Chicago UBF > Gospel and Acts > John 12:12-19

Palm Sunday: "Jesus Our Savior King"

Question

 
Messenger: J*oseph A*hn (Chicago UBF)
 
JESUS OUR SAVIOR KING
 
Key Verse: 12:13, “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!”
 
  1. Jesus, The Triumphant King
    What miracle had Jesus just performed and why did it cause such a stir? (Jn 11:43-44, 12:1-1) Read verse 13. When the large crowd heard that Jesus was coming, what did they do and why? (18) What does “Hosanna” mean and what does their cry reveal about what they were longing for in a king?
  2. Jesus, The Humble King
    Read verses 14-15. Why did Jesus choose to enter Jerusalem on a donkey rather than a war horse? (Zech 9:9, Isa 40:9) What does this reveal about the kind of king he is and the kingdom he came to bring? How does his humble entry speak personally to your own fears and shame? (Isa 53:3,4)
  3. Jesus, Our Savior King
    Read verses 16-19. How did the disciples, the crowd, and the Pharisees each respond to Jesus? What does it mean that Jesus was “glorified”? (Jn 2:22, Zech 9:11) What kings- whether success, security, or something more personal- compete for your allegiance? What would it mean to practically welcome Jesus as your Savior King this Palm Sunday?
 
References
  • John 11:43,44- “When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out.’ The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’”
  • Zechariah 9:9- “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
  • Isaiah 40:9- “Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, ‘Behold your God!’”
  • Isa 53:3,4- “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.”
  • Jn 2:22- “After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.”
  • Zech 9:11- “As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.”
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Message

JESUS OUR SAVIOR KING
 
John 12:12-19
Kev verse: 12:13, “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!”
 
Who is your king?
Today is Palm Sunday, the first day of Passion Week, and through Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem we learn who he is. And we face a decision on whether to follow and serve him as our king. May God help us to welcome Jesus our triumphant King, behold him as our humble King, and worship him as our savior King through today’s message.
 
First, Jesus the triumphant King.
 
Look at verse 12. “The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.” This Passover feast commemorated the passing over of God’s people by the angel of death who took the life of every firstborn of Egypt. The destroyer passed over the Israelites who marked their homes with the blood of a substitutionary, sacrificial lamb. Immense crowds came from all over the world in pilgrimage to celebrate this feast at the Temple. They packed the streets of Jerusalem selecting their Paschal lamb to offer in remembrance of their deliverance. Among them were witnesses to Jesus’ raising of Lazarus from the dead. Verse 18 explains, “The reason the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign.” Jerusalem was tense with excitement and rumors that the Messiah had come. And many put their hope and faith in Jesus as this Messianic King. All this was monitored by the religious leaders who had decided to kill Jesus and by their Roman overlords who were worried about restless rebellion.
 
Let’s read verse 13. “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!” When this huge crowd heard that Jesus was coming from Bethany two miles away, they ran out to welcome him with palm branches. These palms were a nationalistic Judean symbol of a victorious king’s return. And they shouted “Hosi a na” meaning “give salvation now”! It meant, save us, grant us salvation! It was an acclamation, a shout of praise but also a desperate cry for help. They quoted Psalm 118:26, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”. This referred to the blessings in the name of the Lord, on pilgrims like them coming up to Jerusalem. But it was also understood as a plea for “he who comes in the name of the Lord”, the Promised Messiah, the King of Israel. So in this hope they cried, “Even the King of Israel”.
 
Why did the crowd shout such a cry? They were crying for a triumphant king who would come in power to rescue them. They were calling for a king to liberate them from the oppression of the Roman empire and the restoration of a Davidian theocracy. But they also cried because of their sufferings, troubles, and unmet expectations. Their running and crying reveals the depth of the agony of their hearts, crushed under the weight of hopelessness and unsolvable life problems. They shouted “Hosanna!” like all of us who cry for deliverance. We long for this triumphant king who will come at the right time in majesty to dispense justice. We cry for the high king, lifted up in greatness, who can deliver us from the oppressors in our lives. Anyone who has cried, “God! Help me! Have mercy on me!” can understand the heart of this crowd which rushed out in tears. Have you ever cried like this? Me too.
 
