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.
I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and the war horse from Jerusalem;
and the battle bow shall be cut off,
and he shall speak peace to the nations;
his rule shall be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
Return to your stronghold,
O prisoners of hope;
today I declare that I will restore to you double. (Zech. 9: 9–12)
Lord Jesus, I’ll exhaust the wonder of this passage as soon as I drink Niagara Falls dry, as soon as I memorize the names of every star you’ve launched into the heavens, as soon as I finish climbing all the Alps in Switzerland, Italy, Germany, and France.
On this Sunday morning, I’m overwhelmed with your humility and your sovereignty. What other king could conquer warhorses and warriors by riding the foal of a donkey? What other king could break the battle bow and the backbone of all warfare by the brokenness of the cross? What other king could ever replace the politics of tyranny with a reign of peace?
What other king would offer his life and death for the redemption and restoration of rebels, fools, and idolaters like us? What other king could possibly make prisoners of sin, death, and “waterless pits” into prisoners of hope?
Jesus, you are that King. There is no other such king. Who is the King of Glory? It is you, Lord Jesus, and only you. Who is the King of Grace? It is you, Lord Jesus, and only you. Who is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords? It is you, Lord Jesus, and only you.
Our joy is great as this Holy Week begins, for you have come to us righteous and victorious. May your cross and your crown continue to free us from other imprisonments so that we may live as prisoners of hope and agents of redemption. We pray in your peerless and priceless name. Amen.