Today we overview the setting of the prophet Zechariah's ministry and watch a video that explains the flow of the whole book. We'll begin by studying Zechariah's opening call to repentance, as the theme of the whole book. Far more than just wanting the temple to be rebuilt, Zechariah wanted to bring his people closer to God. Our goal for today is to explore why this book is relevant and practical for Christians living in post-Christian America today.

Download the study guide here: L1_Opening_Call.pdf

Today we introduce Zechariah's eight visions by looking at the first three. Visions in apocalyptic literature work much like a painting in a museum: instead of simply telling you the way things are or should be, they depict a scene in an indirect way that causes you to contemplate it even more. Through the three opening visions, we see God's promises to direct and govern world affairs and restore and bless the lives of his people—and how that would have been very comforting to the people of Zechariah's day. Our goal for today is to see how you can reassure yourself or someone you know when it seems like this world is falling apart. 

Download the study guide here: L2_Visions_A.pdf

Today we focus on the important center of Zechariah's eight visions, both of which speak about Israel's high priest and governor. The first describes clean clothes for the high priest, a picture of Christ's forgiveness, and the second describes empowerment by the Holy Spirit for the high priest and governor. Both positions foreshadowed our Savior Jesus, who is the ultimate priest and king. Our goal for today is to journal about the comfort of knowing that God has cleansed us of the worst mistakes we've made in life.

Download the study guide here: L3_Visions_B.pdf

Today we focus on the last three of Zechariah's eight visions, all of which speak about judgment in some way. Though judgment is a hard topic for modern Western society to accept, it actually would have been quite comforting to Zechariah's original audience, who had been oppressed by numerous violent world powers throughout its history. Our goal for today is to make the case for why Christianity needs to retain the teaching of judgment in our modern secular world.

Download the study guide here: L4_Visions_C.pdf

Today we focus on the bonus vision that follows Zechariah's eight visions, which further comments on the important center of the first eight visions, which had to do with Judah's governor and high priest. In this bonus vision, Zechariah sees the crowning of Judah's high priest, Joshua. A crown was given to Judah's kings, not priests, and we'll explore how this vision depicts both offices, priestly and kingly, coming together in the coming Messiah, our ultimate priest and king. Our goal for today is to respond to someone who is so turned off by religion and politics that they don't want Jesus as a king in their lives.

Download the study guide here: L5_Crown.pdf

Today we focus on the middle section of Zechariah, an admonition against the outward show of fasting while the Israelites were neglecting matters of the heart. On the outside, it looked good, but on the inside, it was not. So Zechariah urges his people to consider their motives, all while promising them that the Lord will graciously bless them, despite their inconsistent actions.  Our goal for today is to respond to the objection that the Christian church is full of hypocrites by describing the ideal the church is meant to be, both in Zechariah's day and in ours.

Download the study guide here: L6_Fasting.pdf

Today we move on to the last major portion of the book of Zechariah, two visions or oracles of the end times. Many of Zechariah's prophecies of Holy Week occur in this section. After overviewing Zechariah oracles of judgment against the nations, which were fulfilled in Greece's conquest of the area, we will focus on the most famous section of Zechariah, his prophecy of Israel's king coming on a donkey. Though Christians are familiar with this event from Palm Sunday, we will focus on what it meant in its original context to its original hearers. Our goal for today is to use various images from Zechariah to encourage a Christian who (much like Eeyore) feels defeated and down in our world today.

Download the study guide here: L7_First_Oracle_A.pdf

Today we continue our study of the first end times vision in the last major portion of the book of Zechariah. Many of Zechariah's prophecies of Holy Week occur in this section, including the prophecy that Jesus would be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver. Though Christians are familiar with this event from Holy Week, we will focus on how Zechariah's life was foreshadowing this event in Jesus' life all along by exploring the theme of shepherding as leadership. Our goal for today is to articulate the comfort of Jesus as our Good Shepherd.

Download the study guide here: L8_First_Oracle_B.pdf

Today we begin our study of the second end times vision in the last major portion of the book of Zechariah. Many of Zechariah's prophecies of Holy Week occur in this section, including the prophecy that Jesus would be pierced and that his flock would be scattered. Though Christians are familiar with these events from Holy Week, we will focus on the similarities and differences in the Gospel accounts compared to the original context in Zechariah. Our goal for today is use these prophecies to counter the claim that the primitive Old Testament evolved into the more developed New Testament.

Download the study guide here: L9_Second_Oracle_A.pdf