Good morning!
Greetings in the name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:35-38)
“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” What a joyful praise made by the whole multitude of His disciples! Jesus Christ, our King and our Lord, who humbly rode on the colt, was coming to Jerusalem (Zechariah 9:9). People spread their cloaks on the road, and welcomed Jesus. They rejoiced and praised God for all the mighty works done. They raised their voice high because they thought that it was the moment that they had been waiting for long time. Jesus would liberate them from the oppression of Rome, and He would establish a kingdom on earth. Thus, they saw Jesus, who was making a triumphal entry to Jerusalem, and were excited about their king on earth.
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:14) The same praise was proclaimed by the angels, when our Lord, Jesus was born. He was laid in a manger in a stable, a place for animals, not for humans because there was no room for them in the inn. (Nobody in the Inn gave a space for the couples who were about delivering a baby.) Suddenly he angel a multitude of the heavenly host came down, and gave the highest praise on His birth. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace.” Jesus was born to us to give peace, which is the glory to God in the highest because He would conquer the evil, forgive our sins and restore the loving relationship with God, which was lost.
Indeed, Jesus made His triumphal entry to Jerusalem to lay himself down as a ransom for all. He took all our sorrows, and he pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. With His wounds, we were healed. All we like sheep had gone astray, but He turned us to His own way. All iniquities of us all were laid on Him.
… Christ Jesus, Who, being in very nature a God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:5-8)
His absolute obedience was the very reason for His Triumphal entry to Jerusalem. There existed an enormous gap between the expectation of His disciples cheering on Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem, and what Jesus really planned to do in Jerusalem. The book of Luke continues recording what Jesus did:
And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” (Luke 19:41-44)
He wept, because He knew the magnificent temple and the city would be utterly destroyed, but people did not know what was coming. He saw the people in Jerusalem, and He felt compassion for them, because they were ignorant, and because they were helpless and even harassed, like sheep without a shepherd (Mat 9:36). Jesus’ heart was described in Mat 23:37: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! Yes, all we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to our own way; but He took the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6) He knew He would be treated like other prophets, but He loved His people. He gathered His people together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but the people did not understand the true meaning of Jesus’ triumphal entry to Jerusalem. Again, He loved His people to the end (John 13:1).
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. (John 15:12-14)
Our Lord and King, Jesus Christ, laid down His life for us, because He loved us. He called us friends. If we are His friends, then we ought to do what He commanded us. His commandment is that we love one another as He has loved us. Today is the Palm Sunday. We open our heart to Jesus, and receive Him as our King. Then as Jesus did, we love one another, and share the peace of God with those who are suffering and morning. This is our small way to celebrate His triumphal entry to Jerusalem.