The Arrival of the King

When the president travels by motorcade, streets and expressways are blocked. Secret service agents are positioned at strategic locations on overpasses and bridges. The goal of these measures is not only to make certain there is no delay but also to limit access to the president. When Jesus rode triumphantly into Jerusalem the week before His crucifixion, there were no blocked streets or armed guards. Instead, there were cheering crowds who spread their cloaks and palm branches on the road (Matt. 21:8–9). In his Gospel account of that event, Matthew makes it clear that Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem fulfilled Zechariah’s prophecy of the arrival of Israel’s Messianic King.

Zechariah’s prophecy not only describes the manner of His coming, lowly and riding on a donkey, but also the character of Messiah’s reign. He will be righteous and victorious (v. 9). He will put an end to warfare and “proclaim peace to the nations” (v. 10). His rule will be worldwide, extending from sea to sea and the ends of the earth. These aspects of Zechariah’s prophecy have not yet come to pass. This may be why Matthew quoted only a portion of it in his Gospel.

Old Testament prophecies of Israel’s Messiah often combine aspects of Christ’s first and second comings. Someone has compared these prophecies to looking at a mountain range from an angle which makes two peaks look like one with the valley between them hidden from view. Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem foreshadowed His ultimate victory. At His first advent, Christ came in lowliness. He offered Himself as Israel’s King, was rejected, and was crucified for our sin. When Jesus comes again, He will return in power to claim what is His by right.

Pray with Us

We are grateful for the MTS-MI ministry in the Detroit area and the service of the seminary’s professors: James Wood, John Restum, and Brian Tucker. Praise God for their ministry to the students!

BY Dr. John Koessler

John Koessler is Professor Emeritus of Applied Theology and Church Ministries at Moody Bible Institute. John authors the “Practical Theology” column for Today in the Word of which he is also a contributing writer and theological editor. An award-winning author, John’s newest title is When God is Silent: Let the Bible Teach You to Pray (Kirkdale). Prior to joining the Moody faculty, he served as a pastor of Valley Chapel in Green Valley, Illinois, for nine years. He and his wife, Jane, now enjoy living in a lakeside town in Michigan.