3 reasons to rejoice in Jesus our Savior
I. Jesus Fulfills the Promised Davidic King
A. The crowds declared it
John 12:12-13 - On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.”
Psalm 118:22 - The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner stone.
B. Riding on the colt represents it
John 12:14-15 - Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written, “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.”
Zechariah 9:9 - Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Genesis 49:11 - He ties his foal to the vine, and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine; He washes his garments in wine, and his robes in the blood of grapes.
II. Jesus Proved He Was the True Messiah
A. By showing power over death – Lazarus (John 11)
B. By His anointing from Mary (John 12:1-8)
John 12:7-8 - Therefore Jesus said, “Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial. For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.”
III. Jesus Knew His Purpose Even When Others Did Not
A. The disciples did not
John 12:16 - These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him.
B. The pharisees did not
John 12:19 - So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him.”
Luke 19:39-40 - Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!”
John 11:53 - So from that day on they planned together to kill Him.
C. The crowds did not
John 12:18 - For this reason also the people went and met Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign.
I would invite you to turn with me to John 12 where we will be looking at verses 12-19.
We’ve been working through our series entitled Hope for Everyday Life, with an emphasis on Peter’s letter to a church that was scattered due to persecution by virtue of their faith in Christ alone.
But because it’s Passion Week, we’re going to pause our study for the next two Sundays with a look at the Triumphal Entry of Christ into Jerusalem.
We’ve titled this sermon The Hope of the Coming King. Having said that, I would invite you to turn with me to John’s Gospel, chapter 12:12-19
12 On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.” 14 Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written, 15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” 16 These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him. 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. 18 For this reason also the people went and met Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him.”
Prayer…
Lord of heaven, incline our hearts and mind to verity of your Word – the truth of your Scripture. Teach us your way, Yahweh – help us to walk in your truth; unite our hearts to fear your name.
Today is Palm Sunday. No doubt for many of us, we are accustomed to this historical week because Passion week is something we grew up with. We know that this is the week by which our Lord was on route to Jerusalem die.
For many of us, we remember that after Jesus was condemned to die by Pontius Pilate, that Christ would make his way through the road named the Via Dolorosa or the Way of Sorrow, while although carrying the instrument of his death – yet for us he bore through his stripes the hope of our salvation, sealed with the words – Tetelestia – it is finished.
And what is so looked upon as foolishness by unredeemed humanity, but for us who are saved, it is the power of God to which we sing (1 Corinthians 1:18).
And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior's blood
Died He for me, who caused His pain
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me?
It’s the verity of the cross of Christ, therein lies our Hope – therein lies the great memory of the past to which we look forward to our glorious eternal future.
So I pray that we would always cherish that old rugged Cross, as one hymn writer put it
…Till my trophies at last I lay down
And I will cling to the old rugged cross
And exchange it some day for a crown
Does Christ our Hope and stay ring fresh for you as it formerly did? Or, has the message of salvation become an old reel thrown into a dusty box and placed in your attic?
So for our proposition for today, I want to put forth to you…
These are truths that no doubt many of you are conversant with, but perhaps for others, this may be relatively new. That is…
I. Jesus fulfills the Promised Davidic King
A. The Crowds Declared it
Verses 12-13 “On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.” (stop)
Understand that this event wasn’t something that was a product by mere happen stance – This was a 483 year old prophecy that was coming to pass as our Lord’s feet enter into Jerusalem.
The most anticipated event of Israel’s history wasn’t a blip on their radar.
You say what happened…? And the answer to that question is that they had become dull of hearing with regards to their own biblical history.
Rewind the clock 483 years to a man named Daniel – he was a prophet of Israel during the Babylonian exile.
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In chapter 9:2 we see him praying – praying for himself, his people, and the restoration of Israel. Now, for a moment, let’s act like flies on the wall to hear what Daniel the prophet is praying, ok?
This is very important because this will set the prophetic framework for Christ’s presentation of himself to Israel as their Messiah!
Daniel 9:2 “In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans— 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.” (stop)
In other words, Daniel is reading from the scrolls of Jeremiah the prophet – and by reading from the Scriptures, he learns that Israel’s 70-year exile as a result of their disobedience is about to come to end – so he’s a man of prayer – and he’s praying!
Daniel 9:3-6 “So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed and said, “Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. Moreover, we have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers and all the people of the land.” (stop)
And what unfolds hereafter is 17 verses of Daniel’s heartfelt prayer of repentance on behalf of himself and for his people – he’s sees that there’s hope in the distant horizon – and the Person Daniel turned to is the Person we all should turn to for hope is Yahweh’s and his promise to act, to which he says in verse 19
Daniel 9:19 “O my God, incline Your ear O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.” (stop)
So fast does Daniel receive an answer to his prayer that he couldn’t even finish his supplication before God because he sent his angel, Gabriel, to give Daniel…hope.
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Notice Verses 20-23 “Now while I was speaking and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God, 21 while I was still speaking in prayer, then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision previously, came to me in my extreme weariness about the time of the evening offering. 22 He gave me instruction and talked with me and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you insight with understanding. 23 At the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed; so give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision.” (note)
Now what unfolds from Gabriel’s revelation to Daniel is the most extensive prophecy in the Old Testament of Scripture that unfolds not just the end of history, but specifically with reference to the coming of their Messiah. Let me highlight the passage for you.
Daniel 9:24, “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city…” Translate: 490 years have been determined for Daniel’s people and Jerusalem
Verse 26 “Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah (i.e. the anointed one) will be cut off and have nothing…” – Daniel 9:24. Translate: In 483 years, your Messiah will come to Jerusalem…to die – to be “cut off.”
