Parade to the Grave (John 12:12-19)

WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.960 --> 00:00:07.389 Jesus, as I mentioned earlier in the service, is just caused a man 2 00:00:07.589 --> 00:00:14.830 to rise from the dead. He does so as he himself begins to go 3 00:00:14.949 --> 00:00:21.620 to his own death. We read of a parade to the grave this morning, 4 00:00:25.260 --> 00:00:31.940 John Twelve, a verse twelve. The next day the large crowd that 5 00:00:31.980 --> 00:00:36.409 had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, so they 6 00:00:36.490 --> 00:00:40.570 took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying Hosanna. 7 00:00:41.250 --> 00:00:44.409 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King 8 00:00:44.450 --> 00:00:49.329 of Israel. and Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just 9 00:00:49.570 --> 00:00:54.000 as it is written. Fear not, daughter of sign behold your king is 10 00:00:54.079 --> 00:00:59.920 coming, sitting on a donkey's Colt. His disciple did not understand these things 11 00:00:59.960 --> 00:01:03.870 at first, but when Jesus was glorified, they remembered that these things had 12 00:01:03.989 --> 00:01:10.709 been written about him and had been done to him. The crowd that had 13 00:01:10.790 --> 00:01:14.510 been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him and 14 00:01:15.790 --> 00:01:19.260 raised him from the dead, continued to bear witness. The reason why the 15 00:01:19.420 --> 00:01:23.659 crowd went to meet him was that they heard that he had done this sign. 16 00:01:25.780 --> 00:01:29.180 So the Pharisee said to one another, you see that you are gaining 17 00:01:29.260 --> 00:01:34.170 nothing. Look, the world has gone after him. I'll read one more 18 00:01:34.209 --> 00:01:38.450 verse now. Among those who went up to worship at the feast were some 19 00:01:38.650 --> 00:02:05.909 Greeks. You maybe seated. In this passage, John Chapter Twelve, we 20 00:02:06.109 --> 00:02:12.629 have the crowds, these great, swelling, growing crowds, a crying out 21 00:02:13.069 --> 00:02:16.620 to Jesus, Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the 22 00:02:16.740 --> 00:02:22.340 Lord, even the King of Israel. And then again we have these words 23 00:02:22.379 --> 00:02:28.699 recorded fear not, Daughter of Zion, behold your king, this coming, 24 00:02:28.819 --> 00:02:36.210 sitting on a donkey's Colt. Both this quote from scripture and the words of 25 00:02:36.650 --> 00:02:42.449 the crowds come from scripture, both of these passages, and I'd like to 26 00:02:42.530 --> 00:02:46.520 go to those passages with you this morning and read them as well. So, 27 00:02:46.639 --> 00:02:51.039 if you would turn to the end of your old testaments, almost to 28 00:02:51.120 --> 00:02:55.439 the very end. This is Zachariah chapter nine, will read a few verses 29 00:02:55.560 --> 00:03:08.669 there and then also from Psalm one hundred and eighteen. These are verses that 30 00:03:09.789 --> 00:03:15.580 John tells us through the work of the spirit, inspiration of the spirit. 31 00:03:15.699 --> 00:03:21.060 These are are things that the disciples didn't understand at the time that they were 32 00:03:21.180 --> 00:03:28.569 happening, but later understood when Jesus was glorified, and you may understand them 33 00:03:28.610 --> 00:03:31.610 as well. So let's give our attention to it. Zacharyon nine, verse 34 00:03:31.689 --> 00:03:39.810 nine. It is a prophecy of victory. Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of 35 00:03:39.849 --> 00:03:45.400 Zion, Shout Aloud, oh daughter of Jerusalem. Behold, your king is 36 00:03:45.560 --> 00:03:52.080 coming to you righteous and having salvation. Is He humble and mounted on a 37 00:03:52.199 --> 00:03:57.750 donkey, on a cult the full of a donkey. I will cut off 38 00:03:57.909 --> 00:04:01.270 the chariot from Efreel and the war horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow 39 00:04:01.389 --> 00:04:08.349 shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nation's his rule 40 00:04:08.509 --> 00:04:14.500 shall be from sea to see and from the river to the ends of the 41 00:04:14.620 --> 00:04:18.819 Earth. Will lend there. And turn now to Psalm one hundred eighteen, 42 00:04:20.259 --> 00:04:30.410 and here the words that the crowds were chant team. So Psalm one hundred 43 00:04:30.529 --> 00:04:46.319 eighteen versus twenty five and twenty six. Save us, we pray, oh 44 00:04:46.439 --> 00:04:50.680 Lord, oh Lord, we pray, give us success. Blessed is he 45 00:04:50.800 --> 00:04:55.230 who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the House 46 00:04:55.750 --> 00:05:02.709 of the Lord. We also need to take into account some of the rest 47 00:05:02.750 --> 00:05:06.069 of the Psalm. Will read just a little bit before this, if you 48 00:05:06.220 --> 00:05:10.579 look, for example, at Verse Twenty Two, just a few verses for 49 00:05:10.899 --> 00:05:16.220 before we have this. The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 50 00:05:16.620 --> 00:05:20.180 This is the Lord's doing. It is marvelous in our eyes. This 51 00:05:20.420 --> 00:05:24.850 is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad 52 00:05:24.970 --> 00:05:28.209 in it. Save us, we pray. Oh Lord, oh Lord, 53 00:05:28.250 --> 00:05:34.610 we pray, give us success. So with these words, these prophecies, 54 00:05:35.399 --> 00:05:42.000 these words in our minds, let's turn back to John Chapter Twelve now and 55 00:05:42.160 --> 00:05:47.160 consider what is going on here. Well, we have is the very dramatic 56 00:05:47.360 --> 00:05:56.149 and intimate events of Mary and Lazarous and Judas there and sign in this house 57 00:05:57.230 --> 00:06:03.110 now turn into very dramatic and public events, as Jesus announces in a way 58 00:06:03.300 --> 00:06:08.060 that he is the Messiah. You Remember, back in John Chapter six, 59 00:06:08.540 --> 00:06:15.660 the crowds wanted to make him king and he ran away to a mountain because 60 00:06:15.660 --> 00:06:20.290 it wasn't time. Yet. There's no hesitation on Jesus's part at this time, 61 00:06:20.529 --> 00:06:25.370 though. He is ready. It is time. You remember also that 62 00:06:25.449 --> 00:06:30.850 Jesus said that he does not have his life taken away from him, as 63 00:06:30.889 --> 00:06:34.079 though he were subject to people, but he lays it down because of his 64 00:06:34.480 --> 00:06:41.959 own authority, authority that had been given to him by his father. This 65 00:06:42.120 --> 00:06:46.040 is not true of our lives, right we do not know the time of 66 00:06:46.160 --> 00:06:49.029 our deaths. We don't know when these will happen. Jesus, however, 67 00:06:49.990 --> 00:06:55.629 in his divinity, knew these things and would not lay down that life, 68 00:06:55.629 --> 00:07:00.790 laid down his life, until it was the proper time. Everything happens perfectly 69 00:07:00.069 --> 00:07:05.019 and always according to God's sovereign plan at a moment of it. Not a 70 00:07:05.139 --> 00:07:11.620 single thing is left up to chance. Even this animal that Jesus is riding 71 00:07:11.779 --> 00:07:16.649 on, this donkey, is a part of God's will in this plot, 72 00:07:16.769 --> 00:07:25.089 in this particular instance, I'm filled with meaning and recorded in prophecies and at 73 00:07:25.410 --> 00:07:31.560 another evidence and testimony that Jesus is in fact the Messiah. To give just 74 00:07:31.680 --> 00:07:36.319 a little bit of context to this parade to the grave, as I've called 75 00:07:36.399 --> 00:07:43.240 it, we have the crowds growing, swelling. Why are they there? 