John 12:12-19 - Jesus Proclaimed as King: The Triumphal Entry
Introduction:
The “triumphal entry” is found in all four Gospel accounts with varying components. Some of John’s unique details include the mention of palm branches (v. 13), the editorial reflection upon the significance of the event (v. 16), and the response of the Pharisee observers (v. 19). John uses the triumphal entry to highlight the popular support for Jesus from the crowds. He explains this popularity as being a result of the raising of Lazarus. On this “Palm Sunday” the “triumphal procession” of Jesus is a joyous celebration. It is not a formal affair sanctioned by the Sanhedrin or the Roman officials in Jerusalem. It is spontaneously staged by the common folk, the people astounded by the word that Jesus “called Lazarus from the tomb” (v. 17).
This is the revelation of Jesus as the coming King and involves both a false and true concept of His coming.
1. The crowds gathered for the Passover (v.12).
2. The false concept of Christ (v.12-13).
3. The true concept of Christ (v. 14-15 cf. Mark 11:1-11).
4. The triumphal entry (v. 14-15 cf. Mark 11:8-10)
5. Jesus’ reaction (Luke 19:39-44)
6. The disciples’ reaction (v.16).
7. The people’s reaction (v.17-18).
8. The religionists’ reaction: despair and rage (v.19).
1. The Crowds Gathered For The Passover (v.12).
a) A great multitude was swarming into Jerusalem for the Passover.
(1) The next day would be Sunday (which began at sundown on Saturday evening).
(2) It is estimated that over two million people were involved in the great Passover Feast.
(3) 256,500 lambs were slain at one Passover and that each lamb represented at least ten worshippers. This puts the number of people well over two million.
(4) Teeming thousands from all over the world were flooding into the city to observe the Passover.
2. The False Concept Of Christ (v12-13).
a) An earthly Savior.
One who is to bring utopia (an ideally perfect place, especially in its social, political and moral aspects) to earth for the people of God. The false concept sees Jesus...
(1) as the Conqueror: the One who is to straighten out the problems of this earth by overcoming all the enemies of mankind including evil men, hunger, disease, and poverty.
(2) as the Provider: the One who is to feed, house, and give health and plenty and success to man; as the One who is to be sought to bless man in all the good things of life.
(3) as the Indulgent, Passive Lord: the One who accepts man no matter what man does, just so he is somewhat religious; as the One who allows man to live as he desires, doing his own thing despite the sin and injustices and immorality of his behavior.
The False Concept Fails To See Two Things In Understanding The Messiahship Of Jesus.
(1) It fails to see the Demand Of Christ:
(a) to serve by reaching out to a world that is lost (Matt.28:19).
(b) for self-denial, a denial that demands the giving of all one is and has to meet the needs of the world.
(2) It fails to see the spiritual concern of Christ: His concern with:
(a) bringing peace between man and God
(b) saving man, and seeing to it that man lives with God and not separate from God;
(c) man understanding that God is holy, righteous, and pure;
(d) man living a life of faith and diligently seeking God;
(e) man living a holy, righteous, and pure life in order to be acceptable to God.
Note Several Significant Facts In This Point—
(1) It was “a great multitude” that “took braches of palm trees” and “went out” to meet Him and “cried out Hosanna” (v.12-13). Many today have a false concept of Jesus as the earthly King and Savior of man, as the Ultimate Santa Claus.
(2) “Hosanna,” which means save now, or save, we pray.
(a) Man desires to be free, but to be free on this earth so that he can move about and do as he pleases, thinking little if any about being free form the bondage of sin.
(b) Man thinks little about sin and death.
(c) Man thinks little of spiritual freedom, & eternal life.
The False Concept Of Christ Sees Him As The One Who Gives Us Material Blessings
What people fail to understand is that they must come to Jesus because they love Him, not because they can get something out of Him. They must come because of who He is, not because He blesses them with the earthly possessions.
b) God’s blessings are spiritual and heavenly, not material blessings (Ephesians 1:3).
