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John 12:9-19 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Well, amen and good morning.
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Please take your copy of God's Word and join me in John chapter 12.
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! Please take your copy of God's Word and join me in John chapter 12.
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! Our text this morning is John chapter 12, verses 9 through 19.
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As we've worked our way through John's Gospel, one of the recurring observations we've made is that people
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can possess an accurate understanding of certain truths about Jesus Christ,
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while remaining profoundly mistaken about the significance of those truths.
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They may recognize His miracles, acknowledge His authority,
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or even employ the correct theological language to describe Him,
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and yet fail to understand who He is and what He came to accomplish.
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And we have seen this repeatedly.
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Nicodemus recognized that Jesus was a teacher who had come from God,
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but He did not understand the necessity of the new birth.
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The Samaritan woman recognized that Jesus was a prophet
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before coming to understand that He was the Messiah.
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The crowds who witnessed the feeding of the 5,000 correctly recognized the miraculous provision of Jesus,
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but they misunderstood the nature of the bread He had come to provide.
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And now in our passage this morning, we're going to encounter an entire city
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preparing to celebrate the arrival of a king whom they do not adequately understand.
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What makes this passage especially interesting is that the people are not entirely wrong about Jesus.
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In fact, much of what they proclaim is correct.
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Jesus is the promised king.
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He is the fulfillment of God's covenant promises.
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He has come to deliver His people,
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and His kingdom will extend beyond the boundaries of Israel to encompass people from every nation.
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The problem is that they misunderstand the nature of His kingdom
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and the means by which He will establish it.
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And John tells us something that ought to capture our attention.
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Even the disciples,
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those men who have accompanied Jesus throughout His public ministry,
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do not initially understand the significance of what is taking place.
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It will only be after Jesus has been glorified
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that they begin to comprehend the Scriptures and the events unfolding before them.
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I want us to consider this passage with a particular emphasis on that misunderstanding
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because I believe John intends for us to recognize something about the way God accomplishes His purposes.
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Something about the danger of bringing our expectations to the Scriptures.
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And something about the necessity of understanding Jesus in light of His death and His resurrection.
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The central truth I want us to see is this.
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Jesus is the promised king,
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but His victory is accomplished through the very suffering and death that His followers struggled to understand.
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So let me pray, and then we'll read our text together.
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Father God, we pray that You will help us to this end that I have stated.
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We humbly recognize we need Your help to rightly understand Your Word.
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And so we ask that You would help us by Your Spirit to believe its promises and obey its commands,
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have affection for You, its author,
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and we pray that You'll help us to this end.
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In Jesus' name, Amen.
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Amen.
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John chapter 12, beginning in verse 9.
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When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there,
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they came not only on account of Him,
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but also to see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.
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So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well,
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because on account of Him,
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many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.
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The next day, the large crowd that had come to the feast
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heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.
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So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him,
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crying out,
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Hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,
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even the King of Israel.
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And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it,
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just as it is written,
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Fear not, daughter of Zion,
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behold, Your King is coming,
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sitting on a donkey's colt.
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His disciples did not understand these things at first,
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but when Jesus was glorified,
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then they remembered that these things had been written about Him
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and had been done to Him.
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The crowd that had been with Him
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when He called Lazarus out of the tomb
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and raised Him from the dead
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continued to bear witness.
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The reason why the crowd went to meet Him
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was that they heard He had done this sign.
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So the Pharisees said to one another,
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You see that you are gaining nothing.
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Look, the world has gone after Him.
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Let's begin by considering the circumstances
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surrounding Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem
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with our first point,
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Jesus, the King who divides the people,
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in verses 9 through 11.
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Perhaps you'll remember that in chapter 11,
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Jesus performed what is the most remarkable
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of His public miracles.
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Lazarus, who had been dead for four days,
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was raised from the dead
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by the authoritative command of the Christ.
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And John had been very clear to show us
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that the consequences of this miracle
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extend well beyond the resurrection of one man.
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In John 11 and verse 45,
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were told that many who witnessed
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what Jesus had done believed in Him.
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But others carried the news to the Pharisees,
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resulting in a meeting of the Jewish council
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where the religious leaders determined
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that Jesus must be put to death.
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Caiaphas, the high priest,
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argued that it would be advantageous
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for one man to die
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rather than the entire nation to perish.
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And John explains,
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Caiaphas spoke more truthfully than he understood
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because Jesus would indeed die for the nation.
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And not for that nation only,
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but also to gather into one
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the children of God who were scattered abroad.
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So already John has begun directing our attention
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toward the approaching death of Jesus
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and the significance of that death
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for the salvation of God's people.
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Then in the opening verses of chapter 12,
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we find Jesus in Bethany
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where Mary anoints His feet
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with expensive perfume.
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Jesus interprets Mary's actions
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in relation to His burial.
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His death is no longer something
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merely anticipated in the distant future.
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It is now immediately before Him.
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And that brings us to verse 9.
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John tells us that a large crowd
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learns that Jesus is in Bethany
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and comes not only to see Him,
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but also to see Lazarus,
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whom Jesus raised from the dead.
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Now, I think we can appreciate their interest.
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Imagine learning that a man who had been dead
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for four days was now walking around,
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eating meals, speaking with his friends,
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conducting himself as any other living man.
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We would certainly be interested in seeing Him.
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But John wants us to recognize
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that Lazarus has become something more
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than the beneficiary of a miracle.
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He has become a living testimony
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to the identity and authority of Jesus Christ.
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Every time someone sees Lazarus alive,
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they are confronted with the extraordinary claim
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that Jesus possesses authority over death itself.
