Behold Your King
John 12:12-19
Main Idea: Jesus is the promised king we need who saves us by his death.
I. The Passionate Crowd (12:12-15; 17-18)
The Passover feast brought massive crowds to Jerusalem every year, along with the remembrance of God’s mighty acts of deliverance in the past for Israel. This crowd hears that Jesus is coming, and they stage a “triumphal entry” for the man who had raised Lazarus from the dead (12:17-18; cf. Zech. 14:4; Ezek. 11:22–23; 43:1–5).
This large crowd is worked up into passionate, nationalistic fanfare upon the arrival of Jesus:
The palm branches were a national symbol for the Jewish people, used when Simon Maccabaeus drove the Syrians out of Jerusalem, and appeared on coins during rebellions against Rome.
The crowd cries ‘Hosanna’ (lit. ‘Save us!’), quoting Psalm 118:25 and declaring its fulfillment.
They identify Jesus as “the one who comes in the name of the Lord” and as the “King of Israel.”
Rather than capitalizing on the political frenzy of this scene, Jesus reacts to the passion of the crowd by riding on a donkey rather than a warhorse. This action intentionally fulfills OT prophesies about the coming Messiah from Isa. 40:9 & Zech. 9:9-11.
“Jesus did present himself as Israel’s true King, but not as the king whom the people were seeking. This was the provocative point made by the donkey. The horse-mounted king came bent on war; the donkey was ridden by a king who came with peace… His manner of entry could not have more strongly renounced the Zealots’ militant idea of what the Messiah should be. Jerusalem was offering Jesus the kingship, only a kind of kingship that Jesus pointedly rejected in the manner of his coming... Jesus had rejected their offer of a war-bound kingship on Palm Sunday; they rejected his kingdom of peace on Good Friday.”
~ Richard Phillips, Reformed Expository Commentary (John)
The prophecy from Zechariah 9:9-11 emphasizes a few crucial things that color in the context of Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem:
The humility of the King who is coming to his people (9:9)
The peaceful promise of his reign to the nations and the ends of the earth (9:10)
The blood of the covenant that sets the captives free (9:11)
II. The Pouting Pharisees (12:19)
Up to this point in John’s gospel the Pharisees have attempted to shut down the mission of Jesus by:
Accusing him of having a demon (7:20; 10:20)
Discrediting his authority (9:28)
Using fear and intimidation against his followers (9:22)
Putting out warrants for his arrest (7:32; 11:57)
Trying to kill him on numerous occasions (5:18; 7:1; 11:53)
Despite all of these efforts, they observe this reception to Jesus and come to the conclusion: “[we] are gaining nothing.” In this very public entry, Jesus is forcing the hand of the Pharisees to ramp up their opposition, all of which is happening according to plan, since “the hour has come” (12:23; vs. 6:14-15).
The Pharisees ironically comment “Look, the world has gone after him” (12:19). Unknowingly, they are confirming the mission and ministry of Jesus; he has come not only to Israel, but to the whole world (cf. 11:49-53; Acts 17:6). Zechariah promised the Messiah will “speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth” (9:10).
III. The Puzzled Disciples (12:16)
On the one hand, the disciples knew exactly what was going on in this scene: this crowd was hailing Jesus as the Messiah and the King of Israel. But on the other hand, the disciples (and everyone in this scene) did not understand Jesus’ true identity and his mission. They rightly deemed him to be a king and applied the right title, but they had the wrong expectations.
The key to unlocking what was really going on in this entry to Jerusalem was only revealed to the disciples when Jesus was “glorified,” speaking of his crucifixion and the events surrounding it (cf. 2:22; 7:39; Isa. 52:13). It was only after the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ that the disciples realized through the power of the Holy Spirit that all of Scripture pointed to this reality (cf. 1:45; 5:39, 46).
“If sovereignty is defined by human experience apart from Jesus, then the slogan ‘Make Jeus king’ becomes a blasphemous attempt to co-opt the sovereign power of God for corrupt human ambitions. The sentence ‘Jesus is Lord’ is a true confession only if the subject has taken total control of the predicate, [and] only if sovereignty is defined by Calvary.”
~ Lesslie Newbigin, The Light Has Come
Luke 24:25–27, 30-32: And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself… When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”
Rather than co-opting Jesus for earthly agenda, the invitation of this triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the week of his crucifixion is this: “Behold your king!” (12:15). Jesus’ manner of entry to Jerusalem matches the manner of his enthronement as King on the cross, and when we realize this, it should lead to “rejoicing” and “fearing not.”
Revelation 7:9–10: After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”