Coronation of Christ (Triumphal Entry) (John 12:12-19)

Coronation of Christ (Triumphal Entry)

(John 12:12-19)

We have read probably many times about the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. But have you ever wondered why Jesus rode on a colt of a donkey into Jerusalem. Jesus had a purpose for everything He did and we must look for the reason and purpose for His entry into Jerusalem the way He did it. Why a donkey and not a horse, why did the people shout “Hosanna”, why on that particular day. As we will see today, Jesus had a reason, He had a purpose, and He had a reason for the timing of the event.

I. Jesus enters Jerusalem (v.12 - The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem).

A. Background: Jesus was entering Jerusalem on the week of the Passover, in fact it would be five days later He would be crucified. Jesus the day before was in Bethany in the home of Lazarus, Mary and Martha. We see this in the beginning of chapter 12 and it also records at a feast given in honor of Jesus and Lazarus, where Mary anoints Jesus’ feet (the gospel of Matthew and Mark records that she also anointed (poured) it on His head) and Jesus remarks to the disciples that she is anointing Jesus for his burial. There would be no time for preparation of the body, because Jesus was crucified on Friday and Sabbath began sundown Friday and went to sundown Saturday. Jesus knows the day is quickly nearing for His death on the cross and He is preparing His disciples for that time. At this feast many are there to see Jesus but it says many are there to see Lazarus also, John 12:9- ‘Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead’. Many came to see the one come back from the dead and the raiser of the dead, it reminds you of those who come to see the freak show at the fair. The Sanhedrin are still plotting His death because many were believing He was the Messiah (v.11- ‘Because that by reason of him (Lazarus) many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.’).

B. Coming to Jerusalem- one thing about this passage is that it doesn’t record Jesus telling the disciples to get His transportation into Jerusalem. In Matt. 21:1-3 it says, ‘And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. 3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them’ and the passage says that the disciples went and found the donkey at the place Jesus said it was and the scene unfolded just as Jesus said it would. There at Bethphage, there was probably a follower of Christ because when they said the Lord has need of them, he freely gave them. Jesus supernaturally knew they were there and because He is God, He was in charge of the unfolding events. Here now is Jesus sitting on the foal of this donkey riding into Jerusalem with a crowd behind Him from Bethany and there was a great crowd of pilgrims in Jerusalem for the time of Passover. Jesus is entering the city and He is officially offering Himself as the long-awaited Messiah, presenting Himself as King Jesus. How do you know this to be true. Because of the symbolic things He did and the fulfillment of prophecy.

II. Symbolic meanings and prophetic fulfillments (vv. 13-15 – [they] took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: "Hosanna! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' The King of Israel!" 14 Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: 15 "Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey's colt.").

A. The donkey (Matt 21:4-7 gives us a clearer picture on the use of a donkey, ‘4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. 6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.’) Jesus rode on the colt of the donkey, Mark and Luke wrote that the animal had never been ridden. Because according to Deuteronomy 21:3, and 1 Samuel 6:7, "To ride an animal young and never before ridden was a sign of special honor". It wasn't just a common animal that everybody rode...this was one set apart that had never been ridden by anybody else, just a matter of distinction. This was a fulfillment of prophecy concerning the Messiah, in Zechariah 9:9, ‘9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass’, this proclaimed to all that He was their King and Messiah. But why a donkey and not a horse. When a king rides a donkey, it symbolizes peace. When a king rode a horse, particularly a white horse, it shows that He has come as a King of war, it stands for triumph and war. Jesus was declaring to them that His Kingdom was not like any other Kingdom of this world. In fact, when Pilate asked Jesus was He a King, He said He was a king but His kingdom was not of this world. The statement Jesus was making and how He defined that meaning should have been clear. It was what He had been telling them all along. His Kingdom was not military, it’s not economic, it’s not political, it’s not about human power, it’s not about intimidation, it not about military power and weapons. It comes in meekness and humility. He was saying I’m not the military or political Messiah. He was declaring that He was the meek and lowly sacrifice for sin. Jesus came to Jerusalem to die for them, not to set up an earthly Kingdom. The animal He rode on stood for peace. Jesus was going to bring about peace between God and mankind. The Bible says that we are separated from God because of our sins and are basically enemies of God. James 4:4 says that clearly, ‘…know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God’. Jesus came to give us peace with God through His suffering and death on the cross. Rom. 5:10, ‘when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son’. By riding on that colt of a donkey He was proclaiming peace with God through His soon coming death.

