Look! - John 12:12-19 - The Celebration of Palm Sunday

 

John 12:12-19 NIV

¹² The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. ¹³ They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

“Hosanna!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Blessed is the king of Israel!”

¹⁴ Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:

¹⁵ “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;
    see, your king is coming,
    seated on a donkey’s colt.”

¹⁶ At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.

¹⁷ Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. ¹⁸ Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. ¹⁹ So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”

Look!

Jesus, following the Father’s plan of salvation, sets his face “like flint,” to ride on in majesty to His rejection, suffering, death, resurrection and ascension. It was a tough and hard plan to carry out, but out of love, and for our sake; Jesus rode into His passion. Thank you, Lord Jesus!

Yes, Jesus! You ARE my God!

Draw me away from my selfish pride. From pride that exalts myself over and above my neighbor. Teach and give me a humble heart to serve and love You and my neighbor always.

Do we really expect Jesus to return to this earth? Or do we just like to live in the here and now and ignore the idea that Jesus will return again? Many people either don’t believe this will happen or choose to deny the possibility that Jesus’ return could happen at any time. This thinking even invades the minds of those who claim Christianity. It’s not a serious thought. Or is it? Should it be? Do present day disciples yearn for Jesus’ return, like right now? Or are we too involved with present day desires and life? These questions pop into my mind quite often. For me? I want Jesus to return right this moment, if that is God’s plan. If not, then may God keep me ready and prepared and willing to act out in His love for all the world around me. But, that’s a tall order. Why? Because I fail all the time. So, I ask God to help and guide me along the way.

Here in this passage the Jews had heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. Jesus had just been to the home of Lazarus, Martha and Mary. This was a dinner to honor Jesus. Mary, even anointed Jesus’ feet with some expensive ointment that was perfumed beautifully. Well, a crowd figured out Jesus was there and gathered to see Jesus and Lazarus, whom Jesus has just raised from the dead. Talk about a different kind of “stink!” The chief priests were none too happy with this gathering. People were beginning to put their faith in Jesus.

So, now a large crowd had come together for the Feast of the Passover. They had heard that Jesus was on his way from Bethany to Jerusalem. This distance was only a couple of miles. Jesus coming to Jerusalem, now, since His ministry was widespread and famous, was a big deal. Jesus is coming! They welcomed Jesus with honor and glory shouting Hosanna! In other words, they were shouting for Jesus to save them.

Well, hmmm… Sometimes, even today, perhaps we shout for Jesus’ return to save us from ourselves. But, is that a selfish ambition? Sure, Jesus comes to save us from ourselves, but why? Does Jesus save us because He wants to meet our demands? Does Jesus save us out of His pity? Why does God want to save us, and why do we think we deserve to be saved?

It’s one thing to worship God… It’s one thing to honor Jesus… but it’s also another thing to do this out of selfish wants and desires. So, what’s behind this praise and worship, yesterday and today? What’s behind this Palm Sunday event? Are we perhaps the focus of this event? Or is God the focus of this Palm Sunday return, or even Jesus’ return as we wait for Him today?

Ponder these words from John as he writes from the island of Patmos…

Revelation 7:9-10 NIV

⁹ After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰ And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”

 

Salvation belongs to God…

You see, it’s not about you or me. It’s about God and what God wants and desires. This is God in action and at work for His desires. Sure, it may fulfill my wants and needs, but this is God’s action, not mine. This is God’s victory! This is God’s Palm Sunday, as all Palm Sundays belong to God.

Jesus chooses a donkey? Why not a powerful horse? A donkey exudes arriving in peace. A horse proclaims power and might. Isn’t Jesus to be a powerful King? A king that will defeat all of the enemies of the Roman Empire. A king that will take control of the religious leaders and set things straight. But here Jesus comes in peace on a donkey. Just how is this kind of king going to help me out. The poor and over-worked people of that day and of this day too, already know humility. We don’t need peace! We need power and strength and might! But here Jesus is, coming in peace on a donkey. Sure, let’s offer praise and thanks. Afterall, look at what Jesus has already done in His ministry. Look at His teachings. Look at His healings. It’s all evidence that Jesus is in position to make things right for me and for you. It’s all evidence that Jesus is here to meet our wants and desires, and to raise us up out of poverty and hard work and illness. Didn’t Jesus arrive to meet our needs? Isn’t that what a Messiah is supposed to do?

We are not to be afraid. Haven’t we heard this theme of “no fear” so many times before? We especially hear the angels sent by God, proclaiming a significant event where God meets us with a message, to not fear. Honestly, as Jesus arrives in peace on a donkey, I’m a bit afraid. I’m a bit afraid that this approach by God in the face of the powerful Roman government and the soldiers nearby, just won’t work at all. I’m afraid that this is going to result in failure. This seems to be a very humble statement, or prophecy for the arrival of a king for all eternity. In my humanness, I just don’t get it. I just don’t think this is going to fly!

