As the “Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6),
the Messiah will one day bring peace and manifest God’s glory throughout
creation—even to the heights of heaven (cf. Luke 19:38). This truth mirrors
that the shepherds heard on the night of the Savior’s birth. They were greeted
by a chorus of angels who gave glory to God and announced peace for all who
received the Lord’s favor (cf. 2:14). John 12:14 quotes Zechariah 9:9 to
reinforce the providential way in which Jesus as Torah was the realization of
all that the Hebrew sacred writings foretold concerning the divine plan of
redemption. John 12:16 notes that at first Jesus’ disciples did not grasp
the deeper meaning of the incidents connected with the Redeemer’s triumphal
entry into Jerusalem. Like the exuberant crowd, the disciples thought that
Jesus was the Messiah; but also like them, they did not comprehend the true
nature of His mission. After Jesus was raised into His glory, however, His
disciples came to realize that the Old Testament messianic prophecies were
about the Savior. They also began to recognize what they themselves had done
for their Lord. (Dan Lioy, Jesus as Torah in John 1-12 [Eugene, Oreg.:
Wipf and Stock, 2007], 199, emphasis in bold added)