Focus: Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem signifies his heavenly kingship and calls for a response of faith by us.
Function: To encourage the people to welcome and serve Jesus as sovereign king into their lives.
Text: John 12:12-19
Inauguration ceremonies are ancient, common practices. When kings and queens assume their thrones to govern their nations or empires, they begin their reign with an inauguration or commencement ceremony. King David did so; emperor Caesar Augustus did; so did Queen Juliana and Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, and so did Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom. The inauguration ceremony is very important, because it signifies the beginning of a new rule.
Although America does not have a king or queen, we are familiar with inauguration rites. When our nation elected Mr. Barack Obama as the new president, for example, Mr. Obama vowed to uphold the Constitution of the U.S. at his inauguration ceremony last January. Inauguration ceremonies, then, are common, ancient practices. Even Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, had his inauguration ceremony. It happened at the time of the Passover Feast when Jesus voluntarily went down his crossroad, entering Jerusalem on a donkey, being hailed by an exuberant crowd.
Ah, there is much we can say about Jesus’ inauguration, and we’ll do so, but here is the scoop in a nutshell: Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem signifies his heavenly kingship and calls for a response of faith by us today. My question for you is this: will you join the Jerusalem “welcome wagon” and serve Jesus as sovereign king all your life?
Many times in history we note that a person becomes king once he has subdued his enemies. In fact, a person’s successful conquest or victory over his enemies qualifies him for kingship. That’s also the case with Jesus. For example, when Jesus began his ministry on earth, he preached a message about the kingdom or rule of God coming to earth. And by revealing himself as the Messiah or the Christ, the Son of David, the Lord Jesus presented himself as “King.”
The Apostle John brings out these features in his gospel as he tells us the story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. For instance, leading up to Jesus’ inauguration procession, John tells us about signs of conquest and royalty. He tells us the story of Jesus releasing Lazarus from the claws of death and raising him from the dead. That’s an awesome, incredible royal sign. And the news of Lazarus’ resurrection and Jesus’ fame spreads like wild fire.
Then John tells us of Jesus’ christening by Mary, the sister of Lazarus. She pours expensive perfume on Jesus, from head to toe. Just as priests and kings in O.T. Israel were anointed with oil, so Jesus is anointed with fragrant oil—which points to Jesus’ work as King. Jesus’ kingship, however, comes by way of the crossroad: he must die—to conquer sin, death and Satan.
The anointing is a sign of Jesus’ royalty. But Jesus’ kingship goes through the valley of the shadow of death. And that’s why the Apostle John tells us the story of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The entrance procession signifies Jesus’ heavenly kingship and calls for a response of faith by us.
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John tells the story of Jesus’ inauguration as King by presenting us with two bookends. Those bookends emphasize that Jesus’ march into Jerusalem is a death march. The King is on his way to die. Listen to the first bookend (vs. 10): “So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him, many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him.” Clearly, there is a death threat coming from the religious leaders.
Now listen to the last bookend (vs. 19): “So the Pharisees said to one another, ‘See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him! (i.e. Jesus).” It is between these two ominous bookends or verses that John tells us the story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. Jesus’ cross is looming!
Central to the story are two things: (1) Jesus finding a donkey and riding on it, in fulfillment of the Word of God spoken by the prophet Zechariah. And (2) The disciples’ slowness in understanding the significance of Jesus’ action. These two things are at the heart of the story as found in vs. 14-16.
Surrounding the heart of the story is the cheering crowd. John places them squarely against each one of the bookends mentioned earlier. In vs. 12-13 we read about the crowd’s welcome of Jesus and their acknowledgement of Jesus as the Messiah or King who can save and deliver them (especially, they hoped, from the oppression by the Romans in Israel). And in vs. 17-18 we read about the crowd’s trust or faith in Jesus and about their fervor in spreading the good news about Jesus in Jerusalem.
Thus we see that the royal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem takes place in the context of death threats by the religious leaders and cheers by an enthusiastic but fickle crowd. And tucked in between we see the King on his royal vehicle, accompanied by his disciples who are scratching their heads and wonder what the fuss is all about.
The donkey as Jesus’ main transportation into Jerusalem is connected with King David and with the prophecy of Zechariah. For example, when Absalom threatened his father, King David, centuries before Jesus, David fled Jerusalem taking the road down the Kidron Valley.
Now, centuries later, Jesus--who is
the Son of David, the Christ, the eternal King promised by God to Israel—is
about to reveal himself as King. His life is threatened. But Jesus does not
flee Jerusalem; he enters the city voluntarily, using the same road but now up
the Kidron Valley, on a similar vehicle as his “father” King David. And thus
Jesus also fulfills the prophecy of Zechariah who said long ago (Zech. 9:9): “Rejoice
greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes
to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a
donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
The crowd saw the connection between Jesus, doing miracles such as raising Lazarus from the dead, and riding on a donkey in fulfillment of God’s prophetic Word. They express their hope and enthusiasm and they take Psalm 118 on their lips saying: “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” Blessed is the King of Israel!” Such is the story of Jesus’ inauguration as King.
