The King and his Kingdom (John 12:12-19)

Nathan Pifer

Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago • Presented 2 years ago

John 12:12–19

Palm Sunday

Kingdom

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Intro

This morning we celebrate Palm Sunday.

The day that marks Jesus’ grand entrance into the city of Jerusalem,

as well as the beginning of Holy week that culminates in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.

But: Why do we celebrate Palm Sunday?

Maybe you’ve wondered this yourself.

I remember asking this question when I was handed a palm branch in my church as a little boy.

I thought it was fun to wave the branch around while we sang, but it still nagged at me. “Why do we do this?”

I remember asking this same question while I was backpacking through Europe as a young man.

I was visiting Rome at the time, and spent that Palm Sunday taking in the festivities at The Vatican.

Everyone was entering St. Peter’s square to hear the choir and the Pope’s message.

As I walked through the pillars to enter the square, I was offered a palm branch to wave, for about 5 euros. “Why do we do this”

Why Palm Sunday? What’s the point?

I mean you could apply this question to every holiday or special day that we might celebrate as a church.

Christmas and easter, the Birth of Christ and his resurrection, it just make sense to celebrate those at church.

Mother’s day and Father’s day, while not exactly Biblical, do highlight the gift of Mothers and Fathers and their importance to God’s plan for the family.

These celebrations at least make some sense.

Then theres the super-bowl themed worship services that some churches have on Super-bowl Sunday.

Or even Starwars Sunday, as has become popular at some churches around May the 4th.

Look them up, they happen. And they’re embarrassing.

Ultimately celebration and festival are a part of what it means to be human.

And we will either celebrate the traditional festivals of our faith, or will will latch on to worldly trends and fads, aping the culture around us.

But that still leaves us the question:

Why do we commemorate Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem?

Why do we as Christians celebrate Palm Sunday?

Which takes us to our passage this morning.

It is the shortest and least detailed of the accounts of Jesus’ triumphal entry, but I think you’ll be surprised at how much it has to tell us.

John 12:12-19

(Read from Bible)

Tension

As Christians, when we read this passage, we do so with the knowledge of what is going to happen to Jesus within the week.

That he would be betrayed

That he would be crucified

And ultimately that he would rise from the dead

And because of what comes later it can raise some questions in our minds about Jesus triumphal entry:

Did Jesus intend for the crowd to welcome him into the city this way?

Did the crowds understand who he was?

Did Jesus himself understand his purpose in coming to Jerusalem?

Exposition

1. The Crowds (v. 12, 17-18)

We begin our passage in verse 12,

John 12:12 ESV

The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.

We see in the passage that there was a large crowd that had come to the feast, and that they heard that Jesus was coming.

The feast that is spoken of here is the feast of passover

This was one of the three large festivals that the Jews were required to take part in.

Passover was festival through which Israel remembered the day that God brought them out of slavery in Egypt.

Jewish Festivals

These Jewish festivals were commemorative events.

That the people, and especially their children, would remember the great works that God had done, and their heritage as the covenant people of God.

And in these festivals, they would not just remember, but they experience through their senses, the reminders of God’s provision.

This might also inform us in how we participate our traditional festivals like Christmas, Palm Sunday, Easter, and Ascension.

Maybe how to celebrate festivals is something that we need to recover.

The Size of the Crowds

The size of the crowds at the festivals were immense.

We think it’s crazy when the population of our town grows in the summertime, or “leafer” season.

But the city of Jerusalem may have swelled to five or six times its normal population.

Thats 150,000 people visiting and staying in a city of maybe around 30,000 people.

Jerusalem was absolutely packed, with more people gathered in the towns and villages outside the city.

Rumours of Jesus

And these people had heard that Jesus was coming.

The city was stirring with rumours of the arrival of Jesus.

More than ever in his ministry his reputation preceded him.

Going down to verses 17-18 of our passage we can see why.

John 12:17–18 ESV

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.

Jesus had just recently raised Lazarus from the dead.

With not but a word, and with a crowd to witness it, he had raised this man back to life after being dead and in his tomb for four days.

The city and the surrounding countryside were absolutely shocked by this news. And justifiably so. It was shocking.

There were two groups that made up the crowd that welcomed Jesus at his triumphal entry.

The first were his disciples and those who were witnesses to the raising of Lazarus.

These people were proclaiming publicly the amazing miracle that they had seen.

The second group were the many people who heard the witness of the first group.

If you heard many reliable witnesses tell you that they had seen a man raised from the dead, would you not want to go see the man for yourself?

But not all in the city were enthusiastic about Jesus. Even some of those who had seen him raise Lazarus from the dead.

John 11:45-57 tells us why. (Turn with me to the previous chapter)

Just after the account of the raising of Lazarus we read this.

John 11:45–57 (ESV)

Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.

Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples.

Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?” Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him.

So the people were stirred up because of the resurrection of Lazarus.

But the religious rulers and their followers were also seeking to have Jesus arrested and killed.

Not only that, but the temple rulers were expecting Jesus to die for the sake of the people

People openly wondered if Jesus would make an appearance at this passover festival.

He did, and he intentionally made quite an entrance.

2. The Triumphal Entry (v. 12-13)

If we turn back to our passage this morning in John 12.

John 12:12–13 (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!”

Crowds lined the way down the mount of olives.

They were waving palm branches as we see here in v. 3

We see in the other gospels that some placed their cloaks on the road in front of Jesus.

And as he went the people cheered and cried out,

John 12:13 (ESV)

“Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”

Hosannah means “Save now!”

This is the same language that we find in Psalm 118:25-26

Psalm 118:25–26 ESV

Save us, we pray, O Lord! O Lord, we pray, give us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We bless you from the house of the Lord.

And some of you also know that just three verses earlier in this psalm it says in verse 22, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.”

The Response of the People to Jesus’ Arrival

Jesus really was welcomed as a king.

They are waving palm branches, they are even laying down their cloaks on the road like a red carpet.

And they are crying out as Jesus goes by:

John 12:13 (ESV)

“Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”

But what would make them do that? What would make them say that? What would give them the impression that this miracle worker Jesus was the king of Israel?

3. The Prophecy (vv. 14-15)

The significance of the Donkey

We see exactly what would make them say that in verses 14 and 15.

John 12:14–15 ESV

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!”

Now this is not to say that anyone approaching the city of Jerusalem on a donkey was making a claim for the throne.

But with the crowds, the palm branches, the cloaks, the cheering, the singing.

Arriving on a donkey like this was saying something. Something Messianic.

And what it was saying was written by the prophet Zechariah in Zechariah 9:9.

Zechariah 9:9 ESV

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Procuring the Donkey

Now we do see that Jesus intentionally chose to arrive on a donkey here in our passage in verse 14.

In the accounts of the triumphal entry in Matthew, Mark, and Luke several verses are spent describing the process for getting the donkey.

This process of Jesus arranging the donkey was so important that three of the Gospels share the details.

Jesus tells the disciples exactly where they would find a donkey that no-one has yet ridden on.

And he says to untie it, and if anyone asks you where you are taking it, they are to say, “The Lord has need of it.”

They even promised to send it back when they were done.

“The Lord has need of it.”

When Jesus tells his disciples to tell the owners of the donkey that “the Lord has need of it,” it wasn’t because he was tired.

In his ministry he had walked all over Judea and Samaria and Galilee. He had gotten his steps in.

The only other time in the gospels that we see the Lord Jesus ride a donkey, was when he was in his mother’s womb approaching Bethlehem.

It’s interesting, that in that story, he was also recognized as a king.

He didn’t need the donkey because he was tired.

He needed the donkey because, by riding it towards Jerusalem, he was saying something.

He was saying, “I am the King that was prophesied.”

4. Understanding the Message (vv. 16)

The Disciples

I can’t imagine what it was like for the disciples in this moment.

As they’re coming down the mount of olives, with the crowds cheering Hosannah, and the movement of the palm branches, they must have been in absolute shock.

I mean, Jesus had been telling them that he was going to Jerusalem this time to die.

At least three times he had told them this.

We see it in Mark 10, just before Mark’s account of the triumphal entry.

Mark 10:32–34 ESV

And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.”

But here, going down the mount of olives towards the city, the people are welcoming him as their king.

No wonder that in that moment they did not understand what was going on.

But we see in verse 16,

John 12:16 ESV

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 Tension

Remember…

As Christians, when we read this passage, we do so knowing what is going to happen to Jesus within the week.

That he would be betrayed

That he would be crucified

And ultimately that he would rise from the dead

And because of what comes later it can raise some questions in our minds about Jesus triumphal entry:

Did Jesus intend for the crowd to welcome him into the city this way?

Did the crowds understand his intent?

Did Jesus himself understand his purpose in coming to Jerusalem?

And these are legitimate questions,

because why would a man who knew he was going to be rejected and killed,

not only allow himself to be welcomed as king,

but do everything possible to encourage that behaviour in the people as he entered the city.

And he did encourage it.

In Luke’s account of the triumphal entry, the Pharisees told Jesus to rebuke his disciples because how loud everything was getting, and his response in Luke 19:40 was,

Luke 19:40 (ESV)

“I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

Why did he do this, when he knew he was going to the cross?

Why would a man who knew he was going to be killed, enter the city as a triumphant king?

Interpretation

It’s because the cross was how Christ would conquer as king!

And the cross, the grave, then the throne was always the plan.

