Public Presentation of the King
John 12:12-19
A little boy was sick on Palm Sunday and stayed home from church with his mother. His father returned from church holding a palm branch. The little boy was curious and asked, “Why do you have that palm branch, dad?” The father said, “When Jesus came into town, everyone waved Palm Branches to honor him, so we got Palm Branches today.” The little boy replied, “Aw Shucks The one Sunday I miss is the Sunday that Jesus shows up”
Today in our study of the Gospel of John we come to the event that is often called Palm Sunday. All four Gospels report Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem that occurred just a few days before His arrest and crucifixion. John’s account of this event is fairly brief—only 8 verses. John does not tell us how Jesus prearranged for two of His disciples to procure the donkey and its colt. John does not tell us that the Pharisees insist Jesus silence those who are praising Him, and that Jesus refuses, indicating that if He does so the “rocks would cry out” (Luke 19:39-40). John does not report our Lord’s weeping over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44), nor His cursing of the barren fig tree (Mark 11:12-14, 20-26). John does not mention our Lord’s cleansing of the temple (see Matthew 21:12-13), nor does he inform us concerning our Lord’s miracles of healings, performed in the temple that final week of His ministry (Matthew 21:14). But John is the only one who mentions palm branches.
John limits the focus of Jesus’ public ministry that last week to just three important incidents here in John 12: (1) Mary’s anointing of Jesus in preparation for His burial (12:1-8); (2) Jesus’ “Triumphal Entry” into Jerusalem (12:9-19); and (3) the request of the Greeks to meet with Jesus (12:20-26). John concludes with an exposition on unbelief, rooted in the Old Testament Scriptures and in the words of our Lord Himself (12:27-50).
Today we will see that in this public presentation of Himself as the Messiah, Jesus was declaring Himself to be Israel’s King, but not the kind of King that they expected. As we study this account ask yourself: What kind of king is Jesus and how does His kingship apply to me?
Let’s begin by reading John’s account, John 12:12-19,
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!”
14 Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; 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 were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him. 17 Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness. 18 For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign. 19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!”
In this text, first we see the,
Timing of the King – John 12:12
Last time I mentioned from John 12:1 that Jesus arrived in Bethany “six days before the Passover.” There John tells us (John 12:2) “they made Him a supper,” and Mary anointed Jesus with the costly oil of spikenard. Now in John 12:12 he tells us that it was the next day after that dinner. As I pointed out in my introduction, tradition has it that this event occurs on Sunday, five days before Jesus’ death on Passover. Although there are a number of scholars who argue that it may have actually occurred on Monday.
One reason is that a Sunday processional would then require the dinner at Bethany to be on the Sabbath, which is not likely because Martha was serving (remember no food could be prepared or work could be done on the Sabbath day, unless they held the meal after sundown on Saturday. A Sunday dinner in Bethany makes more sense.
Another reason is the typology. Jesus was to be the perfect “Passover” sacrifice and the Mosaic Law required that the sacrificial lamb for Passover be selected on the 10th of Nisan (the first month) and then sacrificed on the 14th of Nisan. Assuming Jesus was crucified on Friday, the 14th of Nisan, if Jesus came into Jerusalem on that Monday, then He would have been fulfilling the symbolism of Passover to the smallest detail including being received by the Jewish nation on the 10th of Nisan the same way each Jewish family was receiving into their home the sacrificial lamb. Jesus was coming into Jerusalem as the “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).
In addition, if Jesus came into Jerusalem on a Monday, then all the days of that week are accounted with something recorded about what Jesus did that day. In traditional chronologies of the week, one day is considered “lost” because nothing is recorded about what Jesus did that day. Usually it is assumed it was a day that Jesus stayed in Bethany and rested.
The exact chronology of this week is difficult and both a Sunday and a Monday entrance are possible. So I will not be dogmatic about the day of the week. The important thing to note is that Jesus set the timing. This triumphal entry into Jerusalem no doubt came as a surprise to the disciples who witnessed it.
Our Lord’s previous visits to Jerusalem have always brought trouble. His journey to Jerusalem in John 2 is marked by the “cleansing of the temple” (2:12-22). In chapter 5, Jesus goes up to Jerusalem for an unnamed feast (John 5:1), and there, on the Sabbath, He heals a paralytic who has suffered from his malady for 38 years. When Jesus defends His actions by claiming to act with God, and as God, this completely sets the Jews off, so that they are intent on killing Him (John 5:18). Lord appears again in Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles in chapter 7. This results in a failed attempt on by the Jewish religious leaders to have Jesus arrested (John 7:30, 44-53). When Jesus makes the statement, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM!” (John 8:58), they immediately seek to stone Him. The healing of the man born blind in John 9 also takes place in Jerusalem, and it further intensifies the animosity of the religious leaders toward Jesus. In John 10 when Jesus is in Jerusalem for the feast of dedication (John 10:22) again the Jewish leaders try to arrest (John 10:39) or kill (John 10:31) Him, prompting our Lord to retreat to a remote location along the Jordan River (John 10:40-42). By the time we come to chapter 11, the disciples of our Lord are afraid to go to Jerusalem, fearing that they—along with Jesus—will die there (John 11:16). Opposition from the Jewish leaders intensifies after Jesus raises Lazarus from the death in John 11 and Jesus retreats from Jerusalem, once again—for a time (or should I say, till “His time”).
