Parade of Peace John 12: 12-19

Morning everyone. Good to see everyone see new faces as well. I Guess we'll go ahead and get started on the announcements here. But first, let's take a quick look on this week we did have Obviously Sunday service last week and then adult service we also had earlier this week at 530 on Wednesdays we had the Bible study of which pastor goes and goes over the praying with Paul book and Also, we had yesterday the Biblical counseling book unbound which we take place bi-weekly.

We're kind of wrapping up there only a few lessons left but we'd love to have everyone if you could join on 930s on every other Saturday and Then moving to this week for announcements. So today we have a prayer meeting on Sundays at 6 p .m.

You can join us there. We also have another announcement, which is for the missionary of the month with John and Becky Knox. They have a ministry in Japan and Tokyo in Moriyama, which they've been there for roughly about about 30 years or so.

They do wish and hope that you would pray for them the those of which they're who are attending the church would accept Christ and Also that the church in that existing neighborhood or the church Scene would grow and there more churches would sprout up in that area.

And another announcement we have is for next Sunday. We're also going to have a Sunday brunch at 10 a .m. So there will not be a 930 typical Sunday Adult service here. So do not show up for that because we will instead be in the fellowship hall in the back no need to Actually bringing anything because we're just gonna be a time of fellowship with other believers.

So just come and be present. That's all that we ask of you guys and then next Bible study session is going to be on April 3rd at 5 30 p .m. Before we start worship and service, we'll go ahead and get started with the prayer here.

Dear Lord. Thank you for this day given us allowing us to be here and fellowshipping in your name I pray you Lord that we our hearts are prepared for you Lord today to worship you and to also receive your word here today and That we can come here and learn more about your character and understand what you have planned for us Lord.

In your name we pray Jesus name. Amen. Today's scripture reading is going to come out of Zechariah chapter 9 Verses 9 through 13 verse 9. Rejoice greatly. Oh daughter of Zion. Shout. Oh daughter of Jerusalem.

Behold your king is coming to you. He is just and having salvation lowly and riding on a donkey a cult. The foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem. The battle bow shall be cut off.

He shall speak peace to the nations. His dominion shall be from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth as For you also because of the blood of your covenant. I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.

Return to the stronghold your prisoners of hope even today. I declare that I will restore double to you. For I have bent Judah my bow fitted the bow with Ephraim and raised up your sons. Oh Zion against your sons.

Oh Greece. And Made you like the sword of a mighty man.

This is the Word of the Lord. Please turn with me.

To John chapter 12 verses 12 through 19. John chapter 12 Verses 12 through 19. We are not in Luke this morning because Today is Palm Sunday, and I will be preaching from a Palm Sunday text from John. Because I preached from the Palm Sunday text from Luke last year.

John chapter 12 verses 12 through 19. The next day a great multitude that has come to the feast When they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem Took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him and cried out Hosanna Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord the King of Israel.

Then Jesus when he had found a young donkey sat on it 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 were written about him and that they had done these things to him. Therefore the people who were with him when he called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness for this reason.

The people also met him before they heard that he had done the sign. The Pharisees therefore laid among themselves you see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after him. This is the word of the Lord.

Let us pray gracious father. We come before you knowing that this world does not Receive this King.

Well.

We can't we come before you knowing that our country Does not honor our King? Well, but we come before you knowing that. Every knee Shall bow and every tongue confess when this King comes back the second time Not riding on a donkey but riding on a war horse.

Help us to prepare all of our hearts for the coming of the King and Help us to invest all of ourselves to prepare others For the coming of the King whether they know the King or not. We ask that the Holy Spirit would work through all of us Especially during this season to point to Jesus Christ and his world saving mission and That we ourselves would honor and Glorify all that he has done Gratefully knowing that only through his sacrifice that we were saved.

Comfort those who are mourning during this time. Comfort also the families of the Russian terror attack. Who have lost their loved ones? Comfort the survivors who have been traumatized by such a wicked act.

Help them to understand and see the world according to your standard. And may many Depend on Christ through this in Jesus name.

Amen.

This text is John's angle of the triumphal entry. Other gospel authors Matthew Mark and Luke have their own account of the triumphal entry and John writes his own and he emphasizes. Some things that the other Apostle such as the Apostle Matthew and Mark and Luke.

Did not we think of it as viewing the same scene from a different camera angle. We get to experience John's view of this. And what's really important about this triumphal entry is that we need to remember that entries matter.

