HERE COMES THE KING
Text: John 12:12-19
Introduction
1. Did you know that the colonialists wanted to make George Washington a king? But he refused. Because George and many of the colonists believed that there was only one king, and it was not King George III.
a. On April 22, 1774, before the Revolutionary War, a report was sent to King George III of England, and in it the governor of Boston exclaimed, "If you ask an American who is his master, he will tell you, he has none, nor any governor but Jesus Christ."
b. In April 1775, when a British major called the colonialists, villains and told them “Lay down your arms, in the name of George, the sovereign king of England," the immediate response was "We recognize no Sovereign but God and no King but Jesus."
c. This became the battle cry and motto of the revolutionary war. No king but king Jesus.
2. Recently, I sent a document to the Congregational Methodist Church a list of all our leaders. On the very top of the document it says, “Supreme Leader: Jesus Christ.”
3. When Jesus came the first time, he came as a humble Messiah, but when he returns it will be as the King of Kings.
4. Read John 12:12-19
Transition: When Jesus entered Jerusalem, it was as a…
I. Different Kind of King (12-16).
A. Blessings on the One
1. John begins his recounting of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem with, “The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city.”
a. The news of Jesus’ coming into Jerusalem raised the excitement in the city to a fever pitch.
b. Keep in mind that pilgrims from all over the known world were gathering in Jerusalem for the Passover celebration.
c. During this time, the population would grow from 50,000 to over 120,00, and there would have been people everywhere.
d. In addition, there would have been people from Galilee who would have been familiar with Jesus’ ministry there and would have known about all the miracles he had performed and the things he had taught.
e. The level of excitement was immense!
2. The huge, excited crowd responded to Jesus entrance into the city. “A large crowd of Passover visitors 13 took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted, “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD! Hail to the King of Israel!”
a. The first thing the crowd did to welcome Jesus was they laid palm branches on the road in front of him.
b. The branches from the date palms were plentiful in Jerusalem, and their use had symbolic reasons behind them.
c. They had become a symbol of Jewish nationalism, and they were used in the rededication of the Temple. They were also symbols of ruling power.
d. Next, they began to shout something that came from Psalm 118:25-26. “Please, LORD, please save us. Please, LORD, please give us success. 26 Bless the one who comes in the name of the LORD. We bless you from the house of the LORD.”
e. The phrase “Praise God!” is a translation of the Aramaic word, “Hosanna,” which means, “God save us!”
f. They thought that God was sending them a conquering king to set them free from Roman occupation.
g. We can see that in the fact that the last phrase in this verse does not come from Psalm 118:25-26.
h. They declared Jesus as the King of Israel, and they saw him as a conquering king they King David. But they were going to find out that Jesus was not that kind of King.
i. They were looking for an earthly, national leader, and Jesus came to be a spiritual leader who would set us free from our sin.
3. Next, John shows that Jesus was not the kind of King they were expecting. In vv. 14-15 it says, “Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said: 15 “Don’t be afraid, people of Jerusalem. Look, your King is coming, riding on a donkey’s colt.”
a. Jesus’ choice of vehicle shows that he was not the King they were expecting.
b. In fact, he did not enter the city as a conquering King would.
c. A conquering King would arrive on a large white horse with his army behind him.
d. However, Jesus arrived on a donkey followed by his rag tag band of fisherman and tax collectors.
e. In this entry, the King would not be a conquering hero on a white horse, but a humble Messiah who came to die on a cross.
4. But it wasn’t just the cheering crowd that misunderstood Jesus. In v. 16 John tells us, “His disciples didn’t understand at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus entered into his glory, they remembered what had happened and realized that these things had been written about him.”
a. John tells us that at the time they didn’t understand that Jesus was fulfilling prophecy.
b. They didn’t realize that what Jesus was doing was actually according to God’s plan and had been predicted by the prophets many years before.
c. But just like the crowds they were expecting Jesus to be an earthly King and conqueror, but it wouldn’t be until after the resurrection that they would fully understand Jesus’ mission.