(1) Spiritual blessings are of the Spirit. It is the Spirit that controls man and the circumstances that surround him. A man may feel bad; he may be down, depressed and oppressed; but if his spirit is strong, he arises and conquers his feelings. He controls and overcomes the oppressing circumstances, and he lives a victorious day. But if his spirit is weak, he often wallows around in self-pity, grumbling and griping and living a defeated day. And too often the days stretch into weeks and months until a person’s life is down more than it is up—all because the spirit is too weak to conquer. Therefore, the major blessings of God are bound to be blessings that are spiritual—that enable a person to control his life.
(2) Spiritual blessings are inward not outward. They are the blessings of the inner man, the blessings of the immortal. But of all blessings, they are the most glorious and satisfying. They are the blessings that take away the loneliness, alienation, and purposelessness of man. They are the blessings that give man peace and security.
(3) Spiritual blessings are eternal not temporal. They are permanent and perfect and eternal, lasting forever. An earthly inheritance does not last. It is subject to being lost, stolen or decayed. When we die, our material blessings are left behind. Spiritual blessings exist and can be experienced both upon earth (the physical dimension of being) and in heaven (the spiritual dimension of being).
(4) Spiritual blessings are found only in Christ. Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead and exalted to the right hand of God the Father. He is in heaven, surrounded by all the heavenly atmosphere and blessings. All heavenly blessings are His; He is Lord and Possesser of all blessings. Therefore, if a person is to experience the spiritual blessings, he must be in Christ.
"Endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier." (2 Timothy 2:3-4, NKJV)
"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." (1 John 2:15-17, NKJV)
"And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.”" (Acts 2:40, NKJV)
Palm Branches (v.13): These Were A Symbol Of Victory And Triumph. The palm branches were symbolic of a nationalistic spirit (like waving the American Flag). They were waved triumphantly as a conqueror rode through the city streets. The people were welcoming Jesus as the great Conqueror and mighty Deliverer.
3. The True Concept—The Colt (Mark 11:1-11).
a) The Colt—Christ Came In Peace (v.1-7; John 12:14-15).
(1) The Colt Was A Symbol Of Peace.
Kings and their emissaries used the colt in ancient days. When they entered into a city in peace, they rode a colt to symbolize their peaceful intentions (cp. the judges of Israel and the chieftains throughout the land, Judges 5:10; Judges 10:4).
Þ Jesus came to bring peace (Rom.5:1; Eph.2:13-14; Col.1:20).
This differed dramatically from a conquering King. When a King entered a city as a conqueror, he rode a stallion. John’s vision in the book of Revelation portrays Him as the conqueror on His war horse, coming to destroy the wicked, to overthrow the Antichrist, to defeat Satan, and to take control of the earth (cf. 2 Cor. 2:14).
Þ Jesus, when He returns, will return riding a white horse (Rev.19:11ff)
(2) The Colt Symbolized Service.
It was a noble animal, an animal used in the service of men to carry their burdens.
Þ Jesus came upon the colt symbolizing that He came to serve men and to bear their burdens for them (Matt.20:28; Phil.2:7-8; Heb.2:14-15,17-18; Heb.4:15-16).
(3) The Colt Symbolized Sacredness.
This particular colt had never been ridden before, and this fact had a sacred meaning (Mark 11:2). Animals and things used for religious purposes had to be animals and things that had never been used before (Numbers 19:2; Deut. 21:3; 1 Samuel 6:7). This detail points to the very sacredness of the event.
Þ It pictured for everyone that Jesus was deliberately taking every precaution to proclaim that He was the sacred hope, the promised Messiah of the people (John 6:38; 8:28-29; 11:25-27).
b) Jesus was dramatically demonstrating three things for the people:
(a) He was the Messiah, deliberately proclaiming that He was “the promised King”, “the Savoir of the people,” “the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). But the triumphal entry was something else as well.
(b) He was not coming as the conquering King. His mission was not to be the leader of an army to kill. He was coming as the Savior of Peace who had been sent to save all men. He was coming to show men that God is the God of love and reconciliation.
(c) Jesus was dramatically warning the people. They must change their concept of Messiahship. He was not coming as the national hero to save the world physically and materially by overthrowing the Roman and Gentile governments of the world. He was coming as the King of Peace to save the world spiritually and eternally. Spiritual and eternal salvation must occur first, then He would return to bring peace and national salvation to all men everywhere. He had to come first as the King of Peace; then He would come as the King of Conquest.
