The Triumph of Peace
Notes
Transcript
The Triumphant Entry
The Triumphant Entry
As we read John 12 we are hot on the heels of Lazarus’ resurrection. This has made the already popular Jesus into an unstoppable force as the Pharisees and other religious leaders are concerned.
12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”
This warm welcome is because:
17 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. 18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign.
So they want to come and make Jesus king. At first glance this sounds wonderful! Jesus is the Son of David, the promised king of Israel who would reign eternally. He’s been proclaiming his status as the Son of God and the Christ through his signs and miracles, and people are swept up in the excitement of it all and want to make him their king.
But this isn’t the first time someone has tried to make him king. Back in John 6:15, after he had fed the 5,000 we read:
15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
They were going to force him to be king. Now Jesus is king and wants people to recognize that, so how can people force him to something he already is? Because they want to force him into their idea of a king. In John 6 that idea was a king who provided food and served their desires. In John 12 not much has changed.
Psalm 118
Psalm 118
13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”
They greet Jesus in two notable ways: with palm fronds and shouting a quotation of Psalm 118:25. Both of these signify the kind of king they want Jesus to be - a nationalistic leader who cuts off the foreign nations in a violent crusade.
Psalm 118 was sung every Passover - which is being celebrated in this chapter. It’s a reflection on God’s steadfast love for his people and a prayer for his help:
25 Save us, we pray, O Lord! O Lord, we pray, give us success!
“Save us we pray” in Hebrew is pronounced ‘Hosanna.’
That seems harmless until you see what success they are praying for:
10 All nations surrounded me; in the name of the Lord I cut them off! 11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the Lord I cut them off! 12 They surrounded me like bees; they went out like a fire among thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
Palm Leaves
Palm Leaves
And then we have the palm leaves. Historically these were only used in the Feast of Tabernacles as Israel celebrated God’s providence for them in the wilderness wanderings. But over the centuries they took on significance in other ways.
There are some books called the Book of Maccabees. It’s not inspired but is really useful. It details a big part of Israel’s history in between the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New. It deals specifically with a time period in which Israel was overrun with pagan oppressors who were driven out by Jewish warriors.
Simon the Maccabee drove the Syrians out of Jerusalem and when he entered the city…
51 And he entered into it on the twenty-third day of the second month of the one hundred and seventy-first year with praise and palm branches, and with lyres and with cymbals and with stringed instruments and with hymns and with songs, because a great enemy was crushed from Israel.
Simon was like the Jewish George Washington. He was the one who secured Israelite independence. And he was greeted with palm branches. The symbol stuck well enough that coins were minted in Israel with the Palm Leaves as a symbol of Israelite independence.
Likewise, Simon’s brother Judas Maccabeus, purified the temple after taking Jerusalem
1 Now Maccabeus and those with him, the Lord going before them, obtained the temple and the city. 2 They destroyed the altars that had been built by the foreigners in the marketplace and also the shrines. 3 And they purified the temple; they made another altar and, upon striking a fire with flint stones and taking some fire from these, they offered up sacrifices and incense and lit the lamps, and they performed the presentation of the loaves after a span of two years.
6 And they observed with cheer eight days in the manner of the Feast of Tabernacles, remembering how a little before, during the Feast of Tabernacles, they were grazing on the mountains and in the caves like wild animals. 7 Therefore, holding ivy wreathed wands and branches with ripe fruit and still also date palm fronds, they were thankful to the one who helped to cleanse his own place.
So the palm fronds are associated with God’s deliverance from Gentile oppressors and the heroes God uses.
When the people greet Jesus singing Psalm 118 and palm fronds reminiscent of past violent uprisings, they’re telling Jesus who they think he is - another warlord come to overthrow Rome and reestablish Israel as an independent nation.
Riding on a Donkey
Riding on a Donkey
But Jesus is never the kind of king people expect. In response to the crowds nationalistic zeal, Jesus rides in on a donkey.
14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, 15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!” 16 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.
It’s only after Jesus’ glorification, after his death, that the disciples see the significance of this act. Right now they’re likely caught up in the moment with just as much nationalistic zeal as the rest of the crowd. Only after Jesus dies do they see who he died for.
We’re told that this is a fulfillment of what Zechariah wrote:
9 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.
And as always we need to read this in its larger context.
We can start back in Zechariah 9:1 where we read of God’s plan to retake the promised land of Israel, moving in from the North and moving down South to take Philistia:
1 The oracle of the word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrach and Damascus is its resting place. For the Lord has an eye on mankind and on all the tribes of Israel, 2 and on Hamath also, which borders on it, Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise. 3 Tyre has built herself a rampart and heaped up silver like dust, and fine gold like the mud of the streets. 4 But behold, the Lord will strip her of her possessions and strike down her power on the sea, and she shall be devoured by fire. 5 Ashkelon shall see it, and be afraid; Gaza too, and shall writhe in anguish; Ekron also, because its hopes are confounded. The king shall perish from Gaza; Ashkelon shall be uninhabited; 6 a mixed people shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of Philistia.
Israelites could read down to verse 6 and shout “Oohrah!” God’s coming back! He’s bringing judgment against the enemy and reclaiming the land of Israel for Israelites - not those filthy Gentiles!
