Heaven’s Best Gift- The messege of Zechariah... *At the heart of - TopicsExpress

Heaven’s Best Gift- The messege of Zechariah... *At the heart of the biblical message lies the most beautiful story ever told, that of the Creator God, who, in the person of His Son, left the glory of heaven to save humanity from sin and death. *Zechariah has some wonderful Messianic prophecies that point to Jesus and affirm our faith in Him. *These specific promises first were given to God’s people who lived in Zechariah’s perilous times in order to keep them focused on the promise of redemption. *We look at the ways in which they were fulfilled in Jesus, fulfillments that are universal, not local, because they impact the ultimate destiny of the world and not just ancient Israel and Judah. *The King of Peace... When Jesus triumphantly rode a donkey into Jerusalem only days before His death, a great number of people cheered His coming. Some rejoiced, hoping that Christ would overthrow Rome’s power and establish God’s kingdom in Jerusalem. But instead of allowing Himself to be Israel’s king, Jesus died on the cross and then rose from His grave. There is no question that He disappointed many of His followers, those who sought a more militaristic leader. Little did they know, however, that what they wanted was nothing in comparison to what they were going to get through the death of Jesus instead. *food for thought! What can we learn from this incident about the danger of false expectations? You claim a promise for healing, for instance, or for victory over a sin, and you do not see it as you expected. How can we develop a faith that will not fail, even when things do not go as hoped, expected, or even prayed for? *When Zechariah announced the coming of the Messiah, he did not draw a line of separation between His first and second comings. As was the case with other prophets, he saw the coming kingdom of the Messiah as one glorious future. Only in the light of Christ’s first coming can we now distinguish between the two comings. We also can feel gratitude for everything He accomplished for our salvation on Calvary. So, we can look forward with joy in anticipation of God’s eternal kingdom.