John 12:9-19

Well, amen and good morning.

Please take your copy of God's Word and join me in John chapter 12.

John 12 · chapter mention

! Please take your copy of God's Word and join me in John chapter 12.

John 12 · chapter mention

! Our text this morning is John chapter 12, verses 9 through 19.

John 12:9–19

As we've worked our way through John's Gospel, one of the recurring observations we've made is that people

can possess an accurate understanding of certain truths about Jesus Christ,

while remaining profoundly mistaken about the significance of those truths.

They may recognize His miracles, acknowledge His authority,

or even employ the correct theological language to describe Him,

and yet fail to understand who He is and what He came to accomplish.

And we have seen this repeatedly.

Nicodemus recognized that Jesus was a teacher who had come from God,

but He did not understand the necessity of the new birth.

The Samaritan woman recognized that Jesus was a prophet

before coming to understand that He was the Messiah.

The crowds who witnessed the feeding of the 5,000 correctly recognized the miraculous provision of Jesus,

but they misunderstood the nature of the bread He had come to provide.

And now in our passage this morning, we're going to encounter an entire city

preparing to celebrate the arrival of a king whom they do not adequately understand.

What makes this passage especially interesting is that the people are not entirely wrong about Jesus.

In fact, much of what they proclaim is correct.

Jesus is the promised king.

He is the fulfillment of God's covenant promises.

He has come to deliver His people,

and His kingdom will extend beyond the boundaries of Israel to encompass people from every nation.

The problem is that they misunderstand the nature of His kingdom

and the means by which He will establish it.

And John tells us something that ought to capture our attention.

Even the disciples,

those men who have accompanied Jesus throughout His public ministry,

do not initially understand the significance of what is taking place.

It will only be after Jesus has been glorified

that they begin to comprehend the Scriptures and the events unfolding before them.

I want us to consider this passage with a particular emphasis on that misunderstanding

because I believe John intends for us to recognize something about the way God accomplishes His purposes.

Something about the danger of bringing our expectations to the Scriptures.

And something about the necessity of understanding Jesus in light of His death and His resurrection.

The central truth I want us to see is this.

Jesus is the promised king,

but His victory is accomplished through the very suffering and death that His followers struggled to understand.

So let me pray, and then we'll read our text together.

Father God, we pray that You will help us to this end that I have stated.

We humbly recognize we need Your help to rightly understand Your Word.

And so we ask that You would help us by Your Spirit to believe its promises and obey its commands,

have affection for You, its author,

and we pray that You'll help us to this end.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

Amen.

John chapter 12, beginning in verse 9.

John 12 · chapter mention

When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there,

they came not only on account of Him,

but also to see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.

So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well,

because on account of Him,

many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

The next day, the large crowd that had come to the feast

heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.

So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him,

crying out,

Hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,

even the King of Israel.

And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it,

just as it is written,

Fear not, daughter of Zion,

behold, Your King is coming,

sitting on a donkey's colt.

His disciples did not understand these things at first,

but when Jesus was glorified,

then they remembered that these things had been written about Him

and had been done to Him.

The crowd that had been with Him

when He called Lazarus out of the tomb

and raised Him from the dead

continued to bear witness.

The reason why the crowd went to meet Him

was that they heard He had done this sign.

So the Pharisees said to one another,

You see that you are gaining nothing.

Look, the world has gone after Him.

Let's begin by considering the circumstances

surrounding Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem

with our first point,

Jesus, the King who divides the people,

in verses 9 through 11.

Perhaps you'll remember that in chapter 11,

Jesus performed what is the most remarkable

of His public miracles.

Lazarus, who had been dead for four days,

was raised from the dead

by the authoritative command of the Christ.

And John had been very clear to show us

that the consequences of this miracle

extend well beyond the resurrection of one man.

In John 11 and verse 45,

were told that many who witnessed

what Jesus had done believed in Him.

But others carried the news to the Pharisees,

resulting in a meeting of the Jewish council

where the religious leaders determined

that Jesus must be put to death.

Caiaphas, the high priest,

argued that it would be advantageous

for one man to die

rather than the entire nation to perish.

And John explains,

Caiaphas spoke more truthfully than he understood

because Jesus would indeed die for the nation.