But read on with what God does with the Philistines:
7 I will take away its blood from its mouth, and its abominations from between its teeth; it too shall be a remnant for our God; it shall be like a clan in Judah, and Ekron shall be like the Jebusites. 8 Then I will encamp at my house as a guard, so that none shall march to and fro; no oppressor shall again march over them, for now I see with my own eyes.
God is going to take the Philistines, those classic unclean enemies of Israel, and purify them and make them his own. Blood and unclean foods were forbidden for the Jews and God is going to take it away from them so that they can be a clan like Judah. Ekron, one of the major Philistine cities, will be like the Jebusites - the original inhabitants of Jerusalem that were absorbed into Israel. And God himself will watch over them. And as he watches he sees something with his eyes:
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 king is coming, but he’s anything but the warrior king so many hoped for.
He’s not on the warhorse, but a donkey
He’s not leading a crusade but disarming of God’s people - no chariots or war bows
Instead he speaks peace to the nations
And despite his reluctance to wage war with the sword he is still righteous - committed to establishing justice and righting wrongs. Despite his unwillingness to enter into battle - he’s still victorious and rules from sea to sea, to the ends of the earth.
Connect: Jesus Is Making Things Right
Connect: Jesus Is Making Things Right
As much as we criticize the Jews for misunderstanding of the Christ, we can’t fault them for having a deep sense of things being wrong. Rome was oppressive, violent, and unwelcome. We would share the same sense if we in America were occupied by a foreign nation with higher taxes and a bigger gun.
And even though we aren’t occupied I think we have a deep sense that things are wrong in the world and that something ought to be done about it.
Well Jesus is doing something about it. Just not the way we hoped for.
We wanted to conquer our enemies - he aims to conquer their hearts
We wanted to be safe by eliminating the enemy - he wants to bring them into the safety of his sheep pen
We want to win by making them lose - he wants to win all people to himself
There are two ways to get rid of an enemy
You can kill them
Or you can transform them into a friend
Jesus doesn’t rule by putting his enemies to death. He rules by by inviting them into his peace.
Remember, that’s what he did to you.
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
Weak
Ungodly
Not worth dying for
Sinners
Deserving of the wrath of God
Enemies
After so long of being a Christian it’s easy to loose sight of where we all came from - especially if we were ‘born in the church.’
But God had every right to put you down at any moment. All those Psalms that pray for the destruction of God’s enemies at one point were prayers against us.
But instead of taking the sword to us, the king spoke peace.
Speaking Peace to the Nations
Speaking Peace to the Nations
11 As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. 12 Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double. 13 For I have bent Judah as my bow; I have made Ephraim its arrow. I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and wield you like a warrior’s sword.
Blood of the covenant should stand out to us
In the OT it’s only used here and in Exodus 24:8 - the Mosaic covenant
In the NT - only in reference to the Lord’s supper
Jesus is riding into Jerusalem to offer his blood and bring these effects
The prisoners are going to be set free
Prisoners of hope will return to the strongholds
And he will wield his people against the Greeks like a warrior’s sword
That sounds like a return to violence
Especially given Israel’s history of rebelling against the Greeks and driving them out
But the whole picture of Jesus has been how he isn’t going to wage a physical war against the nations
Remember, in Zechariah 9:10, Israel’s been disarmed
God conquers nations by speaking peace to them, with a peaceful people
Something we see happening right after Jesus’ triumphant entry
19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.” 20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.
The Pharisees say more than they know. There are Greeks coming to see Jesus! A nation that Zechariah mentioned specifically (Zech 9:13)!y
And look at how much time John takes to describe how they come to Jesus:
Greeks go up to the feast
They go to Philip
Philip goes to Andrew
Andrew and Philip tell Jesus
It seems like a lot of unnecessary words to say “Some Greeks came to see Jesus.” Why do we have to know about Andrew and Philip’s completely irrelevant part in this interaction?
Maybe it’s because Andrew and Philip were the first evangelists in John’s Gospel.
Jesus told Andrew to come and see where he was staying
Andrew then went and found his brother Peter
Jesus found Philip and told him “Follow me.”
Philip then went and found Nathanael and said “Come and see!”
The first evangelists first brought Jews to come and see Jesus. Now they’re bringing the rest of the world to come and see Jesus so he can speak peace to them.
Apply: Speak Peace!
Apply: Speak Peace!
Jesus isn’t the only one who speaks to the nations - we do!
And we need to speak the same kind of peace to the same people that Jesus does.
Peace:
no disturbances
no conflict
By that definition I have peace with my neighbor - I’ve never met the guy!
I rang his doorbell once and he was so peaceful he didn’t even open the door!
MLK’s Negative peace
There’s still a problem - we just don’t talk about it
There was peace before the Civil Rights. They brought a lot of conflict
Have we settled for a negative peace in our community?
Elephant in the room - most people are going to hell
My family
My neighbors
We settle for a negative peace - don’t rock the boat!
We sacrifice the peace of God
Not just the absence of conflict - but the presence of love
Jesus could have settled for a negative peace by avoiding Jerusalem and his teachings altogether
Instead he rode in on a donkey, into the midst of his enemies, and endured conflict, so that he could bring peace
He did it because he loved you
Do you love the people in your life enough to do the same?
