“Rejoice greatly! Shout O daughter of Jerusalem!” The words of the prophet Zechariah ring through the ages. To a nation suffering the ups and downs of a tormented history, waiting the arrival of the long promised Messiah, he admonishes them to rejoice. The Holy Spirit of God moved Zechariah to proclaim these words, brought them to fruition, and leaves us with an eternal truth.
The Holy Spirit
The Spirit moved mighty men of God to speak His truth. We don’t know how much Zechariah understood, but we know he didn’t see the fulfillment of the words. He knew however, that in the fulfillment of the words, his prophetic voice would be validated.
Word Bears Fruit
Both Matthew and Luke begin the story of the triumphal entry by crediting Zechariah with the prophesy of this event. Though he lived in the days of Darius and was murdered between the temple and the altar, the words he spoke were of the Spirit and as such, produced fruit. When Jesus entered Jerusalem on the back of a donkey’s foal, the people erupted in praise. The Son of God had been moving throughout their towns, healing, teaching, delivering. The time to rejoice had come.
An Eternal Truth
It is an eternal truth. The eternal God is worthy of praise. His Son Jesus is the King of all Kings and Lord of Lords. When He is in attendance, there must be praise. When the religious leaders told Jesus to quiet his followers Jesus said, “I will tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”
God speaks forth His word, it accomplishes what it was meant to do, and His praise goes forth! It is time to sing the high praises of our God!