1st Reading – Zechariah 9:9-10

Thus says the LORD:
Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion,
shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king shall come to you;
a just savior is he,
meek, and riding on an ass,
on a colt, the foal of an ass.
He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim,
and the horse from Jerusalem;
the warrior’s bow shall be banished,
and he shall proclaim peace to the nations.
His dominion shall be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Zechariah was a prophet of the post-exilic period, ministering to the Jewish people after their return from Babylonian captivity. His writings combine immediate encouragement with vivid messianic hope, looking ahead to the coming of a humble and righteous king through whom God would restore his people.

In this passage, Zechariah announces the arrival of this long-awaited king: not a warrior mounted on a horse, but a peaceful ruler riding on a donkey.

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