And who is this Jesus who entered Jerusalem amidst this uproar of palms? He is the long awaited king we have been waiting for. Jesus began his ministry, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mk 1:15) Previously, Jesus had concealed himself as John 6:15 says, “Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.” But now his time had come. Jesus resolutely marched toward Jerusalem surrounded by this great crowd welcoming his kingship. He is our triumphant King who defeats evil and destroys the power of sin, darkness and death. His victory will lead to cessation of war, proclamation of peace, and salvation from oppression. Finally, at long last, the Lion of Judah was revealed, and the kingdom of God was at hand. But the crowd borne him along, shouting, “Hosanna, Blessed! That’s my king!” thinking that his objective was the overthrow of Herod’s palace and the devastation of the Roman stronghold. But Jesus the triumphant king then shocked them all. How did he do so?
 
Second, Jesus, the humble King.
 
Let’s read verses 14, 15. “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.” The word “behold” here does not mean to just look at but to open our eyes and fix our gaze to see with understanding. It is a command to see what God has done and is doing. And what did they behold? Jesus sat on an unbroken young donkey. Jesus’ disciples placed their cloaks as a saddle, and Jesus mounted thus, entered the city at a slow pace. Look, a grown man, side-saddled on a small beast, swaying, with feet barely off the ground. Beholding such a man, one might feel he was somewhat ridiculous, almost pitiful and even pathetic. But Jesus deliberately did this to fulfill Zechariah 9:9, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Jesus dampened nationalistic expectations of a warrior king and revealed the humble essence of his kingship. He is the triumphant king of victory, but his majesty is grounded in meekness and vulnerability. He is the humble King, the king of peace and gentleness. He is the king of righteousness and salvation, not of brutality and violence.
 
Why did he come like this? Let’s read verse 15 again. “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt.” It is because he came to deliver us from the fear and oppression of sin. It was so that anyone, even the most broken and lost, could approach him and be saved. This “fear not” echoes Isaiah 40:9, “Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, ‘Behold your God!’” Our humble king Jesus came with the good news of God’s love and compassion for the sinful and oppressed children of Zion, for you and me.
 
He came lowly on a donkey because there was no way for fallen, shamed, and weak people to approach the Triumphant King, high and lifted on a war charger. Jesus came as our humble King in order to understand our brokenness and bear our shame. Isaiah 53:3,4 explains, “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.” Have you ever felt like this? I have. I have felt with flowing tears, shame, rejection, sorrow, and grief, of not being enough. But Jesus sat on this lowliest of the beasts to be with me in my failures, weakness, sorrows, and shame. The triumphant King of the Universe was born into a pathetic animal’s manger and chose a donkey, to be our humble King, Immanuel, God with us. Sometimes, we feel like we are on a slow donkey to nowhere rather than a war horse to victory, but our humble King Jesus invites us, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Mt 11:28) and “Fear not, behold, your king is coming.” Why should we fear not? Because our king has come to be with us and to save us. Behold, our triumphant Lion of Judah has come to take our place on the cross. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world to become our Savior King. How did he do so?
 
Third, Jesus our Savior King
 
Let’s read verse 16, “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.” Jesus’ triumphal entry on a donkey led to a variety of confused responses. The shouting crowd and the disciples following him did not know what was happening. None understood that Jesus was the Lamb of God who came to take away the sin of the world. He was chosen on this Palm Sunday by God to be the Paschal sacrifice so that the destroyer would pass over us. This is the Gospel: that Jesus is the Triumphant King who defeats evil, the Humble King who stoops to be with us, and our Savior King who sacrifices himself to pay for our sins! Anyone who believes in him shall be saved. For the triumphal entry did not lead to the palace or the stronghold, but went through the cross to the empty tomb of glory.
 
And the voices that had cried, “Hosanna! Hosanna! Blessed!” would jeer, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” The hands that waved the palms would point at him in mockery and rejection. And the beloved Son of God, the King of Kings, the I am, was stripped and hung up as a criminal on the cursed tree. He endured a broken body and the suffering and sorrow of the soul. All could see him and beheld his shame and the pathos of his suffering and death. Why? To take the place of you and me in payment for our sins. For the Father God turned his face away from his beloved Son as Jesus bore all of our cosmic sin-sickness, sorrows, and shame and was stricken and smitten by the destroyer. On the cross, Jesus cried, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And God turned away and did forsake him. That my cry for God’s salvation might be answered, Jesus cried out “Hosanna! Hosanna!” and no answer came. This is the Gospel of our Savior King: I am a sinner more shameful than I can admit but I am loved by God more than I deserve and can imagine. And there is forgiveness and eternal life in accepting Jesus as our Savior King. I wonder if you have welcomed him as your Savior King?
 