B. Hosannas and palm branches (John 12:13)- verse 13 states that the crowds yelled ‘Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord’. The crowd was proclaiming that he was Messiah particularly because of the use of Psalm 118:26. It was about the Messiah and they shouted Hosanna and made a road or a ‘red carpet’ for Jesus to ride on with palm branches and their own garments while they shouted praises to God. You got to understand that this was a huge crowd; they were pilgrims to Jerusalem for Passover. One Roman general was ordered to take a census of how many lambs were slain during one Passover and it was 250,000. Passover regulations stated that there was to be one lamb slain for a minimum of 10 Jews. It was possible that there were at least 2.5 million people in and about Jerusalem. So, now imagine tens of thousands of people there shouting Hosanna. Hosanna means ‘save now’; it’s a cry for deliverance from bondage. They begin to throw their garments to make a path and according to 2 kings 9:13 it is an act of submission. The palm branches cut down and laid in the path before the Messiah on a donkey. The palm branches and trees are a symbol of strength, beauty, joy, deliverance, and salvation. What wonderful acts of adoration and how fit it is of our King Jesus. But in it all Jesus knew they all still did not understand who He was and what was to be done. He came on this day and at this time to offer Himself as the Passover Lamb. You see that it was on this day that the Passover Lambs were picked. This was not a coincidence, God was in complete control of the situation and timing. Of all there ‘Hosannas’ and adoration they cry for deliverance was not for their souls. They were not looking for eternal things and that’s the sad part. They were crying for immediate release from the bondage of Rome and not freedom from sin. They wanted deliverance from disease and the battle for bread. They wanted everything to be done right then and right now; an earthly Jewish Kingdom. They wanted Him to conquer Rome; He did conquer on that cross and by His resurrection; over sin, death, Satan, and the grave. You see Jesus went out the next day and began to confront sin in the Temple and cleansed it (whipped the money changers, drove them out), He pronounced the Pharisees and the Sadducees as hypocrites. He condemned their sinfulness and pronounced Himself as the only answer and sacrifice for sin. He confronted their sins instead of their political problems, their big problem was their sin problem. When He confronted them about their sin problem and unmasked their sins, then they wanted to execute them. When Jesus entered Jerusalem that day, He knew 5 days later He would be crucified. He knew when the immense crowd began shouting ‘Hosanna!’ they would be the same ones yelling ‘Crucify Him!’. Jesus was crowned with thorns while here on earth, but when establishes His reign and rule in the New Heaven and Earth, He will be crowned with many crowns. One day, He will come back on a white horse instead of a lowly donkey, as the conquering King Rev. 19:11-16 says it best, ‘11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.’

On that day in Jerusalem He came as the Lamb to be slain to take away our sins. He came that day to began the last few days and steps to Golgotha’s Hill. He came fully aware on the ‘cup’ that was sat before Him. He endured the shame, suffering, humiliation, and death because He loved us. They were looking for a Savior of their own imagination rather than the One God sent. Jesus told them that He came into this world to save sinners, to seek and save that which is lost. Jesus cares about all the issues and pain and heartaches in your life. But the primary issue is that He’s not interested in fixing you temporal life but He is in the business of changing your eternal destiny. He came to die, to be the sacrifice for our sin. He doesn’t have a political or economic or social agenda; He has a spiritual agenda. It’s not about this world, it’s about the world to come. It’s not about the kingdom of men, it’s about the Kingdom of God. It’s not about making our lives more comfortable, it’s about forgiving our sins. So we see today that the Triumphal Entry was more than Jesus riding on a donkey. It is full of meaning. It shows us that Jesus was in full control of the great events before Him. It shows what great love and care He has for the sons and daughters of God. (Heb 12:2 - “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God”.) He chose to walk this road of suffering and death out of His love for you and me. Let us be thankful to Him.