Not only that entries of significant figures matter even more. In the past some rulers created arcs just to go through the city and if you go to some of the famous European cities There still stands a Roman arc.

Right. France has an arc or two multiple really. And they actually call it the arc of triumph. Not going to attempt to pronounce it in French. And that's because how a ruler enters the city matters. Even the US president has his own motorcade.

In fact, he flies his limo on a plane to whichever city he's going and. That limo is not just a regular limo. It's a tank basically bulletproof in every way even the tires. Creates its own oxygen for any bio-warfare and there are other weaponry that that would be just a secret that and I would be arrested if I knew what kind of weaponry that car has.

Forge unfortunately named the beast because of how large it is and.

And.

Every sitting president enters a city that he is visiting no matter where it is in the world inside that car basically a tank. And how a king enters a city tells us a lot about what kind of king this is and Today we commemorate the triumphal entry of the most important king of all and that is Jesus Christ.

The main point of this text is what is the significance of Jesus entry into Jerusalem? What is the significance of Jesus entry into Jerusalem?

First.

Jesus is the messianic King who comes to restore permanent peace between God and us. Jesus is the messianic King who comes to restore permanent peace between God and us.

Verse.

12 the next day a great multitude that had come to the feast when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. In order to understand the phrase the next day We need to look at the context of this passage and because we're picking up from John 12 all of a sudden.

After over a year being in Luke, I will give us a brief context where they were before the gospel according to John uniquely mentions and Focuses on the raising of Lazarus from the dead which started in chapter 11.

Remember who Lazarus is? He is a dear friend of Jesus and he was dead. In fact, he's been dead for four days inside a tomb a Man whose body started stinking up the grave when opened and Jesus. He stands before Lazarus tomb as the stone rolled open and he shouts Lazarus come out and Behold the one who was once dead walks out and this miracle signifies the new reality.

Of.

Who Jesus is? It signifies that through Jesus that death no longer has the last say for the first time.

A.

Man.

Raises up a dead man by his own authority. Yes, there were resurrections in the Old Testament and both of them it had to be authority derived from God but for some reason with Jesus Christ, he can shout at a dead man and Even death has to obey.

To even death has to let the dead men go. And this miracle signifies that through Jesus eternal life is possible. That Jesus is the source of life and His word gives life and he is the Word of God who gives life.

And now it all makes sense. Why John's gospel starts within the beginning was the word?

Very.

Similar to Genesis 1 in which God speaks life Into nothing and this event is the domino piece that quickly collapses the rest. John's passion week Centers around and it is initiated by the raising of Lazarus from the dead.

First.

Jesus popularity grows even more crowds are following him around and We'll see even in this text the crowd some of the crowds. They are influenced and they're only there because they heard about Lazarus being raised from the dead.

Second because of this the Sanhedrin, that's the religious Establishment, they're the 70 or so religious rulers Who are in charge. Especially in Jerusalem.

They.

Resolutely decide to put Jesus to death and They figure that out in John 11 when they hear about the raising of Lazarus. For them it is no longer too safe. It's no longer safe for them to keep Jesus alive anymore.

He is their number one threat to their very existence. Jesus is their number one threat to them holding on to their power.

Third.

Mary Lazarus's sister pours out and drenches expensive perfumed oil onto Jesus feet Which Jesus knows it is in preparation for his burial. His death is looming and That was six days before the Passover and this first picks up right after that.

After it is clear that Jesus is about to die and publicly anointed Jesus enters Jerusalem the City of God the City of David.

And.

This would have been the Sunday before the Passion Week the Sunday before his death the Palm Sunday. As Jesus nears Jerusalem a great crowd comes out to meet him and remember, they're more than just the Jerusalemites because this event takes part during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Which Passover is a part of. Right. Passover is a single day in which they celebrate by roasting a whole lamb unblemished lamb. To commemorate God's deliverance out of Egypt. In fact, they were supposed to celebrate the whole week and they do and What happens is pilgrims come from all over.

Right and these pilgrims would have Jewish heritage, but some might not. Some might be just curious. They're exploring. They want to know what kind of God the Jews serve. In fact a first century Jewish historian of Josephus a famous name Estimated that about 2 .7 million pilgrims gathered for the feast in Jerusalem before The war is ad -66 right before Rome sieged them.

Now that number might be highly exaggerated but Nevertheless a large crowd gathered for the feast. Second the report spread about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead and for such an extraordinary miracle of.

A lot of people would want to check what's going on. Now, what does the crowd do as they approach Jesus? They took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him and cried out the palm Palm tree branches.

