READ: ZECHARIAH 9:1-17 TEXT: v9 [BEHOLD THY KING COMETH UNTO THEE]
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee:
he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
It is Zechariah's lot to minister to the COI in their post captivity days
He does so by encouraging them to look for the overthrow of their enemies
This overthrow was to come on two fronts:
[i] There would be the physical destruction of their ancient foes
When you read of places like Tyrus, Zidon and Ashkelon etc., in the Bible:
These were hotbeds of hatred against the Lord's ancient people
So often they go the upper hand against them and were exceedingly cruel
Well, here God is undertaking to overthrow them, despite their strengths/boasts
So that was something for them to look forward to
[ii] There would be an even better destruction of their spiritual foes
While there are obvious advantages in living in a physical/outward
peace, yet overall this is but a little or temporary gain if there is
no spiritual victory
Paul exhorts us to pray for kings,
and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and
peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. (1 Timothy 2:2 )
Many people want a quiet/peaceable life, but have little thoughts
towards the purpose of such a life being given us i.e. to lead it in
all godliness/honesty
Such peace/quietness is not given to us that we may squander them on sin/pleasure
Every waking day is to be spent in the service of God
Zechariah (like all the OT prophets) gave great prominence to the latter king/peace
While he wrote for his own day/generation, he cast his prophetic eye into the future
There is an incompleteness in the OT as we read it
It constantly speaks of an event (which to them was) yet to come
The OT has a sequel and there the fulfilment of many of its promises are found
It is only as we read the NT that we make ultimate sense/OT
Zechariah was one of the last of the OT prophets
Writing by inspiration/Holy Spirit, he stands/shoulders of all who had gone before
Therefore we might expect him to give us a clearer picture - and/text: he does
5 main points to observe from these words/text:
1) THE KING'S IDENTITY:
We are doubtless familiar/fact that these words were quoted in Matthew 21:4-5
Applied literally to the Lord Jesus Christ as He rose into Jerusalem
Even the title we have already given Him denotes His Kingship:
Indeed: We call Him Lord of all (Acts 10:36) which denotes His sovereignty
A/ Right from His birth, this title was in the mouth of men concerning Him:
"Where is He who is born, King of the Jews?" (Matthew 2:2)
Here's a thought for you: If you think the title; "King of the Jews"
is nothing more than a fancy title applied to one who was born to rule
over a despised race of subjugated people - think again!
Think of the weight these words carry: For we have seen His star in the east
Wherein could it be said to be "His star?"
[i] Obviously because it pointed to Him - No other king/earth could claim this!
[ii] Furthermore, because He created that star and ordered its movements at personal whim
Other kings cannot even count the stars, never mind control them nor again create them
Apart from the Cross, we must view Christ at the weakest point/His humanity at His birth
Yet here, he is acknowledged as the King/Jews and so the wise men wisely said:
We are come to worship Him
B/ Consider the circumstances that led to His death (Another time/weak humanity)
(I remind you that He was crucified through weakness: 2 Corinthians 13:4)
Watch Him stand before the Roman Governor - Pontius Pilate who sneers at the Prisoner:
Art thou a king then?
The Royal Prisoner replies:
Thou sayest that I am a king. To this
end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should
bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my
voice. (John 19:37)
As Pilate boasts of His power to either crucify Christ or to let Him go, Jesus reminds Him:
Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above:
therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. (John 19:11)
Where would Pilate get any power which he thought he had?
