Who is your King?

Welcome

Good morning church!

if you are watching online

welcome and thanks for logging in

Well, we are about to have a conversation that I hope to only have with you every 4 years or so

and hopefully not that often if I can help it

This morning before we really get started?

I want to talk politics for a moment

I often get asked why don’t I ever get political up here

why don’t I do sermons based upon whats going on in the world

things like that

and there is nothing wrong with those comments

as you already know

my priority to you all is

to ensure you get everything

out of the bible that you deserve

that you need

which is why I primarily

preach through entire books

Now with that said

God does some pretty awesome things

One of my friends and brothers in Christ

that is 100% topical asked me

what if the congregation needs to hear

something specific to that time

and your preaching through a book of the bible?

Well my response was

God has a pretty amazing way of working out His plan

On several occasions He lined up our text for the morning to be specifically what we needed

and this morning is no difference

What are the chances

that I would preaching over

Christs coming as the king

just 2-3 weeks before a very important

thing happens in our country

and that is the 2024 election

There is no doubt in my mind that His sovereign plan

set in motion before time began

designated that this morning

we would cover this text

in anticipation of the upcoming election

So with that said

I would like to talk about that for a moment

If you did not know already

election day is November 5th

and early voting has already started

And if you didn’t know this is a pretty important election

so, pastor

what do we do in this time

Well, I have some advice for you

First!

read your bible

align yourself with Gods will

understand He is the author of life

understand that He is the giver of love

understand that He is just

as well as full of grace and mercy

Understand that if we think a certain way

that if we have a certain opinion

that does not align with scripture

then we are the ones that are wrong

We must understand that a

christian worldview is based upon the bible

not our feelings

understand that a biblical worldview

takes scripture as the ultimate authority

no matter our opinions on the subject

Now with that said

What are we to do with our biblical christian worldview in tact

we are to vote

Vote according to your biblical worldview

a worldview that supports life

from the moment of conception

a worldview that supports freedom

freedom of religion

as well as the freedom of speech

a biblical worldview that supports traditional marriage

Did you know that there are 90 million

“christians” in this country

but only 40 million of them vote

Now with that said,

there are two candidates on the ballot this year

and despite what some of you may think

they both put on their pants one leg at a time

they both are subject to time

gravity

geography

they both have to eat

they both have to sleep

and they are both sinners

they both are in need of saviors

now, I am not in a place to say whether someone is saved or not

so I will not speak on that

But as this election closes in

let us understand

that no matter who is in the white house

Jesus is King

He always will be King

and He still resides upon His throne

Now, I agree

There is a lot at stake here

Im nervous

but I also know that God is sovereign

I know that nothing happens that is not according to His will or Decree

I know that through out all of history

God has used bad leaders to fulfil His plan

So, what is my advice for what we to do this election season?

Its really simple

Read your bible

Pray

and Vote!

according to the biblical worldview

But again, our hope is so much more than

red or blue

so much more then sides of the isle

see, our hope rode in on a donkey

And will come back again on a white horse

Our text this morning John 12:12-19

John 12:12–19 CSB

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!”

Let us Pray!

Introduction

In times of political tension,

people often look to leaders for hope,

direction,

and solutions to their problems.

Whether it's during an election season

or when facing global uncertainty,

there’s a tendency to place our trust

in someone who promises to bring change,

security, or prosperity.

The Jews in Jesus’ day were no different.

Under Roman oppression, they longed for a king who would rescue them and restore Israel’s glory.

But let me ask you a question?

In light of just reading this passage..

Do you think Jesus was the King they were expecting?

Or do you think they had an image of Jesus

in their mind of who they wanted Him to be?

See again,

their political climate was much like ours is today

they were in constant anticipation and wanting of things to get better

they are constantly worried about what those in power are doing

they are constantly reading their daily

Roman News Network

and getting antsy

They were tired of the way things were

They were tired of being taxed

they were tired of being monitored

they were tired of no longer being the nation that they once were

The people were tired

and they were ready for someone to

swoop in

someone to save them from

those in power

And it is the height of this political movement

That we enter into our passage this morning

And again,

we will explore if this Jesus

is this one they are putting all their faith in

to deliver them from their government

Is the one they were looking for

And we will work through that according to our 3 points this morning

Which are

The Kings Arrival (12-13)

The True King (14-15)

TWho is your King (16-19)