But there is more than may meet the eye. Here are some insights from this wondrous gospel story:
(1) The story of Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem as King, riding on a donkey, takes place under the umbrella of God’s timing. It is in the fullness of time that God sent his Son to die on the cross; it is at the Passover Festival that the time has come for Jesus to be revealed as King. The Passover Feast contains many shadows: they point back to the exodus event: when God defeated Egypt’s Pharaoh; when God parted the waters of the Red Sea; when God saved his people Israel from the tyranny of Egypt and led them to the Promised Land.
All these shadows of the past also point forward to the reality of the Passover Feast. That reality is about to happen; for God is about to defeat Satan and to deliver his people out of the bondage of sin and death. He is sending his heavenly King! “Jesus” is his name! Clearly, God’s timing plays a role in Jesus’ inauguration.
(2) Jesus voluntarily enters Jerusalem to offer himself as a Passover Lamb. Jesus is fully aware that the cross is waiting for him. Jesus prepared his disciples for his death (and resurrection) by taking Peter, John and James to the mount of transfiguration, giving them a glimpse of the glory that is to come. But the glory that is to come is by way of the crossroad and death.
Mary, the sister of Lazarus, signified Jesus’ pending death by anointing him with oil—she had a premonition that Jesus was on his way to die. And Jesus affirmed that premonition; he knew that he must go to Jerusalem and offer himself, voluntarily, as the Passover Lamb, paying and dying for our sins, so that we may live forevermore.
(3) In all of this, we must also recognize God’s hand, mysteriously at work in Jesus’ inauguration. Ask yourself: who brought the crowd to Jerusalem? Who drew so many Jewish people from all over the known world to Jerusalem? How were they summoned to Jerusalem? The God-ordained Passover Feast is God’s instrument to bring about Jesus’ grand entry into Jerusalem.
Again, ask yourself: Who put the words of the Prophet Zechariah in the hearts and minds of the people? Who placed the “Hosanna’s” on the lips of the crowd? Who inspired the people to welcome Jesus as the Messiah, the Savior King?
Ah, do not lose sight of the invisible hand of God at work in this story! Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem signifies his heavenly kingship and calls for a response of faith by us today.
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“So what?” You say. “Why should we get excited today about Jesus’ royalty and triumphant entry into Jerusalem? How does this story of Jesus’ inauguration shape our faith and increase our trust in Jesus.”
Well, let’s
begin with the disciples. They had a lot of questions about Jesus’ riding on
that donkey into Jerusalem. In fact, they missed its significance all
together—until after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus. Listen to the
text: (vs. 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 they had
done these things to him.”
The disciples’ experience tells us that we must view Jesus’ earthly work and kingship through the perspective of his resurrection and ascension. If you refuse to come to terms with Jesus’ death and resurrection, you will not appreciate what is happening at this inauguration of Christ. Take the resurrection perspective.
Let the Spirit of God speak to you and illumine your heart and mind. Do not resist the good news and the apostles’ testimony about Jesus. Be willing to buckle your knees before the risen and ascended Lord Jesus Christ. And he will open your eyes! And you and I will deepen our appreciation for Jesus once we see that this King yielded his life as a Passover Lamb that we may have life forevermore. The resurrection perspective makes all the difference as to how we see the past, the present, and the future.
Here’s another relevant observation for us today: When we take on the resurrection perspective, we learn to read the Scriptures, especially the O.T. Scriptures, through the eyes of Jesus’ accomplishments. Then we begin to see that Jesus fulfills the Scriptures; that Jesus is God’s promised King or Messiah; that Jesus stands at the center of all things; that Jesus is the only hope of the world; that Jesus holds our lives and our future in his hands.
It is through the eyes of Jesus’ resurrection that the Scriptures come alive; that our faith has a foundation; that our pilgrimage in life has meaning. Then we learn to bow our knees readily before the crucified, risen, ascended, and glorified Lord Jesus. Then we learn to worship and serve him as our Lord.
The best thing to do, however, is to yield our lives in service to Christ, our King. When we draw upon his gifts of forgiveness and eternal life, and when we pattern our lives after the rhythm of his ministry on earth, we discover a hidden strength—a grace that guides us and gives us endurance in our daily living. That’s why I invite you to walk with Christ throughout this Holy Week. Ponder his crossroad; consider his commandment of love and his institution of the Holy Supper on Maundy Thursday; join for worship on Good Friday; stand at the foot of the cross, and learn the mystery and power of Christ’s death. In doing so, you will also discover the power of the resurrection. And you’ll learn to re-arrange your life as a servant of Christ, the King.
Clearly, Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem signifies his heavenly kingship and calls for a response of faith by us.
Now and always! Amen.