Joy to the Earth! The Savior Reigns

This is the second verse of “Joy to the World” and it builds on the theme of the first verse, where Isaac Watts anticipates the coming king. Now, in verse two, he exults in the current reign of Jesus Christ. This truth is simple, yet profound – if Jesus is reigning now, it is a good thing; it ought to inspire double the joy! "Repeat the sounding joy," the lyrics read.

Someone once said,

"Joy is the flag which is flown from the castle of the heart when the King is in residence there."

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, may I ask you this morning, "How's your joy in Jesus?" This season is all about the joy we have as we celebrate Christ's first Advent while looking forward to His second Advent. Are you joyful today? Is the flag of joy flying high in your heart?

Perhaps you wonder, “How can I be joyful this season when there are so many overwhelming problems in the world and in my own personal life? Jesus’ return will be nice, but that seems like such a long ways off. How can I be joyful now? What can I do to find joy this season?”

Well, another minor prophet, whose name begins with “Z”, lends us modern readers his advice. Zechariah. You’re probably a little more familiar with this book than with Zephaniah. But, let me give you the basic message of Zechariah:

By the time of Zechariah, Judah has returned to Jerusalem from captivity and have been dwelling there for about two decades. During that time, the people of Judah had attempted to rebuild the temple. They laid down the foundation, but then opposition came. Judah had to face the anger and hatred of the other people who were dwelling in the land who constantly fought with all their might to try and stop the rebuilding work. Judah grew discouraged and stopped building and their spiritual life grew cold. Some 16 years later, God began speaking to them through the prophet Zechariah, calling them to do two things, primarily. Return to the work of rebuilding the temple and Return to the LORD so that He would in turn return to them, giving them His blessing.

In the opening verses of Zechariah, three generations of names are given.

Zechariah 1:1 ESV

In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, saying,

Each name helps us to piece together the overall message of Zechariah.

I wouldn’t recommend this as a way to interpret the Bible, but in this case it works quite well. Zechariah’s name means “Yahweh remembers”. Berechiah’s name means “Yahweh blesses”. And Zechariah’s grandfather, Iddo, his name means “time or timely”. So, put the names together and the message of Zechariah goes something like:

The LORD remembers and blesses in His time.

How, when, and to what extent God does this is revealed throughout the book. Aside from Isaiah, no other major or minor prophet book mentions the Messiah more than Zechariah. The New Testament cites or alludes to Zechariah 41 times. This is an extremely messianic book. Because of this, Zechariah is remembered as a prophet of hope. Through the coming of the Messiah, the LORD will remember and bless His people in immeasurable ways bringing hope and eternal joy.

This messianic message crescendos to a point where God’s people are exhorted to burst out in rejoicing and shouting, as we see in our passage this morning. Let me read for us Zechariah chapter 9, verse 9 to 13.

Zechariah 9:9–13 (ESV)

The Coming King of Zion

9 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.

10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim

and the war horse from Jerusalem;

and the battle bow shall be cut off,

and he shall speak peace to the nations;

his rule shall be from sea to sea,

and from the River to the ends of the earth.

11 As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,

I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.

12 Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;

today I declare that I will restore to you double.

13 For I have bent Judah as my bow;

I have made Ephraim its arrow.

I will stir up your sons, O Zion,

against your sons, O Greece,

and wield you like a warrior’s sword.

What is it that will cause this great rejoicing and loud shouting from God’s people? Turning their eyes to behold the coming Messiah King. Beholding the King turns their fears upside down and gives them overflowing joy.

Perhaps you can identify with the people of Judah during the time of Zechariah. This Advent season, you find yourself discouraged, disheartened, distracted, or distant from God. As I mentioned last week, we are a people much in need of joy. And Zechariah tells us how we can have the flag of joy raised high in the castle of our hearts, waving loudly and proudly for all to see.

We can find and experience joy when we behold our King. That’s what he tells us to do, “Behold, your king is coming to you”. These verses explain how we can have joy this season. We must:

[Theme]: Behold! the kind of king we need and have in Jesus Christ.