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That’s what the word “to cut off” means - it refers to someone’s death. Now fast forward to Palm Sunday – it’s the first week of April, according to Jewish Calendar 483 years later – Jesus is at the doorsteps to Jerusalem – and we find our King of Hope riding on a donkey…weeping over Jerusalem…
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Luke’s Gospel wrote that…
Luke 19:41, 44 “When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes….because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”
What day was our Lord referring to – the day that God referring to in Daniel’s prophecy! What was it that made for their peace? Daniel saw hope of the Coming King. He saw the hope of Jeremiah the prophet who foresaw the Messiah’s death in order to usher in redemptive hope to those who believe by being “pierced” for our transgressions (Zechariah 12:10).
The Crowd Declared it – they met him with palm branches and spread them out on the roadside, emblematic of the fact that Messiah had arrived to deliver them, to which the crowd declared, “Hosanna” – meaning save us now, quoting from Psalm 118:26 – In other words, the rallying cry of the crowd was, “Save us – Save us now!”
Save us not in terms of repentance and salvation –but save us not from God’s wrath against my sins, but save us from Gentile bondage!”
Can you imagine the fervor of the crowd at that moment? Can you imagine the height of Israel’s expectation at that moment? Can you imagine the chanting of Hosannas at that moment?
Not only did the crowd declared it, they seemed to understand that the…
B. Riding on the Colt Represents it
Verse 14-17 “Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written, 15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” (stop)
The Apostle John alludes to Zechariah 9:9
“Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zech. 9:9) (stop)
“He ties his foal to the vine, And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine; He washes his garments in wine, And his robes in the blood of grapes.” (Genesis 49:11)
Alfred Edersheim, a Jewish convert to Christ and scholar said that the Jewish expectation surrounding the coming of Messiah upon a donkey in the days of Christ was already so firm in their belief “that, according to the Talmud, 'if anyone saw a donkey in his dreams, he will see salvation”[1]
In other words, when the crowd saw Jesus riding in on the donkey, a good many of them recognized that the Prince of Peace was here to usher in the Messianic age! Jesus fulfilled the Promised Davidic King and The Crowd Declared he was King…but.
II. Jesus Proved He was the True Messiah
By Showing Power over Death—Lazarus (John 11)
In John 5 Jesus gives a discourse to the religious Jesus on his equality with God the Father. And he begins his this powerful affirmation of his credential by saying that as God the Father was always working to uphold all things, so then the Son too was always working to upholds all things – what conclusion are you going to come when a person makes such an audacious claim? Take a wild guess…
Jesus goes on to state this in verse 21: “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.”
All of this was in preparation for what Jesus would do with the raising of Lazarus from the dead in chapter 11.
When Jesus said to Martha that he was the resurrection and the life he was declaring Himself to be God and the Promised Messiah because only God has resurrection power (John 11:25)
And after Lazarus was bodily raised, so irrefutable was Jesus’ claim upon himself that any irrational claim against the Person of Christ fell apart – what other conclusion are you going to come to concerning the Coming King of glory – take a wild guess…
b. By His Anointing from Mary (John 12:1-8)
What Mary was doing was a powerful affirmation not only with her belief in the Person of Christ and who he was, but also the words of Christ over against the prevailing belief of the day that the Messiah was going to come and immediately usher in the messianic age by removing.
The majority of religious Jews during the days of Christ didn’t believe in a crucified Messiah – today, many Jews don’t believe in a crucified Messiah…they believe that if Jesus was the Messiah, then he failed because he didn’t bring in the messianic age like he was supposed to 2000 years ago…
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Mary understood the Scriptures better than most in her day…but herein lies the point to the end of the spear: the world has often misunderstood who Jesus is.
So as you and look forward to Easter. Let’s not misunderstand who Jesus is. He was not a conquering Hero, nor the miracle worker…he was something even greater…what was that?
Faith Church...as we will be singing soon
There's a reason why the curse of sin is broken
There's a reason why the darkness runs from light
There's a reason why we stand here now forgiven
Because our hope and stay lay in the lap of the King who came and is coming again…You see…
III. Jesus knew his purpose even when others did not
The fact that many didn’t understand the Person of Jesus Christ is replete in all of the Gospel accounts – and if they didn’t understand Jesus then, then many in our day in age do not either. A number of people didn’t understand his purpose then, and they don’t understand his purpose now.
The disciples did not
John 12:16 “These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him.”
The Pharisees did not
John 12:19 “So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him.”
Luke 19: 39-40 “Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!”
John 11:53 “From that day they planned together to kill him”
The Crowds did not
John 12:18 “For this reason also the people went and met Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign.”
Conclusion – Again, the point to the end of the spear with what I just highlight for you is the fact that many did not understand the Person of Christ in his own day. Some later came to that understanding while others did not – so where are you in all of this?
So as we walk through passion week – ask yourself this question: Am I confused as to who Jesus is and what his purpose is? And if I am, may we remember the words of our Lord who said aloud to the Father for the sake of the people
“I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.” (John 11:42)
Let’s pray…
“Teach me Your way, O Lord;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name.
12I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
And will glorify Your name forever.
13 For Your lovingkindness toward me is great,
And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.” – Psalm 86:11-12
[1] “Bible Prophecy from Zechariah 9:9.” n.d. Aboutbibleprophecy.com. Accessed March 27, 2023. http://www.aboutbibleprophecy.com/zechariah_9_9.htm.
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