THE FOUNTAIN OPENED
Zechariah 13:1

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"In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness."

I. What is a fountain opened? It is an act of God. Men may dig a well into the earth in the hope of finding hidden subterranean waters (as in Genesis 26:17-22). And men may hew a cistern out of a rock in which rainwater may be collected (see Nehemiah 9:25). But only God can open a fountain. He in His wrath opened fountains in the Noahic Deluge for the destruction of sinners (Genesis 7:11; cp. Psalm 74:15). Here is the promise that He in His grace will open a fountain for the salvation of sinners.

II. What is this fountain opened? It is Christ as He is provided by God in His free and sovereign grace as the only means of salvation for sinners.

1. Christ elsewhere is identified as the fountain opened for the provision of water for life. Christ is "the LORD, the fountain of living waters" (Jeremiah 17:13), waters that both produce and sustain life to those who avail themselves of Him. Christ is "the fountain of life" (Psalm 36:9), from which springs all spiritual consolation and joy. Christ gives to believers "a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14).

2. Christ here is the fountain opened for the provision of blood for cleansing. This gracious provision was made in Christ's death and through the openings of His body "for sin and for uncleanness".

(The word "fountain" in the Old Testament text is generally from two Hebrew synonyms: ayin is used of a natural spring [as in Genesis 16:7], while maqôr is used metaphorically [as in Leviticus 20:18; Psalm 36:9; 68:26]. The latter appears in our present text.)

III. What is not this fountain opened? It is not any supposed means of salvation allegedly provided by men who deny this fountain opened. For example:

1. It is not a well dug. Some men, considering Christ the Fountain as being in and of Himself insufficient for salvation, dig wells into this world in the hope of finding additional waters. Such would include all who deny the simplicity of Christ, and who dig wells in hope of finding deeper or hidden doctrine. Included also are those who deny the doctrine of justification through faith in Christ alone, and who dig wells in the hope of finding justification by works. Also included are those who deny the imputed righteousness of Christ as the only acceptable righteousness before God, and who dig wells in the hope of finding a personal righteousness acceptable to God. All such persons and their projects are "wells without water" (2 Peter 2:17), dry holes from which the thirsty will gulp only polluted air.

2. It is not a cistern hewn. Some men, considering Christ the Fountain as being in and of Himself insufficient for salvation, hew for themselves a personal Treasury of Merits (to use a Romanist term). They think that in it they may store their alleged good works performed in this life in the hope of obtaining through them acceptance from God at the final judgment. But Christ the Fountain says of them, "They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns – broken cisterns that can hold no water" (Jeremiah 2:13).

3. It is not a baptistery filled. Some men deny that the cleansing stream that flowed from the opened wounds of Christ will in and of itself avail for salvation. They instead deceitfully teach that men are actually saved through immersion in the waters they approve, and deliberately pervert various Scripture texts in order to buttress their heresies (e.g., Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21). But to the contrary, all that they seek in their baptisteries is to be found in Christ alone (Matthew 26:28; Revelation 1:5; 7:14) - the fountain opened "for sin and for uncleanness".

IV. For what purpose would this fountain be opened? "... for sin and for uncleanness". That is, this fountain would be opened in order to bring an end to sin and uncleanness, and to accomplish what could never be performed by men themselves, nor by the law of God.

1. Why "for sin"? Because men people have a legal problem: they are guilty before God in His justice; and they need to be justified, declared righteous. Every man has broken God's law (Romans 3:23), and is therefore guilty before God (v.19). God's Word declares "that a man is not justified by the works of the law" (Galatians 2:16) nor by works he performs (Romans 4:2). But God in His grace opened this fountain "for sin", in order that men may be justified from their guilt through the shed blood of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:9): "having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him."

2. Why "for uncleanness"? Because men have a moral problem: they are defiled before God in His holiness; and they need to be sanctified, cleansed from their defilement. Every man is by nature defiled from the crown of his head to the sole of his foot (Isaiah 1:5f). God's Word declares that no man can cleanse himself from his own sin (Job 9:30f). But God in His grace opened this fountain "for uncleanness", in order that men may be sanctified from their defilement through the shed blood of Jesus Christ (1 John 1:7: "the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."

V. When was this fountain opened? "... in that day ...." In God's decree, this fountain was opened "from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8). Having been opened in eternity, it must be opened in time. Zechariah prophesied of it being opened in the Messianic Age, the time of the incarnate Christ, in which He would glorify Himself, save His people, and destroy His enemies (see "that day" in 2:11; 3:10; 9:16; 11:11; 12:3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11; 13:1, 2, 4; 14:6, 8, 9, 13:20, 21). Here Zechariah prophesies of one day in particular, the day of Christ's death, "that day" in which this fountain was opened for the salvation of His people.

1. "That day" was the day of Christ's crucifixion (John 19:34-37): "But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. ... For these things were done that the Scripture [Zechariah 12:10] should be fulfilled, ... 'They shall look on Him whom they pierced.'" The fountain for salvation was opened when the body of Christ was pierced.

2. "That day" was the day Christ saved His people (Zechariah 9:16): "The LORD their God will save them in that day, as the flock of His people." He did so by shedding His blood from the fountain of His wounds "for sin and for uncleanness".

3. "That day" was the day of Christ's people's repentance (Zechariah 12:10f): "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem ...." Through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, grace has been given to God's people so that they may make supplication for salvation, mourning in repentance at the sight by faith of their Savior pierced for their sins.

VI. For whom was this fountain opened? "... for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem ...." These terms together designated the nation Israel in Zechariah's day. In this day of which Zechariah prophesied, they designate all who live according to Christ's rule, the "Israel of God" (Galatians 6:14-16). This spiritual Israel is also known today as the "tabernacle of David" (Amos 9:11 / Acts 15:16) and the inhabitants of "the heavenly Jerusalem" (Hebrews 12:21; Revelation 3:12; 21:2, 10).

1. Christ the Fountain was opened for a particular people. The universalist tells us Christ died for every man without exception. The Holy Spirit here denies the universalist, and specifically identifies those for whom Christ died. He furthermore expressly excludes from this number the "Canaanite" (14:21), all who refuse this fountain opened and who therefore will die at their wells dug, cisterns hewn, and baptisteries filled.

2. Christ the Fountain remains open for all who will avail themselves of His saving blood. He is not a fountain shut. None is forbidden to come to Him, nor hindered or turned away if he will do so. Christ the Fountain remains open for all who will obey the command to "wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord" in saving faith (Acts 22:16). He remains open for all who will "wash their robes and make them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:14, altd.). He remains open for all who will sing (in the words of William Cowper):

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