Answer: From above - i.e. from the Royal Prisoner Himself who said elsewhere:
Therefore doth my Father love me,
because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man
taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it
down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I
received of my Father. (John 10:17-18)
He never ceased to be the King even when they were crucifying Him
No fluke of history that it was His kingship that dominated the superscription/Cross
No fluke/history or mere tantrum that the rankled Pilate refused to take it down
As nature marked His birth in a specific way - so too it marked His death
The midday darkness - the rent rocks - the earthquake etc.,
This King is none less than the Lord Jesus
Who is particularly referred to as the King of saints: And they sing
the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,
Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. (Revelation 15:3)
We have no problem here with the identity of the King in Zechariah 9:9
2) THE HUMILITY OF KING:
Seen in the fact that he rode the colt of an ass into Jerusalem
A/ Great Kings usually ride great horses - usually white in colour and designated as war horses
God said of the war horse:
He mocketh at fear, and is not
affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword. The quiver rattleth
against him, the glittering spear and the shield. He swalloweth the
ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the
sound of the trumpet. He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he
smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the
shouting. (Job 39:21-25)
Picture then the scene if our Lord had've come into the city/Jerusalem
bedecked in a military outfit - such as Simon the Zealot could
only have dreamed about in his unconverted days
Certainly , it would've set the scene more if we were to follow/dictates of what was expected
But He didn't…
B/ He told Pilate later on: My
kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then
would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews:
but now is my kingdom not from hence. (John 18:36)
Therefore a great war horse was totally unneeded and indeed would send out wrong signals
Christ had already frustrated/refused the attempt of the Jews to crown Him King:
When Jesus therefore perceived that
they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed
again into a mountain himself alone. (John 6:14)
These men saw a Great Rebel Leader - A Resistance Fighter - A military Leader
At this point, Christ was none of these things
He came to be the Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief
Therefore He made His entrance into Jerusalem on the ass of a mere colt
He chose to ride, not upon a stately
horse, or in a chariot, as great men used to ride, but upon an ass, a
beast of service indeed, but a poor silly and contemptible one, low and
slow, and in those days ridden only by the meaner sort of people; nor
was it an ass fitted for use, but an ass's colt, a little foolish
unmanageable thing, that would be more likely to disgrace his rider
than be any credit to him; and that not his own neither, nor helped
off, as sometimes a sorry horse is, by good furniture, for he had no
saddle, no housings, no trappings, no equipage, but his disciples'
clothes thrown upon the colt; for he made himself of no reputation when
he visited us in great humility. (Matthew Henry)
Truly, He was meet and lowly in heart (text/Matthew 11:29)
3) THE DESTINY OF THE KING:
A/ Why is He going up to Jerusalem?
Had been there many times, but never like this - perhaps often slipping in/out with little fuss
Answer: Because this was effectively His last entry into the city before His death on the Cross
We have here a twofold entry that seems to send mixed signals, causing us to stop/wonder
[i] He enters distinctly as a King - He is explicitly designated so
The people in Matthew 21 expressly hailed Him as a King -
The palm tree branches being strewed in the way
The cry: Hosanna to the Son of David
[ii] Yet He is lowly riding on the mere colt of an ass
He has already entered into the valley of humiliation
There are further depths for Him to plummet yet
Consider the description of Him given in Philippians 2
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: (v6)
Here, we cry; Behold your King!
It was not robbery for him to say: "I am equal with God" for He is the King/Glory
Yet (Paul continues)
But made himself of no reputation,
and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness
of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself,
and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
(Philippians 2:7-8)
In a little bit of hallowed and sanctified street drama - He is pointing towards the Cross
In His own words, he had long desired this very occasion:
But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished! (Luke 12:50)
Therefore it was with great joy that He rode into the city on this little colt
For the joy set before Him - He endured the Cross/despised the shame (Hebrews 12:2)
D/ This is unheard of before about Kings
Many of them sacrifice their people to protect their throne/dynasty
David in his sinful madness willingly sacrificed Uriah/Hittite to protect himself/throne
But here David's Greater Son gives up His throne and sacrifices Himself for His people
Even as the Son of man came not
to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom
for many. (Matthew 20:28)
4) THE EXPECTANCY OF THE KING:
Why this talk of him giving His life as a ransom for many?
A/ Text: King is just and having salvation
He comes, expecting to save sinners and to do so in a just way i.e. without violating the law/God
He can do this only by standing as a Substitute in their stead
He becomes the willing victim of the angry and just wrath of God for sin
When the great cup/Divine wrath empties its last drop/His head - all His ransomed go free
Already this salvation has been availed of, even before he formally died to secure it
OT saints ( and those converted in the gospels up to this point) were all saved on credit
Christ is the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world
Once it was purposed that He should die on the Cross, then it was as good as done
He could take the words of Joseph and
say: And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the
earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. (Genesis 45:7 )
Where God sends, the One sent arrives
Perhaps Christ passed the very spot where He was to be crucified but a few days later
He knew the cries would change from Hosanna to Crucify Him! Crucify Him!
But still, He had set His face as a flint to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51)
He came, not to overthrow a questionable government, but to seek/save the lost
B/ Therefore, He expects there to be great rejoicing (text)
Therefore the redeemed of the LORD
shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy
shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and
sorrow and mourning shall flee away. (Isaiah 51:11)
5) THE CONSTITUENCY OF THE KING:
A/ He comes to the daughter/Zion or (a.k.a.) the daughter/Jerusalem
These terms denote those who have been born into the city
Not in the natural sense, but in the supernatural/gracious sense; Psalm 87:6/John 3:3
B/ Furthermore, they are those who accept Him as Lord/King ("thy king") Appeal
THE END