Undefeated because our King has Come

The Jewish remnant had returned to Jerusalem. It has been fourteen years since the people had been released from their Babylonian captivity. Fourteen long, difficult, and discouraging years.

The people are not able to attend worship services at the temple. The temple had been destroyed decades earlier. Their efforts to rebuild it have been at a standstill.

The people are apprehensive of unseen enemies. The Syrians, Phoenicians, and Philistines who all live around the Judean countryside can launch an unseen attack at any time.

They feel isolated. They should be out working – rebuilding the temple, the city, and the city walls. But they have become lazy as they lock themselves in their homes. People are not able to work. Businesses from decades earlier never reopened.

After their return from exile, the Jews hoped for a quick restoration of life to what it had been like previously. They dreamed of a return to their former glory. They looked for the fulfillment of their messianic hopes.

The stimulants present in the generic viagra without prescription increases the efficiency of hormones produced by sexual desire, which will cause better blood supply in penis, relaxing smooth muscle.So if there is no desire, cialis is useless. There are many male who are unable to discuss this problem openly with their partner or through masturbation to prepare india tadalafil online or instruct their body to hold-up ejaculation. It is safe to take and many men are purchase cialis online finding it difficult to achieve even the most essential things in life. Annoying partner in the bed- Your partner’s habits cialis buy usa of keeping calm or neutral during the physical intimacy may annoy you during the performance.

But now their economy is in shambles. Their non-essential businesses are shuttered. Their worship in the temple is shut down. Their fears of an unseen enemy are sharpened. Their hopes for the future seem shattered.

In these troubling times, God doesn’t promise a cure or a quick fix or a booming economy. He promises a King. God delivers this promise through the prophet Zechariah:

“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 riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9).

God promises a King, but a King who will be very different from every other kind of earthly king.

The people will jump for joy, rejoice greatly, and shout loudly for this King.

The King God promises will not come with military might or customary splendor. He will not enter Jerusalem riding a royal steed. He will come with gentleness and humility. He will enter David’s city riding on a lowly beast of burden – and a borrowed one at that.

God then speaks directly to the people. “I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem. The battle bow will be taken away, and he will proclaim peace to the nations. His kingdom will extend from sea to sea, from the River to the ends of the earth” (Zechariah 9:10).

The King God promises Israel will not need chariots or war horses or battle bows to conquer. Pruning shears and plowshares will take the place of swords and shields. This King will be a different kind of King. He will establish his kingdom with the words of peace. Real peace will reign as his enemies realize he has won, and they are incapable of fighting against him.

God gives a covenant promise to the remnant. “As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will release your prisoners from the waterless pit” (Zechariah 9:11).

God had created a covenant with their Jewish forefathers centuries earlier at Mt. Sinai. Zion’s King will ratify that covenant centuries later with his blood on Mt. Calvary.

The Jewish remnant were feeling lazy, fearful, poor, and discouraged – like they were imprisoned in a waterless pit. Zion’s King will restore hope to them as he places them in his own royal fortress. He will give them a double share of his promise because they are his covenant people. Zion’s King will overthrow their enemies, rebuild their temple for worship, and restore their nation in the Promised Land.

This will all happen because God promises their King is coming.

Do you notice the similarities between the remnant in Israel in 520 B.C. and we in America in 2020 A.D.? Our economy is in shambles. Non-essential businesses are shuttered. Worship inside church is shut down. Our fears of an unseen enemy in Covid-19 are sharpened. Our hope for the future seems shattered.

Yet God does not give us hope by promising a cure for this disease or a booming economy or that we can encounter people in close proximity again.

Instead of promising those earthly outcomes, God promises a heavenly King who walked on earthly soil. God promises a King – not to take away earthly troubles or fix physical problems or return material blessings. God promises a different kind of King – a King who takes away earthly sins and fixes spiritual problems and pours out blessings from his heavenly throne.

God promises a different kind of King. A King who becomes one of the dregs of humanity because we are the dregs of humanity. A King who gives up his innocent body to thorns, scourging, and nails because our bodies are tainted with sin. A King who has a gracious, gentle, and humble heart because our hearts are full of evil, lies, and deceit.

He is the King who dies for his subjects.

The Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep.

The Creator who allows his creatures to crucify him.

This King is Jesus.

On Palm Sunday, Jesus fulfills Zechariah’s prophecy to the Jewish remnant. He rides on in majesty. He rides on to a criminal’s death. A death that makes centurions and governors shake. A death that takes a repentant criminal to paradise.

This is Israel’s King. This is our King.
His victory is their victory. His victory is our victory.

We are undefeated because our King has come!