(d) Note an important fact! The stress of these verses is the painstaking details that must be followed, and they were followed to the most minute detail. Christ had a reason for making such detailed preparations to enter Jerusalem. He was deliberately fulfilling the prophecy of (Zech. 9:9) so clearly that men could not fail to see and understand that He was the Messiah. God wanted His Son to proclaim His Messiahship so clearly that the people could not mistake what He was doing. The men of Jerusalem and all men born thereafter were to be left without excuse.
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!" (Matthew 23:37, NKJV)
4. The Triumphal Entry Itself (Mark 11:8-10)
a) Christ came to “save now”, “help now” (Hosanna) (v.8-10).
(1) Note the word “many” (Mark 11:8), “very great multitude” (Matthew 21:8). They were proclaiming Jesus to be the Messiah, the Son of David who had come to deliver them from the bondage of Roman and Gentile rule (Mark 11:9-10). Of course by riding the colt Jesus was proclaiming that He had come to save now, but to save by bringing peace spiritually, not militarily .
(2) Jesus deliberately received the homage of the people. Apparently what happened was this. The multitude had begun to gather since early morning, excitedly looking for Him who had raised Lazarus from the dead. John tells us this. In fact, he says there were so many people that the Pharisees said “the world is gone after Him” (John 12:17-19). There was the crowd of disciples already accompanying Him, the pilgrims on their way to the Passover Feast who had joined His caravan, the residents of Bethany and Bethphage who had heard of His presence and the miracles, and those who were already in Jerusalem, citizens and pilgrims who rushed out searching for Him.
b) The Multitudes Did Two Things.
(1) They Received Him As King. This was shown by two acts that were always done for kings when they entered a city. They stripped off their cloaks and cut down tree branches, and they spread both out on the roadway before Him. They wished to honor and pay Him the homage of a King. They wished to show Him that they received Him as the promised King of Israel.
(2) They Received Him As Messiah.
Þ They shouted out “Hosanna” which means save now, or save, we pray.
Þ They called Him “the Son of David” which was the title of the Messiah .
Þ They shouted out “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” This means blessed is He who is sent by God to save His people; blessed is He who is sent with the authority of God.
Þ They shouted out “Hosanna in the Highest” which means “God save, we pray. You who are in the Highest, save now through Him whom You have sent.”
(3) We Must Receive Him As King and Messiah.
(a) We Must Proclaim Christ As Our King. He is to be the King of our hearts and lives, to rule and reign over us. But note the critical question: What do we mean by King? The people of Christ’s day were willing to accept him as an earthly King; that is, they were willing to accept what authority and power He would use in their behalf. We must be willing to accept what authority and power He would use on our behalf. The farthest thought from their mind was the spiritual rule and reign of their lives.
(b) We Must Receive Him As Messiah, The One Who Has Come To Truly Save Us. But again, what we mean by save is critical. We should not presume upon His earthly care and deliverance unless we are first willing to receive His spiritual care and deliverance (salvation and rebirth, the surrendering of all we are and have).
(c) We Must Lay All That We Have Before Christ, Not Only Our Clothes (Phil.3:7-8). Real saving faith makes a total commitment to Jesus Christ. A person who genuinely believes in Jesus Christ will give all he or she has and is to Christ
"Whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple." (Luke 14:33, NKJV)
"But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God." (Acts 20:24, NKJV)
"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." (Romans 8:18, NKJV)
"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich." (2 Corinthians 8:9, NKJV)
5. Jesus’ Reaction (Luke 19:39-44)
a) The great love of Jesus for the city (v.41-42)
(1) He wept over the city (v.41). Jesus was weeping while the city was partying
(2) The reason: The city rejected the way of peace; that is, it rejected the Messiah (v.42). the things that bring peace are now “hidden from their eyes”.
(a) The people have closed their eyes to Jesus and His message of peace.
(b) Jerusalem had lost its opportunity, now the time for judment had come.