You can just look around you what they might look like. They're important for a couple of reasons.

First.

Date palms are really prominent in the land of Israel. Palm trees don't have to be always related to coconut right. Date trees are also palm trees and In fact, you can still buy dates from Israel. They still produce dates.

Second there was a historical precedent for receiving a ruler by waving palm branches and This happened in the 2nd century BC When the Syrian forces were defeated by the Maccabees. The Maccabees were a Levitical family who stood up against the Antiochus Antiochus the Epiphanes.

The fourth. He is this Greek Syrian king who's put in charge of the region and he decides that he's going to be God and starts sacrificing pigs in the Jewish temple a very very Disturbing abomination.

So the Jewish leaders the Maccabees they stand up and they actually win. Right, they they win against the Empire not the Roman Empire, of course the Syrian one. And as Simon the Maccabees enters Jerusalem the crowd.

They.

Welcome him by waving palm branches. Playing various instruments and rejoicing and praising God. Needless to say palm branches were in fact a national symbol for Judea at this point. It was a sign of the coming deliverance and Their physical action matches their verbal proclamation Hosanna.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord the king of Israel. Hosanna is a Hebrew cry for save, please. It's a command. It's a request save. Please it is a cry for deliverance. It's a shout for salvation.

And blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord is a quotation from Psalm 118 verse 26. And what I do want to remind us is that whenever the Old Testament is quoted by the New Testament Authors we have to consider its context and.

This is because the gospel authors or frankly any of the New Testament authors They never quote the Old Testament out of context. Quoting out of context is What twisted theologians do. Quoting out of context is what Satan does.

Quoting out of context is what fallible people do. But the gospel authors were used by God himself. They don't quote out of context. Now, what's the context? Well traditionally? Jews read psalm at 118 as the entry of the future Davidic King the promised king to restore Israel the king of Israel.

Here that that phrase is actually not a quotation from Psalm 118, but it is what the crowd was shouting. Right Hosanna. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord King of Israel that the crowd even the crowd Knows the significance of the psalm that they're quoting the one who comes in the name of the Lord is in fact the king of Israel.

The name of the Lord needs to be unpacked here because we use the term.

Name.

Quite differently from how the ancient culture did. When we use names. We use them as identity markers, right? It is to mainly identify each other. Right you are Jim and I'm not. However in ancient Israel the name of the Lord signified the representation.

When the king comes in the name of the Lord He represents all that is the Lord. Right, so so I think really the best teaching case is to go to Exodus 34 when Moses is so distraught and he doesn't think he can go on leading God's people who have just sacrificed to the golden calf and He's betrayed by none other than his older brother Aaron the cult leader.

He tells God I need to see you. I Can't go on unless I see you. So what does God do in Exodus 34? He? Shows himself By declaring his name and his name isn't just the Lord the Lord the Lord the Lord the Lord.

That's not what he says. The Lord declares Who he is and his character in nature as The Lord passes by as Moses is hidden so that he does not dive by seeing God. He proclaims the Lord the Lord. Merciful and gracious Slow to anger Abounding and steadfast love and truth the Lord Unpacks and describes who he is.

That's the name of the Lord. The name of the Lord is his character. The name of the Lord is his nature. It's more than just an identity marker, so when this King Comes in the name of the Lord He comes in the Lord's authority.

This King comes Reflecting the Lord's mercy Reflecting the Lord's patience grace loyal love and Truth and faithfulness this King will rule as the Lord rules and this King will be righteous and just as the Lord is and this King is merciful and faithful as the Lord is and Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord and that is the King of Israel.

That's what the crowd was shouting and that is whom the crowd received unlike the other gospel accounts. John gives a concise treatment of the donkey. He doesn't tell us. Where is the donkey from any instruction regarding how to?

You know get the donkey. But only that Jesus enters writing a donkey Verse 14 then Jesus when he had found the young donkey Set on it as it is written fear not daughter of Zion behold your King is coming sitting on a donkey's colt.

Here John quotes both Isaiah 49 and Zechariah 9 9 after all if you turn to Zechariah 9 9 which Dexter read this morning. It didn't start with fear not. Fear not actually comes from Isaiah 40 verse 9 in this portion of Isaiah The Prophet proclaims that good news is coming to Zion.

Which is another name for Jerusalem. I'll read it in context go on up to a high mountain. Oh, Zion Herald of good news lift up your voice with strength. Oh, Jerusalem herald of good news. Lift it up fear not.