And not for that nation only,

but also to gather into one

the children of God who were scattered abroad.

So already John has begun directing our attention

toward the approaching death of Jesus

and the significance of that death

for the salvation of God's people.

Then in the opening verses of chapter 12,

we find Jesus in Bethany

where Mary anoints His feet

with expensive perfume.

Jesus interprets Mary's actions

in relation to His burial.

His death is no longer something

merely anticipated in the distant future.

It is now immediately before Him.

And that brings us to verse 9.

John tells us that a large crowd

learns that Jesus is in Bethany

and comes not only to see Him,

but also to see Lazarus,

whom Jesus raised from the dead.

Now, I think we can appreciate their interest.

Imagine learning that a man who had been dead

for four days was now walking around,

eating meals, speaking with his friends,

conducting himself as any other living man.

We would certainly be interested in seeing Him.

But John wants us to recognize

that Lazarus has become something more

than the beneficiary of a miracle.

He has become a living testimony

to the identity and authority of Jesus Christ.

Every time someone sees Lazarus alive,

they are confronted with the extraordinary claim

that Jesus possesses authority over death itself.

And so in verses 10 and 11,

the chief priests make the remarkable decision

to put Lazarus to death also

because his resurrection has resulted

in many people believing in Jesus.

Consider the terrible irony of that decision.

Jesus has demonstrated His authority over death

by raising Lazarus,

and the religious leaders respond

by attempting to kill the very man

whose life testifies to that authority.

They cannot deny the significance

of what has happened.

So they seek to eliminate the evidence.

And this is consistent with what John

has been teaching us throughout his gospel.

The rejection of Jesus is not fundamentally

an intellectual problem resulting

from insufficient information.

John 3.19 tells us that the light

light has come into the world,

but people loved darkness rather than light

because their works were evil.

The religious leaders have witnessed

more than enough evidence

to recognize that something extraordinary

is taking place.

But rather than submitting themselves

to Jesus,

they determine to destroy Him.

And this introduces a contrast

that will become increasingly important

throughout our passage.

On one side are people

who celebrate Jesus

because of His miraculous power.

On the other are religious leaders

who reject Him

because His popularity

threatens their authority.

Receive and reject.

This is a repeated theme

that I have presented to you

throughout John's gospel.

Which category do you belong to?

Are you one who will receive Jesus

as the Christ

or one who will reject Him?

And John will show us

that even among those

who celebrate Jesus,

there is a considerable confusion

concerning His identity

and His mission.

It is possible to be enthusiastic

about Jesus

without understanding

the gospel of Jesus Christ.

That's a distinction

we ought to take very seriously.

A person may be

impressed by Christianity,

attracted to the moral teachings

of Jesus,

appreciative of the benefits

associated with Christian community,

or even enthusiastic

about Christ's substitutionary,

excuse me,

about His influence

upon society

without ever understanding

the necessity

of Christ's substitutionary death

and victorious resurrection.

There is a difference

between admiring Jesus

and believing in Jesus

as He has refilled Himself.

And that distinction

becomes particularly evident

in the next portion

of our passage.

Well, second point,

Jesus,

the King

who defies

expectations.

We'll see this

in verses 12

through 15.

Beginning in verse 12,

John describes

the arrival

of Jesus

in Jerusalem.

A large crowd

that has gathered

for the Passover feast

hears that Jesus

is approaching

the city.

They go out

to meet Him,

carrying palm branches

and shouting praises.

They employ language

drawn from Psalm 118,

celebrating the one

who comes

in the name

of the Lord

and they explicitly

identify Him

as the King

of Israel.

Now,

we need to understand

something about

the historical

and theological

significance

of this moment.

Most of you

are probably familiar.

The Jewish people

have been living

under foreign domination

for centuries.

First the Babylonians,

then the Persians,

followed by the Greeks,

and now the Romans

have exercised

authority over them.

Although they have

returned from

their Babylonian exile,

the full restoration

anticipated by

the Old Testament

prophets

has not yet

been realized.

They possess

the Scriptures

which promise

that God will

raise up

a descendant

of David

whose kingdom

will be established

forever.

They know

the promises

of Isaiah,

Jeremiah,

Ezekiel,

Daniel,

and Zechariah.

