Rejoice! Your King Comes to You! Zechariah 9:9-10 032413M
Close down the freeway. Block off the streets. Get secret service people out onto the overpasses. Delay the air traffic at the airport. The President is coming to town. Even if his approval rating isn't what it once was, there are still crowds cheering, clapping, shouting, and bands playing. Back around 30 A.D. there was no secret service, nor were there freeways or air travel. On the first Palm Sunday, there was only a dusty road leading from Bethany to Jerusalem. Nevertheless, there was a royal welcome for a king--one foretold to God's people in the Old Testament. God said to them what he still says to us today:
Rejoice! Your King Comes to You!
1. See how he comes: humbly, with salvation.
2. Notice why he comes: to bring and proclaim peace.
1. Centuries beforehand the Holy Spirit through the Prophet Zechariah predicted the event we celebrate today. Actually, he predicted God's judgment against all the enemies of his people. He spoke of the coming of a Messiah-King who would bring a new age of prosperity and joy. Zechariah lived through God's people being delivered from captivity in Babylon. He saw their struggles in rebuilding Jerusalem, its walls and its temple. He encouraged them with the message that God's purposes for his people would be fulfilled in the coming of the Messiah. He made direct prophecies of the Christ, such as the one we have in our text. God says, "Rejoice! Your king comes to you! See how he comes: humbly, with salvation.
Zechariah writes: 9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation.Our text is also sometimes used as an Advent lesson because it makes us think of God coming as a baby in Bethlehem. That is characteristic of how he came: "righteous and bringing salvation. Righteous means being without sin. Recall how Paul says God sent his Son, born of a woman , born under law, to redeem those under law (Ga 4:4-5). And Paul writes, God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Co 5:21).When presidents and politicians come, they come with promises and policies. They come to bring relief in the aftermath of tragedies like hurricanes and floods. Jesus came to a disaster scene too: the sinful world. He came with relief: he lived the righteous life God demands of every single person.
But in order to bring salvation, he had to die for the sins of every single person. He came to offer himself as a sacrifice. God's Son had to die as a substitute for all people. That's why we find him riding a donkey into Jerusalem. He came ...gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. This is a fascinating prophecy about what happened on that first Palm Sunday. You normally don't find kings riding donkeys. They ride in chariots, or on decked-out battle steeds. A donkey was a utilitarian beast of burden. Even in this, Jesus was showing he came to give himself for the life of the world. He was riding on to his death; it seemed like defeat, but it was the way to victory! Of course, it was difficult for his disciples to see it that way. Think of Peter's protests, "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you" (Mt 16:22). If Jesus was the Messiah, it didn't seem right for his life to end in this way. But, of course, it had to be that way, by God's own design. Though the crowds certainly didn't understand, Jesus deserved the hero's welcome he received, even though he was riding on a donkey to his death.
What Jesus did, he did for YOU. Your king came humbly, with salvation. He did what you and I can not: living a righteous and holy life before God. He had perfect devotion to God, his name and his Word. He showed perfect respect for authorities, for human life, for God's gift of marriage and sexuality; a perfect steward of his and other's possessions. He did nothing to harm anyone else's good name and reputation. He was always content with his lot in life. That's not like us, is it? And...he was humble, before God and others. That's not like us either. Right before our Epistle lesson, Paul had told the Philippians, Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others (Php 2:3-4). How often don't we go out of our way to put others down so we look good? Not Jesus! He did truly look to the interests of others: His humility caused him to ride on a donkey to Jerusalem to face death--even death on a cross. And it was no ordinary death. He faced death under God's wrath and damnation for OUR sin. And we get the credit for his righteous life, even his perfect humility. No wonder we, and all of God's people, can "rejoice greatly and shout." We're the forgiven people of God!
2. Our king came humbly, with salvation. And his purpose was to do something no earthly king or ruler could ever do. Rejoice, your King comes to you--Notice why he comes: to bring and proclaim peace.
That's what God was going to do through him for his chosen people: 10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem,
and the battle bow will be broken. There would be no need for chariots, war-horses, and battle bows because the war was over. God won. All of God's enemies would be defeated. That included not just the physical ones like Tyre, Sidon, the Philistines, and others mentioned by Zechariah before our text. It also included the spiritual enemies of God's people, namely, sin, death and Satan himself. Actually, more often than not, God's people were themselves making war against God by their sin and rebellion against him. But the Messiah-King would make peace by appeasing God's wrath by his death on the cross, and keeping the law's righteous demands. This is the peace the Christmas angels sang about. It's the peace Paul calls the "peace of God which surpasses all understanding" which "guards our hearts and minds." God's not angry with sinners any longer because Jesus appeased God's wrath.
This is the peace the gospel--the good news about Jesus--proclaims. It is intended for all people of all nations of all time: He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.This is speaking of Jesus' dual role as not only a King, but also the Prophet. And Jesus DID proclaim peace! On Maundy Thursday he said, Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid (Jn 14:27). At least four times after Jesus' resurrection, Jesus introduced himself to his disciples by saying, "Peace be with you." And what about the times he said things like, "Neither do I condemn you," and "Your sins are forgiven." That is a message he STILL proclaims, but through his messengers--his disciples--in the world. By this gospel, people come to believe in him, and his kingdom comes to every race, place, and generation. He rules in people's hearts by his love and forgiveness, in a kingdom "not of this world," just as he said. He will come again at the end of time, when his kingdom of power, grace and glory will merge into one never-ending reign.
And you and I are part of this kingdom! We know and have his peace! What tends to rob you of your peace? Fears about the future? Worries over finances and your health? Guilt over the things you've done, and the laundry list of things you haven't done? Jesus still comes to you to proclaim, "Peace be with you." When does he do that? He's doing it right now! He does it every time the pastor says, "Therefore, as a called servant of Christ, and by his authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."He does it every time he says, "Take eat, this is my body given into death for your sins; take drink, this is my blood of the New Covenant, poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins." And again, "May the true body and blood of your Savior strengthen and preserve you to life everlasting. Your sins are forgiven. Depart in PEACE." Even now, he's ruling the universe for you, working all things out for your good, and for your eternal salvation. Even on your death bed, you can say with Simeon, "Lord, now let your servant depart in PEACE according to your Word. For my eyes have seen your salvation."
How do you respond to that? Rejoice! You may not close down the freeways or tie up the air traffic. You may not even get out the cloaks and the palms. But you can still welcome in and rejoice in your heart. Yes, rejoice! Your king comes to YOU! See how he comes: humbly, with salvation. And see why he comes: to bring and proclaim peace. That peace is yours because in him your sins are forgiven and eternal life is yours. And that peace is yours forever! Amen.
Zechariah 9:9-10
Rejoice! Your King Comes to You!
1. See how he comes: humbly, with salvation.
2. Notice why he comes: to bring and proclaim peace.
9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation.
God sent his Son, born of a woman , born under law, to redeem those under law (Ga 4:4-5).
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Co 5:21).
...gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
"Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you" (Mt 16:22).
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others (Php 2:3-4).
10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken.
He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid (Jn 14:27).
"Peace be with you."
"Lord, now let your servant depart in PEACE according to your Word. For my eyes have seen your salvation."