Listen to the audio above while following along in the transcript below which is also available for download at www.biblestudyministriesinc.com
As we come to look in God’s word, I want to share a principle. Last Lord’s Day at Family Ministries where I worship, Brother Paul Greenlee brought the message, and he opened with this passage, so I’m going to use the passage he used. He quoted Luke 7:40, “Jesus said, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you,’ and he replied, ‘Say it, teacher.’” That’s just a wonderful opening passage. The Lord has something to say to us, and our hearts should respond, “Say it, teacher.” So, we want to hear the Lord. Let’s bow together and pray.
Heavenly Father, thank You so much for the indwelling Holy Spirit. Lord, Your life in us is so wonderful, and we know, Lord, that part of the ministry of our indwelling Holy Spirit is to turn our eyes to Jesus, to unveil Christ in the written word. So, we trust You this morning, and we desire once again to see the Lord, and we thank You, Lord, that You know all about us, and our hungers and our capacities and our situations. Meet us where we are, and unveil Christ to our hearts, and take us where You would have us. We ask in Jesus’ precious name. Amen.
Welcome again to our meditations on the Lord Jesus in the gospel of John. We don’t study John to know John. We study John to know Jesus, as we study every book in the Bible. I’ve been careful to keep the focus; John tells us why he wrote the gospel. As we’ve been going through John, I’ve tried to keep my attention on that. John 20:31, “These have been written so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing, you might have life in His name.” We just took that wonderful comment of John and broke it up into principles. He’s given us this book that we might know Jesus more intimately; He’s given us this book that we might trust Jesus more intimately; and He’s given this book that we might enjoy Jesus, that we might have life and have it abundantly. So, to know Him, to trust Him and enjoy Him, and that’s why He gave us the gospel of John. We’ve been trying to see how this story, this chapter help us know Him, trust Him and enjoy Him.
In our approach, it’s not just to this book but to every book, we are focusing on Christ Himself, Christ, the Person. We’re not focusing on doctrine. Doctrine is important but it will fall into place if we are looking to Christ in reality. In God’s revelation of Himself to man He’s made Christ central in the Godhead. In other words, all of my dealings with God have to go through Jesus, and all of God’s dealings with me come through Jesus. All of your dealings with the Lord are through Jesus, and all of His dealings with you are through Jesus. That’s not only true in time but that’s also true in eternity. We’re never going to finally know the Lord. It’s a progression and we’re constantly seeing Him; He’s unfolding His plan, His purpose, His will, His heart, His Son to us. So, that’s why we study, so that we can see Christ the Living Word in the written words.
In our meditations together in the gospel of John we’ve come to chapter 12. I called attention to the fact that there are three basic stories in John 12. John 12:1-11 is the feast that is given in honor of the Lord Jesus. He raised Lazarus from the dead and at this feast Mary anointed the Lord Jesus. That’s a big part of this chapter. Then verse 12-19 is Palm Sunday, and so John gives us an abbreviate view of Palm Sunday. This is now one week before the cross. We’re only halfway through John but we’re one week before the cross. Then the third important story is at the end of the chapter, and that takes us to the story of the Greeks that are desiring to see Jesus, and they come to Philip. Those three stories are given in John 12.
John 12 is a transition chapter, but I have to say that it’s from John’s viewpoint. In other words, John is using chapter 12 to close the public ministry of Christ; that’s the end of His public ministry, the end of His miracles and His parables and His discourses; there’s fourteen discourses in the gospel of John, and they’re all finished. I say that it’s from John’s viewpoint because Matthew, Mark and Luke take sort of a different viewpoint. John leaves out the story of the healing of the blind man in Jericho, and the story of Zacchaeus and the parable of the nobleman, and all, and he’s wrapping up the old and he’s introducing the new. So, there’s a transition in chapter 12. God is closing the door on the public ministry of Christ; three and a half years He was having ministry, and now He’s opening the door to a group He calls His own. Especially when you get to chapter 13-17 you are going to see this special focus. Now He has a private ministry to His own children. John 13:1, “Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world; He loved them to the end.” Now He’s going to deal with His own.
