Or, A Day to Remember
Scripture: John 12:12-19
Date: May 5, 2013
Speaker: Sean Higgins
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Here is a well-known story, a story told in all four Gospels, a story known in church history by a title that, at least to me, seems to be completely undeserving. Especially as we read John’s account of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, if it is a triumph in any sense, it is not your typical triumph.
It has a two-dimensional appearance of a triumph, there is height and breadth but no depth. In verses 12-19 we see three groups reacting to Jesus and only one of them is positive. They are a large (broad) crowd and their praise is lofty (high), but the positive response is short lived (no depth). A multitude of people hailed Jesus as king. That seems good. But by the end of the chapter, and definitely by the end of the week, many did not believe.
Turns out they weren’t interested in a Christ who would die (verses 23-24). They thought Christ would remain forever, so how could Jesus say, “The Son of Man must be lifted up?” (verses 34-35). Many saw His signs and didn’t believe (verse 37). Some of the authorities believed but they were ashamed to admit it in public because they loved glory from men (verse 43). I won’t say that everyone who cried “Hosanna!” on Sunday cried “Crucify Him!” on Friday. But it sure does appear that many did, going out of their way to say “We have no king but Caesar!” (John 19:15). How could such a short-lived endorsement be called a triumph?
The second group we see in this section is Jesus’ own disciples who didn’t understand what was happening. They followed Him and, as we know from Matthew, Mark, and Luke, they followed His instructions. They knew the Old Testament prophecies and they saw the crowd’s excitement. But they couldn’t put it together. How could their ignorance be called a triumph?
The third group in the passage are the Pharisees. Certainly they didn’t appreciate the appreciation of the crowd for Jesus. Apparently the Pharisees even disagreed among themselves with how to deal with Jesus. Neither group was excited about Him. Again, how could that be called a triumph?
Plus, Jesus came into town riding on a donkey. How is that a triumph?
I don’t know who the first person was to title this “The Triumphal Entry.” However, with the right set of eyes we can see Jesus’ triumph, but it is not your typical triumph. It was a day to remember and we would do well to get the right set of eyes to see what’s happening around us as well.
Even though the crowd said some amazing things, they did not, as a whole, get the importance of what they said. That’s okay because even though the crowd didn’t grasp the gravity of it, Jesus was still fulfilling prophetic promises.
The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!"" And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,
“Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!” (John 12:12–15, ESV)
The large crowd that had come to the feast identifies the pilgrims in Jerusalem for the Passover, distinguished from the Jerusalemites proper. Though they were out-of-towners they knew enough to know that a warrant had been issued for Jesus’ arrest and they had been talking about Jesus for a few days (11:55-57). Now they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem .
They didn’t run to tell the Pharisees. They took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him . Palm trees were often connected with the Feast of Tabernacles but had come to be used at Passover, too. Palm branches were also a symbol of victory and were found on various coins of the time. They took and went , so they took the branches on purpose to see someone significant. It’s why we also call this Palm Sunday.
When they got to Him, they cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” . “Hosanna!” is an Aramaic and Hebrew transliteration (that is, a word—in this case a phrase—in one language that sounds like the pronunciation in the originating language). It was a prayer, translated something such as “Save us, I pray!” (see Psalm 118:25). By this time it was familiar to the people and perhaps similar to our “Hail!”, a greeting for royalty.
Then the crowd quoted Psalm 118:26. In that context the one who comes in the name of the Lord referred to a pilgrim making his way to Jerusalem for one of the scheduled feasts. It came to have Messianic implications and the crowd makes no mistake what they thought.
Even the King of Israel! This is the money quote, the one that got Jesus in trouble, the one that indicates triumph, and the one that the crowd least understood. They were totally right and they had completely no idea why. As I said at the beginning, some of them will argue when Jesus (the King) foretells His death. That’s not the King they anticipated, but that that didn’t mean He wasn’t actually the King.
Jesus accepted the praise. He received the acclaim as King knowing that they don’t know what they’re saying. He doesn’t stop the procession to correct the misunderstanding. Our tight pants would pop a button at this point. It doesn’t stop Jesus. He is fulfilling prophecy.
All we’ve known so far is Jesus walking from one place to another. Now He found a young donkey and sat on it . The other Gospels say more about how it happened but we’re at least surprised to see Him riding. It fulfilled Zechariah 9:9, a verse quoted in verse 15. Fear not, daughter of Zion; / behold, your king is coming / sitting on a donkey’s colt!
