Zechariah Sermon Series: Sermon 25
2-9-25 – Jerry Mongello
Zechariah 9 Part 4
Prayer
As we discussed last week in Zechariah 9:5-8, God is judging kingdoms, defeating Israel’s enemies, and overcoming the strongholds of Satan to prepare the way for the first advent of the Messiah King. We confirmed through Scripture that Satan dominates and controls governments, countries, and principalities, as seen in Daniel 10, Isaiah 14, and Ezekiel 28.
In today’s message, we will examine the first advent of the Messiah King, the prophecy concerning His arrival, the manner in which He enters Jerusalem, the purpose of His first advent, His second advent, the millennial kingdom, and the identity of the prisoners who are being liberated.
Zechariah 9:9 (NKJV)
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.
The prophecy in Zechariah 9:9 was written more than four hundred years before the triumphal entry to give Israel hope and joy, making them aware of the exact time, manner, and purpose of His coming.
Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. First, He was keeping the law: God had commanded the kings of Israel not to multiply horses (Deuteronomy 17:14-17). Jesus came to fulfill the law. Had He ridden upon a horse, it would have been a breach of a direct command of God. Therefore, He rode upon a donkey.
The exact manner in which Jesus entered Jerusalem was humble. He did not ride in like a worldly king with pomp and circumstance. Though the triumphal entry was a joyful celebration, a Roman spectator might have wondered what was so triumphant about this entry. It did not compare to the grand parades of Roman generals such as Julius Caesar, whose return from Gaul was celebrated with a three-day procession displaying captives, spoils, and symbols of victory. In contrast, Jesus rode in humbly, bringing something far more priceless—salvation. This act demonstrated that He was a different kind of king.
Consider the difference between a donkey and a mighty stallion. British General Allenby, upon defeating the Turkish (Ottoman) Empire, refused to ride into Jerusalem and instead walked in as a sign of humility.
Think about who Jesus was, who He is, and who He will be forevermore.
Colossians 1:15-18 (NKJV)
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
This is what the Creator of all things did—He did not ride in as an all-powerful King but rather as a Servant.
Philippians 2:5-11 (NKJV)
Paul tells us, Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. The Creator rode into Jerusalem humbly. He came to serve, not to be served. He came to serve humanity.
Mark 10:45 (NKJV)
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.
Likewise, we are to walk humbly before the Lord in all that we do.
His purpose was to bring salvation. He is just and having salvation—a gift more valuable than gold and precious stones.
Isaiah 62:11 (NKJV)
Indeed the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the world: “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Surely your salvation is coming; Behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him.'”
Daniel 9 prophesies and gives Israel the exact day of Messiah’s arrival.
Daniel 9:24-27 (NKJV)
Sixty-nine weeks of the seventy weeks of prophecy were fulfilled on April 3, 32 AD—exactly 173,880 days after King Artaxerxes commanded Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2). This was the precise day when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a colt and the people proclaimed Him King of the Jews. This initiated the four-day examination period of the sacrificial Lamb of God, fulfilling the Passover requirements of Exodus 12. Jesus was then tried, crucified, and resurrected.
Zechariah 9:10 (NKJV)
The prophet sees the second advent in this passage, where Jesus will eliminate warfare and weapons, establishing the millennial kingdom.
Micah 4:2-4 (NKJV)
Nations will come to the mountain of the LORD, where He will teach them His ways. Swords will be beaten into plowshares, and nations will not learn war anymore.
Zechariah 9:11 (NKJV)
As for you also, because of the blood of your covenant, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
This blood covenant was fulfilled at the cross. We are grafted into this covenant of grace. It cannot be bought, earned, or stolen. It is grace alone.
The second part of Zechariah 9:11 states: I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. Some believe this refers to the Babylonian captivity, but by Zechariah’s time, Cyrus had already allowed the Jews to return, and only 50,000 did. Instead, this refers to spiritual captivity—to sin and death!
John 8:33-36 (NKJV)
Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin… Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”
1 Corinthians 15:54-58 (NKJV)
Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is the hope and promise we have in Christ. He came first as a humble servant to bring salvation. He will return as a conquering King to establish His dominion over all the earth.