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And so in verses 10 and 11,
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the chief priests make the remarkable decision
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to put Lazarus to death also
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because his resurrection has resulted
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in many people believing in Jesus.
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Consider the terrible irony of that decision.
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Jesus has demonstrated His authority over death
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by raising Lazarus,
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and the religious leaders respond
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by attempting to kill the very man
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whose life testifies to that authority.
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They cannot deny the significance
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of what has happened.
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So they seek to eliminate the evidence.
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And this is consistent with what John
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has been teaching us throughout his gospel.
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The rejection of Jesus is not fundamentally
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an intellectual problem resulting
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from insufficient information.
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John 3.19 tells us that the light
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light has come into the world,
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but people loved darkness rather than light
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because their works were evil.
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The religious leaders have witnessed
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more than enough evidence
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to recognize that something extraordinary
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is taking place.
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But rather than submitting themselves
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to Jesus,
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they determine to destroy Him.
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And this introduces a contrast
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that will become increasingly important
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throughout our passage.
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On one side are people
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who celebrate Jesus
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because of His miraculous power.
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On the other are religious leaders
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who reject Him
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because His popularity
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threatens their authority.
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Receive and reject.
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This is a repeated theme
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that I have presented to you
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throughout John's gospel.
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Which category do you belong to?
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Are you one who will receive Jesus
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as the Christ
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or one who will reject Him?
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And John will show us
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that even among those
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who celebrate Jesus,
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there is a considerable confusion
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concerning His identity
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and His mission.
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It is possible to be enthusiastic
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about Jesus
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without understanding
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the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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That's a distinction
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we ought to take very seriously.
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A person may be
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impressed by Christianity,
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attracted to the moral teachings
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of Jesus,
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appreciative of the benefits
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associated with Christian community,
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or even enthusiastic
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about Christ's substitutionary,
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excuse me,
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about His influence
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upon society
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without ever understanding
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the necessity
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of Christ's substitutionary death
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and victorious resurrection.
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There is a difference
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between admiring Jesus
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and believing in Jesus
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as He has refilled Himself.
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And that distinction
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becomes particularly evident
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in the next portion
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of our passage.
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Well, second point,
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Jesus,
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the King
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who defies
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expectations.
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We'll see this
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in verses 12
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through 15.
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Beginning in verse 12,
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John describes
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the arrival
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of Jesus
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in Jerusalem.
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A large crowd
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that has gathered
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for the Passover feast
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hears that Jesus
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is approaching
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the city.
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They go out
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to meet Him,
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carrying palm branches
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and shouting praises.
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They employ language
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drawn from Psalm 118,
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celebrating the one
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who comes
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in the name
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of the Lord
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and they explicitly
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identify Him
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as the King
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of Israel.
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Now,
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we need to understand
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something about
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the historical
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and theological
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significance
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of this moment.
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Most of you
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are probably familiar.
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The Jewish people
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have been living
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under foreign domination
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for centuries.
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First the Babylonians,
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then the Persians,
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followed by the Greeks,
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and now the Romans
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have exercised
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authority over them.
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Although they have
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returned from
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their Babylonian exile,
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the full restoration
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anticipated by
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the Old Testament
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prophets
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has not yet
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been realized.
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They possess
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the Scriptures
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which promise
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that God will
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raise up
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a descendant
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of David
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whose kingdom
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will be established
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forever.
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They know
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the promises
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of Isaiah,
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Jeremiah,
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Ezekiel,
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Daniel,
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and Zechariah.
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They anticipate
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the coming
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of a Messiah
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who would
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deliver God's
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people
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and establish
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his righteous
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rule.
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And now,
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Jesus approaches
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Jerusalem
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having demonstrated
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an extraordinary
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authority
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that extends
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even over
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death.
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It's not difficult
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to understand
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why so many people
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would anticipate
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that he has come
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to restore
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the kingdom
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to Israel.
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the palm branches
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themselves
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likely contribute
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to the atmosphere
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of national
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celebration.
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In Jewish
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history,
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palm branches
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have been associated
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with victory
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and deliverance.
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And the
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proclamation
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from Psalm
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118
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is especially
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significant.
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It's a celebration
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of the Lord's
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salvation
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and the
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language employed
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by the crowd
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is entirely
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appropriate
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for the arrival
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of God's
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promised king.
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But then,
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John draws
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our attention
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to something
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Jesus does.
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Verse 14
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tells us
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that Jesus
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finds a young
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donkey
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and sits
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chapter 9
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and verse 9.
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You read earlier
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Jake led us
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in a reading
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of Zechariah 9,
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9 and 10
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and the previous
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week,
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the same
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because I wasn't
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here and I
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intended to preach
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this text.
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So,
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you had to endure
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Zechariah 9,
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9 through 10
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two Lord's
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days in a row.
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I want to spend
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a few moments
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considering
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Zechariah's
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prophecy
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because without
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understanding
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its original
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context,
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we are unlikely
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to appreciate
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the significance
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of what Jesus
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is doing.
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Zechariah
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ministered to
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the Jewish
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people following
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their return
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from exile
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in Babylon.
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The people
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had returned
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to the land
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and the temple
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would be rebuilt,
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but the glorious
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promises associated
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with the restoration
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of Israel
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remained largely
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unfulfilled.
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They were still
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subject to foreign
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powers.
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The Davidic
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monarchy had not
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been restored
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and the people
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continued to await
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the fulfillment
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of God's covenant
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promises.
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In the first
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eight verses
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of Zechariah
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chapter 9,
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God announces
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judgment against
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a series of nations
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and cities
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that had historically
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threatened or
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opposed
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his people.