A donkey seems a strange choice though the symbolism is intentional. He didn’t come mounted on a war horse. He could have. In fact, He will in the future (Revelation 19:11). A war horse would suggest power and conquest and overthrow. Instead, He came on a donkey, a statement of humility and peace. A donkey is no statement of triumph, not on the surface. But it means that the king is coming and God’s promises are being fulfilled.
Even though the disciples had been with Jesus for about three years they did not, at the moment, get the true importance of what they saw. That’s okay because even thought the disciples didn’t get it yet, Jesus was patient and would remind them at the right time.
His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. (John 12:16, ESV)
The disciples have a lot left to learn in these final days before the crucifixion. They missed much of it, including this reception of their Master, until later. John, who was there in person, said that Jesus’ disciples did not understand these things at first . Nothing said that they couldn’t have, or even shouldn’t have understood. They could have put together what they knew from the Old Testament and what they knew about Jesus and what they heard the crowd saying. This was a big day, but they didn’t remember in the moment.
What were they thinking? That things were better now? Things were looking up? “Hey, maybe this will work out alright after all?”
Later when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him . (See a similar statement in 2:22.) It’s an understatement, but life was different after the resurrection and ascension and after Pentecost when Christ sent His Spirit to dwell in believers. John will tell us in chapter 14 that Jesus promised the Paraclete / Helper to His disciples who would “teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26). No doubt they were helped by the supernatural Helper.
But John doesn’t explicitly credit the Holy Spirit to this remembrance about the triumphal entry. To be specific, Jesus promised that the Spirit would help them remember what He said while He was with them. On that Sunday as He entered Jerusalem, they had everything they needed to put it together. They already had the Word and they were watching it unfold before their eyes. Again, later they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him . Why not “had been written about him and were happening to Him right then”?
By way of snapshot, that is not a triumph of discipleship. They had time to put it together. Some of them were assigned to go and get the donkey for Jesus. What did they think He was doing? What is John’s purpose in including this detail?
What do we think He’s doing? We ought to know the Word, written before Jesus and when the Holy Spirit helped the apostles remember Jesus’ own words. We have our own copies…on our telephones. Why can’t we put together what we see in front of us? I said that this is a day to remember and what I really mean is, this is the day when we need to remember, in the moment. Some days are significant, but most days we need to remember what is significant. Let’s open our eyes and watch His work right now.
Jesus shows great patience with His disciples, and with the 12 who were with Him that Sunday, too.
Even though the Pharisees turned on one another, they did not, at their worst, get how their greatest fears would turn out much worse than they imagined. That’s okay because even though the Pharisees didn’t realize the importance, Jesus was still advancing His global plan.
The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.” (John 12:17–19, ESV)
John identifies two crowds and two groups of Pharisees. In verses 17-18 he explains why any of them came out to meet Jesus in the first place. Those verses make me wonder how the other Gospel writers could possibly leave out the Lazarus story. Raising Lazarus from the dead is the sign that gained enough traction to get people to lay down their clothes and palm branches for a king to come and conquer. Jesus had raised the hope of a nation, even though they missed why they should hope.
The Pharisees must have been staring out their windows or maybe having an espresso at an outdoor café. They watch the masses head out to meet Jesus and start talking to one another . Maybe no one else was left in town. Maybe they thought they could blame each other.
Some Pharisees said to other Pharisees, You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him . One group must have wanted to wait out the hype. Maybe this whole Jesus fad will fade. The others now mocked that approach as if to say, it’s only getting worse.
This hyperbole would be laughable self-pity if it weren’t so spot on. The world hadn’t gone after Jesus, at least not yet. The Pharisees mean it to exaggerate their plight. But in the very next verse Greeks show up and want to meet Jesus. Of course John loved that irony. John told us that Jesus is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus came to gather into one the children of God scattered all over the world (11:32). Jesus is after nations and neighborhoods.
This is the triumph of His plan. It’s not what the Pharisees saw but their bitter envy and need to put Him to death was the way to His victory.
No one really understood: the crowd calling Him King, the disciples considering the events, or the Pharisees complaining with hyperbole. These are all huge problems and no problem at all.
John tells us this because it is part of the good news. It is only good news if there is a master Narrator, if Jesus knows that His Father is writing the story.
Our understanding of triumph would be better if we remembered what has been written. The Lord Jesus Christ will triumph over all His enemies in the end, judging unrighteousness wherever it is. But He has many ways to triumph in His stories and we miss out on the joy a lot of days when we fail to remember what’s happening when it’s happening.
Obedience triumphs even when your obedience is misunderstood or (you think) unseen. Humility triumphs. Patience triumphs when you trust God to work it out for more glory. Sacrifice triumphs because that is the way of God in Christ.