Saying: “‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”
Luke 19:38-40
Jesus Christ gives us His peace and glory.
The disciples praised God for all the miracles they witnessed. Jesus healed the sick, multiplied the loaves and raised the dead. Inspired by the Spirit, they presented Jesus as the King sent by God. The Holy Spirit had revealed to them that He was the Christ (=the One sent by God), the Son of the living God (Mt 16:16). Jesus explained to them that His mission was to establish the kingdom of God, the sovereignty of God over His people.
Jesus came to bring peace from heaven to humankind. This peace is much more than an absence of conflict. God’s peace refers to the absolute well-being that humankind experiences when their relationship with God and their neighbor is perfectly in accordance with God’s will.
Jesus revealed God’s glory to humankind and made it accessible to them. The disciples were able to contemplate it at the time of His transfiguration. Martha saw it when Jesus raised her brother Lazarus (Jn 11:40). Jesus gives this glory to those who believe in Him (Jn 17:22).
The Pharisees understood the meaning of this message perfectly and were offended by it. They could not accept that Jesus was presented as the promised Messiah, let alone as the Son of God. For them, the only way to be pleasing to God was to strictly follow the prescriptions of the Law of Moses. And they completely rejected Jesus’s interpretation of the Law. It was in the temple in Jerusalem that the Jews could meet God and see His glory. How could Jesus claim that it was through Him that people could access God’s glory?
In His response, Jesus announced the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem by the Romans a few decades later. The temple no longer had a purpose in the New Covenant. Jesus Christ’s sacrifice made sacrificial worship obsolete. God would now be present through the Holy Spirit, not in the Old Covenant temple.
The crowd welcomed Jesus, shouting, “Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Mk 11:10). The people of Jerusalem thought He was going to use His power to drive out the Romans and restore the kingdom of David. They did not understand the sign Jesus was giving them. He came riding on a donkey, an animal that is not at all suited for war…
What can we learn from Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem?
Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, wants to lead us into the kingdom of God, into His peace and glory.
The kingdom of God, or God’s dominion, does not concern the affairs of this world. Christ does not use His power to eradicate evil from earth and solve all problems. He wants to reign in our hearts. If we allow Him, He will lead us into His kingdom.
He gives us His peace, the peace of one who is in accordance with God’s will. He washes away our sins, provided we are humble and repentant. He teaches us to do what God expects of us: to love God, love our neighbor and overcome evil with good.
He gives us access to God’s glory. This glory is not about our appearance, it is not a robe of light covering our sinful nature. It is the result of an inner transformation. God has placed godly life in us and provides us with the necessary nourishment for its development. If we allow it to grow in us, it becomes more and more visible in our behaviour. It will be fully revealed upon Christ’s return.
Jesus Christ wants to lead us into His kingdom, peace and glory. We allow Him to reign over us. Love of God and our neighbor gives us access to Christ’s peace. We want to become like Christ. He will give us His glory upon His return.