Say to the cities of Judah behold your God. Behold the Lord. God comes with might and his arm rules for him. Behold his reward is with him and his recompense before him. The context of good news that is heralded is that God in his might is coming back to Zion Jerusalem and fittingly John knew that After the fact and.

He quotes.

Isaiah 40 verse 9 and when God returns to his people for restoration the natural Response for his people is to not fear. It's to rejoice. Because it's not for judgment that he is coming But for restoration.

And when Jesus returned to Jerusalem, it was the fulfillment of that. The rest of the quotation from John 12 verse 14 is from Zechariah 9 9 Daughter of Zion behold your king is coming sitting on a donkey's colt.

Zechariah 9 9 adds another layer to this divine entry. The king who comes to Jerusalem is sitting on a donkey. The vehicle that the king chooses to ride shows the purpose of his entry. If the king were to enter riding a horse, it would have been quite a scary sight.

Remember in the Old Testament and really frankly the New Testament horses are not for racing. Horses are tanks. Cavalry is for battle Not for a patrol. A donkey however Shows that the king comes for peace.

The king comes for restoration rather than destruction and The rest of Zechariah 9 shows that the king enters to restore God's people. Right what decks remember what Dexter read to us this morning there will no longer be any wars.

God's people will be gathered not only that their enemies will be punished and even they will be gathered together and There will be a covenant made and the prisoners will be free they'll be released.

That's the context of Zechariah 9 and That's the context we have to read when Jesus came in that's the purpose it was for peace. It was to gather his people and it even included God's enemies. Now why is Jesus entering to restore peace important?

While the crowd thought Jesus entry signaled their deliverance from Rome and thus peace from the imperial oppression. Jesus establishes another type of peace. He in fact reconciles us with God he establishes peace between sinners and the Holy God.

Ultimately the most pressing need for us this morning is not any peace in specific regions or among certain nations. But the most important need that we have as individuals and As the collective humankind is the peace with God.

This is because we all are self-focused. Self-worshiping sinners our minds speech and actions seek to satisfy.

Our.

Desires.

Which is self-worship that we would be treated as gods and by default. We're traitors who deserve eternal condemnation for rebelling against a heavenly sovereign. Whether the crowd knew it or not. It was their biggest problem too.

And because God is holy and just He does not fudge our records. To erase our sins because that would make him Unjust and corrupt. We would throw a fit if a judge passes an unjust ruling. How much more so the heavenly judge who is perfect and holy?

Yet.

God's mercy and love overflow even to his violence enemies and we see this unfold after Jesus enters Jerusalem. King Jesus enters a city that will mock betray and eventually crucify him.

Yet.

He enters the city to restore his people back to God. To return his people back to him. He rescues sinners by taking their place of judgment. He saves his people by suffering the divine wrath on our behalf.

And that's precisely what we see from his entry on a donkey. He didn't come riding a war horse to judge the city that would reject him. He came on the donkey to restore peace. With the people in the city despite their sin by taking on their sin himself.

That's what this entry signifies. Now, how do people respond to Jesus triumphal entry? We can only understand the significance of the King Jesus entry looking through his crucifixion and resurrection.

We can only understand the significance of the King Jesus entry looking through his crucifixion and resurrection. In the following four verses we find out how different groups have responded to the entry of this King.

The order of responses goes from the closest in relation to. More distant from that's from his disciples to his persecutors. First verse 16 tells us how his disciples perceived this entry. His disciples did not understand these things at first.

A brutally honest Confession right there. John does not hold back punches even against himself. He clearly says he didn't get it. They didn't get it. Initially, even Jesus followers did not fully grasp the significance of Jesus regal entry.

However, they were not permanently left in the dark. But when Jesus was glorified. When they remembered then they remember that these things were written about him that they had done these things to him.

Glorified here means post-resurrection. This is because when Jesus went up to heaven to reign after he resurrected from.

The grave.

He sent his Holy Spirit to his disciples and The Holy Spirit revealed and taught the early disciples how Jesus in Jesus life and death fulfill the Old Testament Scripture. They were taught by the Spirit of God Himself.

Although the disciples did not grasp the significance of this entry in that very moment They had no excuse after the Ascension and the reception of the Holy Spirit. They could not unsee Jesus as anything but the Davidic King from God who came to save his people from sin.

And.

For all who trust Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection We have to see the significance of Jesus entry into Jerusalem. It was not a political revolution. But a redemption of souls. It was not to overthrow Roman Empire But to overthrow the bondage of sin.