76 00:07:43.600 --> 00:07:46.790 Well, previous to this, you may remember that they were all asking, 77 00:07:46.990 --> 00:07:53.829 whispering, will he come to Jerusalem? There was a time when not many 78 00:07:53.870 --> 00:08:00.699 knew about Jesus, when only a few people were aware of who he was 79 00:08:00.860 --> 00:08:03.139 and what he was doing, but by this point in his ministry that wasn't 80 00:08:03.180 --> 00:08:11.100 the case anymore. Jesus is a fully public figure. Now he has an 81 00:08:11.139 --> 00:08:16.370 arrest warrant, we might say the leaders, we're looking to arrest him. 82 00:08:16.449 --> 00:08:22.290 This was public knowledge. And would Jesus come to Jerusalem at this time of 83 00:08:22.410 --> 00:08:26.240 the pass over, this great feast, when people did this? Would he 84 00:08:26.360 --> 00:08:31.720 come? Would he be arrested? What was going to happen? There's exciting 85 00:08:31.879 --> 00:08:37.759 public, tabloid like news and it was happening all around them. Then, 86 00:08:37.840 --> 00:08:41.509 on top of that, you have this event where Lazarus had just been raised 87 00:08:41.549 --> 00:08:46.789 from the dead. People wanted to see this man that he had raised Lazarus 88 00:08:46.830 --> 00:08:52.029 from the dead, and they wanted to see Lazarus too, see the dead 89 00:08:52.110 --> 00:08:56.419 man who is now alive. I wouldn't that be an amazing thing? Let's 90 00:08:56.419 --> 00:08:58.980 go see him, let's see if we can find him. Do you think 91 00:08:58.019 --> 00:09:07.220 he's coming? Everything is buzzing in Jerusalem with about Jesus. In fact, 92 00:09:09.539 --> 00:09:13.490 the news was so strong in, the interest was so strong in both Jesus 93 00:09:13.610 --> 00:09:20.049 and Lazarus that the leaders have decided to put them both to death. Let's 94 00:09:20.049 --> 00:09:24.360 still Lazarus, because this is too much of a problem. This is getting 95 00:09:24.399 --> 00:09:28.039 out of hand. You see, how corrupt, by the way, that 96 00:09:28.120 --> 00:09:35.480 the leadership had become so blinded and insanely consumed by their own desire for power 97 00:09:37.720 --> 00:09:43.309 that they are willing to kill not only Jesus, who is this great threat 98 00:09:43.309 --> 00:09:46.029 to them, who had done nothing wrong, but now other people, to 99 00:09:46.350 --> 00:09:52.580 Lazarus. His only sin, which is no sin at all, was being 100 00:09:52.700 --> 00:09:58.379 brought from death to life by Jesus. This, of course, is going 101 00:09:58.460 --> 00:10:03.860 to to be come in many ways, the mark of all Christians. When 102 00:10:03.899 --> 00:10:09.690 we put when we are those who have been rescued out of the grave by 103 00:10:09.809 --> 00:10:15.889 Christ, we become marked men and women. The world hates us. Why? 104 00:10:16.009 --> 00:10:20.370 Because they hate him. We are the marks of His grace, we 105 00:10:20.409 --> 00:10:26.679 are the marks of his power, we are those that he has put his 106 00:10:26.919 --> 00:10:30.519 name on. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. 107 00:10:30.679 --> 00:10:35.080 Certainly applies to Jesus, and it also applies to all who are in 108 00:10:35.320 --> 00:10:41.629 Jesus. We are the blessed ones, we are the holy ones, not 109 00:10:41.789 --> 00:10:45.870 because of any great thing in us, but simply because he has said come 110 00:10:45.909 --> 00:10:50.820 out, and we came out of our graves, we came out of death 111 00:10:52.019 --> 00:10:58.899 and because the Lord, because the world sees him in us, it will 112 00:10:58.980 --> 00:11:05.090 hate us, will want to kill us, because it is opposed to him. 113 00:11:07.570 --> 00:11:11.889 The crowds aren't at that point. The crowds are excited. The crowds 114 00:11:11.889 --> 00:11:16.690 are interested. The crowds are curious. Some of them perhaps great believers, 115 00:11:16.929 --> 00:11:22.559 wonder, looking forward to the things that the savior will do. Others, 116 00:11:22.679 --> 00:11:28.360 perhaps they're just