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Damascus,
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Tyre,
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Sidon,
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and the
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Philistine cities
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are all brought
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under the judgment
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of God.
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The language
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is that of
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conquest,
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judgment,
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deliverance.
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And then
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in verse 9,
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Zechariah announces
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the arrival
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of the king.
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He calls upon
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the daughter of Zion
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to rejoice
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because her king
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is coming,
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righteous and
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possessing salvation,
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humble and
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riding upon a donkey.
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Now,
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you should notice,
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we do well to notice
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the contrast.
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The opening verses
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of the chapter
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describe the overthrow
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of powerful nations.
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But when the
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promised king arrives,
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he does not appear
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as we might expect
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a military conqueror
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to appear.
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He comes in humility.
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He rides upon a
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donkey.
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And then
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verse 10
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provides an
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important explanation.
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God promises
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to remove
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the chariot
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from Ephraim,
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the war horse
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from Jerusalem,
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and the instruments
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of warfare
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from his people.
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The promised king
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will speak
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peace to the nations,
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and his dominion
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will extend
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from sea to sea
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to the ends
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of the earth.
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Do you see
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what Zechariah
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is describing?
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God promises
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a king
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who will establish
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a universal
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kingdom of peace,
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but the character
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of that kingdom
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is fundamentally
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different from
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the kingdoms
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established
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by the military
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powers of
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this world.
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The prophets
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are not promising
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merely another
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earthly empire
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with Israel
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occupying the position
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previously held
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by Babylon,
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Persia,
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or Rome.
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They anticipate
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the establishment
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of God's
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righteous kingdom
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under the authority
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of his
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appointed Messiah.
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And yet,
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throughout the history
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of Israel,
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there was a
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persistent tendency
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to interpret
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the promise
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of God
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primarily
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through the lens
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of immediate
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political
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circumstances.
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Deliverance
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meant freedom
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from foreign
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domination.
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Restoration
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meant national
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independence.
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victory
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meant the
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defeat
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of Israel's
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earthly
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enemies.
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Now,
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to be clear,
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the Old Testament
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really does promise
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judgment upon the nations,
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vindication for
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God's people,
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and the universal
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reign of the
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Messiah.
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The mistake
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would be to
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reduce those
17:39
promises to
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a political
17:41
revolution
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against Rome.
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Because that is
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not the manner
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in which Jesus
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has come to
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establish his
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kingdom.
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And Jesus
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makes that
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unmistakably
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clear through
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his actions.
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Now,
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we sometimes
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hear that Jesus
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rode upon a
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donkey simply
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because donkeys
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are humble
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animals.
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I made that
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point just a
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moment ago.
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Whereas,
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horses are
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impressive
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animals.
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There's some
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truth in that
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contrast.
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We should also
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be careful not
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to oversimplify
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it.
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In the Old
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Testament,
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donkeys could
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also serve as
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royal mounts.
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Solomon,
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for example,
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rode upon
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David's mule
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when he was
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publicly recognized
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as king
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in 1 Kings
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chapter 1.
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So the
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significance is
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not that Jesus
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chooses an
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animal entirely
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incompatible
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with kingship.
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rather,
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Jesus deliberately
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identifies himself
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with the
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particular kind
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of kingship
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described in
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Zachariah's
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prophecy.
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He comes as
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the promised
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king,
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but not as a
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military conqueror.
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His kingdom
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will not be
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established through
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the instruments
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of earthly
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warfare.
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And this is
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consistent with
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everything John
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has already
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told us.
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In John
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chapter 6
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and verse 15,
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following the
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feeding of the
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5,000,
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the people
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intended to
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take Jesus
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by force
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and make
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him king,
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but Jesus
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withdrew.
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Do you
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remember why?
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Not because
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he was unwilling
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to be king,
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but because he
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would not
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submit his
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messianic
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mission to
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their mistaken
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expectations.
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And later
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in John
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chapter 18
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and verse
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36,
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Jesus will
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explain to
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Pilate that
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his kingdom
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is not
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of this
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world.
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His kingdom
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does not
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derive its
19:42
authority or
19:43
character from
19:44
the political
19:44
powers of
19:45
this age.
19:48
Here,
19:48
in John
19:49
12,
19:51
Jesus is
19:51
openly
19:52
presenting
19:52
himself as
19:53
Israel's
19:54
promised
19:55
king,
19:56
but he
19:56
does so
19:57
in a manner
19:58
that challenges
19:58
the assumptions
19:59
of those
20:00
who are
20:01
welcoming him.
20:01
the crowd
20:03
expects a
20:04
king who
20:05
will defeat
20:06
Rome.
20:07
Jesus has
20:08
come to
20:09
defeat sin
20:10
and death.
20:12
The crowd
20:13
anticipates a
20:14
throne in
20:14
Jerusalem.
20:16
Jesus is
20:17
approaching a
20:18
Roman cross.
20:20
The crowd
20:21
desires deliverance
20:23
from earthly
20:24
oppression.
20:24
salvation.
20:26
Jesus has
20:26
come to
20:27
accomplish the
20:28
redemption of
20:28
his people
20:29
through the
20:29
sacrifice of
20:31
his own
20:32
life.
20:34
All of
20:35
this is
20:35
better.
20:36
And those
20:38
distinctions are
20:39
not intended
20:39
to suggest
20:40
that God's
20:41
kingdom has
20:41
no implications
20:42
for the
20:43
world in
20:43
which we
20:44
live.
20:46
Zechariah
20:47
9,
20:47
verse 10,
20:48
makes it
20:48
clear that
20:49
the reign
20:49
of the
20:49
Messiah will
20:50
ultimately
20:50
extend
20:51
throughout
20:52
the earth.