Not only is this event surprising because of the hostility of leaders in Jerusalem, it is also a complete reversal of all that Jesus has done in His ministry to this point. Jesus has avoided publically proclaiming His identity as Messiah. When a demon proclaimed Him to be the Holy One of God, He told him to be quiet (Mark 1:24-25). When He healed people, Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone (Mark 1:44; 7:36). Even when He raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead, He gave strict orders that no one should know about it (Mark 5:43)! When Peter confessed Jesus to be “the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” Jesus told His disciples not to tell anyone (Mark 8:30; 9:9). In John 6 when they tried to make Jesus king by force after He fed the 5000 John tells us (John 6:15), “He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.”
But now Jesus deliberately stages a public demonstration to proclaim Himself as Messiah in Jerusalem at the most widely attended feast of them all. Luke tells us that when some of the Pharisees in the crowd objected to the people’s shouts of, “Hosanna!” rather than quieting the shouts, Jesus affirmed them by saying (Luke 19:40), “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.” So there is a dramatic shift in Jesus’ ministry at this point.
Why? Jesus was waiting for the Father’s perfect timing. When Jesus’ mother wants Him to act in the wedding feast at Cana Jesus says (John 2:24), “My hour has not yet come.” When Jesus’ brothers want Him to present Himself publically at the feast of tabernacles Jesus told them, “My time has not yet fully come.” When the Jews tried to seize Jesus, John tells us in John 7:30, “His hour had not yet come.” Again in John 8 we read, “no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.”
Now finally here in John 12 as Jesus comes into Jerusalem before this Passover Jesus will say (John 12:23) “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified,” and speaking about His coming death He says (John 12:27), “for this purpose I came to this hour.”
So we see the perfect timing of the King.
Preparation of the King – John 12:14-15
John assumes his readers would already have familiarity with one or more of the other gospel writers, so his account just summarizes what occurs as Jesus enters Jerusalem. Matthew, Mark and Luke give greater detail including the preparation made for Jesus to enter Jerusalem according to the prophecies.
The other Gospels tells us that before entering Jerusalem, when Jesus came to Bethphage, He sent two of His disciples ahead of Him to procure a donkey and its colt (Matthew 21:1-6; Mark 11:1-6; Luke 19:29-34). The went into the village there between Bethany and Jerusalem and told the owner of the donkeys “The Lord has need of them.” While the term “Lord” could be used out of simple respect, the usage here is as a proper title. Jesus is Lord in the sense of being the ruler over all, the master, and He has need of these two animals.
Jesus would not enter Jerusalem as just a pilgrim or just a rabbi as He had done in past. Jesus must enter Jerusalem this time in a manner that would declare to everyone His identity. John tells us why Jesus needed to ride into Jerusalem this way. It was a fulfillment of scripture (John 12:14-15), “… as it is written: “Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey’s colt.””
This prophecy occurs in Zechariah 9:9. The “daughter of Zion” is a reference to Jerusalem which was often referred to as Zion because that is the name of the city’s highest and most important hill – Mount Zion. There were many prophecies concerning the Messiah, and this one noted that He would come as a king, but not in the usual way. A conquering king would come riding on a war steed or a carefully groomed white stallion. That is the manner in which Jesus come again at the end of the age as prophesied in Revelation 19: riding a white horse leading the armies of heaven. But for this entrance into Jerusalem, Jesus did not come as the leader of a victorious army. He came in the manner of a king of peace.
I like what one of my commentaries said about this. “He who makes his entry unarmed with unarmed followers on a peaceful animal must … aim at dominion in such a manner as excludes all force and political power.” That certainly fits Jesus. He was already ruler, though not acknowledged as such, and the manner by which He would gain dominion would not be by force of arms or by political power. Jesus came not in wealth, but poverty; not in grandeur, but modesty; not as judge, but as savior. He came into Jerusalem as Messiah, the king who would be the Passover lamb.
None of this was by chance. It was all orchestrated precisely by the sovereign hand of God. So we have seen the timing of the King and the preparation of the king. Now we see in John 12:13 the,
Reception of the King – John 12:13
The crowd who had come to Jerusalem for the feast (John 12:13), “took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him.” It seems there were two crowds converging that day. There was the crowd that had come along with Jesus as pilgrims to the feast. They had probably followed Him from Jericho and were with Him in Bethany. Then there was the multitude that came out from Jerusalem to see Jesus. John 12:9 says, “Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came.” They all line the road and accompany Jesus as He comes over the Mount of Olives and begins His descent into Jerusalem.
The other Gospels tells us that many in the crowd put their outer garments on the road before Jesus. This is a sign of respect. We do something similar in our own time in rolling out the “red carpet” for visiting dignitaries or the use of a runner in a wedding. For them, it also had the practical value of keeping the dust down. John tells us about the palm branches. Two centuries before Christ, Judas and Simon Maccabaeus had driven the Syrian forces out of Israel. Their victory was celebrated with music and the waving of palm branches (1 Macc. 13:51), which also had been prominent at the earlier rededication of the temple (2 Macc. 10:7). Thus palm branches were a symbol of Jewish nationalism and of victory over their enemies. The crowd was hopeful that Jesus was the messianic liberator who would free them from Rome’s domination (D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John [Eerdmans/Apollos], p. 432).