for the show, but nevertheless they are. They all are. 117 00:11:28.399 --> 00:11:33.509 A large crowd, we read had gathered in verse twelve that had come 118 00:11:33.629 --> 00:11:39.509 to the feast when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, knowing this 119 00:11:39.669 --> 00:11:43.789 and preparing the lay way. The other gospels tell us that Jesus had told 120 00:11:43.950 --> 00:11:50.539 his disciples to go and find this donkey, and they did. You can 121 00:11:50.580 --> 00:11:54.259 read about that in the other gospels. Here he finds it, they find 122 00:11:54.340 --> 00:11:58.820 it for him, he sits on it and he enters into Jerusalem and as 123 00:11:58.940 --> 00:12:05.129 he does so, the people, these great crowds, are crying out Hosanna, 124 00:12:05.809 --> 00:12:09.049 blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. They're throwing 125 00:12:09.529 --> 00:12:13.529 palm branches down on the ground, they're waving palm branches in the air. 126 00:12:15.690 --> 00:12:20.000 This is a as I said, a parade, a celebration, but it 127 00:12:20.159 --> 00:12:28.639 is a very particular kind of parade. This is a victory parade. This 128 00:12:28.759 --> 00:12:35.389 is the kind of parade that you have after a war is over to celebrate 129 00:12:35.590 --> 00:12:39.509 that victory. Is the heroes come home, or, in this case, 130 00:12:39.590 --> 00:12:46.379 the great hero arrives, the Great Savior, the great hope, the great 131 00:12:46.779 --> 00:12:54.539 king, and they are welcoming him into his capital city, the place where 132 00:12:54.539 --> 00:13:01.970 the temple is, into Jerusalem. How do we see this? Well, 133 00:13:01.049 --> 00:13:05.649 first we see it in this word, Hosanna. Hosanna is a Hebrew word 134 00:13:05.730 --> 00:13:13.320 which means he saves US or save us. More particularly in the Psalm, 135 00:13:13.480 --> 00:13:18.559 it comes with a plead, a pleading like please save us, a does 136 00:13:18.840 --> 00:13:22.799 an intensif ocasion of that deliver us. Hosanna, save us, save us. 137 00:13:24.639 --> 00:13:28.990 They see him as the savior, at least in some aspect. That's 138 00:13:28.990 --> 00:13:35.269 why they're saying that Hosanna save us, Hosanna save us. This is the 139 00:13:35.470 --> 00:13:41.379 cry of needy people who see their savior and are calling out to him. 140 00:13:43.700 --> 00:13:50.419 Remember, this is why Jesus came in John Seventeen. We have this, 141 00:13:50.340 --> 00:13:54.299 for God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, 142 00:13:54.730 --> 00:14:00.769 but in order that the world might be saved through him. Jos Anna, 143 00:14:01.129 --> 00:14:05.769 save us, John Ten nine. Jesus says, I am the door. 144 00:14:05.769 --> 00:14:11.559 If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and 145 00:14:11.799 --> 00:14:20.600 out and find pasture, a gentle image, powerful civil and this is what 146 00:14:20.679 --> 00:14:24.309 Jesus does. He is, as John Proclaims, the Lamb of God who 147 00:14:24.429 --> 00:14:31.389 takes away the sin of the world. He will atone for our death or 148 00:14:31.629 --> 00:14:39.299 for our sin. In his death he will deliver us from the great spiritual 149 00:14:39.460 --> 00:14:45.179 plague that is on all humanity. He will make us worthy of eternal life. 150 00:14:45.259 --> 00:14:48.779 He will give to us that physical life. He will give to US 151 00:14:48.340 --> 00:14:52.690 resurrection of the dead, as he is done for Lazarus, and even better, 152 00:14:54.769 --> 00:15:01.850 as he does it with glorified bodies, bodies that will not die again. 