Behold. It’s such an overlooked word in the Bible. Our eyes quickly pass over it as we trudge along in our Bible reading. But really, this word “Behold” is meant to catch our attention as readers. It is designed to slow us down, to captivate our minds, and to open our hearts to the message that follows.

And that’s what I’d have us to do today and this Advent season. To slow down in order to behold Jesus Christ our King allowing Him to captivate our minds so that we would open our hearts to Him and they would overflow with a joy that reaches our neighbors with the gospel.

Now, I know this passage is often preached on Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter, commemorating Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into the city of Jerusalem. That will not necessarily be our focus this morning as we celebrate the Third Sunday of Advent. Instead, we’re going to simply concentrate on the kind of King Jesus is according to how He is held out to us by Zechariah’s representation. There are four glorious attributes we will look at which detail the kind of king we need and have in Jesus Christ. Let’s behold our King, shall we?

1. Sovereign King

First off, I’d like us to behold that Jesus is represented in Zechariah as the Sovereign King. Zechariah prophesies about the power and the extent of King Jesus’ rule in verses 9 and 10.

“Behold, your king is coming to you… His rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth”

Authority, power, and sovereignty are bound up with the notion of kings or rulers. A king has the authority to issue decrees, the power to enforce them, and the sovereignty to control who follows these decrees within their realm. At least, that was the way it was in the ancient world. Most monarch’s today, or presidents, have a very limited amount of authority, power, and their so-called “sovereignty” ends at the nations appointed borders. Their are limitations to their rule because of their humanity and because of the temporal nature of their kingdoms.

But, this is not the case with King Jesus. Consider His authority, power, and sovereignty as presented in Colossians 1.

Colossians 1:15–19 ESV

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,

Note the language of the absolute, universal rule of Christ.

“Firstborn of all creation” - in other words, just as the firstborn son would receive the greatest portion of his father’s inheritance, Jesus Christ inherits all of creation as His inheritance. Why is this the case?

“For by Him all things were created”. This includes the microscopic elements and the grand, cosmic celestial bodies. It includes the visible, physical world and the unseen, spiritual world. It includes human kingdoms and rulers as well as the demonic kingdom and powers. How does Jesus have authority, power, and sovereignty over all of this? Because...

“all things were created through Him and for Him”. He is the Planner and Purpose of everything. Just as an artist has full ownership over a masterpiece they create, so Jesus has ownership over all His creation. And, just like a work of art is designed to bring the artist joy and glory, so all creation, every part of it, every molecule, is designed by Him to bring Him joy and glory.

“He is before all things”, meaning Jesus existed before any created thing came into being. There has never been a time when He was not. There is never a moment when He ceases to be. And there will never come a day when He stops existing. He is the cause of every effect. The origin of all that there is. Life flows out of His being to animate His creation.

“In Him all things hold together”. So, Jesus is the Author and Aim of all that exists, but also He is the Administrator of it all! Not only is Jesus the Source of all that exists, He is the Sustainer of all things too. What makes the Earth turn on its axis each day? King Jesus. Who changes the seasons, holds the stars in their place, and puts breath in our lungs? King Jesus. Without His constant sustaining power, all creation would revert back to the nothingness and chaos that existed before Genesis 1:3.

“He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent”. Just as He created life in Genesis and has right and ownership of Creation, so also is Jesus the creator of the Church, the one who brings New Life, and He has right and ownership over Her. And the purpose of this is that He would be honored as preeminent, unparalleled in His supremacy.

And finally, “in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell”. This is the basis of Jesus’ identity and the reason He is the ultimate King possessing all authority, power, and sovereignty. He is God. There is no king higher in position than God. Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords.

So, going back to Zechariah 9:9 and 10, we are told to behold a King who has absolute authority and power since He is God over all. But, the extent of His rule is also a testimony of His authority, power, and sovereignty. Unlike today’s rulers, Jesus’ kingdom is “from sea to sea… even to the ends of the earth”.

As one theologian has so aptly said,

“There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: ‘Mine!’”

-Abraham Kuyper

The fact is, Jesus Christ is King. So, the question we must ask ourselves is not, “Is Jesus my King?”, as if we have the power to declare whether or not He rules over us. No, the question we ought to ask is, “Have I submitted myself to Him as my King? Is my heart and life bending the knee to His governance?”