So let us begin with our first point of the morning

The Kings Arrival

Verse 12 begins with the next day

as typical John fashion we

have our time designation here

its the next day

Now I want to talk about this day for a minute

The day after the sabbath

the day after the dinner party

Now, if we take a look at Matthew 26:14-16.

we learn that after Judas made his interruption

after he was infuriated by the love of the disciples

which highlighted his own

pride, jealousy

greed, and envy

That very night,

he went to the chief priests and agreed to betray

Jesus to them

So, again the next day

is the day after his anointing by Mary

and the day after Judas agreed to Betray Jesus

Now, you wanna hear something pretty darn awesome

about this next day…

Turn your bibles with me to the book of Daniel

Chapter 9…. read with me

Daniel 9:24–26 “24 Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city— to bring the rebellion to an end, to put a stop to sin, to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy place. 25 Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until an Anointed One, the ruler, will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It will be rebuilt with a plaza and a moat, but in difficult times. 26 After those sixty-two weeks the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the coming ruler will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come with a flood, and until the end there will be war; desolations are decreed.”

Now the idea here for that

If you take in the context

the way they added things up back then

The literal translation is seven sevens

and sixty-two sevens

the idea is 69 weeks of years

or

69 times 7 years

Which comes to a total of 483 Jewish years

and if we add that to this decree

we end up with the year

AD 33

In the spring time, the Sunday / Monday before this very passover

Brothers and sisters

this isn’t just the next day

this is the day

as prophesied by Daniel

that the messiah

the anointed one

Would ride into Jerusalem

that is just mind boggling how perfect our

scripture and God is

So, on the this perfect day

the day after the last authorized Sabbath

the day after Jesus was anointed by Mary

the day after Jesus was betrayed by Judas

5 days until THE greatest of all passovers sacrifices

and

the day prophesied by Daniel

500 years before

It is on this day that

Our text continues with…

When the large crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem

Now, we read last week in V9 that there was a large crowd in Bethany that heard Jesus was there

So, if we look closely we have 2 large crowds here

the large crowds that were there to see Jesus and Lazarus in Bethany

And the large crowds described here that were going to the Passover Festival

now remember there a ton of people that flocked to Jerusalem for the passover

This was a required festival

which means men were required to attend along with their families

Estimates from historical documents noted that there were over

2 million people involved with the passover festival and feast

to put it another way

it is known that

256, 500 lambs were slain in one single passover

and get this,

1 lamb would represent at least 10 worshippers

so again that puts us at or above the 2 million in attendance mark

Can you just imagine a 4th of July celebration with over 2 million in attendance

all celebrating freedom

all looking forward to the messiah

all anticipating the one that will release them

We can only imagine the

vacation and carnival like atmosphere at this time

the patriotic ferver in the air

was bound to prevail in such

a large mod of people right

which sets the scene for the excitement over this passover

this passover that would reveal to them the messiah

they all knew Jesus would be there

With the political fever in the air and all that Jesus was doing

after all he just brought a man back from the dead

with all this going on they were

essentially foaming at the mouth to see this man

this messiah

this king

they had waited so long for

So, this large crown heard Jesus was in Bethany

then they heard he was coming to Jerusalem

Here it is!

They are thinking!

Their deliverer was coming

the one that pray for every day

really, every day they would pray for their messiah to come

Jews still do to this day

And He is in the neighboring town

So, these people

this large crowd from Jerusalem

began to pour out of the city to see Jesus coming and they

Took palm branches

now, these palm branches they were cut from date palm trees

and trust me

there were plenty around there

and there still are

So why palm branches?

well the OT doesn’t associate palm branches with the Passover

we dont see anything written about it there

so where do we get this from

Well, if you remember a few weeks ago we talked about the Macabean revolt..

I probably talked more about it that Sunday morning then I should have but

it all works together

its all part of one big story

See during the inter testimental period

the time between the Old and New Testament in our bibles

The palm branches became a symbol of victory and celebration

so much so that when

the Macabees kicked out the syrians that had defiled the temple

they entered it with pam branches

they celebrated their deliverance with palm branches then

and now, at this moment they are celebrating

what they THINK will be their deliverance from Rome

with what?

palm branches

And when the crowd laid them down,

it was a gesture of welcoming

a victorious king

We see then these 2 large crowds converge!

coming together united

one following Jesus from Bethany

and one coming to Him from Jerusalem

And as these crowds are coming together

we begin to hear them

Shouting!

John 12:13 “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord—the King of Israel!””

