The Coming King (John 12:12–19)
Notes
Transcript
CPT: Jesus is greeted by a crowd as the coming King of Israel with shouts to save them
Purpose: Take courage, church!
CPS: The coming King is the fulfillment of God’s promise.
The coming King is a reason for God’s people to have courage.
The coming King is a reason to testify of God’s power.
The coming King is the fulfillment of God’s promise of peace.
Introduction
Attention
We are people who worship the king of Kings, and we look forward to his coming, the coming King.
Earlier this week, I met with a group of pastors. I met with them over Zoom. Many of these pastors were from around the country, most of them from the South. You learn quickly when you are in the SBC, you are in the Southern Baptist Convention. Many of these pastors are from Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and other places.
I had this meeting about two days after the tragic shooting at a Christian school in Nashville. A shooter went into a Christian school and shot and killed three children and three older adults. These pastors were dealing with this situation - this shooting happened in the South, in Nashville, Tennessee.
One pastor was asked to speak to a group, a non-church group, about the shooting of these children and adults at this Christian school. The pastor described this group as consisting of atheists, and other unbelievers - people who were antagonistic to the Gospel. There was a question they wanted him to speak about. The question was this: What good is prayer? Prayer didn’t seem to protect these kids. What good is prayer?
The pastor was on his way to speak with the group, and he asked us what we thought. So I gave my thoughts. The first thing for people to understand is the purpose of prayer. Because what the group is responding to is that, every time there is a tragedy, people respond with “my thoughts and prayers are with you.” All of that is fine and good. I don’t think there is anything necessarily wrong with that, but that is not the purpose of prayer.
What is the purpose of prayer? The purpose of prayer is to seek to know God. To know him, to know who he is, to seek out his face. In prayer, we seek to know the one who is above us. The king, the one who reigns forever and ever. We submit in obedience to God in prayer.
Prayer doesn’t mean that life will always be easy. We don’t worship the genie in the bottle. God is not a “break the glass in case of emergency” box on the wall. We don’t rub the lamp and when God comes out, we tell him what to do. God doesn’t answer to us. We answer to him.
We are not protected from every kind of evil in this world. If that were so, we wouldn’t be able to live in it. But we do serve the one who overcame the world. He is the king who overcame the world with a crown of thorns on a wooden cross at Calvary.
Who is this coming King? That is what the Jews were wondering as they saw Jesus of Nazareth, this rabbi, this miracle worker, the one who had just raised Lazarus from the dead, riding into Jerusalem on a young donkey. That is what we are all faced with as we see Jesus. Who is this coming King?
That is what we will look at today as we celebrate Palm Sunday and get ready for this week of Easter. Who is the coming King? Open up your Bibles to John 12:12-19.
DESCRIPTION OF THE CONTEXT
In John chapter 12, Jesus has gone to a place called Bethany. Bethany is a village located on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives. It is about two miles east of Jerusalem. In John 11, Jesus goes to Bethany and raises a man called Lazarus from the dead and, in verse 25, tells a woman named Martha, the sister of Lazarus, tells her, “I am,” speaking of himself, “I am the resurrection and the life.”
Fast forward a little bit to six days before a festival called Passover, Jesus is again in Bethany. The family of Lazarus, his sisters Mary and Martha, threw a dinner for Jesus. Jesus is there, along with Lazarus, who was dead and is now resurrected, physically alive, and is reclining at the table with them.
There is a large crowd that has gathered together to: (1) to see Lazarus, who was dead is now alive, resurrected from the dead, and then also (2) to see Jesus, who resurrected Lazarus from the dead. Who is this miracle worker who resurrects people from the dead? There is an excitement in the air.
This crowd of people that had been in Bethany had now found there way to Jerusalem to join the rest of the people from all of Israel who were coming to Jerusalem to celebrate the coming festival of Passover. That’s where we pick up in verse 12, as we go to John 12:12.
Scripture Reading
12 The next day, when the large crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
13 they took palm branches and went out to meet him. They kept shouting: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord—the King of Israel!”
14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written:
15 Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion. Look, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt.
16 His disciples did not understand these things at first. However, when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.
