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.
aa.) In fact, at the time of the Transfiguration, Jesus had told Peter, James, and John not to even tell the other apostles what they had seen on the mountain until after the resurrection.
ab.) But now with less than a week until His crucifixion, Jesus knew the time was right for the entire world to see him as the Messiah of God.
3) Jesus had planned the Triumphal entry to publicly declare himself their Messiah.
A.) I believe Jesus had himself arranged for the donkey even a day or two before hand.
aa.) Before his entry he sent two of the disciples to get the donkey.
ab.) Although it does not completely say it in the Scriptures, it seems quite possible from the text that Jesus could have himself planned to get the donkey before that day.
ac.) In fact the dialogue between his disciples and the owner of the animal suggests a password or catch phrase had been arranged for the release of the animal.
aca.) I say this because when the disciples went to fetch the donkey Jesus told them the exact words, they were to say to get the donkey.
4) As Jesus comes over the Crest of the Mount of Olives riding on this donkey: the people took palm branches to meet him.
John 12:13-14
A.) On numerous occasions in the past the Israelites had used palm branches as the red carpet to welcome honoured dignitaries to the city.
B.) The words of praise in this Psalm are all words from Psalm 118.
ba.) Psalm 118 was a Messianic Psalm.
bb.) In other words, as the people proclaimed these titles, and put them on Jesus they were declaring him to be the Messiah of God and were giving their honour to him.
B.) “Hosanna”
ba.) This word does not really mean a great deal to most of us, but the Hebrew and Aramaic origins of this word meant to save or rescue, and in fact was a term with reference to a Saviour.
baa.) That day the people were looking for a physical Saviour or Messiah who would deliver them from Rome.
bab.) Jesus truly came as their Messiah, and Saviour, and rescuer, but in the spiritual sense, and not the physical sense.
.01) He came to rescue and deliver not just Israel, but the entire world from bondage to sin, and Satan.
.02) Jesus came to transform those in the kingdom of darkness, to the Kingdom of God.
.03) As Jesus entered the city, it was only one week until he would be offered as their sacrifice.
.04) While the people were recognizing Jesus as the Messiah, a little over a month later the kingdom of God would be opened to Man as Peter preached the plan of salvation on the Day of Pentecost.
C.) “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”
ca.) Some of the crowd had come from Bethany and had seen Lazarus raised from the dead.
caa.) They had no doubts that Jesus was the Messiah of God.
cb.) Others were part of the crowds coming to Jerusalem for the great feast.
cc.) The two groups were merging as one, and word was spreading that this was the Messiah.
cca.) Notice how they further address Him:
D.) Blessed is the King of Israel.”
da.) They were recognizing Jesus as their King, and even Jesus was willing to accept that title at that time.
daa.) His time had come, and Jesus allowed them to acknowledge him as their King.
dab.) Even a week later as Pilate questioned him on this, he acknowledged that he was the king of the Jews.
.01) He came as a king, but a king whose kingdom was not of this world.
.02) If Jesus would have been willing to be a physical king with a palace in Jerusalem, the Jewish people would have accepted him.
.03) His next move showed he was willing to be their king, but a spiritual king.
5) Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it. (12:14)
A) This was prophesied in Scripture.
aa.) Zechariah 9:9
ab.) Zechariah 9 was a Messianic prophecy that was being fulfilled before their very eyes.
aba.) Those familiar with the Word of God would have had an aha moment when they saw Jesus coming to town on that donkey.
abb.) The people had believed Jesus to be the Christ, or the Messiah of God but seeing him on this donkey was a confirmation from the Word of God to what they were thinking in their head and feeling in their hearts.
.01) I want you to see an interesting statement from our Text:
B) At first His disciples did not understand this. (John 12:16)
ba.) I think there may have been a few reasons why even Jesus’ own disciples did not at this time understand this.
baa.) The first is that up to this point Jesus had been somewhat avoiding the limelight.
.01) Yes, he taught, and performed signs and miracles that revealed who he is, but Jesus had avoided drawing attention to himself.
.011) Jesus had done this because he had a divinely appointed timetable by which everything had to be conducted.
bab.) The other reason the disciples did not understand this is because Jesus came on a donkey instead of a horse.
.01) In that day the animal a leader came on was a message of his mission.
.011) If Jesus had rode in on a horse it would have been a message he was coming as a king prepared for war.
.012) This would have satisfied not only the Jews, but also the disciples of Jesus.
.0121) Even the disciples of Jesus felt he would be setting up a physical kingdom and go to war with Rome.
.02) A king could come in on a donkey, but it was a message he was coming on a mission of peace and not war.
.03) When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on that donkey he confused his own disciples.
.031) Jesus’ action confirmed he was not coming to lead them to war but was a king of peace.
.032) What the disciples of Jesus and the crowds could not comprehend was that the peace he would bring would not be the result of war, or of bringing nations into conflict with each other.
.033) The peace which Jesus would bring would come by offering himself as a sacrifice to bring peace between man and Almighty God.
bac.) Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize these things had been written about him. (12:16b.)
.01) Some of these truths which seem so evident to us were mysteries until the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ.
.02) Sometimes we may wonder why the truths that are so evident to us could not be seen when Jesus was on this earth.
.021) We have the vantage point from this side of the cross.
.022) It is only in the light of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, that the life, teachings, and ministry of Jesus come into clear focus.
CONCLUSION:
1.) As we bring this message to a close, verse thirty-one speaks of the power of the work of Christ; “Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.”
2.) That friends remains as the power of the cross.
A.) The cross and Christ have stood for over 2,000 years as the line between righteousness, and wickedness.
aa.) Those who come to Christ by the cross are no longer under the judgment and condemnation of God.
ab.) Those who have not come under the blood of Christ remain under the judgment of God.
aba.) It is just that simple and straight forward.
B.) Jesus expressed this even stronger by saying the prince of this world will be driven out.
ba.) Wherever Christ and the cross have gone, demonic forces, and the power of Satan had been destroyed or weakened.
baa.) This is true of individuals, families, and even communities.
C.) If you are outside of Christ this morning, this same truth can be yours.
ca.) You can receive deliverance from the forces of evil on your heart and life.
cb.) If Christ is speaking to you today, come to the Cross; Come to Christ.
cc.) Come in faith to Jesus, repenting of your sins, confessing Christ, and pledging your life to Jesus in the waters of baptism.
