The Shadow of Triumph (Palm Sunday)

Introduction

Today is the beginning of what has come to be called Holy Week. Palm Sunday (today), Good Friday, and Easter all mark different events of Christ’s passion. So we are going to take a two week break from Philippians, starting this morning and today our text will be John 12:12-19. You can go ahead and turn there in your Bible’s.

Palm Sunday is all about Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem as King. This portion of history—recorded in all four gospels—is often referred to as “The Triumphal Entry” but I’ll argue this morning that this was really the shadow of the coming, true triumphal entry of King Jesus.

Let’s read the text together. John 12:12-19

John 12:12–19 ESV

The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!” His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”

This morning, on Palm Sunday, I want us to see: I. Our Hearts Before the King (12-18), II. The Future Coming of our King (19), and III. The Right Response to Our King

I. Our Hearts Before the King (12-18)

We’re going to spend the majority about half our time this morning on this point because in order for us to benefit from the message this morning we really need to see past the veil of blissful ignorance when it comes to our own hearts. We need to see the reality and so I’ll labor the point a bit.

John 12:12 “The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.”

Let me set the scene for you. This is Passover Week in Jerusalem—the holy city of Israel, under Roman occupation, was full of Jews—from near and far—coming to worship God at the most important religious holiday of the Jewish faith.

And there was a large crowd that had been following Jesus throughout his ministry. They had seen him heal the sick, they had been fed miraculously by him, they had seen Lazarus—formerly dead—alive and well eating at a feast in Jesus’ honor.

And they saw in Jesus an opportunity for all of their desires to come true.

Here was the promised messiah. And he could feed them, heal them, and provide for them everything that they would need.

Even as they shout his name, even as they pay homage and lay down palm leaves with their own cloaks...

It was the blessings that they were after.

Back in John 6:15 they sought to make Jesus King by force and he withdrew from them. At the end of this passage we see John 12:36 that Jesus hides himself from them.

But right now it seems that this crowd loved Jesus—so much so that they want to give him a royal welcome.

John 12:13 “So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!””

Hosanna! Blessed is Jesus who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is Jesus the King of Israel!

Look at how they love him!

So why did Jesus withdraw? Why did Jesus hide himself from them? In John 2:24-25 “But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.”

Why did he withdraw? Why did he hide? Jesus knew what was in man. This same crowd who was rightly praising him would, days later, lift their voices up in another way...

“Crucify him, Crucify him, let his blood be on us and our children!”

Their praise was right, in Luke’s gospel, the Pharisees tell Jesus to make the crowd stop praising, and he says, “If they don’t praise the rocks themselves will...”

Their praise was right, but the motives of their hearts were wrong.

Jesus knew how long their loyalty would last. Jesus knew that they were after what the King could give them, not after the King himself. They should have praised him because he was the true King foretold by the prophets.

Jesus IS the king that the Bible prophesied.

That is the point of John’s Zechariah 9 reference.

John 12:14-16 “And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!” This would have been a sign for the people because Kings and powerful leaders ususally rode in on powerful horses, not humble donkeys. His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him.”

Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled so much scripture. And personally, I have often wondered how a people so learned in the scriptures of God missed so badly, identifying who Jesus was.

And it’s not as if this was the only sign, riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. He was born in Bethlehem, from a virgin, he performed miracle after miracle, he was proceeded by a messenger calling Israel to make straight their paths before the Lord.—he commanded the scriptures with authority like no one had seen. He cast demons out. He told the wind to be quiet and it listened to him.

How many men like Jesus had they seen?

Jesus was the king that had been prophesied by the prophets, but Jesus was not the king that they were looking for. They wanted a victorious king that was going to come and overthrow the Roman empire and deliver them again to the “glory days” of King David’s kingdom. They did not want this suffering, servant king.

They did not want their King. They did not want their God.

Friends, what we see unfold on Palm Sunday is what has been unfolding since the fall of Adam and Eve—humanity rejects God as He is because He will not be the God that they want Him to be.

If God were a universalist, gay, hedonist—a live and let live God—a God with no opinions, but deep pockets—a God that requires nothing while giving everything then humanity would gladly follow this God because he would be a God fashioned in their own image. A God who indulges their sin.