17 Meanwhile, the crowd, which had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify.
18 This is also why the crowd met him, because they heard he had done this sign.
19 Then the Pharisees said to one another, “You see? You’ve accomplished nothing. Look, the world has gone after him!”
Pray
I want you to see three things from this passage as we celebrate Palm Sunday.
First,
The coming King is a reason for God’s people to have courage in God’s salvation.
The coming King is a reason for God’s people to have courage in God’s salvation.
The text starts off with a large crowd that has come together for the festival of Passover. They’re hearing and people are talking about Jesus. They are hearing that Jesus is coming to Jerusalem.
Finally, the Messiah is coming for his people Israel. The Messiah, a king. The King is coming. Jesus, the one who just raised Lazarus from the dead, the one filled with power, the one who heals, the one who casts out demons, the one who causes the dead to rise, the King is coming.
They’re excited. It says in John 12:12-13:
12 The next day, when the large crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
13 they took palm branches and went out to meet him. They kept shouting: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord—the King of Israel!”
You need to understand what is happening in Jerusalem for the festival of Passover. This holiday, Passover, is a celebration. It is a celebration of God delivering his people from their enemies. In the book of Exodus, the people of Israel are enslaved to Egypt. God sends a man named Moses to Pharoah to demand that he let the people of God go, but Pharaoh's heart is hard. So God sends ten plagues on the people of Egypt. It is not until the 10th plague where the people of God are finally free.
The 10th plague involved the angel of death and the sacrifice of a perfect lamb. The Jews were to put the blood of the lamb on the doorposts and lintels (upper beam of the door) on their house. When the angel of death came through to pass judgment on the people of Egypt, it would pass over God’s people because of the blood of the lamb.
So Passover was a celebration of victory, of salvation for God’s people. People from all over Israel would come to Jerusalem. It was a requirement in the Law in Deut. 16:16 for all the males in Israel to come to the Temple in Jerusalem for Passover.
They would come in celebration. Deut. 16:14 would tell them to “Rejoice during your festival.” They would do this during the Festival of Shelters, but this was also something they adopted during the festival of Passover. These pilgrims from all over Israel would come in through the gates of Jerusalem singing Psalms and waving palm branches to rejoice in the victory of God for his people.
You can picture these pilgrims coming into Jerusalem, and they are hearing about Jesus coming, the Son of David, the Messiah, finally coming for his people Israel to take on his throne as King.
The palm branches were a symbol of victory and salvation for God’s people. In Lev. 23:40, the palm branches are used to commemorate how the people of Israel lived in shelters when God brought them out of the land of Egypt. In 1 Kings 6:29, palm trees were used in the decoration of the temple. Even the prophet Ezekiel, in Ezekiel 40:16, sees a future temple decorated with palm trees.
So here are the people of Israel, waving their palm branches, symbolic of the salvation of God, shouting in triumph and in victory, saying, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord - the King of Israel!”
The word “Hosanna” is a literal translation of a Hebrew word which means, “Save us!” The people of Israel are saying, “Save us! Son of David, save us from our enemies! Save us from our oppressors! Save us from the Romans! Son of David, save us!”
But here’s the thing to remember: God doesn’t answer to us. We answer to him! People are always trying to define the terms for God of what salvation means. The people of Israel wanted salvation from Rome but God had a bigger plan in place.
As Christians, we want to define for God what our salvation means. Our loved ones should never be sick, our families should be in perfect order, there should never be strife, our bosses should treat us well, there should be perfect protection when I come and go.
You can imagine a scale with two sides. On one side of the scale is all the heartache you experience in life. And sometimes we can get fixated on that one side. We see that illness, that sickness that we are going through. We see that strife in the home. We see the danger in our world and we ask, “Where are you, God? Where are you in my sickness? Where are you in my suffering?” We can be like that group who was wondering, “Where was God in the shooting in Nashville?” It was a Christian school, wasn’t it?
While we are focused and fixated on that one side of the scale, what about the other side? The other side has the we’ve had every day. All of the good days we’ve had with our loved ones. Every day that we’ve woken up with air in our lungs and a heart that beats. Every day that we’ve lived in the grace and mercy of God. On that side of the scale is an eternal life in heaven because Christ has taken on our sins on the cross.