They anticipate

the coming

of a Messiah

who would

deliver God's

people

and establish

his righteous

rule.

And now,

Jesus approaches

Jerusalem

having demonstrated

an extraordinary

authority

that extends

even over

death.

It's not difficult

to understand

why so many people

would anticipate

that he has come

to restore

the kingdom

to Israel.

the palm branches

themselves

likely contribute

to the atmosphere

of national

celebration.

In Jewish

history,

palm branches

have been associated

with victory

and deliverance.

And the

proclamation

from Psalm

118

is especially

significant.

It's a celebration

of the Lord's

salvation

and the

language employed

by the crowd

is entirely

appropriate

for the arrival

of God's

promised king.

But then,

John draws

our attention

to something

Jesus does.

Verse 14

tells us

that Jesus

finds a young

donkey

and sits

chapter 9

and verse 9.

You read earlier

Jake led us

in a reading

of Zechariah 9,

9 and 10

and the previous

week,

the same

because I wasn't

here and I

intended to preach

this text.

So,

you had to endure

Zechariah 9,

9 through 10

two Lord's

days in a row.

I want to spend

a few moments

considering

Zechariah's

prophecy

because without

understanding

its original

context,

we are unlikely

to appreciate

the significance

of what Jesus

is doing.

Zechariah

ministered to

the Jewish

people following

their return

from exile

in Babylon.

The people

had returned

to the land

and the temple

would be rebuilt,

but the glorious

promises associated

with the restoration

of Israel

remained largely

unfulfilled.

They were still

subject to foreign

powers.

The Davidic

monarchy had not

been restored

and the people

continued to await

the fulfillment

of God's covenant

promises.

In the first

eight verses

of Zechariah

Zechariah 9 · chapter mention

chapter 9,

God announces

judgment against

a series of nations

and cities

that had historically

threatened or

opposed

his people.

Damascus,

Tyre,

Sidon,

and the

Philistine cities

are all brought

under the judgment

of God.

The language

is that of

conquest,

judgment,

deliverance.

And then

in verse 9,

Zechariah announces

the arrival

of the king.

He calls upon

the daughter of Zion

to rejoice

because her king

is coming,

righteous and

possessing salvation,

humble and

riding upon a donkey.

Now,

you should notice,

we do well to notice

the contrast.

The opening verses

of the chapter

describe the overthrow

of powerful nations.

But when the

promised king arrives,

he does not appear

as we might expect

a military conqueror

to appear.

He comes in humility.

He rides upon a

donkey.

And then

verse 10

provides an

important explanation.

God promises

to remove

the chariot

from Ephraim,

the war horse

from Jerusalem,

and the instruments

of warfare

from his people.

The promised king

will speak

peace to the nations,

and his dominion

will extend

from sea to sea

to the ends

of the earth.

Do you see

what Zechariah

is describing?

God promises

a king

who will establish

a universal

kingdom of peace,

but the character

of that kingdom

is fundamentally

different from

the kingdoms

established

by the military

powers of

this world.

The prophets

are not promising

merely another

earthly empire

with Israel

occupying the position

previously held

by Babylon,

Persia,

or Rome.

They anticipate

the establishment

of God's

righteous kingdom

under the authority

of his

appointed Messiah.

And yet,

throughout the history

of Israel,

there was a

persistent tendency

to interpret

the promise

of God

primarily

through the lens

of immediate

political

circumstances.

Deliverance

meant freedom

from foreign

domination.

Restoration

meant national

independence.

victory

meant the

defeat

of Israel's

earthly

enemies.

Now,

to be clear,

the Old Testament

really does promise

judgment upon the nations,

vindication for

God's people,

and the universal

reign of the

Messiah.

The mistake

would be to

reduce those

promises to

a political

revolution

against Rome.

Because that is

not the manner

in which Jesus

has come to

establish his

kingdom.

And Jesus

makes that

unmistakably

clear through

his actions.

Now,

we sometimes

hear that Jesus

rode upon a

donkey simply

because donkeys

are humble

animals.

I made that

point just a

moment ago.

Whereas,

horses are

impressive

animals.

There's some

truth in that

contrast.

We should also

be careful not

to oversimplify

it.

In the Old

Testament,

donkeys could

also serve as

royal mounts.

