Rejoice! Here Comes Your king!
Rejoice greatly, Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! Look! Your King is coming to you. He is righteous and brings salvation. He is humble and is riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9)
Yesterday, we celebrated Palm Sunday. We began our march with the savior to the cross and the empty tomb. We watched as he rode a donkey into Jerusalem, while the disciples and the crowd cried out their praises to him.
And today we see that Zechariah prophesied this about 500 years before it even happened. As he prophecied to those who had returned from exile in Babylon, he spoke out against the pagan nations around Israel. But for those who had returned to Israel, the faithful of Israel, Zechariah proclaimed that their king and savior was coming. This was a thing to rejoice over. God was going to restore his covenant with his people.
This king that would come would not be like other kings. He wouldn’t ride in on a white horse. He wouldn’t be prideful. Instead, he would be humble. He would take on the form of a servant. He would ride into Jerusalem on the colt of a donkey. And yet his kingdom would extend over all the earth.
This king was the Son of God, who came to restore his people. He would ride into Jerusalem to serve us in our biggest need. He rode into Jerusalem to make the payment necessary for our sins. He brought us salvation and eternal life. And Zechariah prophesied that to God’s hurting people over 500 years early, but it still is true today. Amen.
The song for today is “Above All / You Are My King” by Caleb and Kelsey Grimm