It reminds me of another place in Scripture with palm branches. In Revelation 7, there are people as far as the eye can see, whose robes are in white with palm branches in hand. Look at Rev. 7:9-10:
9 After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands.
10 And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!
Isn’t it good to know that salvation belongs to our God? That no matter how heavy sufferings feel in this life, they don’t compare to the life that God has for us with him. It is good to know that salvation belongs to our God.
The coming King is a reason for God’s people to have courage in God’s salvation.
Second,
The coming King is a reason for God’s people to have courage in God’s peace.
The coming King is a reason for God’s people to have courage in God’s peace.
Jesus came into Jerusalem on a young donkey. John describes it this way in John 12:14-15:
14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written:
15 Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion. Look, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt.
We learn a little more about this in the other Gospel accounts. The triumphal entry, Jesus going into Jerusalem, is in all four Gospels: Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19, and John 12. What the Gospel writers say is that Jesus sends his disciples into a village ahead of them. Matthew describes it this way, with also the same quote from the prophet Zechariah. Matthew says in Matthew 21:1-5:
1 When they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives, Jesus then sent two disciples,
2 telling them, “Go into the village ahead of you. At once you will find a donkey tied there with her colt. Untie them and bring them to me.
3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them at once.”
4 This took place so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled:
5 Tell Daughter Zion, “See, your King is coming to you, gentle, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
The disciples go, find it just as the Lord said, and the owner lets the animals go. Jesus fulfills the Messianic prophecy from Zechariah that the Messiah would come and enter Jerusalem on a young colt. What does this mean?
Let’s take a look at this prophecy from the prophet Zechariah. Take a look at Zechariah 9:9-10:
9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout in triumph, Daughter Jerusalem! Look, your King is coming to you; he is righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem. The bow of war will be removed, and he will proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion will extend from sea to sea, from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.
The prophet sees in the future that the Messiah will enter into Jerusalem on a young colt, or donkey. Who is this Messiah? He is the King. Israel, the King is coming! God’s people, the King is coming! Rejoice! Shout in triumph! Shout in victory!
What do we know about this King? This King is righteous. This King is victorious. This King is humble. This King will bring peace to the nations.
One commentator said this, “In the ancient Near East, if a king came in peace, he would ride on a donkey instead of on a war stallion.” What are we seeing in the the triumphal entry? The King is coming, he comes in peace, and Christ is claiming his throne.
At his first coming, his throne didn’t look like normal human thrones. His throne included a crown of thorns, a wooden cross on his back, nails pierced through his hands and feet, and the sins of the world upon him. His throne included a rich man’s grave, a stone rolled away, and a resurrection in glory.
So often with the prophets, when they see the Messiah, the first coming and second coming are blurred, and they’ll see the two together. When he says, “I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem; the bow of war will be removed,” all of these point to a global peace that will come, first in our hearts now, but second when Christ returns and sets up his kingdom, one that Zechariah says is “from sea to sea… to the ends of the earth.”
The prophet Micah also speaks of the peace that Christ brings to the earth in his kingdom. He says this in Micah 4:3:
3 He will settle disputes among many peoples and provide arbitration for strong nations that are far away. They will beat their swords into plows and their spears into pruning knives. Nation will not take up the sword against nation, and they will never again train for war.
Don’t we need the Lord to settle our disputes? There is coming a day when Christ will not only bring peace to our hearts, but also peace to our nations.
The peace of God begins in our hearts. Jesus says in John 14:27, “My peace I give to you.” Peace is a gift that you can have now in Jesus because the King claimed his throne and took on the cross. The nations will know the peace of Christ when the King comes in his millennial kingdom. But ultimately, we can have courage in the peace of Christ, because it is a peace that last forever and ever.
