Zechariah 9:9

Zechariah 9:9 (ESV): “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.”

The prophetic Word of God is so specific about the events surrounding the coming Messiah that the probability of the same person fulfilling just eight of them is one in one hundred quadrillion (1 in 10¹⁷). The Triumphal Entry of Jesus was fulfilled to the very day. Let that sink in.

Zechariah was given a vision that complements Daniel’s Seventy Weeks prophecy (Dan. 9:24–27). Zechariah’s prophecy is specific to how the Messiah would ride into Jerusalem. Daniel’s prophecy is specific to when this would occur. And as we read in the Gospel accounts, Jesus fulfilled both of these prophecies completely—right down to the exact day (see Sir Robert Anderson’s calculations for more information on the date). This was just one of hundreds of Old Testament signs identifying Jesus as the promised Messiah.

How does the fact that Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies concerning the Messiah affect your trust in God’s Word? It should give you total confidence, because statistically speaking, this is an impossible feat for one man. Professor Peter Stoner argues that the precise fulfillment of these events—including the timing and manner of the Triumphal Entry—points to divine intervention rather than coincidence. This tells us that we can take His Word literally and sincerely. Amen?

Father, thank You for removing any doubts in our minds regarding the reliability of Your Word. May we read it, study it, memorize it, hear it, and trust it fully. You are faithful to accomplish all that You have promised, in Jesus’ name, amen.