The Gospel of John: John 12.12-26

Read and meditate on John 12.12, 13.
The multitudes of those following Jesus had grown steadily over the course of His public ministry. Now the people were gathered for Passover, and when they knew Jesus was coming, they went out to greet Him with shouts of triumph.

                            ¹²The next day He began
to go unto Jerusalem. A great
assembly, who had come to celebrate
the feast, when they heard He was coming to
Jerusalem, ¹³took palm leaves, and went to
Him, crying, “Save us, Lord! And blessèd be
the King of Israel, He Who comes to free
us in the Lord’s Name!”

- John 12.12, 13

Reflect
1.  Here was a multitude to make any mega-church pastor proud. And they were saying and shouting all the right things. But how real were these professions? Explain. Complete this prayer: Lord, You’re looking for more than the occasional joyous celebration from us, Your people. What You seek is…

2.  Palm trees played an important role in Israel’s history. For example, look at 1 Kings 6.29, 32, 35, and 1 Kings 7.36. When the people of Israel gathered in Solomon’s temple to worship, they were surrounded by palm trees! God recalled this decoration to Ezekiel, in the vision of the new temple (Ezek. 40.22, 26, 31, 34; see also Ezek. 41). Perhaps as significant were the 70 palms of Elim, where Israel was refreshed as they began their journey toward Mt. Sinai (Ex. 15.27). There they found 70 palms, the same as the number of those who had originally gone down to Egypt, and 12 wells, the number of tribes no coming forth from Egypt. So if we ask, “Why palm branches to celebrate Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem?” what significance might we attach to this gesture? What was this great multitude saying? Lord, You are pleased with our symbolic gestures of loyalty and love. May we do them wholeheartedly, such as when…

3.  Meditate on Psalm 118.24-29. The multitude chose from this passage to celebrate Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem. Though they only chose a couple of verses, the entire passage would have been in their minds, even if they didn’t understand the full significance of it (by the way, when the Lord and the disciples left the upper room and headed for Gethsemane, they probably were singing this psalm, Matt. 26.30; Mk. 14.26). For a variety of reasons, this was a most appropriate passage for announcing Jesus’ arrival. Explain. I praise You, Lord, for the gift of salvation, and pray that I might know more of our great salvation, so that…

4.  Psalm 118 does not mention the phrase, “The King of Israel,” which the people here proclaimed. How shall we explain their unanimity in proclaiming Jesus with this title? You are the King of Israel, Lord Jesus, and King of…

5.  There was a certain inevitability about this welcome. Even though the multitude may not have understood all the significance of what they were saying, and most of them would be clamoring for Jesus’ blood in just a few days, still, this raucous, joyous celebration of Jesus’ coming to His hour of glory was inevitable, as He Himself explained in Luke 19.39, 40. Why? What does this portend (cf. Phil. 2.5-11; Ps. 96.10-13)? Bring together into one the prayers you composed for questions 1-4.

Summary
“As, therefore, hosanna is said in the psalm we are considering, which is translated ‘Save us now,’ and the Hebrew has ‘Lord, save us,’ and the words ‘blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord’ are taken from the same psalm, and these words can only refer to the Christ of God, we naturally apply the rest of the prediction to him as well.” Eusebius of Caesarea (260-340 AD)

As jubilant and glorious as was this welcoming celebration, it was but the announcement of greater glory to come. And this makes the multitude’s use of Psalm 118 all that much more significant. Explain.

Closing Prayer
This is the day the LORD has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Save now, I pray, O LORD;
O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!
We have blessed you from the house of the LORD.
God is the LORD,
And He has given us light;
Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.
You are my God, and I will praise You;
You are my God, I will exalt You.
Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.

Psalm 118.24-29

Psalm 118.19-29 (St. George’s Windsor: Come, Ye Thankful People, Come)
All who know Christ’s righteousness, His great Name now thank and bless!
Though His gate full righteous is, He our saving mercy is.
Cast aside and left alone, Christ is now our Cornerstone!
God has made His Son and Word our salvation: Praise the Lord!

Blessed are they who in His Name come and Jesus’ grace proclaim.
God His light upon us shines in the Savior’s sacrifice.
Praise and thanks to You, O Lord; we extol Your holy Word!
Thanks to You, for You are good! Thanks to our great loving God!

T. M. Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series IV a and b: John, edited by Joel C. Elowsky, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006. Verse translation of John by T. M. Moore.