Zechariah 9:9-10
“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.” Zechariah 9:9-10 (NIV)
In preparation to write this devotional, I read that President Jimmy Carter, in 1977, was the first president (along with his wife, Roselyn, and nine-year-old daughter, Amy) to exit the presidential motorcade and walk during the inaugural parade. This would leave him and his family more vulnerable to harm, but President Carter did it to show humility and a willingness to serve.
A comparison can be made to this lowlier entrance into “office” and Jesus’s entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey; both were hoping to usher in a new era. I believe all presidents/rulers hope to reign in a time of peace and prosperity. However, the obvious difference, for us, in these rulers is that Jesus is the perfect ruler! He brought us the peace of God, and he made no mistakes doing it! Furthermore, God’s Peace not only surpasses any earthly peace but remains even in the presence of conflict.
There is a lot of hope to be gleamed from this passage; just like it foreshadowed Jesus’s arrival to Jerusalem, which we know to be true, it foreshadows His coming again and bringing peace to all nations! Not just any peace, the ultimate peace, God’s Peace. Oh, what a miraculous day that will be!
Questions for Reflection:
- What if more presidents/rulers/authority figures/all of us followed Jesus’s example and used power positions accordingly? Could life here on earth be just a little closer to what God intended for us - a little closer to Heaven?
- What are some ways you can do a little better job of leading like Jesus taught us?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your son, Jesus Christ, to be the perfect example of leadership for us and to give us hope in looking forward to experiencing your perfect peace. Life here on earth is so much better with hope! Thanks be to God! Amen.
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