This is an exposition of John 12:12-19. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Palm Sunday, March 25, 2018.
Intro:
The date was December 4, 1977. The place was Bangui, the capital of the Central African Empire. It was the day of the coronation of his Imperial Majesty, Bokassa I. I must say, “It was an impressive affair.”
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The ceremony began with the blare of trumpets and the roll of drums. Bokassa’s twenty-nine official children paraded down the royal carpet to their seats. They were followed by Jean Bedel Bokassa II, heir to the throne, dressed in a white admiral’s uniform with gold braid. He was followed by Catherine, the favorite of Bokassa’s nine wives. Finally the emperor arrived in a gold imperial coach drawn by six matched Anglo-Norman horses. He wore a thirty-two-pound robe decorated with 785,000 pearls and gold embroidery. On his brow he wore a gold crown of laurel wreaths, symbolic of the favor of the gods. He took his seat on his $2.5 million eagle throne, took off his gold laurel wreath and, as Napoleon 173 years before had done, took his $2.5 million dollar crown, topped with an 80-caret diamond, and placed it on his own head declaring himself emperor. That little affair cost $25 million dollars. His kingdom lasted 2 years.
It was the year 30 AD. The place was Jerusalem. It was Passover season. The streets were crowded with pilgrims. The air was filled with joy and excitement. There was singing, dancing and laughter throughout the city. Off in the distance there came the faint echoes of a shouting mob. The shouts grow louder and louder until finally this strange parade made its way down from the Mount of Olives. But this was a very different kind of parade. Old clothes. Broken branches. Peasants shouting about a king. But what kind of king enters triumphantly on a donkey?
And how does such a one inspire people to cry, “Save us! Save us now?”
Our text this morning is found in the 12th chapter of John’s Gospel.
Text: John 12:12-19
Our Lord entered the city in a precise and calculated manner.
The citizens of Jerusalem had been debating for days about whether he would even show.
It is well known the religious establishment was determined to kill him.
So why enter in such a public way?
Why such a conspicuous display?
The answer is simple, His time had come.
That time determined by His Father in eternity past.
The Passover Lamb must be offered in payment for sin.
As we survey the chaos of that moment. We note the presence of impassioned believers. There are those who have heard His teaching and know that no one teaches like this man. They’ve watched as the eyes of the blind have been opened and they’ve seen the lame walk. Many have been in the presence of Lazarus, the once decaying corpse, and they believe this is the Christ! Others are just curious. They have heard the stories and they’re not sure what to believe. Still others are filled with rage and long for the destruction of this trouble-making Galilean. One thing is certain...
Thesis: The revelation of Jesus Christ demands a response.
He cannot be ignored. You cannot remain neutral. That option is not available to you. Once He is revealed you must believe in Him or you must reject Him.
John tells us the purpose of his writing is to present Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God that you might believe in Him. That you might trust in Him.
That you would surrender to Him as Lord and Savior. He says, “I’ve written this that you might know that He is the Christ and that you might have life by believing in His name.”
There are three things I want us to note from this text.
- Our Lord purposefully and deliberately reveals himself as the promised Messiah, the fulfillment of prophecy. (12:12-14)
- Our Lord graciously and deliberately reveals himself as the servant king and the Lamb of God. (12:15)
- Once revealed, He cannot be ignored. (12:16-19)
Conclusion:
There were those who waved palm branches and cried, “Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” There were those who feared the whole world was going after him and thus despised Him all the more.
What is your response?
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