Jesus Fulfilled the Messianic Prophecy made by the Prophet Zechariah

Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, your King comes unto you: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.”

In the Babylonian Talmud Sanhedrin section 98a, a rabbi discusses what appears to him to be a contradiction between the messianic prophecies in Zechariah 9:9 and Daniel 7:13-14. According to the New Testament, the prophetic paradox will be resolved in the first and second comings of the Messiah. Zechariah 9:9 was fulfilled in the first coming of the Messiah. Daniel 7:13-14 will be fulfilled in the second coming of the Messiah as stated by Jesus in his trial.

Babylonian Talmud Sanhedrin Section 98a Rabbi Alexandri says: Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi raises a contradiction between two depictions of the coming of the Messiah. It is written: “There came with the clouds of heaven, one like unto a son of man…and there was given him dominion and glory and a kingdom…his dominion is an everlasting dominion” (Daniel 7:13–14). And it is written: “Behold, your king will come to you; he is just and victorious; lowly and riding upon a donkey and upon a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9).

Matthew 26:63 But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus said to him, “You said it. But I say to you,

            hereafter you will see the Son of Man

                        sitting at the right hand of the Power,

                        and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Text Notes

26:63 Alx/Byz[63 But Jesus remained silent], Minor[But Jesus remained silent 63]; Alx[the high priest said], Byz[the high priest answered and said (KJV, MRD, NKJ)].

26:64 ~Psalms 110:1; ~Daniel 7:13.

Cross Reference Notes:

26:63 Isaiah 53:7; Matthew 16:16-17, 27:12, 14; Luke 23:9; John 3:18n, 19:9; NT-Apocrypha[Acts of Thomas 1.2]

26:63-64 Acts 3:18-26n

26:64 Psalms 80:17; 110:1; Ezekiel 1:26; Daniel 7:13; Matthew 24:30; Mark 14:62n; 1Thessalonians 4:15-17n; 1Peter 3:22n; Pseudepigrapha[1Enoch 62:1-15, 69:27; 3Enoch 28:1; Testament of Job 33:3]; Rabbinic[Babylonian Sanhedrin 98a]; Clement of Alexandria[Fragments from the Latin Translation of Cassiodorus Comments on Jude]; NT-Apocrypha[Apocalypse of Peter 1.6; Epistula Apostolorum 3]

 

John 12:12 The next day the great crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 They took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying,

            “Hosanna!

            Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

                        [Even] the King of Israel!”

14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written,

15        “Fear not, daughter of Zion.

            Behold, your King is coming,

                        sitting on a donkey’s colt.”

16 His disciples did not understand this at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him. 17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness. 18 This was [also] why the people went to meet him, because they heard that he had done this sign. 19 The Pharisees then said to one another, “You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after him!”

Text Notes:

12:12 Alx[the great crowd or the common people], Byz[a great crowd (ASV, DRA, KJV, MRD, NKJ, NLT, RSV, TLB)].

12:13 Alx[Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Even the King of Israel], Byz[Blessed is the King of Israel who comes in the name of the Lord! (DRA, HCS, JNT, KJV, MRD, ~NET, ~NIV, NJB, NKJ, ~NLT, NRS, ~REB, ~TEV, ~TLB)]; Hosanna Hebraism Please save or Save now; Psalms 118:25-26, Zephaniah 3:15.

12:15 ~Zechariah 9:9.

12:16 Alx[His disciples], Byz[But his disciples].

12:17 Alx/Byz[text], Minor[The crowd that had been with him bore witness that he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead (MRD, ~NLT, ~TLB)].

12:18 Alx/Byz[This was also], Minor[omits also (ESV, ~MRD, NET, NIV, NLT, REB, RSV, TEV, TLB)].

Cross Reference Notes:

12:12-14 Origen[Gospel of John Book X.18]

12:12-15 Origen[Gospel of John Book X.15]

12:12-19 Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:28-44

12:13 Leviticus 23:40; Psalms 118:25-26; Zephaniah 3:15; Rabbinic[Babylonian Sanhedrin 38b cf. {Exodus 23:21}]; Constitutions of the Holy Apostles[Book VII.26]; Methodius[Oration on the Psalms 1]

12:14-15 Rabbinic[Babylonian Sanhedrin 98a]

12:15 Isaiah 35:4, 40:9; Zephaniah 3:14; Zechariah 9:9; Pseudepigrapha[Sibylline Oracles 8.325]; Justin[First Apology 31, 35]

 

Text from The Comprehensive New Testament