Zechariah is prophesying during the re-building of Jerusalem by those who have returned from exile. There weren’t as many of them as you’d like to think, and as it turns out they were fearful and easily intimidated by the locals. They had bribed officials, threatened open violence, and written to the king warning him that if Jerusalem was built, there would be sedition. All this conspired to bring the work of rebuilding Jerusalem to a standstill (Ezra 4:24). In response, the Lord raised up two preachers: the prophets Haggai, and Zechariah (Ezra 5:1).
We might feel that isn’t the most helpful of responses... and if that is the case, we’d have been even less impressed by Zechariah’s message. Faced with enemies all around, the idea of a lowly king riding on a donkey (Zech.9:9) hardly inspires courage and confidence. How little we understand the ways of the Lord. Zechariah’s message centres on the disturbing idea that the Lord is sovereign over the nations (even those who oppose Judah), and that as such He will draw them with His grace into the very Church they now oppose. Peace will extend across the nations. Shalom. Rest. This is something far more profound than victory through the domination, the annihilation of enemies. That is all we have the imagination to envisage. But the foolishness of God far transcends the wisdom of humanity, and His victory is not at the expense of righteousness (9:9). The meek will inherit the earth... and there is none more meek than the king who comes to us lowly and riding on a donkey.
Paul writes: God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. (Col.1:19-20). This is the blood of the covenant, the spilling of which was foreseen by the mighty Zechariah (9:11). The donkey-king comes to die, not kill; to be defeated not to defeat. And in that moment of inversion, He changes everything. A New Creation is inaugurated. A New Creation in which prisoners are rescued from pits, and are shackled to hope (9:12). A New Creation in which chariots and war-horses are taken away and battle-bows are broken (9:10). A New Creation in which the King will rule over those He has saved (9:16) with justice, and faithfulness, and integrity, making full provision for those in His care.
Questions:
How do you reconcile the picture of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey with the vision of Jesus we are presented with in Rev.19:11-21? Why are both needed? What happens if we only have the lowly Jesus on the donkey? ...and if we only have the war-wager on the white horse?
Which inspires a response of love, commitment and worship? Why?
What glimpses of Rev.19:11-21 can you see shining through in Zech.9:9-17 (you can take in the whole of Zech.9 here)? Can you see in Zechariah’s prophecy evidence of the King who ‘wages war’ (Rev.19:11)? How does that affect the way we read this prophecy being fulfilled on ‘Good Friday’ (e.g. Matt.21:1-11)?
What is the difference between meekness and weakness? How does meekness achieve such extraordinary results? Where have you seen meekness in action?
How does Jesus example help us as we find ourselves in situations where we too must refuse to resist an evil person, but rather turn the other cheek; or where we must love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us? Have you ever put such teaching (Matt.5:38-48) into practise? What happened?
Read Zech.9:13. Does Zechariah envisage the Church being implicated in the execution of God’s judgment against the sons of Greece? How do you make sense of that? Have a look at I Cor.6:1-3. What does this mean?
What is there about the New Creation that really captures your imagination? How does your vision of the New Creation shape your experience of discipleship here and now?
end note on Zech.9:13. After Alexander the Great defeated Persia (and during his campaigns Syria, Tyre, Sidon and Philistia was conquered as per Zech.9:1-8), the Jews did in fact fight the Greeks, and gained an incredible victory. Alexander died unexpectedly in 323 BC, and his empire was divided into four. A ruler called Antiochus eventually ruled over one of these fragments, and against the background of a growing Roman Empire, sought to instil unity by in his realm around his pagan Greek culture. When the Jews resisted, it resulted in war during which the Jewish forces under Judas Maccabeus won a series of stunning and frankly, unlikely, victories. This secured a century of independence until the Romans invaded in 63 BC.