His disciples didn’t. The crowd didn’t. Look at verse 19: the Pharisees said, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.” All of us have kings. A king is anyone we crown, obey, and go after. A king can be an idol we worship and seek instead of God in order to attain significance, satisfaction, security, salvation, and justification. The Pharisees worshipped political power and money. The crowd wanted political and financial relief and their daily bread. Jesus’ disciples wanted to be the paramount and prominent leaders under Jesus’ kingdom. We can see that some false kings such as position, prestige/fame/approval, power, profit/money, and success have been ubiquitous over history. Some people think that they are their own kings and queens not realizing that they are actually ruled by whatever they obey and seek after. But what are some other modern kings and idols? You may be like me and have a well-used streaming subscription and know what the obvious idols are. False kings can be crypto, gold, social media, smartphones, or the influencer lifestyle. But according to the Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, this way of life has caused “a mental health crisis in adolescents leading to increased anxiety, depression, and loneliness”. I would argue that this crisis is not limited to adolescents but to society as a whole. We all need help.
 
But it’s not these obvious false kings that are the most dangerous tyrants. Pastor Tim Keller preached, “We think that idols are bad things, but that is almost never the case. The greater the good, the more likely we are to expect that it can satisfy our deepest needs and hopes. Anything can serve as a counterfeit god, especially the very best things in life.” What are some of these good things? It’s easy to think that if only that cute and amazing girl or boy loved me then I would be a significant somebody. Parents crown their children and place their heavy expectations on them. But they crush their children’s spirits and agency through their expectations. And their children dismay and break their parent’s hearts when they turn into little tyrants. For no person can be our savior or king and bear our expectations except Jesus. We Christians might work hard for God in ministry, preaching, teaching, and serving. But it can be these “damnable good works and deadly doings” that deceive us into self-righteousness which creates and masks a proud, sclerotic and hypocritical heart that has no love. Working for the Lord and living a good, moral life might make us feel good from receiving others’ praise, but doing so and being called a missionary, shepherd, elder, or pastor cannot save us from our sins. Only Jesus is the worthy true king who can save us from being self-righteous hypocrites. Only Jesus can change us into grace-filled, forgiven sinners who can love our flawed church coworkers as ourselves. Only when we put down our self-righteousness and welcome and serve Savior King Jesus can our church be healed and become a kingdom of heaven on earth.
 
And God uses hard situations to open our eyes to false kings, humbles us and leads us to cry out, “Hosanna! Jesus, save me, help me. If you will still have me, please come rescue me and be my king. Hosanna!” Perhaps you understand? Perhaps you can cry with me, “Hosanna! Hosanna!” That is why Jesus came, to answer my cries as our Triumphant, Humble, Savior King. He came to save us from our bondage to sin and to set us free from these false kings. For on the cross, he paid the price for our sins through his blood. As Zechariah 9:11 promises, “As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.” Jesus came to set me free from my bondage to sin and the pit of hell. John 1:12 promises, “But to all who did receive him, who believes in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” Jesus came and met me through this message preparation so that I could behold him and turn my eyes from my idols. I repented of serving these false kings. I cried out to my Savior King, “Hosanna!” and entrusted myself to his supernatural deliverance and life-giving promises. What happened? My situation hasn’t changed yet. My old problems remain and I have new problems daily. But my heart has been circumcised and my life direction has been recast, as I welcomed Jesus in and follow him as my king. To serve King Jesus means that my life decisions are shaped and guided by His Word and made in faith, entrusting that He is with me and guiding me. As I live under Jesus’ rule he liberates me from fear and idolatry to false kings. My Triumphant King Jesus defeats my enemies of anxiety and worry. My Humble King leads me and feeds me by green pastures and quiet waters and restores my soul. My Savior King promises and assures me that I am beloved, forgiven and have a forever home in his kingdom no matter what my performance or my worldly or spiritual fruitfulness. He is my peace despite my circumstances and problems because my King Jesus has everything under his dominion and control. And I have his promise that he will resolve all my troubles in his right time. And He makes me secure and my life enough. So I go after him and serve him as my King, gratefully. What about you? Who is your king?
 
Behold the Lamb of God on this Palm Sunday. Fear not, your king is here. Let us go out to submit to Jesus as our triumphant king, welcome him as our humble king, and serve him as our Savior King. His rule brings true joy, peace, freedom, and power to face and overcome the world with courage. Let’s open the gates of our hearts and shout “Hosanna!” And our singing will be echoed by the rocks and the hills and the trees of the fields will clap their hands. We shall shout “Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna!” and these cries will flow into the praises of “Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah!” as he returns as our Glorified King to take us to the kingdom of God. For “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil 2:10-11) Our King is coming. Behold, He is here. Let’s welcome him in and follow him. His rule will give rest and peace to your soul. Amen!
 
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