Their cries of "Hosanna" (which means "Save us now")

and the proclamation of Jesus as the "King of Israel"

echo Psalm 118:25-26,

a messianic psalm.

a psalm they no doubt have recited many

times as they await this very moment

when their messiah would ride onto the scene

But brothers and sisters

on thing we must notice here is that

their focus what not solely on Jesus for Jesus

at least the Jesus we know

No, instead their focus was purely political

See they wanted a king to save them from Roman rule,

They wanted a king to stop their

physical oppression

They wanted a king to save them from

their earthly troubles,

They wanted a king to give them power and position,

They wanted a king to lead them into battle, to restore their nation,

They didn’t want a king to confront their hearts, and call them to repentance.

NO! They wanted a king of conquest,

They wanted a king to crush their enemies,

Not break the chains of their sin and death

they wanted a king for the here and now!

Now the people were right in calling Jesus "King,"

but their understanding of what kind of king was lost

See they were looking for a political savior,

while Jesus came to be the suffering servant.

The crowd’s cry of "Hosanna!" was a plea for salvation,

yes

but it reflected a limited understanding of what they truly needed saving from.

They longed for a political savior,

but Jesus came as a spiritual savior

Their focus was on the temporary,

but Jesus came for the eternal.

Their expectations are clear:

they want Jesus to fulfill their nationalistic hopes.

See what they did was bring their ideas and expectation of who Jesus should be

to the table

And if we are honest with ourselves we tend to do the same thing

We do tend to want a “custom-made” Jesus—

One who will

fix our circumstances,

make us happy,

or help us achieve our personal goals.

When we pray, we often focus on asking Jesus to solve our problems or fulfill our desires.

instead of carrying out His will

We want Him to make our life easier,

to bless us with health,

wealth,

and happiness.

and while that isn’t bad in and of itself

it is when we make that our focus

that we downplay and degrade the kingship of Jesus

When we bring our own expectations of Jesus to the table,

it means that we project

our personal desires,

hopes,

or even misconceptions onto who we think Jesus should be,

rather than accepting Him for who He truly is

as revealed in Scripture.

Often, we might expect Jesus to align with our agendas

whether that’s in terms of comfort,

political victory,

success,

or personal desires

and when He doesn’t meet those expectations,

we may struggle with disappointment or even doubt.

But! what if we don’t bring those expectation to the table

Well my friends

that is when if gets good

As will see in our next point

The True King

This king Jesus

in fact

exceeds our expectations

The True King

In these next verses we will see the contrast between

what the people expected Jesus to be

And who Jesus truly is!

We see in the other accounts of Jesus entry

when He approached Jerusalem

that He wept

Luke 19:41–42“41 As he approached and saw the city, he wept for it, 42 saying, “If you knew this day what would bring peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.

Again, they saw Jesus’ entry as one of overthrow and dominance

one of war

revolution

not one of peace

that is why at the end of that statement from Luke He says

Luke 19:44 you did not recognize the time when God visited you.””

Now, synoptic gospels give us a lot more detail here

we see how Jesus acquired the donkey

and there is a lot of symbolism in that as well

You can find that in Luke 19, Matt 21, and Mark 11.

John doesn’t describe that here and we won’t get into that this morning

our text simply says

John 12:14 “14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written:”

See, after the crowds loud cries of “Hosanna” (God Save Us)

Jesus makes a surprising move doesn’t He?

He doesn’t ride in on some whitehorse

the way a conquering king would

no, He’s saving that for another time

Instead He finds a young donkey

and rides in on it

fulfilling yet another prophesy we find out of

Zechariah 9:9.

We find John’s rendition of that in V15

John 12:15 “15 Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion. Look, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt.”

This would have puzzled the crowd right?

a crowd expecting a white horse

with an armed rider

but instead they get a donkey?

They were expecting a political revolutionary,

not a humble servant riding on an animal associated with

peace and humility

And frankly

that is because Jesus didn’t come to save them from the Romans

No, He came to bring them

and us

Peace,

peace we didn’t even know we needed

because we are so blind

But none the less He brings peace

between God and Humanity

peace that had been interrupted

by sin

See His true mission

as the true king

was that of Isaiah 53.

as the suffering servant

whom would in fact

be the one who would bear

our sins

and take our punishment

in order to restore that peace

See Jesus was a king like no other

instead of the pomp circumstances associated with earthly kings,

He was instead meek and lowly

and instead of defeating His enemies by force

He conquered them by dying

But let us not underestimate the fact

While Jesus was despised and rejected the first time He came

He will return again one day

as the all powerful

all conquering King of Kings

and Lord of Lords

who will then shatter his enemies

who will destroy them with power

at the final judgement

But for now,

As jesus rides in on this donkey

Jesus is a king of humility and peace

and this stands in stark contrast to the world's version of power doesn’t it.