Solomon,

for example,

rode upon

David's mule

when he was

publicly recognized

as king

in 1 Kings

1 Kings 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1.

So the

significance is

not that Jesus

chooses an

animal entirely

incompatible

with kingship.

rather,

Jesus deliberately

identifies himself

with the

particular kind

of kingship

described in

Zachariah's

prophecy.

He comes as

the promised

king,

but not as a

military conqueror.

His kingdom

will not be

established through

the instruments

of earthly

warfare.

And this is

consistent with

everything John

has already

told us.

In John

John 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6

and verse 15,

following the

feeding of the

5,000,

the people

intended to

take Jesus

by force

and make

him king,

but Jesus

withdrew.

Do you

remember why?

Not because

he was unwilling

to be king,

but because he

would not

submit his

messianic

mission to

their mistaken

expectations.

And later

in John

John 18 · chapter mention

chapter 18

and verse

36,

Jesus will

explain to

Pilate that

his kingdom

is not

of this

world.

His kingdom

does not

derive its

authority or

character from

the political

powers of

this age.

Here,

in John

12,

Jesus is

openly

presenting

himself as

Israel's

promised

king,

but he

does so

in a manner

that challenges

the assumptions

of those

who are

welcoming him.

the crowd

expects a

king who

will defeat

Rome.

Jesus has

come to

defeat sin

and death.

The crowd

anticipates a

throne in

Jerusalem.

Jesus is

approaching a

Roman cross.

The crowd

desires deliverance

from earthly

oppression.

salvation.

Jesus has

come to

accomplish the

redemption of

his people

through the

sacrifice of

his own

life.

All of

this is

better.

And those

distinctions are

not intended

to suggest

that God's

kingdom has

no implications

for the

world in

which we

live.

Zechariah

Zechariah 9:10

9,

verse 10,

makes it

clear that

the reign

of the

Messiah will

ultimately

extend

throughout

the earth.

The victory

of Jesus

Christ will

be accomplished

through his

willing submission

to death,

followed by

his resurrection

and exaltation.

Now,

there's another

detail in

Zechariah

9 that

we shouldn't

overlook.

In verse

11,

immediately

following the

promise of

the coming

king and

his universal

reign,

God speaks

of delivering

prisoners because

of the blood

of his

covenant.

That language

ought to

remind us of

the covenant

established

through sacrifice

in Exodus

Exodus 24 · chapter mention

chapter 24.

And as we

read the

scriptures in

light of their

fulfillment in

Jesus Christ,

we recognize

that the

promised

deliverance

of God's

people is

ultimately

secured through

the blood

of the new

covenant.

Jesus himself

will explain

this at the

Last Supper.

So the

larger context

of Zechariah

9 brings

together the

coming of

the king,

the establishment

of peace,

the extension

of his kingdom

to the nations,

and the

deliverance of

God's people

through covenantal

blood.

all of these

things find

their ultimate

fulfillment in

Jesus Christ.

And all of

this because

Jesus went and

found a donkey

and rode it in

to Jerusalem.

It's not to

help us understand

why his arrival

in Jerusalem must

be interpreted in

light of the

crucifixion that

will follow.

the king is

coming, not

merely to

announce his

reign, but

to accomplish

the redemption

upon which

his saving

kingdom is

founded.

I'm going to

make a brief

application here

before we

move on.

I think there

is a warning

for us in the

way the crowd

appears to

understand the

Old Testament

promises.

It is entirely

possible to take

something God

has genuinely

promised and

misunderstand its

fulfillment because

we've allowed our

own desires to

determine how we

think God ought

to accomplish it.

We are not

immune to that

temptation.

We may approach

the scriptures

assuming that God's

primary concern is

to secure our

immediate comfort,

preserve our

circumstances,

advance our

preferred political

outcomes, or

protect us from

suffering.

And when God

acts in ways that

do not correspond

to those

expectations,

Christians, we

become confused.

Has our God

failed to be

faithful to his

promises?

But the proper

approach to

scripture is not

to begin with what

we wish God would

accomplish and then

search for promises

that appear to

support our

desires.

We must allow

God to define

his own purposes,

his own promises,

and the manner in

which those promises

will be fulfilled.