Now verses 17 to 18 shift to the crowds response. Therefore the people who were with him when he called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness. For this reason the people also met him because they heard that he had done this sign.

The first group of people are The very people who followed Jesus from Bethany, which is in east of Jerusalem where Lazarus stayed now they bore witness to Jesus miracle and the word traveled around and By the time the word traveled around the crowd from Jerusalem heard of it and that's why they came out.

So Jesus is actually flanked by two different crowds. Those who came from Jerusalem to meet him and those who followed him from Bethany. He surrounded. However, they also missed the significance of Christ.

For them Jesus was just a spectacle to behold. Jesus was a miracle performer not the Davidic King. Jesus was just a special prophet not God incarnate and they're just merely curious about what more Jesus could do.

Lastly the Pharisees also took note of this terrific entry. The Pharisees therefore said among themselves you see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after him. The Pharisees the religious rulers are threatened by Jesus popularity.

They can see that they cannot do anything here. They're talking amongst themselves. See you cannot do anything. In fact, look at the hyperbole the world has gone after him. The world is following him.

He's got the support of the world. Obviously the whole world did not gather in Jerusalem that day. But the crowd was so immense That the Pharisees figuratively state how the world has gone after him. He's untouchable.

How can we even kill him if we can't even get to him. John gives us two layers of irony here. The word world the world in the gospel according to John does not actually.

Know Jesus.

Right.

Recall in John 1 10 what we learn about the world. He was in the world. This is Jesus and the world was made through him because he's the creator. Yet the world did not know him. Some translations have the world did not understand him the world was confused by him.

In fact the crowd that supports him Will soon betray Jesus when they learn That he will not accomplish their agenda. To overthrow Rome the crowd that shouts Hosanna safe Will cry out crucify just a couple of days after.

That's the world. The irony is the Pharisees think that the world will stick by Jesus hence they can't kill him. But the world will not. Second. There's a second layer of irony. There's an irony within the irony.

And it's kind of confusing but this reverses yet. It is precisely through the world's rejection that Jesus will save the world. Through the world's rejection and the crucifixion of this King. The world could finally go after him.

Not in a superficial sense as what the Pharisees witnessed but genuinely wholeheartedly from the inside despite the world's hatred toward Jesus. We know that Jesus loves the world. In fact the most famous verse in the Bible is John 3 16.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish But have eternal life. Here God's love is shocking in this verse not because the world is so big as if God's world is so limited.

How could he love everyone from he this continent to the next. Of course God's love for the world includes that but that's not the shocking part. God's love is shocking in this verse because The world is so wicked The world is so violent The world is so abusive The world is so terrorizing.

The world is so unclean impure. The world is so rebellious. And before Christ you were part of the world but God so loved the world. That world this world that he sent his one and only Son to die for it.

That's the implication that the disciples understood after the resurrection and ascension. Jesus entered Jerusalem not to rule from Herod's palace move over Herod that seat is not yours. See, it's in all the prophets.

But to be publicly beaten and mocked and he didn't have a seat to sit on. He was standing when he was dying. Jesus entered the city. Not to be crowned with gold and gems. But to be crowned with thorns to undo the curse from Genesis 3 In which thorns do come in as the curse to the ground.

Not to be exalted as the dignified Davidic King who's been promised centuries ago. But to be literally lifted up on the cross bearing our sin and suffering the wrath that we deserved and in mockery. With multiple signs saying this is the king of the Jews in various languages so the world Can understand what happens when you are not part of the world.

But ironically, that's precisely how this King saves the world. Not through a popular uprising as the world Knows best but through a humiliating execution that God's justice required and for all of us we have the privilege of Knowing more than what even Jesus disciples initially knew when they saw the donkey and the palm branches with even clearer knowledge and view Comes a greater responsibility and for all of us this morning We have a choice to make.

How will we? How will we? Receive this King who rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. Will we receive? The peace offering That he earned for us Through his life as a sacrifice to atone for our sin. Let us pray Father we are grateful for you giving us this King to the world that is completely Undeserving and Even unprepared to receive The King.

Father we pray that you would work in all of our hearts to prepare the coming of the King the second time and May all of our hearts and minds and strength Go toward Focusing on the coming of this King.

Daily.

Knowing that we have the privilege That even the Apostles didn't have when they got to see the coming of their King the first time. Help us to long for it help us to not grow tired help us to endure until the very end until Jesus comes back for his people.

And. Help us to gratefully receive the peace that he has Accomplished for us Through his own death and resurrection In Jesus name Amen.