That doesn’t mean He no longer has a heart for the Jews. He calls them His own, too. In fact, in chapter 1:11 He said, “He came to His own, and His own received Him not.” So, He’s not saying that the Jews are no longer His own, but in the main ministry, the religious Jews have rejected Him, and now He’s looking to His own, those who have said yes.
The entire story that we’re looking at is in terms of the Jewish tradition. If I were using modern day tradition, I would say that we’re approaching Good Friday and Easter. The Bible doesn’t say we’re approaching Good Friday and Easter. It says that we’re six days away from Passover. It’s the same thing, the Passover. That’s the feast where they celebrated deliverance from bondage, the bondage of Egypt, through the blood of the sacrificial lamb. John 12:1, “Jesus, therefore, six days before Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.” So, we’re six days from Passover, from Good Friday, from the death of Christ.
Last week we began to look at that first study, John 12:1-11 where they made Jesus a supper, John 12:2, “They made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving,” and not complaining, by the way, “but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him.” I told you that there were two notable things that took place at that feast. We’ve already discussed one, and that was the anointing of Jesus by Mary. John 12:3, “Mary took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair, and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”
The second notable thing in that story is the appearance of Lazarus at the table. We didn’t discuss that yet. John 12:2, we discussed one principle but not the whole story, “They made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving, and Lazarus was one of them reclining at the table with them.” He had just been raised from the dead, not yesterday, but a couple of weeks before, and he became an attraction. You can imagine why, if somebody came back from the dead, you’re going to want to see that. That’s what drew men to Christ. John 12:9, “The large crowd of Jews then learned that He was there. They came, not for Jesus sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus whom He raised from the dead.” Last time we spoke about the anointing of Jesus by Mary, and the true ministry that it had to His heart. She defined ministry; ministry is serving the heart of Christ. They argued, “That could have been given to the poor.” Ministry is not primarily horizontal; it’s vertical. I don’t minister until I minister to Him, and then I’ll minister to others.
I told you that each of these three stories have a contrast: they’re contrasting this with this. In the story about Mary, what they were contrasting was the treatment our Lord Jesus received during the three and half years, which was rejection, verse 53, “From that day on they planned together to kill Him.” Verse 12, “The chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death, also.” That’s amazing! In this same context, Judas had made his final decision and he’s rejecting the Lord. John is emphasizing rejection; that’s the treatment Jesus received. But, on the other hand, in contrast, Mary gives Jesus the treatment He deserved; He deserved worship; He deserved adoration and He deserved real service, ministered through His heart.
Before I leave that first story, I want to call attention again to the second focus that took place at the table, and that’s the appearance of Lazarus. We’ve seen Mary, and now I’d like to look at Lazarus sitting there in fellowship with the Lord Jesus with his family and friends and with all who were attracted because of his resurrection. Remember that he’s an object picture of the resurrection life. Jesus said, “I came that they might have life.” Nothing pictures the life Jesus gives any more than the raising of Lazarus from the dead. That is resurrection life.
I want to focus on the attraction that’s made by the risen life, how someone who has been raised by the Lord Jesus spiritually from sin who has been saved, how they become an attraction. John 12:9 again, “The crowd of the Jews came and learned that Jesus was there, and they came not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus whom He raised from the dead.” Why was he an attraction? One reason was that he was raised from the dead, and that’s going to call up attention. John 11:25, “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live, even if he dies.’” Lazarus discovered Christ as the resurrection and the life. I pointed out in another occasion the contrast. In chapter 11 Lazarus is a corpse rotting in a tomb. In chapter 12 he is a risen person sitting at the table with the Lord Jesus. That’s the kind of change that is in picture form is illustrated every time Christ comes into somebody’s life.
