John 12:12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits Exodus 12 Passover/Lamb of God
John 12:13-15 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!” 14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: 15 “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” Matt21-Mark11 Luke 19 Rocks…Wept
Palm Sunday, before the crucifixion. And they shouted from Psalm 118, “Hosanna!” in Hebrew means “Save now”. “Blessed is the King of Israel that comes in the name of the Lord!”
A lot of these people saw Jesus as a military/political leader, someone who could liberate them from the oppressive rule of the Romans.
Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it: Jesus did this for two reasons,
1- as a deliberate fulfillment of prophecy: 500yr Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
2-Jesus also does this as a demonstration of the character of His kingdom. It was a spiritual kingdom, not a military kingdom. He came in peace, not war.
The donkey was the animal of a man of peace. A conqueror would ride into the city on a war horse, or perhaps march in on foot at the head of his troops.
John is sincere here. John 12:16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.
John is saying, we didn’t deliberately set the stage. We didn’t ask, ‘Now what does prophecy say we do next? The understanding came, but not until after Jesus was glorified.
John 12:17-19 Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18 Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”
The crowds adored Jesus because they believed that the raising of Lazarus from the dead proved that Jesus was the conquering Messiah they longed for.
Someone who could summon/raise a dead man back to life after 4 days would certainly be able to deliver the holy city from the yoke of Caesar.
(Jesus in the Temple) John 12:20-23 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. 23 Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
These Greeks had heard of Jesus, perhaps of His reputation as a teacher and worker of miracles. What they did know of Jesus made them want to know more about Him, so they came to Philip (the one disciple with a Greek name) asking to see Jesus. (Jesus doesn’t answer) (THE HOUR HAS COME)
John 12:24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
What a beautiful picture! You have a little grain of wheat. (PIC) You set that little grain of wheat here on the pulpit, come back a year from now, and it’s still one little grain of wheat. Ten years, still one little grain of wheat.
But if you put this one grain of wheat into the ground, it dies. But out of its death comes a new form, a new body, and many more wheat seeds.
So, the potential of one wheat seed is tremendous. I read that if you took a kernel of corn and planted it and then take all the kernels that came off that plant and plant them. He said in ten years that you will have enough corn seed to plant every acre of ground on the face of the earth with corn.
And so, Jesus is using a neat little illustration here, referring to His death. “Look, unless it dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Jesus is talking about His death and that through His death, He was going to bring forth much fruit. You and I are part of the fruit. (that 1 seed still producing)
Jesus is saying, that before there can be resurrection power and fruitfulness, there must be death. 1 Cor. 15:31 die daily—Gal. 2 I have been crucified with Christ
John 12:25-26 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
We are called to hate our life not in the sense that we disregard it, but in the sense that we freely live it and give it up for God. To be a Christian is to serve Jesus, to follow Him. It doesn’t mean that you stop working your job, caring for your family or studying at school. It means you do all that as a servant of Jesus, a follower of Jesus.
Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
My Father will honor the one who serves me. This is a remarkable promise. The reward for serving Jesus is to receive honor from God the Father. This honor is both a reward and recognition.
John 12:27-30 “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. 30 Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Baptism-Transfiguration
This is a moment that reveals to us the depth of Jesus’s faith and trust in His Father. Jesus is fully aware of the suffering, pain, and humiliation that awaits Him. But Jesus also understands this is the reason He came.
John 12:31-33 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
It was because of disobedience that man was driven out of the Garden of Eden by God because man submitted to the prince of this world Satan;
but now by the perfect obedience of Jesus and what he accomplished by His death on the cross the prince of this world has been driven out and defeated.
If you have trusted Jesus as your Lord and Savior……
He has lost his power, influence, and any authority over your life.
(1 John 4:4 Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.)
And I will draw all people to myself. This isn’t speaking of universalism, or that all people will automatically be saved.
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
God will draw us to His son at some point in our lives and allow us to decide for ourselves what we do with Jesus. (Fate-Future)
John 12:34-36 The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?” 35 Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. 36 Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.
The people were familiar with the passages from the Old Testament which spoke of the triumph of the Messiah. They seem to be unaware of the passages that spoke of His suffering (such as Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53).
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