And nowhere is that

more important than

our understanding of

Jesus Christ.

If we interpret

Jesus primarily as

the means by which

we obtain the life

we already desire,

then we have

fundamentally

misunderstood his

mission.

He has not come

merely to improve

our circumstances.

He has come to

reconcile sinners

to God.

And that

reconciliation

requires his

death.

Which brings us

to what I believe

is the interpretive

center of our

passage in my

third point.

Yes, it's a

chiasm.

Jesus, the

king whose

glory was

misunderstood.

Look carefully

at verse 16.

John tells us

that the disciples

did not understand

these things at

first.

But when Jesus

was glorified,

they remembered

what had been

written about him

and recognized

that these things

had been done

to him.

I want us to

consider the

remarkable nature

of that admission.

John is writing

his gospel

after the

resurrection

and exaltation

of Jesus

Christ.

He has had

the opportunity

to reflect upon

the life and

ministry of

Jesus in light

of everything

that followed.

And looking

back upon

this event,

he acknowledges

that he and

the other

disciples did

not understand

what was

happening.

Now,

John does

not tell us

precisely which

aspects of the

event confused

them, and we

ought not claim

more than the

text reveals.

But the

connection between

their lack of

understanding, the

Old Testament

prophecy, and the

later glorification

of Jesus strongly

suggests that

their confusion

concerned the

relationship between

the promised

messianic king

and the suffering

that awaited him.

and this would

be consistent

with what the

other gospel

writers tell

us.

In Matthew

16, when

Jesus begins

teaching his

disciples that

he must go to

Jerusalem, suffer,

be killed, and

rise again,

Peter responds

by rebuking

him.

In Luke

Luke 18 · chapter mention

chapter 18,

Jesus explicitly

tells the

twelve that the

things written by

the prophets

concerning the

Son of Man are

about to be

accomplished,

including his

suffering, death,

and resurrection.

And Luke

tells us that

the disciples

understood none

of these things.

You see the

pattern?

The disciples

believe Jesus

is the Messiah.

They have

witnessed his

miracles.

They have

heard his

teaching.

They have

confessed his

identity.

But they

struggle to

comprehend that

the Messiah must

suffer and die.

And in John

12, that

difficulty is

expressed again.

we should

recognize that

the problem

was not an

absence of

biblical

revelation.

The Old

Testament contains

extensive testimony

concerning both

the glory and

the suffering of

the Messiah.

The promises of

his kingship are

unmistakable.

Psalm 2

describes God's

anointed king

ruling over the

nations.

Psalm 72

anticipates a

righteous king

whose dominion

extends to the

ends of the

earth.

Isaiah 9

announces the

coming of a

son whose

government and

peace will

have no end.

But the

same Old

Testament also

describes a

suffering servant.

Isaiah 53

speaks of one

who bears the

sins of others,

suffers under

divine judgment,

and makes many

to be accounted

righteous.

Psalm 22

describes the

suffering of the

righteous one

whose affliction

ultimately leads to

the praise of God

among the

nations.

And Zechariah

in chapter 12

speaks of the

one who will

be pierced,

while chapter 13

describes the

striking of the

shepherd.

The scriptures

anticipate both

the suffering and

the glory of the

Messiah.

The disciples'

difficulty was

understanding how

those realities

belonged together.

And I would

suggest that this

is one of the

great lessons John

wants us to

learn from

his account.

The glory of

Jesus Christ

cannot be

properly understood

apart from

his suffering.

We cannot

understand his

kingship without

understanding his

cross.

We cannot

understand his

victory without

understanding his

death.

First the cross,

then the crown.

And we cannot

understand the

nature of his

salvation without

recognizing the

problem from

which he has

come to save

us.

Now, notice

the turning point

John identifies.

He does not say

that the disciples

understood once

Jesus had explained

the prophecy more

thoroughly.

He said that they

remembered and

understood after

Jesus was

glorified.

That language

is significant

because John

uses the

concept of

Jesus'

glorification in

a particularly

important way

throughout his

gospel.

We might

not naturally

associate

glorification,

excuse me,

we might

naturally

associate

glorification

with his

resurrection and

ascension,

and certainly

those events

do belong to

the exaltation

or glorification

of Christ.