Their cry (John 12:13), “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” comes from Psalm 118:25-26, which is the climax of the Hallel (Psalms 113-118), which was sung at the Feasts of Tabernacles, Dedication, and Passover (Carson, ibid.). “Hosanna” meant, “Save now!” It may have been a prayer or just a cry of praise to God. The next line (John 12:13), “The King of Israel!,” is not from Psalm 118, but rather shows that the crowd understood Psalm 118 as referring to the Messianic King.
Imagine the commotion all of this would have caused. Jerusalem is already in a state of excitement because of the preparations for Passover. Then you hear and then see this huge crowd of people coming over the Mt. of Olives and down the road through the valley to enter Jerusalem through the East gate. The people are cutting down the palm branches and putting their coats down in front of Jesus as a sign of honor. At the same time people are shouting, “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! The King of Israel!” (John 12:13). And “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:38). And “Blessed is the kingdom of our father David That comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Mark 11:10). What a sight! What a wonderful event at which to be present!
What they were shouting out was exactly what was being done for them. Salvation was coming from the Messiah. Jesus was coming as Lord. The one who was from the highest heaven was bringing to them salvation.
Did the people understand all that they were saying? Sadly, for the most part, they did not. The people were still looking for a king who would save them from Roman oppression, not someone who would bring them salvation from sin’s oppression. What they were shouting was true, but most did not understood the significance of what was happening. Even the disciples did not fully understand until later. John 12:16 states, “His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.”
Rejection of the King – John 12:18-19
Many of the crowd had come out not necessarily because they believed in Jesus, but because they were curious. A crowd attracts a crowd as people join in just to see what is happening. John 12:18, “For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign.” Jesus was famous for raising Lazarus from the dead. They wanted to see this for themselves. This is true of some people who come to churches today. Large churches especially attract people simply because they are large and people want to be a part of the spectacle. They hear about amazing things that God may be doing and want to see more.
John has been clear throughout his Gospel that coming to Jesus because of the signs may be a start of faith, but it is certainly not saving faith in Jesus Christ. Remember back in John 2 when many people of Jerusalem believed when they saw the signs Jesus performed, “But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men,” (John 2:24). In John 10 Jesus encourages belief in His works but expects that this initial faith must lead to believing in who He really is (John 10:37-38), “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.” Belief in Jesus’ works must lead to belief in Him as the Son of God who is one with the Father. Only then can it be saving faith.
It is still proper for those who are curious to give praise, honor and glory to Jesus because He is worthy of it. However, our prayer is that curiosity will bear fruit in repentance and faith in Christ so that there will be genuine knowledge of Him as Lord and Savior which brings peace to the soul and not just an emotional response that is empty of a real relationship with Jesus Christ.
Not everyone in the crowd was supportive or simply curious. The Pharisees had also come out. Those in the crowd may or may not have understood the significance of what they were saying, but the Pharisees did understand and they did not like it. They considered it to be wrong if not blasphemy to use such language for a man they had rejected as Messiah. Luke 19:39 tells us, “And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.”” Jesus refuses to rebuke them and gladly receives their praise. So John 12:19 tells us, “The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!””
The Pharisees meant, “Everyone is going after Jesus. Our efforts to get rid of Him have failed!” They rejected Jesus’ claims and resented those who were giving Him praise. There are still plenty of people around like that today, and it seems like there are more everyday. I doubt there is anyone here this morning that is actively like that, though there may be some here who are passively like that. You are here, but you don’t really want to be here, and in fact, you may even resent it. You are anxious to be out of here and go somewhere else. My prayer for you is that you is that God will open your heart to receive this message. That you would give serious thought to being prepared for eternity. What will you do with Jesus?
But John wants us to see that although by the end of that week, the tide had turned and Jewish leaders were gloating in their victory, it was short-lived. Jesus arose from the dead and when John wrote, the gospel was going out to the whole world, to Jews and Gentiles alike. This anticipates the next paragraph, where the Greeks want to see Jesus.
John 12:19 is serves as a warning to us, the Pharisees meant that they were frustrated that they could not stop the crowd from shouting and celebrating Jesus’ arrival. But the truth of it is an eternal one. You cannot stop God’s plan from going forward.
It would only be a few days later when some in the crowd who were then shouting “Hosanna!” would be shouting, “Crucify Him!” Jesus would be lifted up on the cross and die for the sins of the world. Three days later Jesus rose from the dead and within a few weeks the church sees explosive growth as people believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. The efforts of the religious leaders to squash it by persecution would only cause it to spread throughout the world and turn it upside down (Acts 17:6) with the gospel. In the end, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:10-11).
Bow before King Jesus the Son of God today. He will give you the gift of eternal life, the peace of the forgiveness of sins, and a relationship with Him forever. Today is the day of salvation, for you may not have tomorrow.
