Behold, Your King Is Coming Even Today :: Zechariah 9:9-12

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Behold, your king is coming to you: Righteous and having salvation is He.

[Introduction]

Our text from Zechariah is sharper than a two-edged sword. When you actually listen to this Word of the Lord, it brings both great joy and shame. It certainly did this for the people of Jerusalem when they beheld Jesus coming to them, riding on a donkey. They rejoiced when they beheld the king of kings coming to them. But they quickly realized his righteousness was not their own. He had salvation, and they did not. Within days, they were calling for his crucifixion.

3. Behold, you remember your shame, too, don’t you? 

You remember that awful moment you realized that you weren’t fit for the king, don’t you? ... the first time you knew he was able to see what you’ve done to your temple, your very being. You had thought you had it covered, didn’t you? You thought no one knew what you had done or have left undone, didn’t you? And suddenly, you realize: Your sin is out in the open. And you are left with disgrace ... guilt ... and shame. It makes you want to scream ... curl up and cry ... or even worse ... get angry and cast the blame of shame on someone else. 

When Adam and Eve heard their king coming, they tried to hide their shame and cover it with leaves that would wither. Adam blamed both God and Eve for his fall into sin. Eve blamed the devil. Cain blamed Abel for making his offering look second rate. Sarah blamed Hagar for the birth of Ishmael (Gn 16:2-5). Aaron blamed the sons of Israel for their idolatry. The Israelites blamed Moses for their hardships. And the religious leaders blamed Jesus for their anxieties. 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we begin Holy Week, as we behold our king coming to us, righteous and having salvation is he, instead of denying and hemming and hawing ... casting blame ... and pretending our shame doesn’t exist, let us instead confess it, repent, and rest in the faith of our Lord. 

2. Behold, your king has come to take away your shame. 

Our King does not come to expose you or blame you. He does not come to threaten you or punish you. He does not come to whip you into shape. He does not come to wage wars on social and political evil. He does not come to free us from tyrannical government ... or to erect a new temple in Jerusalem. Jesus entered the city of God to bear your shame. Jesus came to hallow the Father’s name. He came to let his kingdom come and his will be done. The Son of David, who saw your sin and shame, came to be despised and rejected by men ... to be beaten for you, and spit upon, and falsely accused. He came to shed his blood for you ... because without the shedding of righteous blood there can be no forgiveness. Jesus came to make right what we all have made wrong. He came as the only son of the Father, the beloved one. He carried his tree up the mountain of God. He saw to it that he alone would be lifted high for all to see our shame crucified on the cross. Jesus came to suffer and die on the cross, bearing all the shame of sin. 

JESUS IS THE KING OF YOUR SHAME

As Saint Paul wrote in our epistle reading today: Have this mind in yourselves, which also is in Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality to God something to be grasped, but he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being in the likeness of men, and having been found in form of a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient until death, even the death of the cross.

Therefore, God has highly exalted him and graced in him the name that is above every name, so that in the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, into the glory of God the Father (vv 5-11).

1. Brothers and sisters in Christ, there is no longer any reason to let shame rule your life. 

Behold, our Lord Jesus Christ ... the King of Kings ... has now covered you in his righteousness. He has cleansed you in his holy waters of baptism. He has announced to you his holy absolution that your sins indeed are forgiven on account of his life, death, and resurrection. He has clothed you in his robes of righteousness that you wear for the marriage feast of the lamb that has no end ... a feast ... The Feast of his Body and his Blood for your forgiveness, life, and salvation! 

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. 

Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem. 

Sing Hosanna in the highest.

Behold, your king is coming to you, righteous and having salvation is he.

[Conclusion]

As the psalmist teaches us, none who wait for [HIM] will be put to shame (25:3) ... in Jesus’ name.

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