Humanity wants a God who bears their image—they do not want to bow to the one whose image they bear. In our sin we chaffe at the blessing of belonging to God.

Look with me at verses 17-18. John 12:17-18 “The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign.”

Friends, the reason why they went to meet him…what does it say? To worship Him? To repent? To love him?

They came because they heard that Jesus had performed another great miracle. They came because they saw in Jesus something else that He could do for them, something else that He could provide…this one that could feed them and heal them could even defeat death for them.

And I don’t want you to think that I’m being to harsh here with their motives. I’m only saying what Jesus already said. Jesus already diagnosed this problem in their hearts back in John 6.

In John 6 Jesus had just fed the people with bread and fish and then the next day they went looking for Jesus…And Jesus tells them what’s in their hearts and what they should do instead.

In John 6:26-27 “Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.””

Jesus knows what’s in a man’s heart and this—their desire for his blessings, not him—was in their heart.

And friends I labor this point this morning because this deep inclination—to seek the blessings of God while rejecting God himself— is the inheritance of our own flesh.

Those who are dead in their sins are comepletely given over to this—they are bound up in it—slaves to it. Paul says in Romans. And we’ll speak to that in a minute.

But know that those of us who are in Christ are no longer slaves to this sin, but we are still fighting this sin.

This sin is no longer our master, but this sin is still our enemy.

Yes, even those who have been saved by Jesus—fight against this flesh that wants to mold God and tell God what kind of King He must be.

This is the battle that we fight—this is why Paul said, “I am the chief of sinners. I am doing what I don’t want and what I want I don’t do.”

Church, if we are to follow Jesus and Honor Jesus then we must be aware that this desire—to domesticate God to our ways—is within us. We are not better than those that we see here in John 12.

I believe that we see a lack of holiness in Christ’s church because so many of his people are unaware that they have this sin lurking in their hearts. They are not aware of the fight in their own flesh. And if you are not aware of the fight that you are in then you are already losing it.

So let me ask you this morning: Are you aware that your own heart desires to displace God on the throne of your life—Are you aware that your flesh only wants him there if he is the kind of King that you would be?

Let me ask you, are you seeking in your daily walk the God of the Bible or are you looking for a counterfeit God of your own making?

I’m not just trying to turn a phrase here, friends, I’m warning us—this same twistedness exists in us.

Church, when we look for a God fashioned after our desires and wants we will find a God who is easier to follow—a more manageable God—a more comfortable God—but He will not be the One True God.

But the One True God is who Jesus is! He truly is the King. He is the Lord of all lords, and He is the King of all kings.

And there will come a day when no one will be confused about this.

And in verse 19 of our text today the pharisees complaining to one another point to a truth that is truer than they could have imagined.

II. The Coming of Our King (19)

John 12:19 “So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.””

They were talking about the current scene unfolding before them. But friends, their complaint points to a future coming event where the entire world will truly come to him.

This passage of scripture is often called The Triumphal Entry, but I told you that this was really the Shadow of the true Triumphal Entry.

Jesus came into Jerusalem as the humble lamb—he would be arrested and beat—and in the fulfillment of Isaiah 53:7 Jesus would be silent and not defend himself.

That text says, “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.”

And this would lead him to the cross.

If Jesus had opened his mouth he could have put the weak accusations against him to shame. There was no prosecutorial argument that could defeath the one who created language.

But he stayed silent that he may be put to death. The author of life gave up his life as a ransom for many. He died meek and humble and afflicted.

But friends, there is coming a day when Jesus will enter again into this world and in great triumph he will bring with him the end of this world of sin. The work that he started when he first came will be finally and fully, completed.

Daniel 7:13-14 ““I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”

Revelation 19:11-16 “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”

Every person who has ever existed will find out that Jesus is the King of the Universe. One day soon He is coming again and this triumphal entry in John 12 will pale in comparison to this true triumphal entry of Christ when the world will be forced to come to terms with the truth of Christ’s kingship.

And on this day every person will find themselves standing before a holy God. Look at Revelation 20:11-15

Revelation 20:11–15 ESV

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

This is the certain and unshakable future. The illusions of this world will melt away when Christ triumphantly enters again into His creation.

