Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem

John 12: 12-19

¹²The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. ¹³They 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!" ¹⁴Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written,
¹⁵"Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion;
see, your king is coming,
seated on a donkey's colt."

¹⁶At 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 they had done these things to him.

¹⁷Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. ¹⁸Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him. ¹⁹So the Pharisees said to one another, "See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!"

I. Message:

Content:

• The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They welcomed him as king. (v.12~13)
• Author used (Zechariah 9:9) Old Testament to describe the day Jesus entered into Jerusalem. (v. 14-15)
• The disciples did not understand all this until Jesus was glorified (death, resurrection). (v. 17)
• The crowd, who heard Jesus called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead, joined the people to meet Jesus. (v. 18)
• The Pharisees blamed and accused each other for they couldn’t do anything, when they saw the crowd had come out to meet Jesus and were shouting “Hosanna!” (v. 19)

Themes: Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem

II. Who is God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit?

• Jesus Christ was crucified for us. (v.12)
• Jesus Christ was sent in the name of God. (v.13)
• Jesus Christ was the king of Israel. (v. 13, 15)
• Jesus Christ was glorified. (v. 16)
• Jesus Christ was the Bible’s revelation. (v. 16)
• Jesus Christ called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead and did miracles. (v. 17~18)
• Jesus Christ drew people from all over the world. (v. 19)

III. What does this passage teach us (about commands, promises, examples, exhortations and warnings)?

1. Catch the right time to do things

No matter what Jesus did, it was never from his own will or without a plan.

He planned and followed the schedule arranged by God. He often said that his time was up or his time has not arrived yet…etc in bible. These not only show that Jesus complied exactly with God’s will. But it also shows that Jesus is good at doing things at the right time.

Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem is a concrete example. He chose a day when Jews got together to have a feast, a place where the crowds could meet and see him – Jerusalem. He declared his mission and identification in public. All these obviously show that Jesus obeyed God’s will, acted it out by God’s plan and at the right moment.

Reflections: Am I having the positive attitude and thoughtful mind to do services in God’s will or only doing things according to my brusque careless thoughts?

2. Jesus was crucified for us

Jesus came to the world in order to cleanse our sins. He was born to die for us. He is God and human. As a human, he was scared and hesitated when he was faced the cross, but he still followed the will of God and walked toward the cross.

Reflections: Am I brave and strong enough to face challenges that God will give me?

3. Symbolizes the Prince of Peace

Jesus found a young donkey and rode upon it, as it is written, "Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey's colt." (v. 14~15)

According to Middle Eastern customs, all kings ride horse when they are out on the street, especially warhorses. Jesus is a king, and the crowd came out meet him on the street. But he chose to ride a donkey. Obviously, He was not the same as those kings on earth. He did not conquer people by force but by love. He even sacrificed his life to reconcile people with God. Thus, he is the Prince of Peace.

Reflection: I am a follower of Jesus; do I take Jesus as a model to become a prince of peace?

4. Slow comprehension of disciples

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 they had done these things to him. Most of Jesus’ disciples, who comprehended and realized afterward, didn’t understand what all it was about until Jesus glorified – died in the cross, resurrection. They had memorized by heart that Jesus had told and written to them about all these already.

Reflection: Do I believe in God’s teachings, bible’s revelations, and God’s promises? Or believe it until……?

5. Various crowds

When Jesus entered into Jerusalem, the crowd welcomed him on the both sides of street. But everyone had different motives.

1. Because of curiosity.
2. Expecting Jesus as a political king on the earth to lead them out of the ruling of Roman Empire.
3. The Pharisees were against Jesus, but they could not deter the crowd from following Jesus. The Pharisees blamed one another.

Reflection: If I were there, what kind of crowd would I have been in?

Translated by Teresa Yang