In a culture obsessed with control,

influence,

and personal success,

Jesus calls us to what

humility,

meekness,

he calls us to sacrificial love.

That is hard!

And if we are honest

we don’t always like that do we.

We want a King who will give us

immediate power and success.

we wan a king to give us worldly victory

We may not wave palm branches,

but how often do we expect

Jesus to fix our political landscape,

how often do we expect Jesus to fix our society,

how often do we expect Jesus to fix or our circumstances

according to whose terms

our terms right

But let us consider the way Jesus displays His kingship

We will see Him

wash His disciples’ feet in the next chapter

and then we will ultimately see Him

give His life for them.

See He didn’t come to be served,

as some earthly King would want or expect

as some president would demand

He didn’t come to order us filthy peasants around

and over run us with burdens

No, he came to serve (Mark 10:45). Just as we discussed with Martha

Yet, many of us live as though following Jesus should result in an exalted life right here and now.

We expect comfort,

but instead Jesus calls us to self-denial.

We expect honor,

but Jesus calls us to humble ourselves.

Brothers and sisters,

Jesus is not the King who demands His subjects serve Him—

He is instead the King who serves His people.

He laid down His life for us,

In Philippians 2, Paul calls us to have the same mindset as Christ Jesus, who, “being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant.”

Brother and sisters this is the true King

No king in all of history

has ever used all of His power

all of His might

all of His resources

for His subjects

None

None, except for king Jesus that is

Now, I also don’t want you to get some type of soft

version of Jesus in your brain just because I am talking of

Peace, humility, and meekness

NO

See, Jesus is much more than that

See Jesus as the true king also rules with Power and Authority

He is the King of all creation.

remember John 1:1

The Bible says that all things were made through Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16).

When He speaks,

the elements obey.

The same power

that created the stars

and set the tides in motion

is the same power that sustains them today.

Jesus’ kingship means that nothing in creation moves without His command.

Earthquakes? they shake as He wills it

Tides and oceans? They rise and fall at His word.

Stars? He hung every star in place and calls them by name (Psalm 147:4).

Seasons and time? They all flow in the pattern He designed.

So this isn’t a distant rule— a king we will never see

No, Jesus is actively involved and King in every part of creation.

just as much as He is actively involved in our lives

We should think of Jesus not as a king whom just rules over a city or a country

but over the entire universe

Jesus isn’t bound by the limits of human power—

His authority stretches from the deepest depths of the ocean

to the highest stars in the sky.

No government, no army, no force of nature can challenge His reign

He is the epitome of Strength

Hebrews 1:3 says that Jesus is "sustaining all things by His powerful word."

The forces that keep the planets in orbit,

the rotation of the earth,

the very breath we breathe,

are all held together by Him.

if Jesus removed His sustaining hand for even a second,

everything would collapse.

The tides would stop,

the stars would fall from the sky,

and life as we know it would cease to exist.

See the weight of His Kingship is as vast

as the universe itself

and His authority is stronger than any force of nature.

Nothing can resist His power.

That’s the King we serve—

That is the true king!

So, as we move to our 3rd and final point of the morning

Let’s ask ourselves

Who is Your King?

Is your king the one who writes your paychecks?

Is your or the one in the oval office

or the one you wish were there?

Is you king the one that makes your life easier

Is your king the one who grants you your every wish?

Or is your king the ruler of this universe?

is your king the king of kings and the lord of lords?

The sustainer of grace

the giver of mercy

well, think about that

As we move to our last 4 verses of the morning

where we will see 4 reactions to the triumphal entry of Jesus

So, Lets start with the disciples

John 12:16 “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.”

So the disciples were living in the moment right,

and they didn’t fully grasp the significance of what was happening.

They saw the crowds,

the palm branches,

the shouts of “Hosanna,”

but just like everyone else.

the deeper meaning escaped them.

they also had their own expectations of who Jesus should be

And it wasn’t until after His death, resurrection, and glorification

that they understood Jesus’ true mission.

It was only after some time

some reflection

and the coming of the Holy Spirit

that they fully understood the glory

of Christ that was fulfilled

in this moment

upon that Cross

and upon His resurrection

So let me ask you?

Are you trying to fit Jesus into your expectations,

or are you willing to follow Him and trust in His timing,

even when you don’t fully understand?