But John

also presents

the crucifixion

itself as

central to the

revelation of

Jesus'

glory.

In John 12,

23, just a few

verses beyond our

passage,

Jesus announces

that the hour has

come for the

Son of Man

to be glorified.

God.

And then he

immediately begins

speaking about

his approaching

death.

He compares

his death to a

grain of wheat

falling into the

earth,

explaining that

unless it dies,

it remains alone,

but if it dies,

it bears much

fruit.

Later in

verses 31 and

32,

Jesus describes

the judgment of

the world,

the defeat of

its ruler,

and the gathering

of people to

himself through

his being

lifted up.

John explains

that Jesus is

speaking about

the manner of

his death.

So in John's

gospel, the

cross is not

merely an

unfortunate

circumstance

that precedes

the glorification

of Jesus.

It's integral.

It's part of

the manifestation

of his

glory.

The crucifixion,

the righteousness,

holiness,

wisdom,

love,

and mercy of

God are

displayed in

the accomplishment

of redemption

of his people.

At the cross,

Jesus bears the

judgment deserved

by sinners.

At the cross,

he accomplishes

the work of

the ordinary

nature of

divine love,

not by

overlooking

sin,

but by

satisfying the

demands of

divine justice

through his

own sacrifice.

Only after

these events

the disciples

begin to

comprehend

what had

been taking

place before

their eyes.

All the

meaning packed

into Jesus

riding on a

donkey.

But there is

another important

observation here.

John tells us

that after Jesus

was glorified,

the disciples

remembered what

had been written

about him.

Their

understanding of

scripture was

transformed by

the accomplishment

of Christ's

redemptive work.

We enjoy an

extraordinary

privilege as

Christians living

on this side

of the

resurrection.

We have the

completed testimony

of the

scriptures,

the canon,

our 66 books

of Old and

New Testament.

We can read

the Old Testament

promises in

light of their

fulfillment in

Jesus.

We can recognize

the relationship

between the

suffering servant

and the

glorious king

because the

apostles,

under the

inspiration of

the Holy Spirit,

have explained

that relationship

to us.

And while this

is true,

we should be

reminded that we

still bring our

assumptions to

the text.

We have to be

humble enough to

recognize that we

do not understand

everything.

In fact, the

longer we study

God's word,

the more we

become aware of

the limitations

of our

understanding.

But we

should not be

content to

remain confused

when God has

given us the

scriptures for

our instruction.

Our

responsibility is

to approach the

scriptures prayerfully,

humbly,

carefully,

allowing the

revelation of

God to

correct our

assumptions.

Because it is

possible to

possess greater

confidence in

our interpretation

of scripture

while misunderstanding

the very thing

God intends to

communicate.

The disciples

themselves are

evidence of

that danger,

and their

subsequent

understanding is

evidence of

God's kindness

in correcting it.

Number four,

Jesus, the

king whose

kingdom cannot

be stopped.

We see this

verse 17

through the end

of our text,

conclusion of

our passage.

In verses

17 and 18,

John explains

that the crowd

who had

witnessed the

raising of

Lazarus

continued bearing

witness to

what Jesus

had done.

And the

people who

came out

to meet

Jesus did

so at

least in

part because

they had

heard about

this remarkable

sign.

Now,

notice again

the relationship

between the

resurrection of

Lazarus and

the events

unfolding in

Jerusalem.

Jesus has

demonstrated his

authority over

death and the

testimony concerning

that miracle has

produced an

extraordinary public

response.

But we also know

that not everyone

who welcomes

Jesus in this

moment understands

the significance

of his mission.

Some are

undoubtedly

motivated by

curiosity.

Others are

impressed by his

miraculous power.

Still others

likely anticipate

the immediate

establishment of

an earthly

kingdom.

John does not

tell us the

spiritual condition

of every individual

in the crowd,

and we should

not assume

that every

person

participating

between the

popular enthusiasm

surrounding Jesus

and the fuller

understanding of

his identity

that John

intends his

readers to

possess.

And then we

come to

verse 19.

The Pharisees

observing the

enormous public

response express

their frustration

with the words,

look, the world

has gone

after him.

Now, they are

obviously employing

a degree of

exaggeration.

They do not

mean that every

person in the

world has

literally become

a follower of

Jesus.

