“I have removed your iniquity…”

Imagine the courtroom scene that young Zechariah saw in Zechariah 3. The Angel of the Lord is the judge. Joshua, the high priest, is the defendant. Standing to Joshua’s right is Satan, the accuser, acting as prosecutor.

Satan didn’t need to lie to the judge about what Joshua had done. He just needed to point and say, “He is guilty—You know it, I know it, he knows it. Guilty!”

And yet, the Lord chose Joshua, just as the Lord chose Jerusalem, just as the Lord chose Israel, just as the Lord chose you. His choice didn’t have anything to do with your self-righteousness. It had to do with His goodness. He sees you and Satan standing next to you to accuse you. He knows that He has every right and every reason to reject you. 

But He chooses to do with you what He chose to do with Joshua: 
“Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him, He said, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.”” (Zechariah 3:4)

He chooses to do this even though He has every right and reason to reject you because of the stains of your sin. It is not by anything we are capable of, but only by Him and His sacrifice is it possible for us to be forgiven and completely cleansed from all unrighteousness.

O Christ, I lift mine eyes;
your love for me I own;
in your great sacrifice
remains my hope alone;
the robe is mine, my soul to dress,
of everlasting righteousness.