Blessed Is He Who Comes In The Name Of The Lord Series

BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD.

John 12:12-19;31-33

Greenmount and O’Leary Churches of Christ

August 15, 2021

Video Link: https://youtu.be/g8ZtkaossYE

INTRODUCTION:

1.) This morning we come to a text during the final week of Jesus’ life on this earth.

2.) This twelfth chapter of John brings us to what we have come to call the Triumphal entry of Jesus.

3.) It is a time when the people of God had to make a choice between following Jesus or listening to the religious leaders.

4.) It was a time nearing the cross when a spiritual line had been drawn and people had to choose to either follow or reject Jesus as Messiah.

I) THE CROWDS IGNORED THE DEMANDS OF THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS.

1) Orders were given to report Jesus.

A) We had looked at that last week in 11:57 where the religious leaders gave orders to everyone to report any sightings of Jesus.

B) To be honest, the people of God must have been confused.

ba.) On the one hand the teachings and miracles of Jesus demonstrated that Jesus was the Christ the Messiah of God, and yet their respected leaders of the faith were saying Jesus was a wicked man, and one who needed to be put to death.

bb.) As the people of God, what do you do?

bba.) It was the right thing to obey and respect their leaders, and yet everything about Jesus seemed to point to him being the Christ of God.

2) Rather than report Jesus, many of the people acknowledged him as the Messiah.

A.) There are times when even religious leaders are wrong about matters of the faith.

aa.) Our text today is an example of this.

aaa.) The people saw from the Word of God, and the life, teachings, and miracles of Jesus that He was the promised Messiah of God.

aab.) You would have thought the religious leaders would have been the first to recognize Jesus, and sadly in some ways they were, yet out of pride and jealousy they rejected Jesus as their Messiah.

.01) We always need to be in tune with the Word of God, and not merely listen to a preacher or teacher.

ab.) That is the very reason I have always encouraged you to not merely listen to what I give you from the pulpit, or what any preacher gives, but to evaluate everything you are taught against the authority of the Word of God.

aba.) Regardless of who it is, no preacher or teacher on this earth is infallible.

abb.) God’s word is inerrant, and infallible, but those who proclaim it are not.

abc.) Even last week as I spoke on the woman anointing Jesus with the perfume, I may have erred in bringing together a couple portions of scripture as the same account.

abd.) Upon further examination of those texts, there are enough details that are different to indicate there may have been two similar events like that which are recorded in the Scriptures instead of one.

.01) While that was more a matter of details, than doctrine, it still is a warning of the need to look to the Word and not merely accept the testimony of man.

.02) I do want to apologize to the congregation for erring in those details of last Sunday’s message.

II) JESUS WAS NOW WILLING TO RECEIVE THE PRAISE OF THE PEOPLE.

1) They heard that Jesus was heading to Jerusalem.

-- John 12:12

A.) Certainly rumours quickly spread of Jesus coming to Jerusalem.

aa.) He was the talk of the town, and everyone was waiting and looking for him.

B.) There was also a great deal of publicity telling of his coming.

ba.) If we can fast forward a bit into our text:

baa.) John 12:17-18

bb.) The crowd that was with him when he raised Lazarus from the dead continued to spread the word.

bba.) Wherever Jesus would go he was accompanied by those who had witnessed the resurrection of Lazarus.

.01) Those witnesses were now proclaiming the news of that resurrection wherever Jesus would go.

.02) These witnesses had become a powerful force to tell the world about Jesus.

bbb.) Because of that testimony, many of these religious pilgrims coming to Jerusalem for the Passover joined the throng following Jesus.

.01) I expect that word of Jesus, and what he had done spread to these pilgrims long before they ever got to Jerusalem.

.02) I imagine by the time these folks got to Jerusalem there was anticipation, and expectations about Jesus, and yes everyone was wondering if this could be their awaited Messiah.

2) Jesus was now ready for the people to proclaim him as their Messiah.

A.) For much of his ministry Jesus revealed himself as their Messiah but did not always publicly proclaim that truth.