Behold! Jesus is our Sovereign King.

2. Just King

Second, Zechariah puts Jesus forth as the Just King. Or as the ESV says, “righteous… is he”. This has to do with the purity of Jesus’ rule.

When you think about modern day rulers, their position is dignified but their rule is rather diminished by other branches in government, whether that be Parliament, Congress, or the Supreme Court. In America, we call that the system of “Checks and Balances” so that no one person has absolute authority and power. And rightfully so, because all people, no matter how noble they may be, are corrupted with sin and power seems to draw man’s depravity out like nothing else! As the old adage goes, “Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely”.

Again, not so with Jesus Christ. He is sovereign, but He is not a tyrant or harsh ruler. In Jesus, absolute sovereignty and unadulterated justice meet. His administration of power and authority are met with His righteous character. And this righteousness is seen in the way He distributes justice in His kingdom. Unlike the rulers of this world who are so often corrupted by their power, Jesus is able to remain pure in His own nature and is able to apply that righteousness in His government without partiality or prejudice. He will not take advantage of the people in His kingdom. He will not exploit others in order to gain more control or power. He will deal with all people consistently according to His own righteous standards.

This is the kind of King we need, isn’t it? A King who executes justice according to His perfect righteousness. This is the kind of King the apostle Paul looked forward to meeting as he wrote his final words to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:7-8.

2 Timothy 4:7–8 ESV

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

Jesus is a King who rewards the righteous, but by no means will acquit the wicked. This is our consolation when we are treated unfairly in this world, persecuted, mocked, or experience any other form of injustice:

“…the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God” (1 Cor. 4:5).

The Lord has our best interests at heart and is aware of all the injustice in His kingdom and is coming to bring His righteousness and justice upon the world.

Behold! Jesus is our Just King.

3. Savior King

Next, Jesus is prophesied as the Savior King. Zechariah puts forth the purpose of Jesus’ rule adding in verse 9 and later in verses 11 and 12,

Zechariah 9:9, 11-12 (ESV)

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.

Zechariah 9:11–12 ESV

As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.

This is why Jesus came that first Christmas. He came endowed with salvation. He came to save His people. That is in fact the meaning of Jesus’ name. Jesus means, “Yahweh saves or Yawheh is salvation”. Salvation is wound up in the Kingship of Jesus Christ.

[[The salvation that King Jesus would offer had a political component for the Jews. For decades, Jews have been targeted by hostile nations that have attempted to annihilate or enslave them. So when God promised them a deliverer, they thought of one who would rule on the throne of David and bring, as John the Baptist’s father, a different Zechariah, prophesied, "salvation from all our enemies, and from the hand of those who hate us" (Luke 1:69-71).

At the same time, though, salvation for the Jew often had a personal component linked to the individual's deliverance from God's judgement of their sins. So again, John the Baptist's father prophesied that John must go before the coming of the Lord "to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins" (Lk. 1:77). And of course, Joseph was told by an angel to name his son, “Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21).

The New Testament makes it plain (in accordance with other Old Testament prophecies) that in His first coming, Jesus came to deliver eternal salvation by giving Himself as a ransom to appease God's justice against sinners. If God had ignored our sin without any of the punishment, He would not have been just. God also proclaimed that the punishment of sin is death, not only bodily death, but also spiritual death, everlasting separation from the gracious presence of God (Rom. 6:23). By Jesus' death as the sinner's substitute, He paid the punishment we deserved, which makes God to be both the Just and the Justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus (Rom. 3:26)

There are two erroneous beliefs that prevent many from entering heaven, and they generally go hand-in-hand. First of all, people falsely think that God is too loving to condemn decent, virtuous people to hell. Yet this kind of thought underplays the severe reality of our sin. A single sin in mind, expression, or deed is enough to sentence an individual to hell forever! And it undermines the righteousness of God in place of His compassion, which then contradicts His holiness.

The second error is that they think most people are good enough to qualify for heaven. They try to reason that, "We do have our flaws, of course, but we're not like killers, rapists, and child abusers.” So they’re striving to figure out how that scale can tip their way when they stand before God because they were honest and tried to be good people in life. The biggest error made here is that it requires perfect righteousness to enter heaven. And none of us are perfectly righteous.