The Cross, The Grave, The Throne

1. The Cross

In Luke 9 Early on in Jesus ministry. Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” And for the first time Peter confessed Jesus as the Christ, the messiah, the anointed king. Immediately after his confession we read this in Luke 9:21-22

Luke 9:21–22 ESV

And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

Do you hear that very important word?

“Must “

“The Son of man must suffer many things,”

“He must be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and scribes,”

“He must be killed,”

“And he must be raised on the third day.”

The cross was part of the plan from the very beginning. It was his intended goal in coming to Jerusalem. But he didn’t stop there!

2. The Grave

On the third day, his dead body began to breathe again in his grave.

The stone was rolled away and he walked out glorified never to die again.

He presented himself alive again to his disciples and then to hundreds of people.

But he didn’t stop there!

3. The Throne

After 40 days of appearing to his disciples and teaching them, we read in Mark 16:19, that the Lord Jesus, “was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.”

Jesus took his seat on his throne at the right hand of God the Father in heaven.

He not only ascended on high but he ascended the throne.

This is consistent with what we read in the psalms and prophets. Ill Share just two with you this morning.

Psalms and Prophets

Psalm 110

In Psalm 110 we have the most quoted old testament passage in the New Testament.

Psalm 110:1 ESV

The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”

Daniel 7

In Daniel 7 the prophet Daniel describes the moment of Christ’s enthronement in Daniel 7:13-14,

Daniel 7:13–14 ESV

“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.

The New Testament Fulfillment

Throughout the New Testament, Christ is portrayed as reigning right now at the right hand of God the father, in fulfillment of these two prophecies.

There are many example to choose from but one of the clearest is Hebrews 10:12-13

Hebrews 10:12–13 ESV

But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.

This is just like we see in Psalm 110 and Daniel 7.

See…

Christ’s death on the cross, and his resurrection from the grave, were how he would ascend the throne.

God did not pivot, he did not change his strategy, he did not go with plan B when Jesus was rejected by the Jewish rulers.

The cross, the grave, then the throne was always the plan.

Resolving the Tension

So when we look at the triumphal entry.

A. Jesus absolutely intended for the crowd to welcome him into the city this way.

He chose the donkey specifically to say he was the messianic king.

B. Jesus absolutely understood his purpose in coming to Jerusalem.

The cross, the grave, then the throne was always the plan.

C. The crowds did not understand his full intention in coming to the city.

But they weren’t wrong, in fact they didn’t know how right they were.

They Didn’t Know How Right They Were.

1. The Crowds

The crowds…

In their cries of “Hosannah” (save now) they didn’t know how right they were.

Through his death, burial, and resurrection within the week, Jesus would make the way to salvation from sin, and eternal life for all who would believe in him.

In their declaration of Jesus as king, they didn’t know how right they were.

He is a king, but he does not rule from a throne on earth, but much higher than that at the right hand of God. A throne on earth would be a demotion.

And he will reign there until he makes his enemies a footstool for his feet.

The crowds, if anything, underestimated the extent, and power, and authority that this coming king would have.

They didn’t know how right they were!

2. Caiaphas

Caiaphas the high priest didn’t know how right he was.

When he had prophesied that “Jesus would die for the nation, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.”

That was exactly what Jesus came to do.

He died, not just for that nation, but he died for all nations.

And through his reign at the right hand of God the Father, Christ is gathering the children of God from every nation.

John saw the results of this in Revelation 7:9,

Revelation 7:9 ESV

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,

Caiaphas, though he hated Jesus, would be instrumental in God’s plan for Christ’s Kingdom. Jesus would die for the nation, and gather those scattered abroad.

He didn’t know how right he was!

3. The Pharisees (v. 19)

And lastly, the Pharisees among the crowd didn’t know how right they were.

Our passage ends in verse 19 where we see their reaction to Jesus’ triumphal entry.

John 12:19 ESV

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

The pharisees didn’t know how right they were.

Application

I love pointing this out to people.

I want you to think about who we are and where we are.

All of us at some point in time had ancestors that did not believe in Christ.

If you go back far enough in my family tree, my ancestors worshipped trees in Ireland.

But look at where we are right now.

Two thousand years from their time in history.

On a continent that the disciples didn’t even know about

Speaking a language that did not exist in their day

All from different ethnic backgrounds, tribes, tongues and nations.

And yet, worshipping the messiah king who saves!

Not only that we are a part of the story.

In his great commission in Matthew 28:18-20, it is because of his authority over all of heaven and all of earth, that you and I are bringing the saving power of the gospel to the world.

Matthew 28:18–20 ESV

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The kingdom is growing through the proclamation of the Gospel.

You and I are the results of this.

And you and I are continuing this mission, because the king has decreed it.

“Look, the whole world is going after him.”

The Pharisees didn’t know how right they were.