The Eternal King

How many of you all have ever dated, courted, or spent time with someone for the purpose of potentially marrying them?

All the way up until the 17 and 1800’s arranged marriages were very common.

What that means is that two people who did not know each other were matched up as future husband and wife, usually matched by their parents, grandparents or other close family or trusted friends.

Arranged marriages were encouraged for different reasons, some were for political reasons, religious beliefs, for the improvement of a families financial or social standing, or for a number of other reasons.

Now although this is not so common in the United States, in some parts of the world like some portions of Africa and Asia this is still very common.

Now today in the west, we like to be very particular in what we want in a spouse. We have preference list that include things like; how much they weigh, how tall they are, their physical build, their level of intellect, interest, hobbies, what their family is like, how attractive they are physically, what kind of Job they have and more.

We like to pick and choose and customize everything that we get based on what we like and our own preferences. We look at what is good in our own eyes and we build these list.

In today’s culture we are use to getting what we want and rejecting anything that is different, instead of accepting and working with what is given to us. Accepting what is given to you and working with it is what is expected in an arranged marriage.

Today we are going to talk about the Husband in an arranged marriage as He enters Jerusalem and is recognized by the world. This arrangement was orchestrated by God as He chose the bride out of His love, Grace and goodness. This perfect Husband is Jesus and His bride is His people, the Church.

Big Idea- Jesus is the promised seed and the Eternal King who brings peace between God and man, His Kingdom will reign forever.

Take Aways

Jesus is the promised seed

Jesus is coming, we are to watch for His return.

Fear God and not man.

Our main text today is coming from John 12:12-19 . But before we go into the main text I am going to briefly summarize some of the events that happened prior to this passage.

Jesus was ministering throughout the land and as he ministered he did a series of miracles. The recorded miracles ramped up with Jesus healing the man who was blind from birth in John 9 with Jesus topping this Miracle climaxing at raising Lazarus from the dead after Lazarus was dead for four days and had begun to smell. Then Jesus travels to Jerusalem.

We will go to our main text John12:12

John 12:12–13 (NKJV)

The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:

“Hosanna!

‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’

The King of Israel!”

Jesus had many people following Him because of his ministry as well as those who had seen him performing miracles. In fact when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead that increased the number of people following Him and who believed in Him.

John 11:45 NKJV

Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.

Now looking at verse 13 we see that the crowd identifies Jesus as the Christ.

What is the Christ?

We say Jesus Christ so much that many people think Christ is Jesus’s last name!

The Christ is the anointed one, or the messiah. The messiah is the promised deliverer. The one who came to save us.

How did the people know that Jesus was the Christ, and why were they looking for a savior?

In Genesis God created everything, and he created man and woman. Well man and woman rebelled against God and brought sin into the world. This broke the relationship between God and man. But God already had a solution to the problem of Sin, a solution that would include reconciliation, and the solution is the saviour and this savior would come through the seed of the woman. Meaning this would be a child who comes from a virgin birth. We see this promise first in Gen 3:15

Genesis 3:15 (NKJV)

And I will put enmity

Between you and the woman,

And between your seed and her Seed;

He shall bruise your head,

And you shall bruise His heel.”

The Jews were then able to track this promise continuing through the family lines including Noah, and Abraham and so on. God gave different promises that preserved the promised seed where He was born to Mary. A few sermons ago Pastor Cory Johnson went through the genealogy of Jesus in depth. To see the tracking of the line you can look at Luke 3:23-38. This shows the line from Adam to Jesus.

Alot of times people think that it ends with the death of Christ on the Cross and then His Resurrection. It does not. Jesus gave us a task to continue to spread the Gospel and to go out and make disciples. He also let us know that He would be returning and he gave us several signs so that we will know when his return is near.

When Jesus came to Jerusalem the Jews were looking for the Messiah and they identified Him as the Messiah based on what scripture said. Today we should also be watching for the return of Christ with the same level of anticipation.

Jesus says in

Luke 21:25–28 NKJV

“And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

So here we see that Jesus gives us several signs to look out for, in watching for His return as we look for Him. So someone might say

Why is it important that Jesus returns? Why do Christians look forward to it?