B. White Horse
1. Illustration: Two Kentucky farmers who owned racing stables had developed a keen rivalry. One spring, each of them entered a horse in a local steeplechase. Thinking that a professional rider might help him outdo his friend, one of the farmers engaged a crack jockey. The two horses were leading the race at the last fence, but it proved too tough for them. Both horses fell, unseating their riders. But this calamity did not stop the professional jockey. He quickly remounted and won the race.
a. Returning triumphant to the paddock, the jockey found the farmer who had hired him fuming with rage. "What’s the matter?" the jockey asked. "I won, didn’t I?"
b. "Oh, yes," roared the farmer. "You won all right, but you still don’t know, do you?" "Know what?" asked the jockey. "You won the race on the wrong horse."
2. Jesus came the first time to save, but he is coming the second time to judge.
a. “Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. 12 His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. 13 He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God.” (Rev. 19:11-13).
b. When Jesus came the first time, he came humbly riding a donkey, but he will come a second time riding a white horse.
c. When he came the first time, he did not come to conquer, but when he comes a second time he will conquer. He will not come to conquer the Romans, but he will come to conquer Satan and his demons.
d. When Jesus came the first time, he came to go to the cross, but when he comes the second time, he will come to sit on his throne.
e. We don’t know the day or the hour that he is coming, but we know that he is coming, and when he does, he will judge the peoples of earth for their sin.
f. The question we need to ask ourselves is will we be ready when he comes?
g. We don’t want to be like the ten virgins who ran out of oil for their lamps.
h. We don’t want to be like the woman at the well who got left behind.
i. We want to say, “Come, Lord Jesus, come!”
Transition: Jesus also brought a…
II. Different Kind of Expectation (17-19).
A. Lazarus from the Tomb
1. Let’s look at what John tells us next. In vv. 17-18 it says, “Many in the crowd had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, and they were telling others about it. That was the reason so many went out to meet him—because they had heard about this miraculous sign.”
a. A big part of the reason for their excitement was some of them had been eyewitnesses to Jesus’ raising of Lazarus from the dead.
b. It wasn’t that they wanted to follow Jesus for spiritual reasons, but rather they were there expecting a show!
c. They wanted to see Jesus perform some sort of miracle.
d. Therefore, their excitement would be short lived, because in just a few days these same people who were cheering him would be chanting for his execution.
2. However, not everyone in the crowd was excited about Jesus’ entry into town. In v. 19 he tells us, “Then the Pharisees said to each other, “There’s nothing we can do. Look, everyone has gone after him!”
a. The Pharisees were unhappy with what was going on, because they were looking for a way to have Jesus arrested so they could get rid of him.
b. However, they could hardly do that with all of these people cheering him and waiting for him to perform a miracle.
c. Saying that “everyone has gone after him,” is an ironic thing for them to say. The word translated “everyone” in the NLT is the word “world” in the Greek (you can see this in the footnotes).
d. In John’s writing, this word refers to those who stand in disbelief, refusing to acknowledge God or his Son.
e. So, the Pharisees would have to come up with another plan to get rid of Jesus.
B. Despite All the Miracles
1. Illustration: How perfect are your ways
How endless is your grace
Forever I will sing your praise
You are, you are so good to me. (So Good to Me, Zach Williams).
2. Objective should be to worship Jesus for who he is and not what we can get from him.
a. “Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, 18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! 19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.” (Habakkuk 3:17-19).
b. Sometimes we worship Jesus after something has gone good in our lives.
1) When we have enough money.
2) When we get a raise at work.
3) When our children do something nice for us.
4) When things go the way, we want them to.
c. What is our response when we struggle, and things go against us? Do we praise Jesus then?
d. What is our response when we have more bills than money?
e. What is our response when we get a flat tire, or we blow a radiator hose?
f. Do we praise Jesus for the difficulties?
g. My point is, we need to praise Jesus for who he is and not necessarily what he gives to us.
h. We need to praise him because he is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords!
Conclusion
1. When Jesus came to earth, he was a…
a. Different Kind of King
b. Different Kind of Expectation
2. What’s the point preacher? We need to be prepared for Jesus second coming, and give him the praise he deserves.