It’s notable that this is the last record we have of Lazarus in the Bible. As far as the record goes, now history gives us another picture, but as far as the record goes, Lazarus never said a word. I would have loved to interview him, “What was it like? What did you experience?” and so on. But there’s a great multitude, now remember this is Passover, and they’re starting to come. In accordance with Josephus, sometimes the population swelled by a couple of million because of Passover. So, Jerusalem is getting full of people. I know the story of Jesus raising somebody, there were already stories about miracles He had done, and all, but this is going to bring an attraction. There is real curiosity because word was out that recently somebody was dead for four days, and Jesus raised him up, and he’s at this place right now. So, they were attracted. That was sensational. The resurrection by Jesus of Lazarus was sensational, not as sensational as would take place one week later with the victorious death and glorious resurrection of the Lord Himself. We take notice if there is something very dramatic and there is some kind of a dramatic conversion, if some drunkard gets saved, if some drug addict gets saved, if some criminal or gangster or some life of child abuser gets saved, or something like that, we are interested in that and that’s attractive, even if some athlete gets saved or especially some politician gets saved. Don’t think that God doesn’t have miracles; even that can happen.
When He saves people, even from formal religion. Recently we had a missionary in our home who is a missionary for Muslims, and he was telling how many Muslims were giving their hearts to Christ, and he shocked us when he told us that he was aware of someone from Hamas that had repented and returned to the Lord. You know that’s going to be an attraction. Lazarus was a man risen from the dead, and he was attracting people. It’s not a surprise that it would be an attraction. If I literally came back from the dead, I think you’d want to see that, and I would if you came back.
Last time we focused on the anointing that Mary gave, and now I’d like to say a few words about Lazarus, and emphasize the power of the risen life as an attraction, and the silent testimony; there’s no recorded words that he said after this. Someone might think that that would contradict Romans 10:17, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Well, he didn’t say anything. His life was an attraction. Is that enough? Faith comes by hearing. Can someone get saved just by observing a Christian living victoriously? 1 Corinthians 2:21, “Since in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not come to know God. God was well pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those that believe. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.” John is emphasizing the power of the exchanged life to attract. That doesn’t rule out the need for speaking, or telling the message of Christ. He’s just emphasizing the same thing that Peter emphasized when he was addressing those women whose husbands were unbelieving or, at least, disobedient. 1 Peter 3:1, “In the same way you wives be submissive to your own husband, so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word, by the behavior of their wives.” Once again, you’ve got an attraction, a ministry, without a word you are attracting people. The risen life speaks for itself; it gets their attention, but they still need to hear the gospel; they need to hear the message. I love Proverbs 26:7, “Like the legs which are useless to the lame, so is a Proverb in the mouth of fools.” I used to think the fool was the crippled person, but it’s not the fool that’s the crippled person; it’s the proverb in his mouth. The word of God in my mouth, if I live like a fool, is crippled. The word of God in your mouth, if you live like a fool, is crippled. We cripple the word of the Lord.
There is no more powerful attraction, this is the picture here, what does my risen life do? The answer is it brings people to the table. That becomes a principle. It’s a picture here, but it becomes a principle. The life of a Christian is attractive to bring people to the table, but then they are going to need to hear the message. I’m stressing this because some people teach that if you are saved, if you go from death to life, that people can get saved and you don’t have to share the gospel; you don’t have to witness. You just live and they’ll come to the Lord. Paul’s example never brought anyone to the Lord. It might have brought them to the table where they’re ready to hear about the Lord and to meet the Lord. Even looking at the ministry of Christ, some people study the life of Christ just to see His life. You don’t get saved by seeing the life of Christ. You need the blood of Christ; you need the death of Christ; you need the message of salvation. Living in unbroken fellowship with Christ is a great privilege; it’s an attraction, and it brings people to the table where they can hear about the Lord Jesus, but nobody gets saved just by watching somebody’s life. That’s why you’re going to get closer and closer to what the Bible calls the exchanged life, especially when we get to chapters 13-17; that’s the full explanation of the exchanged life in all the word of God. It’s described later in the epistles, but it’s explained for the first time. It’s been demonstrated, it’s been proclaimed, but it hasn’t been explained, and it will be explained, and that’s what we’re moving toward. Romans 10:17, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the word of God.”
