Christ ready to appear for them when Satan appears most strongly against them.

A converted soul is a brand plucked out of the fire by a miracle of free grace and therefore will not be left as prey to Satan. Joshua appears as one polluted but is purified; he represents the Israel of God, who are all as an unclean thing until they are washed and sanctified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. Israel was now free from idolatry, but many things were still amiss among them.

There were spiritual enemies warring against them, more dangerous than any neighboring nations. Christ loathed the filthiness of Joshua's garments, yet he did not reject him. This is how God, by his grace, deals with those whom he chooses to be priests to himself. The guilt of sin is taken away by pardoning mercy, and its power is broken by renewing grace.

Thus Christ washes those from their sins in his own blood, whom he makes kings and priests to our God. Those whom Christ makes spiritual priests are clothed with the spotless robe of his righteousness and appear before God in that robe, and with the graces of his Spirit, which are their ornaments. The righteousness of saints, both imputed and implanted, is the fine linen, clean and white, with which the bride, the Lamb's wife, is arrayed (Revelation 19:8). Joshua is restored to his former honors and positions of trust. The crown of the priesthood is put on him.

When the Lord intends to restore and revive religion, he stirs up prophets and people to pray for it.

All whom God calls to any office, He finds fit, or makes them so. The Lord will cause the sins of the believer to pass away by His sanctifying grace, and will enable him to walk in newness of life. Just as the promises made to David often transition into promises of the Messiah, so the promises to Joshua look forward to Christ, whose priesthood Joshua's was a shadow. Whatever trials we pass through, whatever services we perform, our whole dependence must rest on Christ, the Branch of righteousness.

He is God's servant, employed in His work, obedient to His will, devoted to His honour and glory. He is the Branch from which all our fruit must be gathered. The eye of His Father was upon Him, especially in His sufferings, and when He was buried in the grave, just as foundation stones are underground, out of men's sight. But the prophecy rather denotes the attention paid to this precious Corner-stone.

All believers, from the beginning, had looked forward to it in the types and predictions. All believers, after Christ's coming, would look to it with faith, hope, and love. Christ shall appear for all His chosen, as the high priest appeared before the Lord with the names of all Israel engraved on the precious stones of his breastplate. When God gave a remnant to Christ, to be brought through grace to glory, then He engraved this precious stone.

By Him sin shall be taken away, both its guilt and its dominion; He did it in one day, that day in which He suffered and died. What should terrify when sin is taken away? Then nothing can hurt, and we sit down under Christ's shadow with delight and are sheltered by it. And gospel grace, coming with power, makes people eager to draw others to it.