What Does It Mean to Be the "Apple of God's Eye"?
From the sermon preached on March 1, 2026
Being the "apple of God's eye" means that God's people, the Church, are His most precious and fiercely protected possession. Just as the pupil (the "apple") is the most delicate and essential part of the human eye, believers are lovingly guarded by God against all spiritual enemies. When the Body of Christ experiences pain, persecution, or affliction, Jesus Christ feels it personally, as if He has been poked directly in the eye.
For families living in Boston, Massachusetts, navigating the modern world can often feel overwhelming, isolating, and spiritually taxing. Consequently, it is easy to lose our spiritual vision, becoming completely consumed by our everyday comforts, our homes, and our personal struggles. However, an ancient prophetic text from the Book of Zechariah, written 500 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, offers a breathtaking reminder of our true identity. We are caught in the middle of a cosmic battle, yet we are incredibly safe because the Creator of the universe deeply cherishes His people.
By exploring the beautiful, apocalyptic visions given to the prophet Zechariah, we can discover profound comfort. Furthermore, we can learn how to actively participate in the incredible construction project that God is currently building right here in Boston and around the world.
What Are the Visions in the Book of Zechariah?
During the time of the prophet Zechariah, the Jewish people felt incredibly small, dispirited, and defeated. To encourage them, God provided a series of dramatic visions designed to vastly expand their perspective. Specifically, in Zechariah chapter 1, the prophet sees a terrifying vision of "four horns".
In biblical literature, a horn is a natural metaphor representing immense political, military, or kingdom strength, much like the destructive power of a wild ox. These four horns symbolized the hostile world powers that had historically abused, scattered, and brutalized the people of God from every direction. However, the very same heavenly voice that announced the terrifying horns immediately announced their divine remedy.
The Lord then showed the prophet Zechariah four "craftsmen," which can also be translated as blacksmiths or carpenters. These craftsmen were sent by God to terrify and cast down the destructive horns of the nations. Ultimately, God always raises up a builder to counter the powers of destruction, proving that the Church as a whole is an indestructible, eternal institution.
The Four Horns
Identity: These represent formidable world powers, hostile kingdoms, and immense military strength.
Purpose: They exist to relentlessly scatter, intimidate, and brutalize the people of God, seeking to create a sense of total defeat where believers cannot even raise their heads.
The Four Craftsmen
Identity: These are humble deliverers portrayed as blacksmiths, builders, and skilled carpenters raised up by God.
Purpose: They are sent to fight destruction with constructive labor, specifically commissioned to terrify and permanently cast down the destructive horns of the hostile nations.
Jesus Christ
Identity: He is the ultimate craftsman and master carpenter who perfectly executed the constructive will of His Father in heaven.
Purpose: He utilized the humble tools of His earthly trade—a wooden cross and iron nails—to completely dehorn Satan, sin, and death, actively building His indestructible Church.
How is Jesus Christ the Ultimate Craftsman?
When we examine these Old Testament visions, it is truly fascinating to see how they perfectly foreshadow the life and mission of Jesus Christ. For instance, before Jesus Christ began His public ministry, His earthly occupation was working as a humble carpenter. He spent years working intimately with hammers, wood, and nails, cultivating the precise eye of a master builder.
However, the ultimate craft of Jesus Christ was perfectly executing the will of His Father in heaven to deal with the vast chasm of human sin. To completely destroy the ultimate horns of Satan, sin, and death, Jesus Christ carried a wooden cross on His back. He was then nailed to that cross, utilizing the very elements of His earthly trade to secure our eternal salvation.
Because of His perfect sacrifice, Jesus Christ constructed the greatest building project in human history: the Body of Christ, which is the true temple of the Holy Spirit. Jesus famously declared that He would build His Church, and the gates of hell would never overcome it. Today, He actively continues this constructive work, dehorning our spiritual enemies and welcoming families from every nation into His loving arms.
How Does God Protect the Body of Christ Today?
