Zechariah 12:11

In 100 carefully selected passages from the Bible, you will discover who Jesus is and why he is so significant – even life-transforming. Through both Old and New Testament readings, you will discover why God sent Jesus, what Jesus taught, how he treated people, why he did miracles, the meaning of his death, the significance of his resurrection, and what the Bible says about his second coming.

In this 8-day study, we will walk through the passion narratives and unpack how Jesus and his disciples understood them as fulfillments of Old Testament prefigurations of Jesus. Our starting point is that Jesus himself was the first to point out these scriptural connections to the disciples (Luke 24:44-46). And, just as the Holy Spirit opened their minds to understand the things Jesus taught them, we will ask the Spirit to similarly illumine us (John 14:26; 16:12-15).

Like Haggai, Zechariah prophesies during the post-exilic period as Israel began resettling in the Promised Land. Zechariah encourages Israel to remain faithful and prophesies of a coming righteous King who will bring salvation to His people (Zechariah 9:10). This book reminds us that we too must be to what God has called us to, always hopefully anticipating when God Himself “will be king over all the earth” (Zechariah 14:9).

The call for God's covenant people, in Zechariah 9:12, ‘Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope’, is the key verse for this series. The hope that Zechariah proclaims is hope in God as King, hope that God has come to dwell with us, and hope that the covenant between God and God’s people will be restored. This is the sure hope that holds us captive.