Before we move to the next section, Palm Sunday, verses 12-19, I remind you that from chapter 12 on we’re moving toward the cross, and we’re in what Christians call Passion Week; we’re in this last week now toward the cross. Luke 22:15, Jesus had been looking forward to this, “He said to them, ‘With desire,” and the Greek is great desire, “with longing, I’ve desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” He was very anxious; He was born for this. He’s getting ready to die. There’s a reference to it at the anointing, John 12:7, “Jesus said, ‘Let her alone, that she may keep it for the day of My burial.’” So, we’re moving toward the cross. The next two stories are big steps toward the cross. Palm Sunday begins Passion Week, and then the Greeks seeking to know Him; forward steps toward the cross. John 12:32, “If I be lifted up from the earth, I’ll draw all men to Me.” We’re talking about being lifted up and dying. So, we’re moving toward that. All the way to the end, these Jewish leaders are going to have a strong resistance against Him. It’s so strange for me to read a verse like John 12:10, that they’re trying to put Lazarus to death. That blows my mind. If the Lord raised somebody from the dead, I don’t think I’d say, “I think I should kill him.” It’s something you wouldn’t think about.
In this connection, do you remember the story that Jesus told in Luke 16 about a man named Lazarus and a rich man. They both died, and there is conversation going on in eternity, and the poor man that died is now in glory, and the rich man is in another place, and he’s begging to send somebody back from the dead. Luke 16:30, “But he said, ‘No, father, if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.’ And he said unto him, ‘If they hear not Moses and the prophets,” faith comes by hearing, the word, “neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” I think it’s curious that Jesus told that story about a man named Lazarus, and the rich man is arguing, “If somebody came back from the dead, they’d believe,” and then He brings back a man named Lazarus. It’s the same name, and now they’re trying to kill him. So, it’s another proof that faith comes by hearing.
That’s enough on that first story. Let’s go to John 12:12-19 which we know as Palm Sunday. Before we look at John’s presentation, and I’m going to call it an abbreviated presentation, let me make a confession to you. As I studied Palm Sunday in the gospel of John, on the level of earth, and I speak as a fool, I was a little disappointed. I was disappointed by the way he handled Palm Sunday. I had a great temptation to pool together Matthew, Mark and Luke and the little bit John says about Palm Sunday and give you the full story. I was going to look at Matthew 21 and Mark 11 and Luke 19, and then give you the story of Palm Sunday. John only mentions a couple of things about Palm Sunday. Let me tell you what he left out. He didn’t connect it with the Passover as closely as the others did; they had the days when the lamb was chosen and set apart, and all of that. There’s an interesting story about getting the donkey that was tied to the tree. Do you remember that? John leaves that out. The Pharisees resistance to their calling Hosannah, and Jesus saying, “If they didn’t cry out, the rocks would cry out.” That wasn’t mentioned in John. The Savior’s tears as He approached Jerusalem and wept over it, and again the Greek is very powerful, with loud sobbing as He approached Jerusalem. John doesn’t mention that, and he doesn’t mention the cleansing of the temple. John doesn’t mention the cursing of the fig tree. John doesn’t mention the woman’s mite. All of this that took place Palm Sunday, so much of that John left out.
Since we are meditating on the Lord Jesus in the gospel of John, I believe the Lord would have me pretty much, I may stray a little, stick to John’s presentation. I told you there were three stories in the chapter 12; the great feast and then Palm Sunday and the story of the Greeks. All three show a contrast. We saw the contrast of Mary; the treatment Jesus deserved and the treatment Jesus received; there is a contract there. We now come to Palm Sunday and there’s going to be a contrast, so I want to show you that contrast. When we come to the Greeks in chapter 12:20 to the end, there’s going to be a contrast there.
Let me begin with some general observations that John makes about Palm Sunday. The first is so obvious and it doesn’t need to be stated; this is Palm Sunday. That’s my first observation. We’re moving toward the cross, and I said now that in church history this begins Passion week, and we’re going to end with the climax, the resurrection. We’re talking about Palm Sunday but what we know about Palm Sunday is a million light years away from those people at that time on that day what they knew about Palm Sunday; they don’t have a dream about the resurrection of Christ and all of the rest.