This judment of sinners—this setting right of all that has gone wrong—will happen. Everything that seems so incredibly important by the standards of this world, by the standards of hearts far from God, will be revealed for what it truly is…vapor in the wind.

Our King is Coming Again.

So, knowing the inclination of the human heart, and the certainty of the future of King Jesus’ returns, the question that hangs in the air is…what do we do about it?

III. The Right Response to Our King

First let me speak to those who are not saved. Let sinners repent.

You are a sinner who exists before a great God. And your sin—while often directed at others is primarily rebellion toward Him.

And He cares. You may want to beleive that the details of your life don’t matter to Him. That if He’s real He couldn’t possibly be interested in you. But you are wrong.

Your contribution to the brokenness of this world matters very much to God—and being good, He will judge your sin.

Without Christ you stand guilty, truly guilty, before an awesome God. This is really bad news.

Here’s the really good news. This Jesus that we are talking about—who entered Jerusalem on a donkey, this Jesus who was crucified on a cross—this Jesus who rose again. Who’s coming again. He came and took on flesh to pardon your sin.

Jesus—God the Son— is for sinners.

He took the consequences of your sin onto himself so that you would not face the coming day of judgment before Him as a guilty one but instead as a forgiven one.

Everything that you have done that is wrong. Everything that you are ashamed of. All of your unjust anger, all of your selfish actions, all of your greed, all the pain you’ve caused, all of it—is soaked up by Christ and in Christ the righteous judgment of God fell on Him and not you—if you come to Him and profess your need for Him.

Jesus does not offer this to everyone. How do you know if He is offering it to you? You will know because you will feel the weight of your sin and your great need for saving from it.

Jesus offers you a new heart that is not enslaved to your brokenness, he offers you a new life with glorious purpose, and he offers you a wonderful future where humanity and their God will exist forever together in harmony.

And while this journey is a life long pursuit that stretches into eternity—starting this journey is so simple.

Romans 10:9-10 “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

Believe that Jesus is who He said He was. God sent for you. The promised messiah who came to pay for the sins of God’s people. Beleive this. And confess that you are a sinner in need of this savior and you will be saved. This offer is for you this morning or whenever you hear this message.

And lastly to those who are not saved in Christ yet. Hear me.

This is serious. This offer of salvation is not one that stands forever. You will die or you will exist when Christ comes back—and if either of those things take place while you are still guilty for your sins then you will be judged for them and receive punishment for them—which is an eternity in Hell. Your sin is far more serious than you think it Is.

So if you are not saved make it your mission to be saved today. Let nothing else be more important to you.

For those of us who have been saved by Christ already. Let the pardoned Prepare.

Friends, let us too have the certainty of King Jesus’ return ever in our minds. We have an eternity before us. Imagine that you were about to board a 3 year cruise. Imagine that the boarding time was 20 mintues. Friends, this life of ours—which seems like an eternity—is the 20 minute boarding time.

Imagine that in that 20 mintues you spent all of your energy and resources that you had focusing on the boarding time. How foolish would that be? You have a 3 year journey ahead of you, but you only packed one outfit for the boarding time. You only brought enough money for that time. You only prepared your heart for that time, neglecting the longer journey. How foolish would that be?

Church, many Christians are working hard for this passing life while they negelct preparing for eternity. Let it not be us.

John 12:25-26 “Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.”

Let us, on Palm Sunday, see our King who died for us and know with certainty that He is coming again. And let us order our lives as such. Friends, let us live now like we really believe what God has said to us. Let us seek out all the ways we are investing in this passing world and instead seek how we might live now—in this world in a way that points to the reality of Christ’s eternal kingdom.

Let us seek the return of the one who saved our souls with joy, pointing others to Him, that they too may know Him. That they too may glorify Him.

Conclusion

Today is Holy Week. Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday a week from today.

This time can pass by without much reflection without any challenge.

But my hope for you this morning is that you will take this week to seriously reflect on your need for Christ. On God’s graciousness to provide Christ for you. And on all that means for this world and the coming eternity that is soon to come.

Let’s pray.