The Coming King Of Zion (Zechariah 9:9-17, Matthew 21:1-11)
Rev. William L. Barron, May 21, 2023Part of the Morning Worship at North Greenville Church series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
Zechariah's vision foretelling of the king coming to save Zion refers both to the coming of Alexander to preserve Jerusalem and to the arrival later of Jesus Christ. Jesus is prophesied as a humble king who brings victory through humility, not by power, might or the sword. He is the king of righteousness who brings justice to the nations. He bestows salvation from sins, the only one who can do this. He brings peace with God. Israel had become like the world, wanting a powerful king and placing no value on gentleness or lowliness. King Jesus came to serve and to give His life for a ransom for which the shedding of blood would be required. After Alexander's death in 323 BC, his kingdom was divided among 10 generals, then 4 kings, then 2 kings, then consolidated by the Roman Empire. During the two kings era, the south was ruled by the Ptolemies and the north by the Seleucids. The Seleucid king Antiochus Epiphanes saw Rome ascending in power and tried to conquer Egypt, but failed. Upon his retreat through Israel, he oppressed the Jews, desecrating the temple and the altar. Daniel foretold this as the "abomination of desolation," a prophecy repeated by Jesus in Matthew 24. Israel turned to the Lord, and the Maccabean Revolt was the result, bringing peace to Israel for 100 years. This is what vs. 13 foresees, with God raising Ephraim and Judah against Greece. Earlier, God preserved Israel by changing Alexander's heart. The prophecy point to Christ as the bringer of peace, who saves and calls His children into the church for the purpose of their sanctification. The Maccabean victory was to be fulfilled in the new covenant.
| Earlier: | Same day: | Later: |
|---|---|---|
| « An Oracle Against God's Enemies | None | The Lord Is My Shepherd » |
Zechariah 9:9–17 (Listen)
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and the war horse from Jerusalem;
and the battle bow shall be cut off,
and he shall speak peace to the nations;
his rule shall be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
11 As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
12 Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;
today I declare that I will restore to you double.
13 For I have bent Judah as my bow;
I have made Ephraim its arrow.
I will stir up your sons, O Zion,
against your sons, O Greece,
and wield you like a warrior’s sword.
14 Then the LORD will appear over them,
and his arrow will go forth like lightning;
the Lord GOD will sound the trumpet
and will march forth in the whirlwinds of the south.
15 The LORD of hosts will protect them,
and they shall devour, and tread down the sling stones,
and they shall drink and roar as if drunk with wine,
and be full like a bowl,
drenched like the corners of the altar.
16 On that day the LORD their God will save them,
as the flock of his people;
for like the jewels of a crown
they shall shine on his land.
17 For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty!
Grain shall make the young men flourish,
and new wine the young women.
(ESV)
Matthew 21:1–11 (Listen)
21:1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,
5 “Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”
(ESV)