Zechariah 9:9, commentary and pictures

More than five hundred years before His birth, the verse promised that Jerusalem's rightful King and heir to David's throne would come to her. It describes Him as righteous and bringing salvation, yet lowly and humble, entering without outward royalty or armed force upon an ass and a colt the foal of an ass. It was fulfilled when Jesus deliberately rode an unridden colt into Jerusalem under divine appointment, while the multitude remembered the promise and hailed Him as Messiah and King with garments and palm branches, praise that opposition could not silence. The welcome was given in mistaken hope for an earthly reign that would crown Him in Jerusalem, free Israel from Rome and restore the kingdom at once, without understanding that He was going to suffering, judgment and death as the world's Redeemer and Passover offering for sin. His humble entry therefore proves Him the Sent of God and Messiah who saves from sin rather than from foreign rule, makes a final appeal by which Jerusalem might still be saved, and faintly points forward to His future coming in glory as Zion's King.

Promised Entry Fulfilled

More than five hundred years before Christ's birth and entry into Jerusalem, the coming of the promised King and heir to David's throne to Israel was foretold. The foretold King of Jerusalem is just and bringing salvation, yet lowly and humble, riding on an ass and on a colt the foal of an ass. He comes with no outward sign of royalty, no dress of state, and no train of armed men, following the custom of a royal entry. His kingship comes in humility amid highly excited followers unable to restrain joyous expectancy.

The foretelling was fulfilled when Jesus deliberately chose this way to enter the city as its King. He rode into Jerusalem on a colt that no one had ridden, on a beast guided by Lazarus. The procession's public glory came not from conquered captives but from people He had rescued, healed, restored, and delivered, who praised Him as King. His royal entry in triumphal procession preceded His suffering and death rather than an earthly reign.

The call to rejoice was answered when the multitude recalled the prophecy and strove to answer it with praise. They acclaimed Him in the words of the prophecy, hailing Him as Messiah, King, and Son of David, shouting Hosanna to the Son of David and blessing Him who comes in the name of the Lord. They welcomed Him with shouts of triumph, spreading their garments before Him and leafy and palm branches as signs of honor and victory, crying Hosanna. The joyful welcome was fulfilled in the temple, where children led the praise and proclaimed Him as the coming King, and the people healed or delivered by Jesus joined the rejoicing.

The entry and its acclamation fulfilled prophetic vision and what was revealed beforehand as part of God's appointed plan and purpose, with events divinely arranged and a triumphal scene appointed by God and foretold by the prophets. No human opposition, earthly power, or attempt to silence the praise could prevent the divinely arranged events and promised acclamation of the King from taking place. If the people had remained silent even the stones would have praised Him.

Mistaken Earthly Hopes

Those who welcomed Him — disciples, crowd, priests, and nation — expected Him at that entry to claim royal power in Jerusalem, take David's throne, be crowned as a temporal prince, free Israel from Roman rule and the oppressor's yoke, disperse the Romans from Jerusalem, and restore the kingdom to Israel at that time. The multitude recalled the prophecy of the King coming lowly on an ass and on a colt the foal of an ass, with no outward royalty, dress of state, or train of armed men, yet strove to answer its call to rejoice with praise amid highly excited, joyous expectancy that the hour of emancipation was at hand. They honored Him with Hosanna to the Son of David, blessing Him who comes in the name of the Lord, with palm branches, spread garments, and signs of victory.

Their honoring Him as King was not an error but the required fulfillment of what was given, and the prophecy had to be fulfilled even though they misunderstood its meaning. They did not understand that He was going to judgment, suffering, and death rather than to an earthly reign. If they had understood that outcome beforehand they could not have carried out the prophesied welcome. Only after He had suffered and risen did they understand that His suffering and resurrection had also been foretold, while within days of the entry they saw Him crucified and their hopes collapsed into bitter disappointment.

The Jews expected immediate national triumph from a conquering king who would overthrow Rome by force and place them on thrones to reign as kings and priests over the world. That expectation led them to overlook the prophecies of the humble first coming and to apply to the first advent the prophecies that refer to His glorious second coming and to the earth as made new and occupied by the redeemed. Because He came lowly instead of glorious, as King to give life and deliver from heavy oppression among the poor, needy, oppressed, and destitute rather than in pomp among the honorable, they were chagrined and disappointed. They refused Him as King, would not own Him as their deliverer, but insulted, derided, mocked, and heaped every indignity upon Him until at last they took the life of Him who came to impart life to them.

Humble Saving Reign

He comes as King in lowliness amid excited followers, not with the pomp and splendor of mighty earthly kings who receive homage among the honorable, but in meekness and humility among the poor and needy, the oppressed and destitute, relieving their wants and standing beside the most humble. He comes preaching the word of life, to give life and to deliver from the heavy yoke of oppression and the bondage of sin, not to break a political yoke and deliver the nation from foreign kings. Yet that humble ride on the colt identifies Him as Israel's King and Messiah, though His kingship is not an earthly throne.

He accepted the people's public homage and with it the office of king and priest. That exact, public fulfillment of the specifications of the prophecy is among the prophetic evidences requiring all to accept Him as the Christ, unmistakable evidence that He is the Sent of God, the Messiah, the center of Israel's kingdom, and of His divine mission. His kingly authority was shown not by taking David's throne as the priests expected, but through healing the sick and receiving the people's praise. When priests and rulers refused to proclaim Him, children proclaimed His kingship.

The public ride was deliberately presented to turn attention to Him as the world's Redeemer and to the sacrifice that would end His mission. At Passover He, the Passover Lamb and antitypical Lamb, voluntarily set Himself apart as an offering for the sins of the world, a ransom for sinners. Though welcomed in triumph He remained humble, accepting suffering rather than earthly glory and giving His life for the world. The striking events would make Him widely known and keep attention fixed on His coming death, so that after His death and in connection with His trial and crucifixion people would search the prophecies, connect the events, recognize Him as Messiah, and believe.

That entry also faintly prefigures and points ahead to His future coming in glory as Zion's King. His arrival as King and Saviour was a final prophetic appeal, in which if Jerusalem receives Him she may still be saved. His lowliness remains the pattern for gospel work, requiring humility with no self-exaltation and continual trust in His power to save to the uttermost all who come to God by Him.