Let me show you what he emphasizes. John emphasizes two Bible prophesies that were fulfilled on Palm Sunday. One of the other passages in one of the other gospels doesn’t do that. John 12:14, “Finding a young donkey, He sat on it, as it is written, ‘Fear not, daughter of Zion, behold your king is coming seated on a donkey’s colt.’” That’s what happened. Here is the prophesy, Zechariah 9:9, “Rejoice greatly, oh daughter of Zion, and shout in triumph, oh daughter of Jerusalem, behold you king is coming to you; he’s just and endowed with salvation, and humble, mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” That was fulfilled that day. They had no clue that was being fulfilled. Psalm 118:25&26 was fulfilled. John 12:12, “The next day a large crowd who had come to the feast when they heard Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the Palm Tree and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, ‘Hosannah, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.’” They were quoting Psalm 118:25, “Oh, Lord, do save, we beseech You. Oh, Lord, we beseech You; do send prosperity. Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.”
The word Hosannah means “saved now”. That’s important because that was their expectation, that the Lord was going to save right there. They recognized it as a Messianic passage. That’s the first thing John emphasizes, there were two prophecies fulfilled. John also emphasized the following that came and laid down their clothes and palms at His feet. John 12:17, “So, the people who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to testify about Him. For this reason, the people went and met Him because they heard He had performed this sign.” I’ll speak in a moment about that crowd, again. The third thing he emphasizes is that the Pharisees still reject Him, no matter what. John 12:19, “The Pharisees said to one another, ‘You see You are not doing any good; look, the world is going after Him.’” They are still upset with the following. Those three things John emphasizes: prophesy fulfilled, the crowd that followed, and the response of the Pharisees.
There’s a contrast, and we need to look at that contrast. I’m going to give two contrasts, but they’re closely related. I think dividing them up helps us see more clearly what the contrast is. Let me make a couple of comments about the crowd that John mentioned that followed the Lord Jesus. I don’t know if you’ve ever said something like this or thought something like this, but some have said, “What a fickle crowd! One week they’re yelling, ‘Hosannah, to the son of David,’” “Hosannah, save now,” and the next week they’re yelling, “Crucify Him.” That contrast is used to show how fickle people are. I don’t think that’s accurate. I don’t think it’s the same crowd. I don’t think the ones that shouted Hosannah are the same ones that shout Crucify Him. Because it’s Passover, there’s a mixed multitude and I’m sure there are some, maybe, that are in there. In the main, I don’t think so. John describes in verses 17 & 18, “So, the people who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb, and raise him from the dead, continued to testify about Him. For this reason the people went and met Him, because they had heard He had performed this sign.” There were eye witnesses to the miracle of Lazarus, and they continued to testify. They were ear witnesses to the resurrections, and that gathered people together.
Luke mentions another group that came. Luke 19:37, “As soon as He was approaching near the descent of the Mt. of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for the all the miracles which they had seen, shouting, ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord; peace in heaven and glory in the highest.’” They are called disciples and those who experienced miracles. I’ll tell you who is in that crowd shouting Hosannah, save now; they’re not only those that witnessed Lazarus, they’re not only those that heard about Lazarus, but He healed the blind, and they were there. He healed the deaf, and they were there. He healed the dumb, and they were there. He healed the woman humped over, and she was there. He healed the crippled, and they were there. Lepers that He had cleansed, they were there. Those from whom He had cast out demons, they were there. Those He had fed on the hillside, they were there. Those families of those He raised from dead, and others that He raised… this was a wonderful crowd, and they when they say Hosannah, they are welcoming their concept of Messiah. They are seeing Him as Messiah.
Here’s the first part of the contrast; they had physical expectations of who Messiah would be, and then, of course, there is the reality, the spiritual expectation. Let me focus on this beautiful group of people who are calling out Hosannah. They are expecting, and that’s why they’re giving Him a red carpet and putting palms in the path and taking their robes in the path, and that’s why they quoted Psalm 118; that’s a Messianic prophesy. They knew that was Messiah. I told you that Hosannah means save now, and they were expecting Jesus to be their King and deliver them right then from what? From Rome; political deliverance. They didn’t want to be oppressed by the Roman government, and they expected Messiah to deliver from Roman oppression and deliver them back to the glory days when David was the king. Jesus is going to war and they think He’s going to war with Rome. He’s going to war; He’s going to war with sin, against sin and not Rome. They had those physical expectations, and I’m not cutting them down for that, praise God they were recognizing Messiah. Zachariah describes the daughters of Jerusalem, City of Peace, your King is come, He is coming in peace. They are expecting political peace. He’s coming to bring personal peace. They don’t get that. Their expectation, that’s the great contrast, that they are expecting Christ to go to war with Rome and bring political peace. He says, “I’m going to war with sin, and I’m going to bring personal peace.” That’s what they didn’t get.
