His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written of Him and had been done to Him. John 12:16
As Jesus has died on the Cross the days pass slowly for the disciples. They have their memories and most recent is His triumphal entry into Jerusalem where 70,000-150,000 waved palm branches to honor their KIng Jesus. His pathway into Jerusalem also was lined with their cloaks as Jesus rides into the Holy City on a donkey's colt.
In John 12:12-14 they shouted Zachariah 9:9 and in John 12:15 Jesus corrects them with Zephaniah 3:16. The Zachariah passage praises the warlike King who rides in triumphantly ona horse or in chariot. Jesus is not fulfilling Zachariah 9:9 but He is fulfilling Zephaniah 3:16-- Jesus rides in on a donkey's colt as it is written, 'Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion. Look, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!' Zephaniah 3:16.
Our Jesus rode into the Holy City on a donkey's colt affirming to us that He is the King Of Peace, not a victorious warlord. He is the King Of Peace, victorious over death's destructive grip which had corroded our souls from right relationship to God. Then with His death and Resurrection He rights our union with God. Glory to Jesus Christ.
Yet for the disciples who slowly waited those three days after Jesus' death on the Cross they found their waiting long and slow. And on that third day, with His Resurrection, He brought us into the freedom of His Peace and the abundant outpouring of His Holy Presence into our lives.
During the waiting they remembered that He had said to all disciples, "I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will not longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I AM in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you." John 14:18-20.
The waiting disciples could not yet know that after His death there would be 40 days of Jesus' appearances in His Resurrection body and then Jesus would ascend into Heaven. They wait with trust in Him. And like these early disciples we too trust Him with everything that we are and every person whom we hold dear, waiting with trust in Him. In these disciples examples are our examples of how to wait and trust Jesus our Savior.
To God be the Glory!
Rev. Patricia E. Walker,