This is where Christ and the cross come in. The sinless, righteous Son of God gave Himself on the cross as a sacrifice for sinners. He came to give his life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). Someday you will stand before the Lord, either clad in your own goodness that will condemn you, or clothed in the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. God credits you with righteousness as soon as you renounce all reliance upon your own righteousness and trust in Jesus as your righteousness and your Savior from sin. (adapted and paraphrased from Steven J. Cole, “Rejoice! Your King is Coming”)]]

There’s a parable told about a man who was walking one day when he suddenly fell into a deep pit. It's too deep for the man to jump out of. The walls of the pit are such that he can't climb out. He's stuck. He's desperate. How will he ever get out of this pit? He's as good as dead. Who will raise him up out of the pit?

It's not long before other people begin to pass by the pit and notice the man in the pit.

A self-righteous man appears over the lip of the pit and looks down at the man inside and says, "You must be a bad person if you fell into this pit. Only bad people fall into pits!" He leaves and the man is still in the pit.

A philosopher comes to the pit and says to the man, "You're not really in this pit; You just think that you are." He goes on his way and the man is still stuck in the pit.

An engineer comes to the man in the pit and begins measuring the size of the pit and he records in his journal the necessary amount of energy and force required to retrieve the man out of the pit before walking away. And the man is left in the pit.

A psychologist comes along and says to the man in the pit, "Maybe it's your parents fault that you are in this pit. Have you had any weird dreams about your mother recently? How does being in this pit make you feel?" He goes away and the man is still left in the pit.

A realist comes by and says, "Yes, that IS a pit you are in." And the man is left in the pit.

An optimist arrives on the scene and reassures the man, "Things could be worse, you know!" The man is still in the pit.

A pessimist happens by and comments as he looks at the sky, "Things are going to only get worse for you. Looks like rain." And the man is still in the pit, left wondering, "Does someone love me? Can anyone help me? Is someone strong enough to get me out of this pit?”

No sooner does the man wonder about these things when another comes upon him. The man in the pit looks up and sees that this newcomer is most definitely a King. He wore a beautiful crown, held a scepter in His hand, and He had a royal aura about Him. To his surprise, the King arrayed in splendorous robes, bent down into the muck, stretched out His hand, grabbed the man in the pit, and again, much to the man's amazement, the King pulled him up out of the pit without him having to help at all.

This parable is designed to illustrate how all people, because of sin, are like this man fallen into a deep pit, left helpless and hopeless. It shows the uselessness and futility of mankind and their efforts to get out of their own pit or to help others out of their pits. And this parable shocks us by revealing the sort of deliverer all of us, like this man in the pit, need and have. This Deliverer is not a philosopher, psychologist, or pessimist. He is a royal King who sees and knows our desperate, dead situation. He stoops down into the mud and dirt for us. He stretches out to help us. He seizes us with His strong hand. He saves us from the pit.

Jesus entered into this world at His first Advent to rescue prisoners from the pit of sin, death, and judgment by being crucified as a King. If you have trusted Him as your personal Savior, you should rejoice in the thought of His second Advent. He will return then to rule His prisoners of hope, crowned as the King of kings.

Behold! Jesus is our Savior King.

4. Humble King

The fourth attribute I want to mention is at the end of Zechariah 9:9. Jesus is shown to be a Humble King. This has to do with the selflessness and gentleness of His rule. Look at the end of verse 9.

Zechariah 9:9–10 (ESV)

9 Behold, your king is coming to you... humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

This is not how the world naturally imagines kings. A king is supposed to be riding some majestic steed with a sword in His hand distinguished from the common folk, leading a train of armed warriors behind him as he either rides out to battle or returns prideful and victorious to be celebrated by his kingdom.

But, once again, Jesus Christ shatters our intuitive expectations. When He came to live among us, the posture of His heart, mindset, and attitude was one of lowliness, tenderness, and gentleness; not loftiness, toughness, or grouchiness. It’s astounding, isn’t it? The King of the Universe, the God of authority, power, and sovereignty is a humble King!