How much, by the way, they missed by having their expectations. Sometimes we expect Jesus to come a certain way, and if He doesn’t, then we’re disappointed. Listen to John 12:16, “These things His disciples did not understand at first,” what things? They had no clue they were fulfilling prophesy; they’re throwing out these palms and throwing out these things and they’re proclaiming Hosannah, and they have no clue. When Jesus was glorified, they remembered these things were written of Him, and they had done these things.
Just before we move on, you can’t trust sight, you can’t trust your own expectation. I think the great illustration is Judas. If you can’t trust a kiss, you can’t trust sight. What can I expect? I can expect two things, especially this second one. I can expect anything God has promised. If He has promised me peace, and He has promised His presence, and if there is anything written in the word, He’s promised to live in me and not to leave me, I can claim that promise, but in many cases and in most cases, we try to expect Him in things He hasn’t come right out and promised. What can I expect, if I don’t have a word? I hope God writes this in your heart; it’s been so exciting for me. Expect the unexpected. I base that on Ephesians 3:20, “To Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all we can ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” We can’t even dream. When you leave here today, and you are going to leave walking in union with Jesus, expect the unexpected. He’s going to surprise you and me. We say, “Well, He’s going to come this way.” Maybe not. If you look for Him at the front door, He’s coming in the back door. If you look at the back door, He’s coming in the window. If you look in the window, He’s coming down the chimney. Expect the unexpected, and that is what makes the Christian life so thrilling. As I live day by day, it is so exciting. I have no clue. I might be in a nursing home tonight or a morgue. I have no idea, but it’s exciting because Christ lives in me. I wake up in the morning and I’m giddy. I’m just so happy. I say, “Alright, Lord, here I am. I don’t know what You’re about and where You’re going, but You live inside me and I’m Your temple and take me wherever You want.” Anyway, expect the unexpected.
The second contrast, they not only confused the way they expected Him to come, but they also confused the present, save now, with the future. Their prayer was, in verse 13, “Hosannah, save now.” In the main they had the Old Testament promises of millennia, and those who had been healed and humbled and blessed and taught and fed, and witnessed resurrection and His miracles in other people, they had read much about the coming age, but they expected it now. Even after He rose from the dead, the day He ascended, Acts 1:6, they still had that. When they came together, they were asking Him, “Lord, is it at this time that You are restoring Your kingdom?” They still expected Jesus to set up His kingdom. You can have a present foretaste of that; I’m not waiting for the millennium, because I’m enjoying it now. I’ll tell you why. It’s because Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. What that means is that everything that He is now, He always was, and everything He is now, He will be. It’s all the same; it’s the same Jesus. You say, “Some day He’ll be King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” He’s King of Kings and Lord of Lords now. When the millennium comes, He’ll be reigning on the throne. He’s reigning now. Satan will be bound. He’s bound now. Righteousness will cover the land like the waters cover the sea. That’s now. There’s going to be thieves in your heart. I’ve got that now. The lion and the lamb are laying together now in my heart. Someone asks, “Are you pre-mil?” I’m pre-pre-mil. Yes I believe Jesus is literally coming and He’s going to set up a kingdom, but I also believe I can enjoy it right now.
