“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you—righteous and having salvation. He is humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey… Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope! Today I declare that I will restore double to you.” (Zech.9:9-12)
Lord Jesus, only you could fulfill everything in Zechariah’s prophecy, given 500+ years before you entered Jerusalem at the beginning of what we now call “Easter week.” Four cries would mark that week: “Hosanna!” “Crucify him!” “It is finished!” “He is risen!”—all four focusing on you; the last two guaranteeing our “imprisonment to hope.” O Jesus, we will never over-love, over-worship you.
No other king could conquer sin and death by mounting the foal of a donkey and being nailed to a cross—none but you, Jesus.
No other king could replace the dominion of darkness, evil, and brokenness with the Kingdom of Shalom, beauty, and righteousness—only you, Jesus.
No other king could/would offer a perfect life to ransom and cherish his very-imperfect Bride—you alone, Jesus.
No other king can possibly make us prisoners of hope—just you, Jesus. Indeed, you are our “refuge and fortress”—our “righteousness, holiness, and redemption” (1Cor.1:30). Hallelujah! … By the Gospel you have “imprisoned us to hope.” You “locked us up and threw away the key” because every promise God has made finds its emphatic, joyful “Yes!” in you, Jesus (2Cor.1:20).
This means hope claims us even when we don’t feel it. Feeling hopeful is nice but knowing hope owns and defines us is 10,000 times better. As we await the end of wars Ukraine, Iran, all creation—our culture and our hearts, free us to live as prisoners of hope and conduits of your grace. So Very Amen.
