John 12, Part 3: A TURNING POINT

A TURNING POINT: 
JESUS APPROACHES JERUSALEM 
FOR THE  LAST TIME BEFORE 
HIS DEATH & RESURRECTION.

The events that begin in John 12:12 indicate a turning point in the whole Gospel story. We will see more and more of WHAT MAKES JESUS TICK as events leading to His crucifixion accelerate. As always, these blogs are not written as an intellectual exercise, but an opportunity to impart Spiritual truth from God’s Holy word. Open your hearts and receive from God’s heart to yours. He will come again. As today’s events unfold we expect sooner than later.

The Triumphal Entry

John 12: 12   The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,

13   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!”

The crowd is going wild, their expectations have reached a fever pitch. They assumed Jesus came to take the political throne of Israel and end Roman rule. However their assumptions were not based on anything Jesus said, but on a carnal interpretation of events. They did not understand Him and a few chapters later He makes things plain,

John 18:36   Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”

We should see His actions as prophetic fulfillment, never as self seeking exaltation. The Old Testament had a great number of prophecies that Jesus fulfilled in His first coming. One thing that MAKES HIM TICK is obedience to His Father and His actions along that line increase as the crucifixion story unfolds.

The story of Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem is told several times in the Gospels; let’s look at the prophetic act in that context. The crowd did not understand that the salvation Zechariah referred to was not a political liberation from Roman rule but of the salvation of the souls of men.

Zechariah 9:9   “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Luke describes the prophecy about the humble King on the donkey,

Luke 19: 29   As he came to the towns of Bethpage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples ahead.

30   “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.

31   If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

John 12: 14   Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written:

15   “Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey’s colt.”

This next verse is intriguing. It provokes the question as to why Jesus didn’t explain some things ahead of time.

John 12: 16 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.

Notice the wisdom and discretion, the restraint and understanding of the timing of Jesus. People hear what they want to hear and what they wanted was Jesus to become king and kick out the Romans. He never referred to Zechariah 9:9 as if to say, “OK y’all, here I am, the King coming to Jerusalem just as prophesied.” I think it is safe to say that if Jesus said anything as to His motives He would have been misunderstood. Grabbing political power is just not what the suffering servant does. Intentionally, the light bulb never turned on for the disciples until after the resurrection. Then the disciples understood His Kingdom is not of this world. (for more on that see my Blog, “WISDOM AND DISCRETION WITH A KEEN SENSE OF GOD’S TIMING.” @ https://lnkd.in/gBkmhU5

Jesus being glorified in John 12:16 is a reference to His resurrection and ascension to Heaven. The Glory of God is a big topic but when we experience it our lives are wonderfully changed. Think of Moses at the burning bush. See the Addendum below for more on this. You should also go to www.wadetaylor.org for many articles that though not titled as such, reveal aspects of His Glory.

Another reason for the crowd’s excitement was, as is so often the case throughout the Gospels, that Jesus did a mighty miracle. Those that were present when Jesus raised Lazarus from the grave were also in Jerusalem for the Passover celebration and wanted to see Him,

John 12:17   Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness.

18 For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign.

This next verse gets me excited. It’s an emotion like when your favorite sports team wins a championship. The bad guy Pharisees are slapped in the face.

John 12:19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!”

Can’t you see these religious leaders standing around sulking, with their heads in their hands, totally perplexed by loosing another battle with the Messiah whom they refused to acknowledge? Just like the emotion of a sports victory is fleeting, so it was for the Pharisees. They were down but not out, and they still fight against Him today. We pray for their day of surrender to come before the Rapture; that they would be spared the horrors to come after that. Jesus didn’t come to condemn them; they are included in “the world” that God so loves as described in John 3:16. SALVATION of souls is What Wakes Jesus Tick.

Prayer: Father, as we see darkness in the socio-political realms around us, help us to be the light in it. May the hearts of Your people beat in sync with the love that Makes Jesus Tick. We recognize you are our conquering King who helps us rise up against every sin, every stumbling block, and every adversity of life. Help us to have hearts that hear from You and the grace to obey. May we show those in our circles of influence how to open their hearts to Your TRIUMPHAL ENTRANCE INTO their hearts.

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Addendum: Understanding how broad a topic God’s Glory is.

The following definitions are to give you You’re welcome to spend all the time you like looking up all the verses accompanying.

"(Heb. kabhod; Gr. doxa). (1.) Abundance, wealth, treasure, and" hence honor (Ps. 49:12); glory (Gen. 31:1; Matt. 4:8; Rev. "21:24, 26)." "

(2.) Honour, dignity (1 Kings 3:13; Heb. 2:7 1 Pet. 1:24); of God (Ps. 19:1; 29:1); of the mind or heart (Gen. 49:6; Ps. 7:5; Acts 2:46). "

(3.) Splendour, brightness, majesty (Gen. 45:13; Isa. 4:5; Acts 22:11; 2 Cor. 3:7); of Jehovah (Isa. 59:19; 60:1; 2 Thess. 1:9). "

(4.) The glorious moral attributes, the infinite perfections of God (Isa. 40:5; Acts 7:2; Rom. 1:23; 9:23; Eph. 1:12). Jesus is "the "brightness of the Father's glory" (Heb. 1:3; John 1:14;" 2:11)."

(5.) The bliss of heaven (Rom. 2:7, 10; 5:2; 8:18; Heb. 2:10; 1 "Pet. 5:1, 10)." "

(6.) The phrase "Give glory to God" (Josh. 7:19; Jer. 13:16) is "a Hebrew idiom meaning, "Confess your sins." The words of the Jews to the blind man, "Give God the praise" (John 9:24), are an" "adjuration to confess. They are equivalent to, "Confess that you" "are an impostor," "Give God the glory by speaking the truth;" for they denied that a miracle had been wrought. (https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Glory.php4)