Zechariah 12:10-14

In the last section, we saw God lead the Jews in complete military victory over the global army which laid siege to Jerusalem (12:1-9). Yet, in this week’s passage (verses 10-14), we see a surprise ending: these same victors are found mourning.

Before we question the reason they mourn, we should recall Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5:4, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Here Jesus speaks of a righteous form of mourning, the kind God responds to with comfort. 

This teaching echoes the prophet Joel, who writes, “Yet even now," declares the Lord, "return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” (2:12-13) The kind of mourning that pleases God is one that grieves over sin, both inwardly and outwardly.

It is this type of mourning that we see among the Jews after this military triumph.

“Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the house of David and the residents of Jerusalem, and they will look at Me whom they pierced. They will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child and weep bitterly for him as one weeps for a firstborn. On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning of Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. The land will mourn, every family by itself: the family of David’s house by itself and their women by themselves; the family of Nathan’s house by itself and their women by themselves; the family of Levi’s house by itself and their women by themselves; the family of Shimei by itself and their women by themselves; all the remaining families, every family by itself, and their women by themselves.”

The catalyst for mourning is identified in the start of verse 10. Like a pitcher of water, God pours out His Spirit upon Israel, drawing them toward His grace and prompting them to prayer. This outpouring reaches the leaders (“the house of David") and the people (“the residents of Jerusalem”). Both groups receive the full measure of the Spirit.

The object of their mourning is identified at the end of verse 10: “Me, whom they pierced”. Yahweh, the one who led them to victory, is the same one they pierced. The term “pierced” signifies more than a minor wound; in Zechariah 13:3, it’s linked with putting someone to death. But how could Yahweh be pierced unto death? This passage from Zechariah is directly quoted in John 19:32-37, being fulfilled in the death of Jesus Christ, Yahweh in human flesh.

The intensity of the Jews’ mourning is profound. Verse 11 compares it to the grief over the death of an only child or firstborn. This imagery is multi-layered. On one level, there is no deeper sorrow than that of a parent mourning a lost or only, child. On a deeper level, it points to Yahweh Himself, the one and only Son of God, as confirmed in John 3:16. 

Zechariah compares their mourning at this time, to the death of Josiah, the last righteous king of Judah, who was slain in the plains of Megiddo (2 Chronicles 35). His death was so disastrous that “all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for him” with such a lament that “singers speak about Josiah in their lamentations to this day.” The point is clear: Israel will realize the immeasurable worth of Yahweh, despite having believed Him worthy of execution in the past.

Last, the extent of this mourning is emphasized in verses 12-14, where every family mourns individually, men and women alike. This kind of total mourning of every person is a clear result of God’s Spirit causing all Israel to know the weight of their sin against Yahweh. Yet this is not a tragic lament; it is the beginning of Israel’s permanent bond to their Messiah in His kingdom. They aren’t merely realizing their sin, but God’s grace as well, as verse 10 reminds us.

Every Christian can empathize with this kind of mourning. As we reflect on the person and work of Jesus Christ, who saved us from our past wickedness, we inevitably see our own unworthiness in contrast to His perfect love. Like Israel, we enjoy the victory Jesus has achieved by His death and resurrection; yet we also grieve our sins which led to the cross.

While I would never urge anyone to choose sorrow for its own sake, I would encourage you, the reader, to reflect on the gratitude you owe God for your salvation. If, in the process of expressing that gratitude, you find yourself mourning over past or present sins, take heart—this is a good and healthy response. As we see in this passage, such mourning is a sign of the Spirit’s work within you.

Pastor David