20:54
The victory
20:55
of Jesus
20:55
Christ will
20:56
be accomplished
20:56
through his
20:57
willing submission
20:57
to death,
20:59
followed by
20:59
his resurrection
21:00
and exaltation.
21:03
Now,
21:04
there's another
21:05
detail in
21:06
Zechariah
21:07
9 that
21:08
we shouldn't
21:09
overlook.
21:11
In verse
21:11
11,
21:12
immediately
21:12
following the
21:13
promise of
21:13
the coming
21:14
king and
21:14
his universal
21:15
reign,
21:16
God speaks
21:17
of delivering
21:17
prisoners because
21:18
of the blood
21:19
of his
21:20
covenant.
21:21
That language
21:22
ought to
21:23
remind us of
21:24
the covenant
21:25
established
21:25
through sacrifice
21:26
in Exodus
21:27
chapter 24.
21:29
And as we
21:30
read the
21:31
scriptures in
21:31
light of their
21:31
fulfillment in
21:32
Jesus Christ,
21:33
we recognize
21:34
that the
21:34
promised
21:35
deliverance
21:35
of God's
21:36
people is
21:37
ultimately
21:38
secured through
21:39
the blood
21:39
of the new
21:41
covenant.
21:43
Jesus himself
21:44
will explain
21:45
this at the
21:46
Last Supper.
21:48
So the
21:49
larger context
21:50
of Zechariah
21:50
9 brings
21:51
together the
21:52
coming of
21:52
the king,
21:53
the establishment
21:54
of peace,
21:55
the extension
21:56
of his kingdom
21:56
to the nations,
21:57
and the
21:58
deliverance of
21:59
God's people
22:00
through covenantal
22:01
blood.
22:02
all of these
22:04
things find
22:05
their ultimate
22:06
fulfillment in
22:08
Jesus Christ.
22:10
And all of
22:11
this because
22:12
Jesus went and
22:13
found a donkey
22:14
and rode it in
22:16
to Jerusalem.
22:18
It's not to
22:19
help us understand
22:20
why his arrival
22:21
in Jerusalem must
22:22
be interpreted in
22:24
light of the
22:25
crucifixion that
22:26
will follow.
22:27
the king is
22:29
coming, not
22:30
merely to
22:30
announce his
22:31
reign, but
22:32
to accomplish
22:33
the redemption
22:33
upon which
22:34
his saving
22:35
kingdom is
22:36
founded.
22:38
I'm going to
22:39
make a brief
22:40
application here
22:41
before we
22:42
move on.
22:43
I think there
22:44
is a warning
22:45
for us in the
22:46
way the crowd
22:46
appears to
22:47
understand the
22:48
Old Testament
22:48
promises.
22:50
It is entirely
22:51
possible to take
22:52
something God
22:53
has genuinely
22:54
promised and
22:55
misunderstand its
22:56
fulfillment because
22:57
we've allowed our
22:58
own desires to
22:59
determine how we
23:00
think God ought
23:01
to accomplish it.
23:03
We are not
23:04
immune to that
23:06
temptation.
23:08
We may approach
23:08
the scriptures
23:09
assuming that God's
23:10
primary concern is
23:11
to secure our
23:12
immediate comfort,
23:13
preserve our
23:14
circumstances,
23:15
advance our
23:16
preferred political
23:17
outcomes, or
23:18
protect us from
23:19
suffering.
23:21
And when God
23:22
acts in ways that
23:23
do not correspond
23:24
to those
23:24
expectations,
23:25
Christians, we
23:27
become confused.
23:29
Has our God
23:30
failed to be
23:31
faithful to his
23:32
promises?
23:34
But the proper
23:35
approach to
23:36
scripture is not
23:37
to begin with what
23:38
we wish God would
23:39
accomplish and then
23:40
search for promises
23:40
that appear to
23:41
support our
23:42
desires.
23:43
We must allow
23:44
God to define
23:46
his own purposes,
23:48
his own promises,
23:49
and the manner in
23:50
which those promises
23:51
will be fulfilled.
23:56
And nowhere is that
23:57
more important than
23:59
our understanding of
24:01
Jesus Christ.
24:02
If we interpret
24:03
Jesus primarily as
24:05
the means by which
24:06
we obtain the life
24:07
we already desire,
24:09
then we have
24:10
fundamentally
24:11
misunderstood his
24:13
mission.
24:13
He has not come
24:18
merely to improve
24:19
our circumstances.
24:21
He has come to
24:22
reconcile sinners
24:24
to God.
24:26
And that
24:26
reconciliation
24:27
requires his
24:29
death.
24:30
Which brings us
24:32
to what I believe
24:33
is the interpretive
24:34
center of our
24:35
passage in my
24:37
third point.
24:39
Yes, it's a
24:39
chiasm.
24:40
Jesus, the
24:42
king whose
24:43
glory was
24:44
misunderstood.
24:47
Look carefully
24:48
at verse 16.
24:51
John tells us
24:51
that the disciples
24:52
did not understand
24:53
these things at
24:54
first.
24:55
But when Jesus
24:56
was glorified,
24:57
they remembered
24:58
what had been
24:58
written about him
24:59
and recognized
25:00
that these things
25:01
had been done
25:02
to him.
25:05
I want us to
25:05
consider the
25:06
remarkable nature
25:08
of that admission.
25:10
John is writing
25:12
his gospel
25:12
after the
25:13
resurrection
25:14
and exaltation
25:14
of Jesus
25:15
Christ.
25:16
He has had
25:17
the opportunity
25:17
to reflect upon
25:18
the life and
25:19
ministry of
25:19
Jesus in light
25:20
of everything
25:21
that followed.
25:23
And looking
25:24
back upon
25:25
this event,
25:25
he acknowledges
25:26
that he and
25:27
the other
25:27
disciples did
25:28
not understand
25:29
what was
25:30
happening.
25:32
Now,
25:33
John does
25:33
not tell us
25:34
precisely which
25:35
aspects of the
25:36
event confused
25:37
them, and we
25:38
ought not claim
25:39
more than the
25:40
text reveals.
25:42
But the
25:42
connection between
25:43
their lack of
25:44
understanding, the
25:45
Old Testament
25:45
prophecy, and the
25:46
later glorification
25:48
of Jesus strongly
25:49
suggests that
25:50
their confusion
25:51
concerned the
25:52
relationship between
25:53
the promised
25:54
messianic king
25:55
and the suffering
25:57
that awaited him.
25:58
and this would
26:00
be consistent
26:01
with what the
26:02
other gospel
26:03
writers tell
26:04
us.
26:05
In Matthew
26:06
16, when
26:06
Jesus begins
26:07
teaching his
26:07
disciples that
26:08
he must go to
26:09
Jerusalem, suffer,
26:10
be killed, and
26:10
rise again,
26:12
Peter responds
26:13
by rebuking
26:14
him.
26:15
In Luke
26:16
chapter 18,
26:17
Jesus explicitly
26:18
tells the
26:19
twelve that the
26:19
things written by
26:20
the prophets
26:21
concerning the
26:21
Son of Man are
26:22
about to be
26:23
accomplished,
26:23
including his
26:25
suffering, death,
26:25
and resurrection.
26:28
And Luke
26:28
tells us that
26:29
the disciples
26:29
understood none
26:30
of these things.
26:33
You see the
26:33
pattern?
26:36
The disciples
26:36
believe Jesus
26:37
is the Messiah.
26:38
They have
26:39
witnessed his
26:39
miracles.
26:40
They have
26:40
heard his
26:40
teaching.
26:41
They have
26:41
confessed his
26:42
identity.
26:42
But they
26:43
struggle to
26:44
comprehend that
26:45
the Messiah must
26:47
suffer and die.
26:50
And in John
26:50
12, that
26:52
difficulty is
26:53
expressed again.
26:55
we should
26:57
recognize that
26:57
the problem
26:58
was not an
26:59
absence of
27:01
biblical
27:01
revelation.
27:03
The Old
27:03
Testament contains
27:04
extensive testimony
27:05
concerning both
27:06
the glory and
27:07
the suffering of
27:08
the Messiah.
27:10
The promises of
27:11
his kingship are
27:12
unmistakable.
27:15
Psalm 2
27:15
describes God's
27:16
anointed king
27:17
ruling over the
27:18
nations.
27:19
Psalm 72
27:19
anticipates a
27:20
righteous king
27:21
whose dominion
27:22
extends to the
27:22
ends of the
27:23
earth.
27:24
Isaiah 9
27:24
announces the
27:25
coming of a
27:26
son whose
27:26
government and
27:27
peace will
27:27
have no end.
27:30
But the
27:30
same Old
27:31
Testament also
27:32
describes a
27:34
suffering servant.
27:35
Isaiah 53
27:36
speaks of one
27:37
who bears the
27:37
sins of others,
27:38
suffers under
27:39
divine judgment,
27:40
and makes many
27:41
to be accounted
27:41
righteous.
27:44
Psalm 22
27:44
describes the
27:45
suffering of the
27:46
righteous one
27:47
whose affliction
27:48
ultimately leads to
27:49
the praise of God
27:50
among the
27:50
nations.
27:52
And Zechariah
27:53
in chapter 12
27:54
speaks of the
27:55
one who will
27:55
be pierced,
27:56
while chapter 13
27:57
describes the
27:58
striking of the
28:00
shepherd.
28:02
The scriptures
28:02
anticipate both
28:04
the suffering and
28:06
the glory of the
28:08
Messiah.
28:09
The disciples'
28:10
difficulty was
28:11
understanding how
28:12
those realities
28:13
belonged together.
28:16
And I would
28:17
suggest that this
28:18
is one of the
28:18
great lessons John
28:20
wants us to
28:21
learn from
28:22
his account.
28:24
The glory of
28:25
Jesus Christ
28:26
cannot be
28:27
properly understood
28:28
apart from
28:30
his suffering.
28:31
We cannot
28:32
understand his
28:33
kingship without
28:34
understanding his
28:36
cross.
28:37
We cannot
28:37
understand his
28:38
victory without
28:40
understanding his
28:42
death.
28:43
First the cross,
28:45
then the crown.
28:47
And we cannot
28:49
understand the
28:49
nature of his
28:50
salvation without
28:51
recognizing the
28:52
problem from
28:53
which he has
28:54
come to save
28:56
us.
28:58
Now, notice
29:00
the turning point
29:02
John identifies.
29:04
He does not say
29:05
that the disciples
29:05
understood once
29:07
Jesus had explained
29:08
the prophecy more
29:08
thoroughly.
29:10
He said that they
29:11
remembered and
29:12
understood after
29:14
Jesus was
29:16
glorified.
29:17
That language
29:19
is significant
29:20
because John
29:21
uses the
29:22
concept of
29:23
Jesus'
29:23
glorification in
29:25
a particularly
29:26
important way
29:27
throughout his
29:28
gospel.
29:29
We might
29:30
not naturally
29:31
associate
29:32
glorification,
29:33
excuse me,
29:34
we might
29:34
naturally
29:35
associate
29:36
glorification
29:37
with his
29:38
resurrection and
29:39
ascension,
29:40
and certainly
29:41
those events
29:42
do belong to
29:44
the exaltation
29:45
or glorification
29:46
of Christ.
29:48
But John
29:49
also presents
29:50
the crucifixion
29:51
itself as
29:52
central to the
29:54
revelation of
29:55
Jesus'
29:55
glory.
29:58
In John 12,
29:59
23, just a few
30:00
verses beyond our
30:01
passage,
30:02
Jesus announces
30:03
that the hour has
30:04
come for the
30:05
Son of Man
30:06
to be glorified.
30:07
God.
30:08
And then he
30:09
immediately begins
30:10
speaking about
30:11
his approaching
30:12
death.
30:14
He compares
30:14
his death to a
30:15
grain of wheat
30:15
falling into the
30:16
earth,
30:17
explaining that
30:18
unless it dies,
30:19
it remains alone,
30:20
but if it dies,
30:20
it bears much
30:21
fruit.
30:24
Later in
30:24
verses 31 and
30:25
32,
30:27
Jesus describes
30:28
the judgment of
30:29
the world,
30:29
the defeat of
30:30
its ruler,
30:30
and the gathering
30:31
of people to
30:32
himself through
30:33
his being
30:35
lifted up.
30:37
John explains
30:38
that Jesus is
30:39
speaking about
30:40
the manner of
30:41
his death.
30:43
So in John's
30:44
gospel, the
30:45
cross is not
30:45
merely an
30:46
unfortunate
30:46
circumstance
30:47
that precedes
30:49
the glorification
30:49
of Jesus.
30:52
It's integral.
30:53
It's part of
30:54
the manifestation
30:55
of his
30:57
glory.
30:59
The crucifixion,
31:00
the righteousness,
31:01
holiness,
31:02
wisdom,
31:02
love,
31:02
and mercy of
31:03
God are
31:04
displayed in
31:06
the accomplishment
31:07
of redemption
31:08
of his people.
31:11
At the cross,
31:12
Jesus bears the
31:12
judgment deserved
31:13
by sinners.
31:16
At the cross,
31:17
he accomplishes
31:17
the work of
31:18
the ordinary
31:18
nature of
31:20
divine love,
31:22
not by
31:22
overlooking
31:23
sin,
31:24
but by
31:24
satisfying the
31:25
demands of
31:26
divine justice
31:28
through his
31:29
own sacrifice.
31:32
Only after
31:33
these events
31:34
the disciples
31:35
begin to
31:36
comprehend
31:36
what had
31:37
been taking
31:37
place before
31:39
their eyes.
31:39
All the
31:40
meaning packed
31:41
into Jesus
31:42
riding on a
31:44
donkey.
31:46
But there is
31:47
another important
31:47
observation here.
31:50
John tells us
31:50
that after Jesus
31:51
was glorified,
31:52
the disciples
31:52
remembered what
31:53
had been written
31:54
about him.
31:56
Their
31:56
understanding of
31:57
scripture was
31:57
transformed by
31:59
the accomplishment
32:00
of Christ's
32:01
redemptive work.
32:04
We enjoy an
32:05
extraordinary
32:06
privilege as
32:08
Christians living
32:09
on this side
32:10
of the
32:11
resurrection.
32:13
We have the
32:14
completed testimony
32:14
of the
32:15
scriptures,
32:16
the canon,
32:17
our 66 books
32:19
of Old and
32:19
New Testament.
32:21
We can read
32:22
the Old Testament
32:23
promises in
32:24
light of their
32:25
fulfillment in
32:26
Jesus.
32:27
We can recognize
32:28
the relationship
32:29
between the
32:30
suffering servant
32:31
and the
32:31
glorious king
32:32
because the
32:32
apostles,
32:33
under the
32:33
inspiration of
32:34
the Holy Spirit,
32:35
have explained
32:36
that relationship
32:37
to us.
32:39
And while this
32:40
is true,
32:41
we should be
32:42
reminded that we
32:43
still bring our
32:44
assumptions to
32:45
the text.
32:46
We have to be
32:47
humble enough to
32:48
recognize that we
32:49
do not understand
32:50
everything.
32:52
In fact, the
32:53
longer we study
32:54
God's word,
32:54
the more we
32:55
become aware of
32:56
the limitations
32:57
of our
32:58
understanding.
33:00
But we
33:00
should not be
33:01
content to
33:02
remain confused
33:03
when God has
33:03
given us the
33:04
scriptures for
33:04
our instruction.
33:08
Our
33:08
responsibility is
33:09
to approach the
33:09
scriptures prayerfully,
33:10
humbly,
33:12
carefully,
33:13
allowing the
33:13
revelation of
33:14
God to
33:15
correct our
33:16
assumptions.
33:17
Because it is
33:18
possible to
33:19
possess greater
33:20
confidence in
33:21
our interpretation
33:22
of scripture
33:23
while misunderstanding
33:24
the very thing
33:25
God intends to
33:27
communicate.
33:29
The disciples
33:29
themselves are
33:31
evidence of
33:32
that danger,
33:34
and their
33:34
subsequent
33:35
understanding is
33:37
evidence of
33:38
God's kindness
33:39
in correcting it.
33:43
Number four,
33:44
Jesus, the
33:45
king whose
33:46
kingdom cannot
33:47
be stopped.
33:49
We see this
33:50
verse 17
33:51
through the end
33:51
of our text,
33:53
conclusion of
33:54
our passage.
