Bible Reading
Zechariah 9:9-17“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.
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.
For I have bent Judah as my bow;
I have made Ephraim its arrow.
I will stir up your sons, O Zion,
against your sons, O Greece,
and wield you like a warrior’s sword.
Then the Lord will appear over them,
and his arrow will go forth like lightning;
the Lord God will sound the trumpet
and will march forth in the whirlwinds of the south.
The Lord of hosts will protect them,
and they shall devour, and tread down the sling stones,
and they shall drink and roar as if drunk with wine,
and be full like a bowl,
drenched like the corners of the altar.
On that day the Lord their God will save them,
as the flock of his people;
for like the jewels of a crown they shall shine on his land.
For how great is his goodness,
and how great his beauty!
Grain shall make the young men flourish,
and new wine the young women.”
[21:41]Philippians 2:5-8“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
[28:37]Matthew 21:1-11“Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, “The Lord needs them,” and he will send them at once.’ This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,
‘Say to the daughter of Zion,
“Behold, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.”’
The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’ And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, ‘Who is this?’ And the crowds said, ‘This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.’”
[30:28]1 Peter 1:17-21“And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”
[58:41]Observation questions
- What three qualities of the coming King are named in Zechariah 9:9, and how do they differ from the way conquering earthly rulers normally act? [24:18]
- What instruments of war does Zechariah 9:10 say will be cut off, and what does the King do instead for the nations?
- In Matthew 21, what actions did Jesus, the disciples, and the crowds take that connect Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem with Zechariah’s prophecy? [30:28]
- What images does Zechariah 9:11-17 use to describe God’s people: prisoners, a flock, jewels in a crown, and flourishing people? What does each image show about their condition or future? [50:15]
Interpretation questions
- Why is Jesus’ humility in riding on a donkey not a sign that He lacks authority or power? How does Philippians 2:5-8 show that His humility was a willing choice? [28:37]
- Zechariah 9:9 and 9:10 portray the King coming first in humility and later in worldwide victory and peace. Why is it important to hold both truths together when thinking about Jesus? [35:39]
- What does it mean that prisoners are freed “because of the blood of my covenant”? How does Christ’s blood provide a deeper freedom than rescue from political enemies or difficult circumstances? [37:45]
- In 1 Peter 1, believers are described as living “throughout the time of your exile.” How can Christians take the brokenness of the present world seriously without treating this world as their final home? [58:58]
Application questions
- Jesus is the righteous King who saves sinners rather than ignoring sin. Where is there a temptation to excuse, hide, or minimize sin rather than bringing it honestly to Christ for forgiveness? [54:36]
- Jesus chose the path of humble service and obedience, even when it led to the cross. In what relationship, responsibility, or conflict is there an opportunity to reflect His humility instead of demanding recognition, control, or the last word? [28:59]
- God calls His people “prisoners of hope.” What present burden, grief, fear, or unresolved situation makes hope difficult right now? How does God’s covenant faithfulness give a real reason for hope in that situation? [39:57]
- Faith and hope cannot finally rest in houses, savings accounts, physical strength, wisdom, or national security. Which of these kinds of “strongholds” is most tempting to rely on, and what would it look like this week to place deeper trust in God? [01:00:10]
- Christ’s return guarantees that His peace will finally overcome every enemy and every instrument of war. How can that promised future shape the way believers respond to anxiety, alarming news, or uncertainty today? [33:34]
- The Lord saves His people as the flock of His people, and Christ is the good Shepherd. Where is there a need for His guidance, protection, or restoration right now, and how can the group encourage one another to follow Him in that area? [50:24]
- God’s goodness and beauty give His people reason to rejoice even before every promise is fully seen. What is one specific evidence of God’s goodness that can be remembered and shared this week, especially in the middle of hardship? [01:01:50]