Well, in John 12 & 13 they laid down these palms and in Mark 11:8, they said they also laid down their clothes. They’re welcoming Messiah, but they’re confused with the physical and the spiritual; they’re confused with the now and with the then. In my Bible, and I’m using the NAS, just before this story I have the editor’s note, “the triumphal entry”. If you have KJV it says, “the triumphal entry”. If you have NIV there’s a note that says, “the triumphal entry”. If you have the ESV it says, “the triumphal entry”. He’s on His way to the cross. Technically, this is more a non-triumphal entry than a triumphal entry. Spiritually it’s triumphal, of course, because He has victory at the cross. But they didn’t see the future, “Save now, now; go to war with Rome; give political peace.” He said, “I’m going to war with sin, and I’m going to give a personal peace, and there’s a great day coming.”
I’m just going to read the triumphal entry for you, and it’s not this. Revelation 19:11-16, “I saw heaven open, and behold a white horse,” not a donkey, “and He who sat on it is called faithful and true, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadem, and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He’s clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called the Word of God, and the armies which are in heaven clothed in fine linen, white and clean, are following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron. He treads the winepress of the fierceness of God, the Almighty. On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, ‘King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” May I suggest that is the triumphal entry. We don’t know how soon that is going to come.
So, that’s Palm Sunday from John’s point of view. I said that I want to stick with John, but I’m going to make one departure. John says in verse 15, “Your King is coming seated on a donkey’s colt.” I’m going to depart from John, and I just want to make a couple of observations about the donkey. My first, I’m going to give a principle. It’s Job 39:5&7, “Who sent out the wild donkey free, and who loosed the bonds of the swift donkey? He scorns the tumult of the city, the shoutings of the driver he does not hear.” That’s just a selected verse; there are others. The principle is simple. A donkey is stubborn. In sign language, and you’ll see Lillian doing that to me, you hold up the ears, and then you bend them down. That’s stubborn, and if I do something, she’ll go “stubborn”. It’s also the sign language word for donkey. It’s the same word, donkey/stubborn. That’s the first principle.
The second principle, listen to this. Exodus 13:13, “Every first offspring of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, you shall break its neck, and every first born of man among your sons you shall redeem.” Only two things in the Bible are redeemed by the blood of the lamb—a man and a donkey. They could not offer a donkey as a sacrifice. They had to redeem the donkey by offering a lamb. I started to see myself here—stubborn; that’s me. Needing redemption by the blood of the Lamb; that’s me. Listen to Mark 11:2, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it you’ll find a colt tied there on which no one has never sat. Untie it and bring it here.” Nobody ever sat on this stubborn donkey. Jesus is going to tame the donkey. Again, I look at my life. I think it pictures me, stubborn. I think it pictures me, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. I think it pictures me, tamed by the Lord Jesus. He broke me.
There’s a fourth observation, and with this we’ll close. I showed you your privilege as someone risen from the dead, to bring people to the table. There they could meet Jesus. I didn’t emphasize this at the time deliberately, but in that story of Lazarus, all eyes are on Lazarus. Jesus is at the table, but all eyes are on Lazarus. Your risen life, your holy life, people look at you, “Oh, I love your faith; pray for me; God hears your prayer; you’ve got wonderful faith; pray for me.” All eyes are on you. That’s at the table. But on Palm Sunday He enlarges that privilege with a donkey, stubborn, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, tamed by Jesus, and now back to John, carrying the Lord Jesus into the City of Peace, and this time their eyes are not on the donkey; all eyes are on Jesus. When He sat at the table with Lazarus, He wasn’t touching it, and they weren’t touching each other, but there was contact when He sat on the donkey. He’s picturing here my life will bring people to the table, but my union, my contact with Jesus will take their eyes off of me and put their eyes on Jesus. Nobody was praising that donkey as he rode into town. They were looking at Jesus and calling out to Him, “Hosannah to Him.” We, brothers and sisters, redeemed donkeys, we have a privilege by our lives we bring people to the table, and by our union with Christ, we take their eyes off of us and we put their eyes onto Jesus.
Father, thank You for this wonderful gospel You’ve given us. Thank You for the gospel of John and chapter 12 and these stories about the anointing, and about Palm Sunday. Lord, work in our hearts, not what we think we know about these stories, but everything You’ve inspired them to mean. Write that in our hearts, we pray. We want to thank You that You’ve given us the privilege to carry You, to hold You high, to lift You up, so that people will see You and not us. Make these things real in our heart. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.