Make Way For Our King

King Jesus

John 12:12-

John 12:12–16 NIV

The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!” Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.

Jesus came to usher in the kingdom of God. He came to set up a rule and reign and this truth is seen in his final entry into the city of Jerusalem.

Jesus came in the manner of the kingdom that He was ushering in. He came welcoming all who would come.

Jesus came not on a white horse, but on a donkey, the sign of peace. This is the victory of the kingdom, that we are at peace with God. Jesus knows the only real thing to fear is God’s wrath.

Our King

John 12:17-

John 12:17–22 NIV

Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!” Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

This was not the kingdom that the people were looking for. They desired for Jesus to save them from their current woes. Jesus was there to heal them from their infirmities and pains. Jesus was celebrated as king for they believed he would set them free from the Roman rule.

This kind of freedom just enslaves us. To be set free from Rome was to become enslaved by the religious leaders or the next great empire. To be free from our infirmities leads to enslavement in something else or enslavement to death.

Jesus came to set up His kingdom, not to set us free. But in his kingdom, Jesus offers us what we really need, peace with God.

The Kingdom of Jesus

John 12:23-

John 12:23–36 NIV

Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?” Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.

Jesus now describes the process to enter into the kingdom of heaven, following in Jesus’ footsteps. Jesus ushers in the kingdom by pursuing God and His will over self.

Entering into the kingdom of God is not about service but rather about pursuing God. Service is a by product, laying down your life is a byproduct. Chasing after the Lord is how we enter into heaven. God does the lifting up.