Jesus has been teaching us these past several weeks about the physical world verses the spiritual world and how they interact. Maybe the word Kingdom would be a better choice here than world. As I witness Jesus’ riding into Jerusalem, humble and on a donkey, I can’t help but to think of the physical aspect of what is happening. Perhaps the response, unbeknownst to the people is a spiritual response. And yet maybe also a physical response to what the people deem as their wants and desires for Jesus’ rule in the world. As I reflect upon what is about to take place in Jesus’ life and mission, I must realize the absolute physical realm of humanity that Jesus is about to endure. Physical in that He WILL suffer, He WILL die on a cross. He WILL be placed in a tomb. That’s about as physical as one can get! Yet, Jesus leads me on to see the spiritual side of this also. Even though I desire a physical answer to the problems of my life and this world, Jesus’ ultimate mission is leading me towards His spiritual Kingdom of God. That’s way beyond what I expect, or probably what any of the people praising Jesus as He enters Jerusalem expect. So, yea, Jesus is once again teaching and leading us from this physical world, to the spiritual Kingdom of God throughout eternity. But we need both the physical and the spiritual Kingdoms together in Jesus.

So, what about you and me? Do we see what Jesus has done, the miracles He has performed and testify to the world? Do we run to the parade to see Jesus? Why?

If our testimony is of God, then we run to the parade, not because of His miracles, no. Not to testify what Jesus can do for us. Why not?

Its’s the action of God in Jesus through miracles that reveal to each one of us the glory of God. We are called to something deeper than this physical realm, the physical Kingdom of God. We are called and given a deeper faith. We seek Jesus at the parade because God points to Jesus as THE Messiah. So, we are called to witness to what Jesus has done in our lives and to proclaim the Good News of God’s Action through Jesus.

So, here and all of our life we run out and testify. We testify what God has done, “Pointing to Jesus” all lifelong.

And it’s this testimony of what God is doing through Jesus that terrifies the Pharisees of Jesus day. And that testimony terrifies the rulers of this day as well. This parade is not about God meeting the needs of the people, making them rich, powerful, and strong. This parade is about showing what God’s action will be FOR His children because it’s His choice.

As Jesus faces the harsh reality of this physical realm, this physical world to face persecution, punishment, torture, and a gruesome death; He draws the world into Himself to give us a spiritual realm called the Kingdom of God. Jesus is King of both the physical and the spiritual Kingdom for sure, but He takes on the physical in His very own flesh and blood, to give us His spiritual Kingdom starting here and now, and going on forever into eternity.

So, does this mean, we will have a cakewalk in our testimony? Can we sit in our airconditioned churches with coffee in hand and sing praises to God to like believers? Can we idly sit by and watch the show as the band and the preacher talk on about how great we have it?

I think not. Look at the lives of those who proclaimed the Gospel after Jesus’ Ascension into heaven. All of the Apostles were killed, except for maybe John and he was on an island. Paul wandered about all over the place. But it wasn’t a cruise. It was hard travel and persecution and imprisonment for revealing what God has done through Jesus and the Gospel.

Do you think, as a disciple of Christ that you could likewise be rich and powerful? Do you really think that is what Jesus died for? We are very fortunate in our modern day that we have multiple ways to proclaim the Gospel from within our own comfort zones. But that’s not how the Gospel is spread all over the world. For some, standing up to testify is a danger, possibly leading to death.

But here is the thing, Jesus faces the physical evils of the world, so that, He could offer to all who believe in Him, both a physical and a spiritual Kingdom of God. One that goes beyond what is here and now. Jesus faced into the physical and gifted us with the ability to face the physical world in which we live, in the hope and joy of the sure reality of the Kingdom of God that exists throughout all time and space.

There is coming a new heaven and a new earth, made like the heaven and the earth that was always intended before our selfish pride ruined the earth we live in with sin and death. How did that happen? Well, that was OUR Action. Here in this parade, God IS acting once again. Acting in ways that are hard and maybe impossible for us to understand, but God IS ACTIVE. And in this action of God in the Messiah Jesus, we have all the reason in the Kingdom of God to give praise and adoration and shout enthusiastic HOSANNA! GOD SAVE US! … today… tomorrow… and forever! So, come to the parade; LOOK and see what God has done! Thanks be to God!

I leave you with this YouTube Music Video that I enjoyed listening to this past week…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koMY_04gzag&list=RDkoMY_04gzag&start_radio=1