They mean that

their attempts

to suppress

his influence

have failed,

and that his

popularity appears

to be growing

beyond their

control.

people.

But notice

this.

John places

their statement

immediately before

the account of

certain Greeks

who come to

Jerusalem and

express their

desire to see

Jesus.

And this is not

an accidental

arrangement.

Remember what

Zechariah 9.10

promises concerning

the coming king?

His reign will

extend to the

ends of the

earth.

And remember

what John has

already told us

in chapter 11?

Jesus will not

die only for

the Jewish

nation, but

also to gather

into one the

scattered children

of God.

Then in John

12, the

Pharisees complain

that the world

has gone after

him, and

immediately

afterward,

Greeks appear

seeking Jesus.

It's a

remarkable

literary and

theological

connection between

these events.

The religious

leaders are

concerned about

losing their

influence over

Israel.

people from

every nation.

And the

amazing thing

is that this

intentional

kingdom will

be established

through the

very death

the religious

leaders are

conspiring to

bring about.

They believe

that by killing

Jesus, they

will preserve

their authority

and protect

their nation,

but their

efforts to

destroy him

will become

the historical

means through

which God's

eternal purpose

of redemption

is accomplished.

This should

remind us what

Jesus taught

earlier in

John 10.

He described

himself as the

good shepherd

who lays down

his life for

his sheep.

And then he

explained that he

has other sheep

who were not of

the Jewish fold,

sheep whom he

must bring so

there will be one

flock under

one shepherd.

That promise

is being brought

into focus

here.

The coming

king is not

merely restoring

the political

fortunes of

one nation.

He is gathering

a redeemed

people from

every tribe,

language,

people,

and nation.

And the

means by which

those people

are gathered

is the

proclamation

of the gospel

concerning his

death and

resurrection.

resurrection.

This is why

the mission

of the church

is fundamentally

a gospel

mission.

We have not

been commissioned

to establish

the kingdom

of Christ

through coercion,

military power,

or political

domination.

We have been

commissioned to

make disciples

of all peoples,

proclaiming the

good news of

the crucifixion

and risen Savior

and teaching

those disciples

to obey

everything he

has commanded.

That mission

is grounded

in the authority

of the risen

Christ who

possesses all

authority in

heaven and on

earth and has

promised to be

with us to

the end of

the age.

The progress

of that mission

does not depend

upon the favor

of earthly

rulers.

The kingdom

of Christ

cannot be

prevented from

accomplishing

God's purpose.

That was

true when the

Pharisees conspired

against him.

It was true

when Rome

crucified him.

And it is

true today.

The king

has been

raised from

the dead.

His authority

is supreme

and he is

gathering his

people through

the ministry

of his word

and spirit.

So,

Jesus entered

Jerusalem as

the promised

king, knowing

that the

celebration would

soon give way

to hostility.

that his

disciples would

be scattered

and that he

would be

condemned and

crucified.

And he went

willingly, riding

on a donkey.

He did not

misunderstand what

awaited him.

He had

repeatedly explained

to his

disciples that

his death was

necessary.

The

misunderstanding of

the disciples is

not the end of

their story.

Praise God.

God.

John tells us

that after

Jesus was

glorified,

they remembered.

They came to

understand what

the scripture

death would

become the

very witnesses

through whom

the good news

of that death

and resurrection

would be

proclaimed

throughout the

world.

They began

that witness

that is carried

on to

today.

John himself

is writing

this gospel

so that we

might understand

what he

once failed

to understand.

He tells us

his purpose

in John 20

John 20:31

verse 31.

He has

written so

that we

would believe

that Jesus

is the

Christ,

the Son of

God,

and that by

believing we

would have

life in

his name.

And so if

you are not

a Christian

this morning,

I want to

encourage you

to consider

the claims

of Jesus

as they

are presented

in the

scripture.

Not merely

what you've

heard about

him,

not merely

what you

would prefer

him to be,

some

misrepresentation

of who

he is,

but who

he has

revealed

himself to

be.

He is the

righteous

king who

has come

to save

sinners.

And the

call of the

gospel is

that you

turn from

your sin

and trust

in him,

believing

that his

life,

death,

and

resurrection

are sufficient

to reconcile

you to