Introduction

Good morning, dear family in Christ. It is a blessing to be gathered here once more in the house of the Lord, united by our shared love for Christ and our desire to draw nearer to Him.

Today, we find ourselves standing at the threshold of a remarkable passage of scripture. We turn our hearts and minds to the Gospel of John, chapter 12, verses 12 through 19. Let's read together: "The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They 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!' Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: 'Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.' 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 these things had been done to him. Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. So the Pharisees said to one another, 'See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!'"

In this passage, we find a vivid tapestry of human nature, divine providence, and the tension between the two. We will discuss three main points: Pursuing Personal Agendas, Pharisees' Fear and Hatred, and Perception of God's Plan.

Charles Spurgeon, the great preacher and theologian, once said, "To know the will of God, we need an open Bible and an open map." This quote is a gentle reminder that understanding God's will is not always straightforward. It requires us to open our hearts, our minds, and our eyes to the world around us, just as the disciples had to do.

As we step into this scripture, let's remember that we are not just reading words on a page. We are stepping into a living, breathing narrative that continues to shape our lives today.

Let's pray together. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of your Word, which guides us and shapes us. As we study this passage today, we ask that you open our hearts and minds to understand your will. Help us to see the world through your eyes and to respond with love, grace, and wisdom. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Pursuing Personal Agendas

The crowd that gathered to welcome Jesus into Jerusalem had their expectations and desires. They saw in Jesus a potential political leader, someone who could liberate them from the oppressive rule of the Romans. They shouted, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!" They were looking for a king, a warrior, a political savior. Their agendas were at the forefront of their minds. We often approach God with our agendas, our desires, or our expectations. We want God to act in a certain way, to fulfill our wishes, to solve our problems.

But Jesus did not come to fulfill our personal agendas. He did not come to be a political leader or a military hero. He came to be a servant, to give his life as a ransom for many. He came to show us a different way, a way of humility, love, and sacrifice. He came to show us the heart of God.

The Pharisees, too, had their own agendas. They were threatened by Jesus, by his popularity, by his message. They saw in Jesus a threat to their power, their status, their way of life. They were so blinded by their own agendas that they failed to see the truth of who Jesus was. They failed to see the fulfillment of the prophecies, the coming of the Messiah, the dawn of a new era.

We can become so focused on our own agendas, our own desires, our own expectations, that we fail to see the truth of who Jesus is. We fail to see the beauty of his message, the power of his love, the depth of his sacrifice. We fail to see the heart of God.

The disciples, too, struggled to understand. They did not fully grasp the significance of what was happening. They did not understand why Jesus was riding on a donkey, why he was being hailed as a king, why he was heading towards Jerusalem.

We can feel the same way. We can struggle to understand God's ways, God's plans, God's purposes. We can feel confused, uncertain, afraid. But just as the disciples eventually came to understand, so can we. We can come to see that God's ways are not our ways, that God's plans are not our plans, that God's purposes are far greater than anything we could ever imagine.

Pharisees' Fear and Hatred

The Pharisees' fear is palpable in this passage ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO