by: Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio

When a conquering hero of the ancient world rode into town in triumph, it was in a regal chariot or on the back of a stately stallion. Legions of soldiers accompanied him in the victory procession. Triumphal arches, festooned with relief sculptures, were often erected to immortalize his valiant victory.

After driving out demons, healing the sick, and raising the dead, it was time for the King of Kings to enter the Holy City. But to do so, he rode not on the back of a warhorse, but a donkey. His companions accompanied him brandishing not swords, but palm branches. The monument to his victory, erected a week later, was not an arch, but a crucifix.

His earthly beginning was frightfully humble. And his earthly end would be no different. The wood of the manger prefigured the wood of the cross.

From beginning to end, the details are humiliating. No room in the inn. Born amidst the stench of a stable. Hunted by Herod's henchmen. Growing up in a far-flung province of the Roman Empire--Galilee, the land where the country accent is so thick, you can cut it with a knife. How it that the high priest's servant-girl knew Peter was a disciple of Jesus? His hillbilly accent gave him away (Mat 26:73). Jesus disciples were not cultured, learned men of ability. They were drawn from the low-life of a backwater region…

When one of his closest companions offered to betray him, he did not require millions. Jesus' worth was reckoned to be no more than the Old Testament "book value" for a slave--thirty pieces of silver. When he was finally handed over to the Romans, he was not given the punishment meted out to Roman citizens. Beheading was the quick, dignified way to execute someone of any standing. Instead Jesus was given punishments reserved only for slaves and rebellious members of subjugated peoples – flagellation and crucifixion. These two penalties were not just about the pain, but about the humiliation. In first century Palestine, men and women typically covered themselves from head to toe, even in the scorching heat. A crucified man was stripped naked and put on display for all to see. But this is not primary a story of violence and humiliation. The events of Holy Week are much more about love and humility.

That's why on Palm Sunday, as we enter the Passion week, we meditate on the powerful words of Paul's letter from the Philippians (2:6-11). Though the Divine Word was God, dwelling in the serene heights of heavenly glory, he freely plunged to the depths of human misery, joining himself to our frail nature, entering into our turbulent world. As if this act of humility were not enough, he further humbled himself, accepting the status of a slave. His act of stooping down to wash the feet of his disciples (Jn 13) was a parable of his whole human existence, for this act was regarded as so undignified that not even Israelite slaves could be compelled to do it.

But that's just it. Jesus was not compelled to do it. He willingly lowered himself in his birth, in his ministry, in his death. No one took his life from him. He freely laid down his own life. Others did not have the chance to humble him; he humbled himself.

It had to be so. The Second Adam had to undo the damage caused by the first. What was the sin our first parents? They disobeyed because they wanted to know what God knew, to be like God, to exalt themselves over God (Gen 3). They were bitten by the Serpent, and injected with the deadly venom of Pride. The antidote, the anti-venom could only be humility. The foot-washing, donkey-riding New Adam would crush the head of the deadly serpent by means of loving, humble obedience.

The first-born of many brothers lowered himself to the dust from which the First Adam has been made–indeed humility comes from the word “humus.” But God responded to his humility by exalting him far above Caesars, kings, and even Hollywood stars. And he invites us to share his glory with him. But first we must walk on his road to glory, the royal road of the cross.

by St Andrew of Crete

Let us go together to meet Christ on the Mount of Olives. Today he returns from Bethany and proceeds of his own free will toward his holy and blessed passion, to consummate the mystery of our salvation. He who came down from heaven to raise us from the depths of sin, to raise us with himself, we are told in Scripture, above every sovereignty, authority and power, and every other name that can be named, now comes of his own free will to make his journey to Jerusalem. He comes without pomp or ostentation. As the psalmist says: He will not dispute or raise his voice to make it heard in the streets. He will be meek and humble, and he will make his entry in simplicity.

Let us run to accompany him as he hastens toward his passion, and imitate those who met him then, not by covering his path with garments, olive branches or palms, but by doing all we can to prostrate ourselves before him by being humble and by trying to live as he would wish. Then we shall be able to receive the Word at his coming, and God, whom no limits can contain, will be within us. In his humility Christ entered the dark regions of our fallen world and he is glad that he became so humble for our sake, glad that he came and lived among us and shared in our nature in order to raise us up again to himself. And even though we are told that he has now ascended above the highest heavens - the proof, surely, of his power and godhead - his love for man will never rest until he has raised our earthbound nature from glory to glory, and made it one with his own in heaven.

So let us spread before his feet, not garments or soulless olive branches, which delight the eye for a few hours and then wither, but ourselves, clothed in his grace, or rather, clothed completely in him. We who have been baptised into Christ must ourselves be the garments that we spread before him. Now that the crimson stains of our sins have been washed away in the saving waters of baptism and we have become white as pure wool, let us present the conqueror of death, not with mere branches of palms but with the real rewards of his victory. Let our souls take the place of the welcoming branches as we join today in the children’s holy song: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is the king of Israel.

About The Author:

by Mas Kobayashi

Gospel: Matt. 21: 1 - 17

Here in front of us, a narrative of Jesus' "Triumphant Entry" into Jerusalem. We all have seen in the movies and videos how people welcomed Jesus. There is an excitement in the air: people are singing, waving arms and palm branches. So we call today a "Palm Sunday." We celebrate Jesus entering into Jerusalem as He was ordained to come. Most of the commentators title this section as the "Triumphant Entry." Many times, we are puzzled with questions that are associated with this narrative; were there two donkeys, colt and mother, or just one? Did Jesus prearrange to pay for the donkeys? Was there a one cleansing of the temple or two? Has this taken place on Sunday or Monday? Questions like these distract us from main message of the narrative.

It was Dec. 17, 1903, cold windy winter day, after many years of research and bruises and broken ribs, a history was made. A man has flown with a primitive airplane, 36.5m for 12 seconds at a speed of 10.9 km/h by Orville Wright, one of the Wright brothers.

"After Wilbur and Orville made their history-making flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. on Dec. 17, 1903, they wrote home about it and added they'd be home in a few days. Their letter reached a Dayton newspaper which headlined the story, "Prominent Local Bicycle Merchants to be Home for Christmas."[1]

Dayton Newspaper totally missed the history making incident.

So it is with this narrative, if we are not careful we miss very important message Matthew tries to convey. Please open your Bible to Matt. 21.

There are 2 entries in verses 1 to 17. One is Jesus' entry into Jerusalem (vss. 1 - 11) and one is to the temple (vss. 12 - 17). So now, first, let's look at the entry into Jerusalem. The Passover is just around the corner and people are busy preparing for the sacrifices. When Jesus came near to Jerusalem, He commanded two of disciples to go and get the donkeys. Vs. 4 - This is to fulfill the prophecy of Zachariah 9: 9. Let's look at how Matthew viewed this.

I. Humble King and people's expectations vss. 1 - 11

Throughout the narrative there is a conflict between God's plan and human plan. Jesus knew all along what people's expectations were. Until this time He concealed His identity. But this time He made His identity public: He is the King of the Jews. Behind the scene, God carried His plan, overriding the people's expectations to fulfill the great plan of salvation for the mankind. Let's look at how God planned Jesus' entry into Jerusalem through Matthew's eye. Look at the verse 5. "Say to the daughter of Zion" is a quotation from Isa. 62: 11 and the rest is a direct quotation from Zachariah 9: 9.

I would suggest that you get together with other person, the one keeps the Bible open to Matt. 21 and other person opens to the Zachariah 9:9. Can you do that? Please compare what it says in Zachariah and in Matt. You would notice that Matthew omits part of Zachariah 9: 9. What are they? "Rejoice Greatly, O daughter of Zion!" and "He is just and endowed with salvation." Why does Matthew do that? There are two reasons. One is that Jesus' heart was filled with sorrow. He wept for Jerusalem for their hardness of their hearts not accepting God's messengers in the past (Luke 19:41). So how could He speak to the people of Jerusalem to "Rejoice greatly?" Second, Jesus came to receive the justice of the Father by hanging on the cross. He will not come with justice and to restore Israel until His second coming (Matt. 23: 39, Rev. 19: 11 - 21). So His heart was filled with sadness, knowing Israel will reject God's wonderful provision of grace. See, Matthew tries to convey that Jesus came as a representative of the sinners, not to receive the Crown but the Cross. Until He receives the judgment of God on the cross there is no rejoicing or salvation. As a humble King who will hang on the cross for the mankind, that the "Triumphant Entry" is only in a paradoxical sense. But, off course, people would not see that.

Vss. 8, 9 - They are in procession through the street of Jerusalem in front of Him and at back as if they are leading this Son of David to where they wanted Him to be. When the children of Israel came out of Egypt, God lead them with a pillar of cloud at day and a pillar of fire at night. When the Egyptians pressed them against the Red Sea, God looked down in the pillar of fire and of cloud and confused the Egyptian. The pillar of fire and cloud are the symbol of God's presence (Exd. 14: 24). Thus, God lead Israel with his own presence to the Promised Land. But here, people, at front and back of Jesus, lead the Son of God to what they thought Jesus should be, their earthly king who can deliver them from the hand of Romans. This is a vivid picture of people's expectation against God's plan. But God had a different plan; a plan to redeem His people from the power of sin. Jesus could ride on the horse and claim His Royal throne but He rode on the donkey so humble and meek, knowing people's expectations were contrary to His Father's.

Vs. 10- Those who were not familiar with Jesus in Jerusalem asked: Who is this?

"This is the Son of David, Promised Messiah who will save us from the power of sin. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord." Is that how people answered? Look at the verse 11. "This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee." These verses 10 and 11 are not in the other Synoptic Gospels: Mark and Luke (cf John 6: 14). Why did Matthew insert these verses? To the Jews, Nazareth is a town of insignificance, mixed with the Gentiles and was despised by the urban Jews. Do you remember when Philip met Jesus in John 1: 46, Nathanael said to Philip, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" and Philip said to him, "Come and see."

In Matt. 2: 23 - Jesus was called "Nazarene." So the prophet of God and Nazareth just don't mix. But there are so many who followed Jesus from Galilee for the occasion. They heard what Jesus said and saw what he did. They were saying to the effect, "You think Nazareth is insignificant and you people look down on us, but here is Jesus the mighty prophet of God who can heal the sick, multiply the bread and cast out the demons! Yes, he is from Nazareth!" People had their own ideas of Jesus. Who is Jesus to you? Is He the Lord and Savior of your life? Or someone who can give you jolts to fulfill your own plans and dreams so that you can live a happy life.

Illustration: The other day I was watching CBC news (04 Mar. '08) and it featured Evangelical movement in Thailand after the Tsunami: Predominantly a Buddhism country. There are so many Christian organizations out there preaching the Gospel but what saddened my heart was that some of them are offering money and promise of prosperity to lure them into the church. One person was interviewed and he said, "There is no more Tsunami. It is guaranteed, no more Tsunami, because I believe in God."

Jer. 5: 12 says, "They have lied about the Lord and said, "Not He; Misfortune will not come on us, And we will not see sword or famine."

Who is Jesus to you? God is gracious to those who trust in Him and believe whatever God does is good and perfect and acceptable. Jesus is not a cheerleader who stands along side and encourages you to fulfill your personal dreams and desires. But He is the author of faith to walk beside you to give you strength, courage, and power to fulfill the will of the Father in your life.

II. Healing King and people's response vss. 12 - 17

Vs. 12 - Then Jesus went into the Temple and cast out all those who were buying and selling in the temple and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. Those who lived far from Jerusalem had hard times bringing their animals to Jerusalem. God allowed them to sell those animals and when they arrived Jerusalem, they purchased the equivalent animals. Here at Jerusalem, merchants took advantage of worshipers and charged 10 times for the same animal and insisted to use temple currency and charged phenomenal fee for exchange of money. Such injustice is wrong in the world, let alone in the temple of God. Jesus quotes from Isa. 56: 7 and Jer. 7: 11 to rebuke them, "My house shall be called a house of prayers; but you are making it a robbers' den." Temple was built so that man can commune with God. When we read the dedicatory prayer of Solomon when he built the temple, in I Kings 8: 28 - 53, (it's quite long so we won't read it now but if you have time please read,) you would notice the word, "pray" many times. The primary purpose of the temple was to commune with the God of all creation. But Jews turned it into a charm and source of false confidence; meaning, as long as the temple is there, God will bless and protect Israel. It is the place of prayer, confession of sins and praise of God. It is the place of forgiveness and healing. It is the place of worship. Verses 14 to 16, again it is found only in Matthew. It describes the contrast between sinners and religious people.

Vs. 14 - The blind and lame came to Jesus in the temple and what does Jesus do? He healed them. It is said that blinds and lames were not allowed to enter the temple (2 Sam. 5: 8). But that what exactly happened. In spite of oppositions by the religious leaders, they came into the temple and the presence of Jesus made the demand of the regulation strangely silent. Lame and blinds are considered to be curse bearers. They were despised and something to be avoided. They were symbol of sin. Jesus came to heal sin sickness. He came to bear the sin of the world as His own. He became the curse and became utter sin. Religious leaders did not understand that. Let me expand this a little.

See Jesus came as a suffering Messiah, representing the sinners. In order to understand Jesus entry into the temple, we must understand about the temple.

Please turn your Bible to Gen. 2: 8.

The Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed.

Here we see, God planted a garden in the east. I don't know where the point of reference is. But it was the Garden of Eden. This East is the picture of God's blessings and bliss. Gen. 3: 24 -But when man sinned God drove them out to the east of garden and He placed an angel with flaming sword.

Gen. 4: 16 -When Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, he settled in the east of Eden. Gen. 11: 2- When people moved to settle after the flood, they journeyed east and settled in the land of Shinar and built tower of Babel (11: 4).

See "East" in Genesis is a picture of man's rebellion against God.

[So Japan "the land of the rising sun" is the worst of sinners. Just kidding!]

Do you know which direction the temple faced? You are right! There is only one door into the temple. It faced East as if God is waiting with opened arms for the sinners to return to Him. Do you know which way Jesus came in to the temple? You are right, from East. As a sin bearer, Jesus came from East to die on the Cross. To this temple Jesus came but what was happening. This is the reason; Jesus cleansed the temple to reclaim His house to a rightful place. I would think Jesus went into the temple to offer a prayer of sinners just as the publican in Luke 18: 9-17 did. His prayer might be like this:

Father, I came just as you told me to. I am here to bear the sins of the world. My heart is broken to see people whom You love; They ignore You and live in their own strength and running away from You. It hurts to see Your heart hurts. It hurts to see hurting people who don't know Your grace and truth. Please forgive them for they don't know what they do. I came to do Your will, Father, and I made known to them that You sent Me. Oh, Father, it is unbearable to take all the sins of the world upon Me. But I know there is no other way to save them. Oh, My Father, My soul has become troubled. Shall I pray to remove this cup from Me? For this purpose You sent Me into the world. Father, glorify Your name. Your will be done. Amen!

There is not much emphasis on "Sin" now a-days. Without the understanding of sin there is no understanding of the Gospel nor the Grace.

The other day in our Sunday school, a teacher asked a question: What do you think of when you hear the word "Heaven?" There were many different answers. Of course there is no right and wrong answers. Some said a "street of gold." The other said, "Fellowship" and another said, "Joy." All of them are wonderful about heaven. But have you ever thought that in heaven, there is absolutely no sin? Sinless world. It is impossible for us to imagine such a world since all of our actions are some degree tainted by sin. But isn't it wonderful to know there is a sinless world waiting for us?

There are at least 3 groups of people appear in this narrative: Those who followed Jesus from different parts of Palestine. They have heard what Jesus said, and witnessed what Jesus did but did not have clue that Jesus came to heal sin sickness. They wanted to follow Jesus so that they can get something. And there are those who may have heard about Jesus but didn't know enough to say we know Him: Those religious people in Jerusalem. They were offended when children praised Jesus (vs. 15). They are so picky and demanding. Their concern is for themselves not for the glory of God. Then those who knew they were sinners and needed help from Jesus: Blind and lame. They are also represented by the children. Jesus once said, "I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight" (Luke 10: 21).

Which group do you think you belong to?

Jesus came to die on the cross. He came as a representative of sinners and He demonstrated the way we should return to God. This is not the king the world seeks. This is not the Savior this world looks for. The world looks for a persuasive, politically wise and economically competent man. But the King of the sinners is completely different (John 18: 36). He is a humble King who came to die on the cross for our sins. This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus says, come unto me and walk with me to the temple where you find the Father's provision. Let's go to the temple with Jesus. There is no other way to solve sin problem. Where are you? Are you still in the east? Who is Jesus to you? God is waiting for you. Let's go to the Temple with Jesus.

Illustration: When you study the painting of the crucifixion by the famous Dutch artist Rembrandt, your attention is first drawn to the cross and to Jesus. Then, as you look at the crowd around the cross, you are drawn to the faces of the people involved in the awful crime of crucifying the Son of God. Finally, your eyes drifted to the edge of the picture and catch sight of another figure--almost hidden in the shadows. This, we are told, was a self -portrait of Rembrandt, for he recognized that by his sins he helped nail Jesus there!

Do you see yourself among the crowd?

Let's pray.

Eyes are closed and no one looking around. Jesus came to die for your sin. Jesus came to Jerusalem with broken heart. This sinless man, the Son of God, returned from East and wish you to come with Him. Whatever your sin is, with opened arm He is waiting for you. Do you carry a heavy burden, tormented with the guilt of sin? You try hard to get rid of it but it seems sin is winning. Jesus understands that. Jesus identified with you. That's the meaning of Palm Sunday. He took your sin on that cross and received punishment for you. Is Jesus speaking to you? If you decided to go to the temple with Jesus and pray a prayer of sinner, please, raise your hand. I want to pray with you.

Reference:

[1]Tan, P. L. (1996, c1979). Encyclopedia of 7700 illustrations : A treasury of illustrations, anecdotes, facts and quotations for pastors, teachers and Christian workers. Garland TX: Bible Communications.

by Jim Oesterwind

Gospel: John 12:12-36

Introduction:

If you grew up in the mid-1950s, you may remember that Parker Brothers came out with a game for church families. It was called Going to Jerusalem. Your playing piece wasn't a top hat or Scottie dog, like in the game of Monopoly. In Going to Jerusalem, you got to be a real disciple. You were represented by a little plastic man with a robe, a beard, some sandals, and a staff.

In order to move across the board, you looked up answers to questions in the little black New Testament provided with the game. You always started in Bethlehem, and you made stops at the Mount of Olives, Bethsaida, Capernaum, the stormy sea, Nazareth, and Bethany. If you rolled the dice well, you went all the way to a triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

But you never got to the Crucifixion or Resurrection. There were no demons or angry Pharisees. You only made your way through the nice stories. It was a safe adventure, perfectly suited for a Christian family on a Sunday afternoon walk with Jesus.

You know… traveling with Jesus wasn't meant for plastic disciples who looked up verses in a little black Bible. If you're gong to walk with Jesus as His disciple in this world, you may need to change your expectations. After all, Jesus said, "Take up your cross, and follow me."
- Lee Eclov, Vernon Hills, Illinois

We could look at a synthesis of the four accounts of the Triumphal Entry in the NT (its account is recorded in all four Gospels; cf. Matt 21:1–11; Mark 11:1–11; Luke 19:29–44); however, each has a focus that best fits its portrait of the Lord Jesus. John's version doesn't really allow us to call this entry into Jerusalem a triumph. The context before and after the account proves that John's emphasis is quite shocking – not a Sunday afternoon board game.

-- Just before John's account we read about the anointing of Jesus for burial (12.7).

-- Just after his account we have two pertinent details:

• The recognition that the hour of Jesus' glorification had come.
• The likening of his time to the death of seeds (12.23-24).

Jesus knew that the meaning of his entry into Jerusalem was an entry into his death. The reactions of four groups of people help us to highlight John's pivotal turning point in chapter 12. In these reactions we learn a great deal about the true cost of discipleship!

Reaction #1 – A Great Multitude

"The next day a great multitude that had 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.'"
(John 12:12-15, NKJV)

Explanation:

-- Palm fronds were used as symbols of welcome for Jewish heroes returning from battle or at unusual periods of rejoicing. The crowd here obviously came out to meet a hero (12:13), They cried out their hosannas and pronounced a blessing on "He who comes" in the name of the Lord—namely, "the King of Israel!"

-- The reference to the king of Israel (12:15) is thematic in John:

• Nathanael had already identified Jesus as the "King of Israel" (1:49).
• Jesus had withdrawn from the people when they attempted to force him into becoming king (6:15).
• The designation of "king" for Jesus was clearly an appropriate title for him, but his kingship was not what people had expected (18:33–37).
• Not only was he not a political ruler, but he was surprisingly a king who would die on the cross (19:19).

-- "Hosanna" = "Salvation Now" – the great multitude cried out for something far beyond what they could have anticipated. There's some irony here: the hour had come for the King to enter Jerusalem (see 12.23), but it was on the cross where He would become the 'Savior of the World' (cf. John 4.42).

• The great multitude needed to look to the context of the Psalm they quoted (see Psalm 118:22 ff.).
• See also Matt 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; 1 Pet 2:4, 7; cf. also Eph 2:20.
• Although the crowd did not understand the implications of their cry for salvation (Hosanna), John knew Jesus did.

§ He knew that the road to salvation would be a traumatic experience.

§ This was hardly the message the excited crowd wanted to hear. They were in for a shock.

Application:

Just as shocking today is that would-be disciples still cry out, "Salvation Now." When Jesus hears that cry and takes them down a road that resembled His triumphal entry, they rear back when they see their own cross just over the incline.

If any here this morning would experience the glory of eternity and Heaven above, they must first experience the cross. What does it mean to take up your cross and follow Him? The answer will not be found on a broad and gilded path. Many are on that path headed for destruction. It is found on a narrow arduous path filled with adversity and rejection. Yet imagine avoiding the eternal shock of the words, "Depart from Me …I never knew you!"

Reaction #2: His Disciples

"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."
(John 12:16, NKJV)

Explanation:

-- The disciples did not understand these things. They were confused. This foreshadows the reaction of Thomas and Philip in John 14.5-11. Where was Jesus going? Who is the Father? And yet Jesus had taught them; Jesus the Master Teacher.

-- The crowd missed the real point of the entry, and the disciples were confused about the significance of all the events. It did not fit together for them.

-- But the situation of the disciples was not hopeless, and their confusion was not a permanent state. John writes in retrospect and under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. He provides us with a window into the future reality that helps us understand the transformation that occurred in the disciples.

• This happened in John 2.19-21 as well.
• When Jesus was glorified, the disciples would remember this event in its proper perspective. But at this point they still could not put it all together.

Application:

Discipleship demands fortitude and patience. The picture we have of Jesus can seem muddled and confusing at times. Even when it is quite clear to us, we have great difficulty communicating it to others. Transformation comes at various stages. Many gathered here this morning remember certain truths clicking as God revealed them over the process of time.

What we must never forget is that we have every thing we need to clear up confusion. We must occupy ourselves with that which is dogmatic and straightforward in Scripture. We need more disciples who are quite willing and content to understand that which the Holy Spirit yearns to show them each and every day!

Reaction #3: The Pharisees

"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 Pharisees therefore said among themselves, 'You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!'"
(John 12:17-19, NKJV)

Explanation:

- Before John turns to identify the reaction of the Pharisees, he reminds us of the setting for their reaction by referring to two important contexts.

• First, he draws attention once again to the climactic sign of the raising of Lazarus and the fact that the people in the crowd that had been at that event were continuing to bear witness of Lazarus having being brought back from the tomb. So startling was that event for everyone that the authorities had moved immediately to hatch their Passover Plot (11:47–50). As they suspected, that situation (11:48) did not improve with the passing of time but in fact got worse.
• Second, (12:18) John rehearses the fact that the large Jerusalem crowd (a different crowd) had gathered (cf. 12:9, 12) in response ("they heard," ēkousan) to the witness of the Lazarus crowd. Although the crowd hardly understood John's sense of "sign," here the crowd's praise of Jesus raised the concern of the Pharisees. They were concerned about the power Jesus seemingly wielded; He was a threat to them.

-- The Pharisees represent religious men. They were men frustrated by a messianic movement among the people. Jesus was pulling people away from them. Their prediction of His growing popularity was right on the mark.

-- They saw their helplessness as they debated among themselves – 'you accomplish nothing.'

-- They were spinning their wheels and in frustration, they cry out, "The world has gone after Him."

• o God so loved this world (3.16-19)
• o Jesus is the Light of this world (1.9; 8.12)
• o Jesus came into this world (1.10) to take away the sin of the people of this world (1.29)
• o But because many in this world reject Him, His coming means judgment of the world (9.39)

-- The Pharisees are exaggerating. The world had not gone after Him. It just seemed like it. Control was collapsing for the Pharisees.

--But there's a twist: Jesus had not come to threaten them or reign as a political savior; He came as the Savior of the World!

Application:

Sometimes, the very things we kick against are those things God is using to reach the world around us. Religious people often move forward with plans and ideas with great zeal. The only trouble is that they running forward into a brick wall. Whenever we grab control we lose control. When we seek to save our lives, we lose them. Discipleship demands the discernment needed to see God's will and plan and our place in His story! We are not building our own little empires as disciples – we are building the Kingdom of God.

Reaction #4: Certain Greeks

"Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, 'Sir, we wish to see Jesus.' Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus."
(John 12:20-22, NKJV)

Explanation:

-- These Greeks are best identified as proselytes or God-fearers (those who had not yet committed themselves fully to circumcision and the Jewish rites).

-- The point of these three verses seems to be that nontraditional/non-Jewish persons had become intrigued by this powerful-heroic Jesus and they wanted to become involved with him ("to see" [idein] Jesus here means to meet him).

-- They approached Philip, not Jesus, with the hope of gaining some way to see Jesus (12:21).

-- Philip turned to Andrew who had earlier shown himself to be a witness when he brought Peter to Jesus (1:41). Together they served as go-betweens for the Greeks (12:22).

-- What follows is the amazing pivotal section in the Gospel (12.23 ff.). It's not clear what these Greeks were after. What is clear is what Jesus reveals to Andrew and Philip.

Application/Conclusion:

1. The request of these Greeks to see Jesus was fulfilled in a response which contains truths that we all need!

2. Jesus used the image of a seed to illustrate the great spiritual truth that there can be no glory without suffering, no fruitful life without death, no victory without surrender. Of itself, a seed is weak and useless; but when it is planted, it "dies" and becomes fruitful.

3. As disciples we are like seeds. We are small and insignificant, but we have life in us, God's life. However, that life can never be fulfilled unless we yield ourselves to God and permit Him to "plant us." We must die to self so that we may live unto God (Gal. 2:20).

4. In these words, Jesus challenges us today to surrender our lives to Him. Note the contrasts:

a. Loneliness or fruitfulness

b. Losing your life or keeping your life

c. Serving self or serving Christ

d. Pleasing self or receiving God's honor

5. Jesus knew that He was facing suffering and death, and His humanity responded to this ordeal. His soul was troubled, not because He was questioning the Father's will, but because He was fully conscious of all that the Cross involved.

6. In the hour of suffering and surrender, there are only two prayers we can pray, either "Father, save me!" or "Father, glorify Thy name!" Jesus chose the latter and so must we.

7. The prayer, "Father, glorify Thy name!" received a reply from heaven! God the Father spoke to His Son and gave Him a double assurance: the Son's past life and ministry had glorified the Father, and the Son's future suffering and death would glorify the Father.

a. It is significant that the Father spoke to the Son at the beginning of the Son's ministry (Matt. 3:17)

b. Also as the Son began His journey to Jerusalem (Matt. 17:5)

c. And finally, as the Son entered Jerusalem for the last days before the Cross. God always gives that word of assurance to those who willingly suffer for His sake.

8. This marked the end of our Lord's public ministry as far as John's record is concerned. Jesus departed and hid Himself. It was judgment on the nation that saw His miracles, heard His messages, and scrutinized His ministry, and yet refused to believe on Him.