(c) He turned Jerusalem over to their blindness (Matt.13:13; John 12:37-41; Rom.1:24; 11:7-10).
b) The terrible fate of the city foretold (v.43-44b)
(1) Was to be encircled (v.43)
(2) Was to be utterly destroyed (v.44a)
(3) Was to be personally judged (v.44b)
c) The cause of the city’s doom (v.44c)
(1) They did not know the “time of their visitation” (John 3:18-21).
(2) The chief priests and scribes missed the day of Christ’s birth (Matt.2:1-6).
6. The Disciples’ Reaction Is Clearly Stated (John 12:16). They simply...
(1) did not grasp the meaning and significance of what was happening.
(2) misunderstood Jesus’ Messiahship and Kingship.
(3) thought that Jesus was to be a worldly King and earthly Messiah.
The disciples were as guilty as the people in misunderstanding Scripture. The truth of Scripture—its prediction of these things and how Jesus fulfilled them—was made clear after the resurrection of Jesus. The task of revealing the truth to the heart of man was to be the task of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26).
When the Holy Spirit came, He quickened the truth to the disciples’ minds, and the disciples saw clearly how Jesus had fulfilled the Scripture in the Triumphal Entry.
b) Scripture is unfathomable; its depth cannot be measured.
(1) There is a world of truth herein, an eternity of insight. The Holy Spirit takes the believer and quickens his mind and heart to grasp the Scripture.
(a) To the man who seeks, the Spirit unfolds the Word of God and reveals the glorious truths of God.
(b) To the man who hungers after the Word, the Spirit fills his soul with the good things of God’s Word.
(c) To the man who thirsts after the Word, the Spirit pours the living waters of the Word into his being (Luke 12:12; John 14:26; 1 Cor.2:13; 1 John 2:27).
c) No man has an excuse for not understanding the mission of Jesus.
(1) Jesus came as the Prince of Peace and as the Savior of the world. He did not come to fulfill the lustful cravings and worldly ambitions of men. Men are to be saved by Him and to surrender their lives to Him as the Lord of glory who now sits at the right hand of God the Father
(2) Man is without excuse (Rom.1:20; Matt.3:2; Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 8:22; 1 Cor.6:20).
d) Believers must depend upon the Holy Spirit to understand Scripture.
(1) Scripture cannot be understood apart from the Spirit of God. Believers must...
Þ be the Lord’s in the truest sense.
Þ hunger and thirst after righteousness.
Þ come to the Word, the Bible.
Þ seek the Spirit for understanding.
Þ seek exactly what the Word says (not what men say).
Þ seek what the Word says to a man’s own heart (application).
Þ be prayerful, open-minded, depending upon the Spirit for illumination (eliminating all pre-conceived notions).
Þ study, rightly dividing the Word, letting the Word interpret the Word.
Þ study, seeking the approval of God, not of men.
Þ 1 Cor. 2:14; 1 Cor. 2:9-15; John 5:39; 1 Peter 2:2-3; 2 Tim. 2:15; 3:16; Col. 3:16; Acts 17:11; 20:32).
7. The People’s Reaction (John 12:17-18).
a) Many of the people were sincere: they “believed on Jesus” (John 11:45).
(1) But many were simply sightseers, wanting to be where the people were and where the action was. They were after the excitement, the sensational, the spectacular (John 2:23; John 12:9; Matt.12:38; 23:28; Mark 7:6; Luke 12:56-57; John 4:48; 6:30; Titus 1:16).
8. The Religionists’ Reaction Was That Of Despair And Rage (John 12:19).
a) The world has gone after Him!
(1) Standing there, they witnessed the whole scene of thousands swarming the roadway welcoming Jesus as the Messiah. Even the enemies of Jesus saw Him conquering the world. They became so upset and full of despair that they began to accuse and blame each other for the failure of their plots against Jesus.
“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”" (John 3:36, NASB95)
“Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”" (John 8:24, NASB95)
"Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God." (Hebrews 3:12, NASB95)
Thought 1. What a picture of how the world should be crying for the Lord’s deliverance! Men by teeming thousands should be lining the roadways crying for His salvation.
"He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth… that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;" (Acts 17:25-27)
“But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul (Deuteronomy 4:29)
"Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near." (Isaiah 55:6, NASB95)
"‘You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13, NASB95)