In Zechariah's next vision, the prophet witnesses a young man with a measuring line attempting to measure the exact width and length of the city of Jerusalem. An angel quickly stops the surveyor, revealing that the young man's vision is far too small. God declares that the city will expand so massively with people that it will eventually become a thriving region entirely without physical walls.
Naturally, living without defensive walls sounds terrifying when surrounded by hostile enemies. In response to this fear, God promises in Zechariah 2:5, "I will be to her a wall of fire all around... and I will be the glory in her midst". This incredible promise ensures that God Himself acts as an impassable firewall, offering perfect spiritual protection from outside attacks while providing His glorious, comforting presence on the inside.
This means that believers do not need to rely on their own earthly defenses, massive bank accounts, or physical fortresses to find true security. Instead, God calls His people to actively flee from "Babylon," which represents the anti-God world system driven by pride and fleshly desires. By running into the loving embrace of the Church, believers step directly into the protective ring of God's holy fire.
How Can We Become Spiritual Craftsmen in Boston?
Because Jesus Christ has wonderfully saved us by grace, the Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 2:10 that believers are now God's "workmanship". Consequently, we are called to become spiritual craftsmen and craftswomen who actively help build up the Church. To truly understand this, consider a personal illustration from the pastor of Mosaic Boston Church regarding the difficult trade of house painting.
There are entirely different levels to the painting profession; for example, "apartment painting" involves hastily slapping one single color over the ceilings, walls, trim, and carpets just to get the job done quickly. In sharp contrast, painting high-end luxury mansions requires a master's touch, resulting in a flawless finish with absolutely no visible brush strokes or roller marks. To achieve this elite level of craftsmanship, a painter must intensely train their eye over time to instantly spot the tiniest imperfections in any room they walk into.
Similarly, to become a highly useful spiritual craftsman for God's kingdom, you must deliberately train your spiritual eye.
Study the Blueprint: You must intimately know God's law and view every situation in life through the clear perspective of holy scripture.
Fight Internal Flaws: The process of defeating the "horns" begins on the inside, addressing the subtle sins of the flesh using the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.
Build the Community: You must approach the specific gifts and talents God has given you with incredible seriousness, utilizing them to actively serve your local church.
Why Must the Church be the Apple of Our Eye?
Before the Apostle Paul was converted to Christianity, his name was Saul, and he operated as a vicious "horn" who brutally persecuted the early Christians. When Jesus Christ miraculously confronted him on the road, Jesus asked, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?". This profound question reveals that every single blow struck against the most humble member of the Church is felt directly by Jesus Christ, the glorious head of the body.
If God deeply regards His people with such an intense, fiercely protective love, it logically follows that believers should be equally concerned for His glorious cause. We cannot honestly pray "Thy kingdom come" without fundamentally committing our lives to the gospel ministry and the active work of the local church. Simply put, if the Church is the precious apple of God's eye, then the Church must absolutely be the apple of our eye as well.
For families living in the Boston area, this is an urgent, beautiful invitation to stop living solely for temporary comforts and to join a kingdom that will last forever. If you are looking for a community that cherishes the Bible, we invite you to connect with the body of believers at Mosaic Boston Church. May the Lord Jesus Christ graciously shape us all into highly skillful craftsmen who joyfully build up His indestructible Church.
Frequently Asked Questions
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In the Bible, the phrase literally translates to the "pupil" of the eye, which is the most delicate and easily injured part of the body. When God calls His people the "apple of His eye," it is a proverbial way of stating that the Church is His most precious possession, which He carefully and fiercely protects from harm.
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In the Book of Zechariah, the four horns symbolize the destructive world powers and political forces that have historically attacked and scattered God's people. In contrast, the four craftsmen (or blacksmiths/carpenters) represent the deliverers and builders that God routinely sends to defeat those enemies and reconstruct His eternal kingdom.
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Because God's vision for His kingdom is so incredibly vast, He promises that His city will not be limited by physical defensive walls. Instead, God promises to be a "wall of fire" surrounding His people, providing perfect divine protection from outside spiritual enemies, while simultaneously dwelling inside the community as their radiant glory.