The book of Revelation tells us about people in the future during the tribulation period who come to faith in Christ, and who die for their faith. And then it gives us a glimpse on the other side, in heaven. Look at Rev. 7:13-17:
13 Then one of the elders asked me, “Who are these people in white robes, and where did they come from?”
14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” Then he told me: These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15 For this reason they are before the throne of God, and they serve him day and night in his temple. The one seated on the throne will shelter them:
16 They will no longer hunger; they will no longer thirst; the sun will no longer strike them, nor will any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb who is at the center of the throne will shepherd them; he will guide them to springs of the waters of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
See, we can have courage in the peace of the coming King, because his peace is an eternal peace. His peace is an everlasting peace. It is a peace that knows no bounds and will last with us forever and ever. No matter the struggles, no matter what we face in life, they don’t compare to the peace of the coming King. The Lord says, “My peace I give to you.”
Imagine you are in a small boat. It’s a rickety boat, and you are in the middle of a storm. The winds and the waves are crashing in against you. You are scared for your life! You are trying as hard as you can to row, but it doesn’t feel like you are getting anywhere.
Then up comes a yacht. A strong boat. A boat that can handle any storm. The captain throws you a rope and says, “Hold on!” You attach his rope to your boat. The captain knows how to get you safely through the storm. And he gets you through the storm and brings you safely to the shore.
Christian, we can have courage in the peace of God because it is a peace that will get us through the storm, and it is an eternal peace that awaits for us on the shore.
The coming King is a reason for God’s people to have courage in God’s salvation.
The coming King is a reason for God’s people to have courage in God’s peace.
Third and last,
The coming King is a reason for God’s people to have courage in God’s power.
The coming King is a reason for God’s people to have courage in God’s power.
Back in John 12, the crowd is gathered praising Jesus and they are testifying to his power. It says in John 12:17-19:
17 Meanwhile, the crowd, which had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify.
18 This is also why the crowd met him, because they heard he had done this sign.
19 Then the Pharisees said to one another, “You see? You’ve accomplished nothing. Look, the world has gone after him!”
The crowd, they had been there. They saw him raise Lazarus from the dead, and they are testifying to the power of Jesus. There is nothing like seeing a resurrection to change your mind on who Jesus is. It’s causing the Pharisees to panic! They are saying, “Look, the world is going after him!”
There is nothing like seeing a resurrection to change your mind on who Jesus is. The coming King has the power to raise people from the dead.
The disciples were changed by the resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus took disciples who were running away in fear, afraid for their lives, and turned them into men who were bold with the good news of Jesus because of the power of God to raise the dead. Acts 4:2 says the disciples went out “teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.”
Our Lord says that when we put our faith in him, there is a resurrection from the dead with us, that we pass from death to life. He says this in John 5:21:
21 And just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son also gives life to whom he wants.
Then down in John 5:24:
24 “Truly I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life.
There is nothing like seeing a resurrection that will change your mind on who Jesus is. When you see the work that he does in your life, the joy and the peace that he brings to your soul, the new life that is birthed within you, like that crowd and like the disciples, you will testify to the power of God to raise a life.
The Bible says that when the coming King returns, in power and great glory, he will reign in his millennial kingdom, and his people will reign with him. It says this in Revelation 20:4-6:
4 Then I saw thrones, and people seated on them who were given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and who had not accepted the mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
The coming King has power to give life to anyone he wills. The coming King will give life to you now. And the coming King will resurrect his people with power and with great glory. “Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over you.” What is the second death? The second death is an eternal separation from God in hell. The second death is something that God does not want for you. When you put your faith in Jesus, he gives you life. The second death has no power over you.
The power of God to raise a dead man or woman to life in Jesus is a reason to rejoice. On Palm Sunday, it is a reason to wave your palms and sing hymns and psalms in victory! The coming King has the power to save.
There is a song I like called “Might to Save.” It says,
Savior, He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
Forever, author of Salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave
The coming King has conquered the grave, gives life to whoever he wills, and is coming again in power and great glory! Because of the resurrection, the coming King is a reason for God’s people to have courage in his power.
Conclusion
The coming King is a reason for God’s people to have courage in God’s salvation.
The coming King is a reason for God’s people to have courage in God’s peace.
The coming King is a reason for God’s people to have courage in God’s power.
Conclude
Prayer
Last Song
Doxology
24 “May the Lord bless you and protect you;
25 may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
26 may the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.” ’
24 Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy,
25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.
You are dismissed. Have a great week in the Lord!