Then in V17 we see the crowd that had been with Him when He raised Lazarus

This crowd had seen one of the most powerful signs of Jesus’ divinity:

the raising of Lazarus from the dead.

They had witnessed Jesus’ authority

over life and death,

and they couldn’t keep quiet about it.

As they come into town with Jesus and even for the hours or maybe even days after

They told everyone they could about what they had seen,

bearing witness to the miraculous power of the true King.

This crowd saw Jesus

as the one with supernatural power,

but their understanding might have been limited

to what they wanted from Him.

They had seen miracles,

but did they see the true purpose of His kingship?

Were they drawn to Jesus for what He could give them in the here and now,

or for the eternal life He offered?

So let me ask you

Are you following Jesus because of what He can do for you,

or are you following Him because He is the King

who has power over life and death?

Then in V18 we see those that were swallowed up in the miracles themselves

not in what they meant or what they pointed to

they were ready for Jesus to wield that sword

they were motivated by the spectacular

They heard of what happened to Lazarus and that was enough for them

they didn’t need anymore info

Who cares what he taught

that didn’t matter

we need more miracles

we need more deliverance

is what they wanted

and they rushed out to see Him for themselves

Their enthusiasm was sparked by what

they had heard about His power.

They were drawn by the spectacle of it all—

the excitement,

the miracles,

and the possibility that Jesus might be the revolutionary leader they were hoping for.

Many in this crowd were probably caught up in the excitement of the moment.

They were willing to celebrate Jesus

as long as He fit their expectations.

But would they stay when things got tough?

This same crowd would later shout "Crucify Him!"

when Jesus didn’t meet their political and nationalistic desires.

So again, our question is

Are you a follower of Jesus when it’s convenient,

when it’s exciting,

or when He meets your expectations?

Or will you follow Him even when He leads you to the

cross

and asks you to carry your own cross

And finally

We see in V19 the pharisees reaction to all of this

they say

John 12:19 “19 Then the Pharisees said to one another, “You see? You’ve accomplished nothing. Look, the world has gone after him!””

Little did they know that yes

in fact the whole world will go after Jesus

as the gentiles will become part of this amazing plan of salvation

in fact we will see that in the following verses for another week

But in this moment

the Pharisees could see their world slipping away

they could see their power diminishing

they were intimated

They were threatened by Jesus

His growing influence

challenged their power and authority.

They were the religious leaders of the day,

but instead of embracing Jesus

as the fulfillment of the Scriptures

they saw Him as a threat to their control.

The world was indeed “going after Him,”

and it terrified them.

so rather than submitting to the true King, they sought to destroy Him.

See sometimes people don’t follow Jesus because they fear losing control.

They are more concerned with maintaining their status,

their influence,

and their comfort.

and the kingship of Jesus challenges just that

at it challenges

the kingdoms they built for themselves

So, Are you rejecting Jesus because

His kingship threatens your control, your pride, or your way of life?

These are some hard questions to answer

but together they should help us understand who our King really is

And I can ensure you

if is not you

and He doesn’t live in a white house

Conclusion

As we’ve seen today, there are many ways to react to Jesus. The disciples struggled to understand, the crowd testified of His power, others followed Him for the signs, and the Pharisees rejected Him out of fear and pride. But the question remains the same for each of us: Who is your king?

We often come to Jesus with our own expectations—expecting Him to fulfill our desires, meet our needs, and make life easier. But the truth is, Jesus didn’t come just to meet our temporary wants; He came to fulfill our greatest need. He came to conquer sin and death, to offer us eternal life, and to reconcile us to God. He didn’t come as a king to overthrow political systems; He came as a king to overthrow the power of sin and death.

If your king is anything other than Jesus—whether it’s money, power, comfort, or control—those things will ultimately fail you. Only Jesus, the true King, can offer you life, freedom, and a future.

So today, the invitation is simple. Will you acknowledge Jesus as the rightful King of your life? Will you lay down your own expectations and submit to the King who gave His life for you on the cross? He is the King who conquered death, rose from the grave, and offers you the gift of eternal life.

The Bible says in Romans 10:9, "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." Today, you can receive Him as your King by repenting of your sins, believing in His finished work on the cross, and trusting Him with your life.

So, I ask you again, Who is your King? Will you follow the world and its fading promises, or will you surrender to Jesus, the true King, who reigns over all creation and offers you eternal life?

Let today be the day you bow before the King of kings and make Him the Lord of your life.