33:56
In verses
33:56
17 and 18,
33:57
John explains
33:58
that the crowd
33:59
who had
33:59
witnessed the
33:59
raising of
34:00
Lazarus
34:00
continued bearing
34:01
witness to
34:02
what Jesus
34:02
had done.
34:05
And the
34:05
people who
34:05
came out
34:06
to meet
34:06
Jesus did
34:07
so at
34:08
least in
34:09
part because
34:10
they had
34:10
heard about
34:11
this remarkable
34:11
sign.
34:13
Now,
34:14
notice again
34:15
the relationship
34:15
between the
34:16
resurrection of
34:16
Lazarus and
34:17
the events
34:18
unfolding in
34:18
Jerusalem.
34:20
Jesus has
34:21
demonstrated his
34:21
authority over
34:22
death and the
34:23
testimony concerning
34:24
that miracle has
34:25
produced an
34:25
extraordinary public
34:27
response.
34:29
But we also know
34:30
that not everyone
34:30
who welcomes
34:31
Jesus in this
34:32
moment understands
34:33
the significance
34:33
of his mission.
34:36
Some are
34:36
undoubtedly
34:37
motivated by
34:38
curiosity.
34:39
Others are
34:39
impressed by his
34:40
miraculous power.
34:42
Still others
34:43
likely anticipate
34:44
the immediate
34:45
establishment of
34:46
an earthly
34:46
kingdom.
34:48
John does not
34:49
tell us the
34:50
spiritual condition
34:51
of every individual
34:52
in the crowd,
34:52
and we should
34:53
not assume
34:53
that every
34:54
person
34:54
participating
34:55
between the
34:56
popular enthusiasm
34:57
surrounding Jesus
34:58
and the fuller
35:00
understanding of
35:01
his identity
35:01
that John
35:02
intends his
35:03
readers to
35:04
possess.
35:06
And then we
35:07
come to
35:08
verse 19.
35:10
The Pharisees
35:11
observing the
35:12
enormous public
35:13
response express
35:15
their frustration
35:16
with the words,
35:17
look, the world
35:19
has gone
35:20
after him.
35:22
Now, they are
35:23
obviously employing
35:24
a degree of
35:25
exaggeration.
35:27
They do not
35:28
mean that every
35:28
person in the
35:29
world has
35:29
literally become
35:30
a follower of
35:31
Jesus.
35:32
They mean that
35:33
their attempts
35:34
to suppress
35:35
his influence
35:36
have failed,
35:37
and that his
35:38
popularity appears
35:39
to be growing
35:39
beyond their
35:40
control.
35:42
people.
35:43
But notice
35:44
this.
35:45
John places
35:46
their statement
35:46
immediately before
35:47
the account of
35:48
certain Greeks
35:50
who come to
35:51
Jerusalem and
35:51
express their
35:52
desire to see
35:53
Jesus.
35:55
And this is not
35:56
an accidental
35:57
arrangement.
35:59
Remember what
35:59
Zechariah 9.10
36:00
promises concerning
36:01
the coming king?
36:02
His reign will
36:03
extend to the
36:04
ends of the
36:05
earth.
36:06
And remember
36:06
what John has
36:07
already told us
36:08
in chapter 11?
36:09
Jesus will not
36:10
die only for
36:11
the Jewish
36:12
nation, but
36:12
also to gather
36:13
into one the
36:14
scattered children
36:15
of God.
36:17
Then in John
36:18
12, the
36:18
Pharisees complain
36:19
that the world
36:20
has gone after
36:21
him, and
36:21
immediately
36:22
afterward,
36:23
Greeks appear
36:24
seeking Jesus.
36:27
It's a
36:27
remarkable
36:28
literary and
36:30
theological
36:30
connection between
36:31
these events.
36:34
The religious
36:34
leaders are
36:35
concerned about
36:36
losing their
36:37
influence over
36:38
Israel.
36:39
people from
36:46
every nation.
36:48
And the
36:49
amazing thing
36:50
is that this
36:50
intentional
36:51
kingdom will
36:53
be established
36:53
through the
36:54
very death
36:54
the religious
36:55
leaders are
36:56
conspiring to
36:58
bring about.
36:59
They believe
37:00
that by killing
37:01
Jesus, they
37:01
will preserve
37:02
their authority
37:02
and protect
37:03
their nation,
37:04
but their
37:05
efforts to
37:05
destroy him
37:06
will become
37:07
the historical
37:07
means through
37:08
which God's
37:08
eternal purpose
37:10
of redemption
37:10
is accomplished.
37:13
This should
37:14
remind us what
37:15
Jesus taught
37:15
earlier in
37:17
John 10.
37:19
He described
37:19
himself as the
37:20
good shepherd
37:21
who lays down
37:22
his life for
37:24
his sheep.
37:25
And then he
37:25
explained that he
37:26
has other sheep
37:27
who were not of
37:28
the Jewish fold,
37:30
sheep whom he
37:31
must bring so
37:32
there will be one
37:33
flock under
37:34
one shepherd.
37:37
That promise
37:37
is being brought
37:38
into focus
37:40
here.
37:42
The coming
37:42
king is not
37:43
merely restoring
37:44
the political
37:44
fortunes of
37:45
one nation.
37:47
He is gathering
37:48
a redeemed
37:48
people from
37:49
every tribe,
37:50
language,
37:51
people,
37:52
and nation.
37:53
And the
37:54
means by which
37:55
those people
37:55
are gathered
37:56
is the
37:57
proclamation
37:57
of the gospel
37:58
concerning his
37:59
death and
38:00
resurrection.
38:01
resurrection.