We project our warped assumptions on Jesus according to how the world works. Human nature assumes that the richer an individual is the more they appear to look down on the poor. The more beautiful an individual, the more they are repulsed by the hideous. We subtly conclude that the one so powerful and supreme will have difficulty getting closer to the weak and unclean. Yeah, Jesus came to dwell among us, we believe that—but we picture Him holding his nose or keeping us at arms length while He’s with us. [see Dane Ortlund’s “Gentle and Lowly”]

That is why we need to read our Bible. Our natural assumptions will only give us a God and King like ourselves. But, the God and King found in the Scriptures dismantles our predispositions and astonishes us with One whose infinity of perfection, purity, and power is balanced by his infinite amount of justice, humility, lowliness, and gentleness. Jesus’ humility makes Him an open and welcoming King; it makes Him understanding of our situation and condition, able to come to our aid; it makes Him hospitable toward sinners; it makes Him gentle in how He deals with us; It made Him to be brought down to our level in order to serve and save us. “Taking the form of a servant… He humbled Himself… to the point of death” (Phil. 2:7-8). And, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life...” (Mark 10:45).

Never has there been a king like this. Never will there ever be a king like Jesus! He who is King of kings stooped down into our mess to be a servant to sinners and then the Savior of those same sinners! The Son of God became a Son of Man that the sons of man could be sons of God!

Behold! Jesus is our Humble King.

Conclusion

Behold. It’s an ordinary, yet exceptional word for us this season. The Lord would have us pay attention to this word and the message that follows it. Through this word, the Lord is calling us to slow down from our busyness, our rushing about, and our panicked thinking in order to behold Jesus Christ allowing Him to captivate our minds so that we would open our hearts to Him, resulting in overflowing joy that spills out to reach our neighbors and loved ones this season.

As we do this, we will behold Jesus Christ to be our Sovereign King. The King who reigns over all and has everything under His control and authority. Jesus is the Sovereign King who is administering all things according to His perfect will for His glory. Joyfully lean on Him for strength when you don’t know what tomorrow holds. Joyfully depend upon Him for guidance when you don’t know what to do next. Joyfully submit to Him in faith, even when you’re not quite sure what He is doing, trusting that He does know what He is doing.

Behold Him as our Just King. The King who has a vested interest in every injustice done to us. He knows, He sees, and He hears our pleas for mercy and for grace. Joyfully trust in His ability to bring about His justice. Joyfully wait on His timing with hope and peace. Joyfully live to please Him now that you will be found by Him at His return to be without spot or blemish and will enter into your reward.

Behold Jesus as our Savior King. The King who came to save sinners and to deliver helpless prisoners from the pit of sin, death, and judgment. He became to us our righteousness. Joyfully place your faith in Him and be saved, if you have not done so. Joyfully be sanctified unto Him by His grace and be transformed into His image. Joyfully return to Him in repentance, if you have strayed from Him, and He will return to you and restore you.

And behold Christ as our Humble King. The King who is gentle toward us who are hurting this year. He is able to encourage those of you who are discouraged. He is able to strengthen you who are disheartened. He is able to draw you who are scattered and distant near to Himself. The King of Glory stepped away from His heavenly throne to raise you up to heaven with Him. He was rich beyond all measure, yet for your sake He became poor, that you might become rich through Him: rich in blessings, grace, and joy. Joyfully come to Him, all you who are weary and burdened and He will give you rest. Joyfully seek His face that you would see Him smile upon you with His favor. Joyfully follow His example of humility and service this season and you’ll be surprised that it will be an unexpected pathway to joy.

Find joy this Christmas by beholding the kind of King you need and have in Jesus Christ who ever lives and reigns.

Prayer

King Jesus,

You have given us so much to rejoice in.

As we slow down to behold you this season

give to us the joy that surpasses any happiness we may find on this earth.

This true joy we know comes when we see that you are indeed reigning even now.

Reigning in absolute power and authority.

Reigning in perfect justice and righteousness.

Reigning as Savior of sinners to deliver them unto eternal life.

And reigning in all humility and gentleness, allowing us to approach you and seek you for joy in the midst of darkness.

O Lord,

increase our joy we pray.

AMEN.

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