When Jesus returns he completes all of His promises. Jesus will take His place as King of King and Lord of Lords ruling here on earth. All things will be made new and there will be no sin or suffering. We will be in the presence of God forever.

We see a brief picture of this in Rev 21:22-27

Revelation 21:22–27 NKJV

But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

This is what we as believers have to look forward too. So just as the Jews were anticipating Christs arrival, we also should anticipate His return.

Looking back at John 12:13 Where it says,

John 12:13 (NKJV)

took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:

“Hosanna!

‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’

The King of Israel!”

we see the crowd crying out “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!, the King of Isreal!”

The phrase that the crowed was using came from Psalm 118 Primarily from verse 25 and 26 where it says. Psalm 118:25-26

Psalm 118:25–26 (NKJV)

Save now, I pray, O Lord;

O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.

Here in John 12 Hosanna means “save now”.

During this time the Jews were being oppressed by Rome as Rome was the world power at that time and they were in control of the region.

Have you ever been called upon for your expertise only to have the person who called you attempt to tell you the solution to their problem that they were unable to solve?

I actually did this to some technical experts fairly recently. Not to long ago two of my daughters gizmo watches were damaged physically. These are watches that allow them to call people and for us to call them and track them.

I had insurance on the devices so I called in and filed a claim. Well we were able to get the claim done and they sent replacement devices to me. Once the devices came in I called to have the new devices activated but there was a problem. Once device was activated fine but the other was not showing service.

So i was on with Tech support a while and they were not able to fix it. The call eventually dropped. I ended up calling back and talked to 3 more people over the next few hours and none could seem to fix the issue. I called back the next day to get the issue resolved.

Now I worked as a customer service technician back in 2010 so I thought I knew something. So at this time I was calling them letting them know , “what you need to do is to replace this device”. When I told them that the tech told me that they needed to go through their troubleshooting process.

I have no faith in this person whatsoever and the whole time i’m pretty much telling them to replace the device. Then the device starts to work.

The last technician knew what she was doing and she resolved my issue. I thought I knew what the problem and the solution was and I thought I needed a new device right then, but that's not what I needed.

In verse 13 the Jews are recognizing Jesus as the Christ, however they are asking for salvation now. They think their problem is an earthly problem and that Jesus came be a political ruler who would free them from Roman oppression. The Jews expected and wanted Jesus to reign and rule over the earth immediately. However Jesus did not come for that the first time. He said,

John 18:36 NKJV

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”

Luke 17:20-21 also says.

Luke 17:20–21 NKJV

Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”

Jesus Kingdom is a spiritual one, not one to engage in the natural politics of this world at that time. Of course when the Jews found this out they rejected Jesus because He was not bringing salvation the way they thought it should be brought. When in fact what He brought was so much more important, eternal salvation, reconciliation with the father.

In this we will want to look at ourselves and how we engage with the things of God. Do we see ourselves responding like the Jews projecting our own will and desires on God? Are we pressing our desires on God keeping a mindset that our way is the right way? We should be emptying ourselves and allowing the Word of God to conform our minds to accepting His will in all areas of our lives, we do not project our will on Him.

Back to our main text, John12:14-15

John 12:14–15 (NKJV)

Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written:

“Fear not, daughter of Zion;

Behold, your King is coming,

Sitting on a donkey’s colt.”

Jesus’s method of entry fulfilled prophesy. The Prophesy that He fulfilled is from Zech 9:9

Zechariah 9:9 (NKJV)

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, your King is coming to you;

He is just and having salvation,

Lowly and riding on a donkey,

A colt, the foal of a donkey.

This prophesy fulfilled shows that Jesus is the Christ, He is the Eternal King who will reign forever.

The crowd loved the Idea of a triumphant King riding in. However what they didn't understand is that Jesus came as a humble servant. Who would sacrifice Himself so that we could have salvation.

But when Jesus returns He will come as Judge and King.

Revelation 19:11–16 NKJV

Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS

This is how Jesus will return.

Back to the main text.

John 12:16 NKJV

His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.

