I preached on Zechariah 9:9-17 today. The first verse of the passage speaks of the coming of Israel’s king! “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.” (Zechariah 9:9, ESV).
This verse referring to Christ’s first coming speaks of HIs righteousness, redemption, humility and peace-loving character.
David Baron, who has written one of the most respected commentaries on Zechariah sums it up well:
Christ is the only person in all history whose character and experience answer to the description of the ideal king in this prophecy. He alone, among the sons of men, can be described as the true Tsaddiq–the Righteous One, who did not violence, nor was deceit found in his mouth. . . .The Lord Jesus Christ for us men and our salvation also became ‘poor’ and ‘afflicted’–so poor that he himself could say: ‘The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head.’ And of him alone also is it true that he is endowed with and is the bringer of salvation because He was himself ‘saved’ or ‘delivered’ or ‘made victorious’ . . . .in the great conflict which he came to wage on our behalf with the powers of darkness.
This prophecy was intended to introduce, in contrast to earthly warfare and kingly triumph, another Kingdom, of which the Just King would be the Prince of Peace, who was meek and lowly in His Advent, who would speak peace to the heathen, and whose sway would yet extend to earth’s utmost bounds. . . .If ever was a true picture of the Messiah-King and His kingdom, it is this: and if ever Israel was to have a Messiah, or the world a Savior, He must be such as is described in this prophecy–not merely in the letter, but in the spirit of it.”
