The King of Peace

In Luke 19, Jesus enters Jerusalem as the promised Messiah (Zechariah 9:9), and his coming as King brings joy or calamity, depending on how he is received.In Luke 19:11-27, Jesus tells a parable about a throne claimant who goes away and returns as king. Luke tells us the reason for this parable was twofold: he was approaching Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. Two major themes surface: (1) Jesus’ authority as king, and (2) the accountability of all to him. If faithfulness is rewarded by an an evil tyrant king, how much more will that be true for the Prince of Peace?After Jesus tells this parable, he enters Jerusalem as king (19:28-40), but not a king of war and slaughter, but one of peace (Zechariah 9:9; Isaiah 9:6). Jesus looks over the city and weeps, for he knows their rejection of him as king will result in the desolation of Jerusalem within just a few decades. They neither knew the things that made for peace (v.42) nor the time of their visitation (v.44). The king has suddenly appeared at his temple (Malachi 3:1; Luke 19:45-46).We will not have peace with God, peace with others, peace in the world, or peace within our own heart until Christ becomes our peace (Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:13-14).