God’s people waited 400 years, and finally, the savior came! But he wasn’t who they expected.
He didn’t come wearing the armor of a warrior or the robes of a king. He came as a vulnerable baby in only human skin. This was Jesus, God’s own son. The prince of heaven left behind his crown in exchange for a baby blanket.
As Jesus grew, he appeared to be an ordinary man wearing ordinary clothes, but he began to do remarkable things. Anointed in God’s power, he performed miracles and told hurting people about God’s love for them. He taught them that God would provide for them and cover them just as he covers the fields with lilies.
It wasn’t long before people started seeing past his plain clothes and recognizing him as the promised savior. One woman came to Jesus in need of healing. She reached out her hand toward Jesus, trusting that he had the power to rescue her from her suffering. She only had to touch the corner of his robe and found herself restored to health.
One day, Jesus led some of his closest friends up a mountain. When they were alone, his appearance changed, revealing his true and heavenly form. His ordinary clothes and ordinary face became as bright and white and beautiful as the sun. God’s voice echoed on the mountain: “This is my beloved son, and I am delighted with him. Listen to him.”
But some of the important leaders felt threatened by Jesus and they didn’t trust him.
So, driven by fear and jealousy, they made a plan to kill Jesus. When Jesus revealed his true identity as God’s son, he was arrested for lying and sentenced to death. The soldiers took him and beat him, covering his exposed body in blood. Mockingly, they dressed him in a purple robe and a crown of thorns, throwing insults at him and his claim to be king.
Later that day, Jesus was stripped of all his clothing and nailed to the cross. God’s own son, the only one to ever live a life unstained by sin, was now covered in his own blood. As he bled, the soldiers divided up his clothes as souvenirs. With one last heavy breath and a cry to his Father, Jesus gave up his life.
Jesus’ dead body was wrapped in burial linens and placed in a tomb. For three hopeless days, his friends quietly mourned his death. How could this have happened? Wasn’t this God’s son, the one they had been waiting for? Would they ever be made clean and walk with God again?
Then, on the third morning, Jesus’ tomb was found empty! The only thing left behind were the linens that Jesus had been wrapped in. Jesus no longer needed the grave clothes because he was alive!
Jesus appeared to his friends in his restored body that could now never die again. And as he did so, God’s plan of redemption began to unfold.
You see, since Jesus was unstained by sin, he was the only one who was able to cleanse us from ours. When he hung naked on the cross, he took our sin and shame upon himself. He carried our sin to the grave with him and left it there along with his grave clothes! Anyone who believes this is now dressed in his righteousness!
So now, after years walking around in stained clothes, God’s people can finally be made clean, just like in Zechariah’s vision. Now they can walk with God again and be close to him like they were in the garden.
After Jesus’ resurrection, he returned to heaven to take his seat at the right hand of God. In his place, he sent us the Holy Spirit to clothe us with God’s power and help us to remain clean, even in our darkest moments of suffering.
With this power, God continues his command for us to live a life set apart from those who choose not to take off their dirty clothes. He tells us to put on Christ’s righteousness and holiness and walk in the light. It’s a daily call to lay down our dirty clothes of pride, anger, selfishness and rebellion, and to put on the armor of God to fight against the temptations of sin.
And now, clothed in grace, we wait. We wait for Jesus to return, this time dressed like a king. We wait for the day that we are all gathered together, in robes that have been made white by the blood of Jesus. We wait for the day that we are worshiping at his feet, eternally unstained, forever clothed in his righteousness.
