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The King Has Come for You
The Gospel of John
John 12:9-18
Sermon by Rick Crandall
Grayson Baptist Church - May 17, 2017
(Revised December 11, 2019)
BACKGROUND:
*Please open your Bibles to John 12, as we focus on one of the greatest wonders of Christianity.
Today's Scripture took place on the day that we call Palm Sunday.
It was the day of the Lord's triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
And it was a very important moment in the mission of our Lord, important enough to be recorded in all four Gospels.
By this time, Jesus had already raised Lazarus from the dead, and we are less than a week away from the cross.
(1)
*One of the most important things to know about this Scripture is that when Jesus Christ went into Jerusalem 2,000 years ago, He was firmly committed to die on the cross for our sins.
Jesus did not ride into Jerusalem to receive praise from His adoring fans.
Jesus rode into the city with His heart fixed firmly on the cross.
Luke 9:51 says: "Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem."
*As Jesus rode into Jerusalem, He was determined to die for us.
John reminds us of this truth in vs. 9-11:
9. Then a great many of the Jews knew that He was there (i.e.
there eating with Lazarus); and they came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.
10.
But the chief priests took counsel that they might also put Lazarus to death,
11. because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.
*You see, the unbelieving chief priests had wanted to kill Jesus for months.
And after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the religious rulers made the Lord's death a matter of official policy.
In John 11:47-54:
47. . . the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, "What shall we do?
For this Man works many signs.
48.
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.''
49.
And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all,
50.
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.''
51.
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,
52. and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.
53.
Then from that day on they plotted to put Him to death.
54.
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.
*Now here in John 12, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday, and He knew He was riding into the jaws of death.
But Jesus did that out of His love for both His Father and us!
*William Barclay explained: "Never in the world's history has there been such a display of magnificently deliberate courage as the Triumphal Entry.
We must remember that Jesus was an outlaw and that the authorities were determined to kill him.
All prudence would have warned him to turn back for Galilee or the desert places.
*If he was to enter Jerusalem at all, all caution would have demanded that he enter secretly and go into hiding.
But he came in such a way as to focus every eye upon himself.
It was an act of the most superlative courage. . .
And it was an act of the most superlative love, for it was love's last appeal before the end.
(2)
*With this background in mind, let's read John 12:9-18, and see what the Lord's triumphal entry into Jerusalem means for us today.
MESSAGE:
*Christians: Aren't you glad that Jesus came down that road 2,000 years ago?
-- Yes, of course!
But one of the greatest wonders of Christianity is that Jesus Christ has come here too.
By His Holy Spirit, our risen Savior has come here today just as surely as He went into Jerusalem 2,000 years ago.
The King has come!
And He wants to come to you.
1. FIRST JESUS COMES AS THE LORD OF LIFE.
*Verses 9-11 remind us of this great truth.
John said:
9. Then a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.
10.
But the chief priests took counsel that they might also put Lazarus to death,
11. because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.
*Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead, not after he had been dead 4 seconds or 4 minutes, but after he had been dead for 4 days!
It was an amazing miracle of God! Nobody could have done that but Jesus Christ.
And now the chief priests were planning to kill Lazarus again.
*Do you think Lazarus was afraid to die? -- No way!
Lazarus wasn't afraid, because he had already been to the other side, and he knew that Jesus is the Lord of life.
Jesus has the miraculous power to give both physical life and eternal life.
*There are many strong men in this world.
But the only man who could ever break the chains of death is Jesus Christ!
That's because Jesus is the eternal Son of God and the source of all life.
*John 1:1-4 confirms this truth for us.
There John called Jesus "The Word" and said, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men."
*Jesus Christ is the Lord of life!
Paul also confirmed this truth in Colossians 1:15-16, where he said this about Jesus: "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.
All things were created by Him and for Him."
There are many strong men in this world, but only Jesus is stronger than death and the grave.
Only Jesus is strong enough to be the Lord of life.
*Twenty years ago, I got to see some awesome feats of strength performed by Keith Davis from the Power Team.
Keith took a wooden baseball bat and pushed it against his thigh until it snapped like a toothpick.
I told Bobby Wilson I probably could have broken that bat, -- with my car.
*Then Keith took a one-inch steel bar about 6 feet long, wrapped a rag around the center.
-- Put it in his mouth, and bent it into the shape of a "U."
*Keith then gave his Christian testimony, and he said, "My true sign of my strength is not my bench press.
My true sign of strength is this…" Then he held up that broken bat in the shape of a cross.
Keith also said, "When I got saved, I gave my life to Jesus Christ.
I didn't just believe in the Lord; I belonged to the Lord."
*Jesus Christ is the Lord of life.
But is He the Lord of your life?
He wants to be, and He can be.
But you have to trust in the Lord.
2. JESUS COMES TO US AS THE LORD OF LIFE.
HE ALSO COMES AS THE KING OF KINGS.
*When the Lord rode into Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday, He rode into the city as a King.
Verses12-13 make this truth clear:
12.
The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
13. 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!''
*Some of the people there that day were worshiping Jesus as their long-promised king.
Rightly so because Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah and King of Israel.
The palm branches they spread on the road were used to give great honor to a victorious warrior or king.
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