Zechariah 13:6
And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.
The verse foretells the manner of Christ's death, for the wounds in his hands are the marks of his crucifixion, inflicted in the house of his friends when he suffered death at the hands of evil men. It also shows that Christ is wounded by his own friends when his professed people and ministers dishonor him. That wounding comes not from open enemies but from brethren without just cause who act in the spirit of the scribes and Pharisees. They do this through betrayal, false statements and accusation, presenting him and his work in the worst possible light. They stir up the worst elements of the unsanctified natural heart, and make of no effect the true labors given for his people.
The verse applies when his own professed people connected with his institution depart from pure principles. They put unjust, selfish, human principles in place of justice, mercy and the love of God. They ignore the cautions, warnings and rebukes God sends to bar wrong principles. That course offends God and makes his work go crookedly. It brings a cloud over his institution that is not dispelled until cleansed by the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness.
Those who acted a prominent part in that wrong must repent so their sins may be blotted out. To refuse repentance and continue adds to transgression. Such a course not only keeps wounding Christ in the house of his friends but betrays him into the hands of his enemies.