What do the Jewish prophets have to do with the season of Lent, the forty days preceding the Christian holidays of Good Friday and Resurrection Day?  Shouldn’t we just stick with the biography of Jesus in the Gospels? Actually, God’s plan to send us a Savior/Messiah was first recorded in Genesis. Through the ancient prophets, God revealed his plan to send his Messiah.  King David spoke of the coming Messiah. Isaiah had much to say about the Savior.  The prophet, Zechariah, who wrote 500 years before the birth of Christ foretold many details about the Messiah. Many of these prophesies described a lowly, suffering Savior while others described a conquering King.  Of course, we would all prefer a conquering King to ride in and sweep away all that’s wrong in the world. But if he had done so, he would have had to sweep us away too, because we are part of the problem with the world!  So the Messiah had to first come to make atonement by his death so that we could be forgiven.  He had to come as a sacrificial Passover Lamb. Even before the law existed which required sin offerings, the death of a Passover lamb demonstrated God’s willingness to overlook, pass over, and not require punishment because of the lamb’s blood.

“I will bring judgment . . . I am the LORD. . . when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.” Exodus 12:13
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29

Why did God seem to make the suffering, rejected Messiah more obscure in the prophecies than the conquering, kingly Messiah? He could have written his complete plan for the ages in the sky. He could have clearly explained his whole grand plan for buying back mankind and overcoming evil. But what if God hid some things in order to reveal it only to those who are seeking? Only to those who humbly ask? Only to those who make the effort to knock?  Only to those who choose the harder to find way?

“Truly you are a God who has been hiding himself, the God and Savior of Israel.” Isaiah 45:15

“But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deuteronomy 4:29

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:7-8, 12-14

If he had come only as a powerful King, wouldn’t everyone bow the knee whether out of love or fear? How would those with honest love be differentiated from those who bowed only under pressure? Where would faith be if God proved himself with a grand and powerful display that removed all doubt? Where would patience and perseverance be if we never had to wait for our powerful King? But since sin entered the world, God has chosen to veil himself; revealing himself fully only to those with faith. God is restraining the universal display of his dominion so that every person can come to him willingly, not under compulsion. The display of his full power and majesty is reserved for Judgment Day when it’s too late for faith. Everything will be sight, not faith. No one will be able to stand against him, deny him, or refuse to submit. But until then, each of us has the freedom to refuse him.

“By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow . . .”  Isaiah 45:23

Not many want a humble King who comes inauspiciously on a donkey instead of a warhorse, with a ragtag group of admirers but no army. We are easily impressed with force, but often blind to mercy.
“Rejoice, O people of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem!
Look, your king is coming to you.
He is righteous and victorious,
yet he is humble, riding on a donkey—
riding on a donkey’s colt.’ Zechariah 9:9

“. . . threw their cloaks on the donkey colt and put Jesus on it. . . As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. . .you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.” Luke 19:35,40-42,44

Not many want a King who gives himself willingly to be killed.
“Because of the covenant I made with you,
sealed with blood,
I will free your prisoners. . .” Zechariah 9:11

“But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed.”  Isaiah 53:5

“to atone for wickedness. . . the Anointed One (Messiah) will be put to death, but not for himself.” Daniel 9:24,26

“This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” Jesus in Luke 22:20

Not many want a King who allows himself to be sold.
“So they paid me thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord.” Zechariah 11:12-13

“he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. . . they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners.” Matthew 27:3-4,5,7

Not many want a King who died in weakness. We admire a king who dies in battle, but a King who doesn’t resist execution and torture?!
“I offered my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;
I did not hide my face
from mocking and spitting.” Isaiah 50:6“But he had Jesus flogged . . . Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said.  They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head.” Matthew 27: 26, 29-30
“They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child”. Zechariah 12:10
“one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear. . .” John 19:34

Not many want a King who is on God’s bad side and whose allies abandon him.
“Awake, sword, against my shepherd,
against the man who is close to me!”
declares the Lord Almighty.
“Strike the shepherd,
and the sheep will be scattered. . .” Zechariah 13:7

“Am I leading a rebellion,” said Jesus, “that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me?  But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” Then everyone deserted him and fled.” Mark 14:48-50