John does not tell much about it, however in Luke it shows how Jesus sent the disciples to get the donkey that Jesus rode on, this account is in Luke 19:28-36

Luke 19:28–36 (NKJV)

When He had said this, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. And it came to pass, when He drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples, saying, “Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here. And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you loosing it?’ thus you shall say to him, ‘Because the Lord has need of it.’ ”

So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them. But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, “Why are you loosing the colt?”

And they said, “The Lord has need of him.” Then they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him. And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road.

So when the disciples were getting the donkey or the colt for Jesus to ride in on, and when they placed their clothes on the donkey for Him to Sit on. The prophesy from Zech 9:9 that we read earlier , was in the minds of the crowd when Jesus rode in, but it did not come to the minds of the disciples.

Although they were ignorant in what they were doing or why they were doing it, they were obedient to Jesus.

At times in our lives we are called to do things by the Lord and we do not initially know the reason but we do it obediently. Then we look back in hinds sight and we see what the Lord was doing in or through our lives.

So looking at John 12:16 **

John 12:16 NKJV

His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.

it says “when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him”. You may be wondering, what does it mean to be glorified? and what does that have to do with the disciples remembering these things?

When this is referring to Jesus Glorified, it is referring to the resurrected Jesus. Before Jesus was resurrected he had a corruptible body like you and I.

However when Jesus was resurrected He was the first to be resurrected into an eternal glorified body, one that will last forever.

Once Jesus was resurrected He got with the disciples and taught them more about the scriptures and opened their understanding.

Luke 24:44–48 (NKJV)

Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.

Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things.

In addition to teaching the Disciples these things, before he ascended to heaven he let them know that He would send a helper that would help them to remember what they were taught and the Holy Spirit would continue to teach them.

Jesus said

John 14:26 NKJV

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

In our main text, in John 12:16***

John 12:16 NKJV

His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.

We see that Jesus taught the Disciples that proper perspective of what was happening during His arrival to Jerusalem on a Donkey. They now understood that this was a fulfillment of prophecy.

Back to our text John 12:17-18

John 12:17–18 NKJV

Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness. For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign.

So these two verses are letting us know the background of what was going on. Jesus had just come from raising a man from the dead and this act caused more people to believe in Jesus.

Not only are the witnesses following Jesus, but the people that the witnesses told about Jesus and him raising Lazarus from the death brought even more interest and followers.

This was a problem for the Pharisee’s who were the religious people in power. In fact even before Jesus got to Jerusalem some of the people who witnessed Jesus raising Lazarus told the Pharisees and the pharisees started to plot to Kill Jesus.

John 11:45–57 NKJV

Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him. But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, “What shall we do? For this Man works many signs. If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.” And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.” Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad. Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death. Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples. And the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went from the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves. Then they sought Jesus, and spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple, “What do you think—that He will not come to the feast?” Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might seize Him.

Here we can see the heart of the religious rulers who were opposed to and plotted on Jesus. They feared that the Romans would take their positions of power and take their nation that they controlled.

John 12:19 NKJV

The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!”

Here we can see the Pharisee’s fear reflected here. The Pharisee’s were terrified when they saw that so many people were following Jesus.

The Pharisee’s had a serious fear of man issue. They feared the Roman Empire more than God, and they loved power, status and the world more than God.

They were so wrapped up in loving and trying to protect the wrong things that they ended up plotting on the Christ, who was sent to redeem the World.

Many times we want to identify ourselves with Jesus, as one of the disciples, or as a member of the crowd excited to see Jesus.

But if we reflect on ourselves, how many of us see a little pharisee in us. How many of us see that we fear man more than we fear God, or we love the world and the things of this world more then we love God.

How many of us see ourselves like the crowd the cried out “save us now” hoping that Jesus was there to do what they wanted Him to do instead of having the posture of use me Lord, your will be done in my life.

As we read and reflect on this passage. We see that the crowd was correct in identifying that Jesus is the Christ.

Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, He is the Eternal King. We who are believers are to follow Him as Lord of our lives living for His will to be done in our lives and and not for our own.

And we long for the return for our Lord to reign and rule

being in His prescence forever.

Take Aways

Jesus is the promised seed and the Eternal King.

Jesus is coming, we are to watch for His return.

Fear God and not man.