38:02
This is why
38:03
the mission
38:03
of the church
38:04
is fundamentally
38:06
a gospel
38:07
mission.
38:09
We have not
38:09
been commissioned
38:10
to establish
38:11
the kingdom
38:11
of Christ
38:12
through coercion,
38:13
military power,
38:14
or political
38:15
domination.
38:17
We have been
38:18
commissioned to
38:19
make disciples
38:19
of all peoples,
38:22
proclaiming the
38:22
good news of
38:23
the crucifixion
38:24
and risen Savior
38:25
and teaching
38:25
those disciples
38:26
to obey
38:27
everything he
38:28
has commanded.
38:29
That mission
38:31
is grounded
38:32
in the authority
38:33
of the risen
38:34
Christ who
38:35
possesses all
38:36
authority in
38:36
heaven and on
38:37
earth and has
38:38
promised to be
38:39
with us to
38:40
the end of
38:41
the age.
38:43
The progress
38:44
of that mission
38:45
does not depend
38:46
upon the favor
38:47
of earthly
38:48
rulers.
38:49
The kingdom
38:49
of Christ
38:50
cannot be
38:50
prevented from
38:51
accomplishing
38:51
God's purpose.
38:54
That was
38:54
true when the
38:56
Pharisees conspired
38:57
against him.
38:57
It was true
38:59
when Rome
38:59
crucified him.
39:01
And it is
39:02
true today.
39:05
The king
39:05
has been
39:06
raised from
39:07
the dead.
39:08
His authority
39:08
is supreme
39:10
and he is
39:11
gathering his
39:11
people through
39:13
the ministry
39:13
of his word
39:15
and spirit.
39:18
So,
39:19
Jesus entered
39:20
Jerusalem as
39:21
the promised
39:21
king, knowing
39:22
that the
39:23
celebration would
39:24
soon give way
39:24
to hostility.
39:25
that his
39:26
disciples would
39:28
be scattered
39:28
and that he
39:29
would be
39:30
condemned and
39:31
crucified.
39:33
And he went
39:34
willingly, riding
39:36
on a donkey.
39:37
He did not
39:38
misunderstand what
39:39
awaited him.
39:41
He had
39:41
repeatedly explained
39:42
to his
39:43
disciples that
39:43
his death was
39:44
necessary.
39:47
The
39:47
misunderstanding of
39:48
the disciples is
39:49
not the end of
39:51
their story.
39:52
Praise God.
39:54
God.
39:55
John tells us
39:56
that after
39:56
Jesus was
39:56
glorified,
39:57
they remembered.
39:59
They came to
40:00
understand what
40:00
the scripture
40:01
death would
40:01
become the
40:02
very witnesses
40:03
through whom
40:03
the good news
40:04
of that death
40:05
and resurrection
40:06
would be
40:06
proclaimed
40:07
throughout the
40:09
world.
40:10
They began
40:11
that witness
40:11
that is carried
40:12
on to
40:13
today.
40:16
John himself
40:17
is writing
40:18
this gospel
40:19
so that we
40:20
might understand
40:21
what he
40:22
once failed
40:23
to understand.
40:26
He tells us
40:26
his purpose
40:27
in John 20
40:28
verse 31.
40:31
He has
40:31
written so
40:32
that we
40:32
would believe
40:33
that Jesus
40:33
is the
40:34
Christ,
40:35
the Son of
40:35
God,
40:36
and that by
40:37
believing we
40:38
would have
40:38
life in
40:40
his name.
40:43
And so if
40:43
you are not
40:44
a Christian
40:44
this morning,
40:46
I want to
40:47
encourage you
40:48
to consider
40:48
the claims
40:49
of Jesus
40:49
as they
40:50
are presented
40:50
in the
40:51
scripture.
40:53
Not merely
40:53
what you've
40:54
heard about
40:55
him,
40:56
not merely
40:56
what you
40:57
would prefer
40:57
him to be,
40:59
some
40:59
misrepresentation
41:01
of who
41:02
he is,
41:03
but who
41:03
he has
41:04
revealed
41:04
himself to
41:05
be.
41:07
He is the
41:07
righteous
41:07
king who
41:09
has come
41:09
to save
41:10
sinners.
41:11
And the
41:12
call of the
41:13
gospel is
41:13
that you
41:13
turn from
41:14
your sin
41:14
and trust
41:15
in him,
41:17
believing
41:17
that his
41:18
life,
41:18
death,
41:19
and
41:19
resurrection
41:19
are sufficient
41:20
to reconcile
41:21
you to
41:22
God.
41:24
And if
41:24
you are a
41:25
Christian,
41:26
I want to
41:26
encourage you
41:27
to continue
41:27
growing in
41:28
your understanding
41:29
of the
41:30
scriptures,
41:31
your affection
41:32
for this
41:32
righteous
41:33
king,
41:35
that we
41:35
would wrap
41:36
our little
41:37
feeble minds
41:38
around all
41:39
that his
41:39
person and
41:40
work means
41:41
for us.
41:43
We should
41:44
never become
41:44
so familiar
41:45
with the
41:46
language of
41:46
the gospel
41:47
that we
41:47
lose sight
41:48
of the
41:49
extraordinary
41:50
wisdom and
41:51
grace of
41:52
God
41:52
refilled in
41:54
it.
41:55
Jesus,
41:56
the king,
41:57
has come.
41:58
Jesus,
41:59
the king,
42:00
was crucified.
42:02
Jesus,
42:02
the king,
42:03
is risen.
42:05
And Jesus,
42:05
the king,
42:07
will reign
42:07
forever.
42:09
Let's pray.