153 00:15:03.769 --> 00:15:07.440 If you had to pick one word, and only one word, that 154 00:15:07.559 --> 00:15:13.440 you could say to Jesus, hosanna would be a very good candidate. Save 155 00:15:13.600 --> 00:15:20.600 us, deliver me, help me, and that's what the crowds are crying 156 00:15:20.639 --> 00:15:26.669 out. But of course it does matter what it is exactly you're asking to 157 00:15:26.750 --> 00:15:31.070 be saved from. Right if, if you are asking to be saved from 158 00:15:31.950 --> 00:15:37.740 you know, I can't. Sorry, I shouldn't try and make this up 159 00:15:37.740 --> 00:15:43.340 on the fly, if you're a lot of times we focus on on narrow 160 00:15:43.539 --> 00:15:48.259 things, on on temporal things. We want deliverance from, you know, 161 00:15:48.419 --> 00:15:54.289 these these tiny things in our lives. Sometimes they feel quite big. But 162 00:15:54.409 --> 00:16:00.129 Jesus comes to do something much bigger than we often see. That's bigger than 163 00:16:00.129 --> 00:16:04.000 we often expect, and that happens that that kind of thing is happening here, 164 00:16:06.000 --> 00:16:11.879 and John Twelve is as we will see. Before we get to that, 165 00:16:11.519 --> 00:16:15.360 let's consider the second thing that they say blessed is he who comes in 166 00:16:15.480 --> 00:16:22.350 the name of the Lord. Here they proclaim truly that Jesus is the one 167 00:16:22.429 --> 00:16:29.470 who has been sent from God for this salvation of the people. He is 168 00:16:29.549 --> 00:16:33.379 the one who has been promised to come, he is the scent one and 169 00:16:33.620 --> 00:16:41.779 is therefore called blessed. Jesus not only represents God in this world, as 170 00:16:41.820 --> 00:16:44.940 you might understand, he comes in the name of the Lord, but he 171 00:16:45.379 --> 00:16:49.889 is God in this world. He not only proclaims the word of God, 172 00:16:51.330 --> 00:16:56.129 he is the word of God, and this he has made evident throughout all 173 00:16:56.169 --> 00:17:00.759 of these chapters that we have been hearing. All that he has from the 174 00:17:02.519 --> 00:17:07.039 has, he has from the Father Jesus tells us that the father has given 175 00:17:07.119 --> 00:17:11.039 everything to him. Remember that this is one of the core messages of the 176 00:17:11.119 --> 00:17:15.950 gospel of John, that the one who comes to save us is the son 177 00:17:17.190 --> 00:17:22.349 of God, as Jesus says in John Twenty eight. I do nothing on 178 00:17:22.470 --> 00:17:26.990 my own authority, but speak just as the father taught me John Ten eighteen. 179 00:17:27.470 --> 00:17:30.980 No one takes it, that is his life, from me, but 180 00:17:32.099 --> 00:17:36.220 I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it 181 00:17:36.339 --> 00:17:40.740 down and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have 182 00:17:40.980 --> 00:17:48.730 received, I have done from my father. To know Jesus there for is 183 00:17:48.849 --> 00:17:53.009 to know God. He is blessed and all who are blessed in him. 184 00:17:55.490 --> 00:18:00.200 Finally, they call him the King of Israel. This is not present in 185 00:18:00.240 --> 00:18:07.480 the Psalm, and this is probably because the there is more yet, one 186 00:18:07.599 --> 00:18:11.079 more passage in mine, one from Genesis, which reminds us that this king 187 00:18:11.910 --> 00:18:17.390 would co would come, would be the great king from Judah, fulfilling these 188 00:18:17.549 --> 00:18:23.789 hopes of Israel. We consider Zacharai and nine. I'm going to turn back 189 00:18:23.829 --> 00:18:27.660 there if I can find this tiny book as Zachar there we go, a 190 00:18:27.700 --> 00:18:36.180 Zachara and nine. This hope of Israel was in a kingly form. Remember 191 00:18:36.220 --> 00:18:40.299 what it says. I will this powerful language, I will cut off the 192 00:18:40.380 --> 00:18:44.569 chariot from EAC e Freem and the war horse from Jerusalem, and the battle 193 00:18:44.650 --> 00:18:48.809 bow shall be cut off. Behold, your king is coming to you, 194 00:18:48.970 --> 00:18:53.769 righteous and having salvation. Is He humble and mounted on a donkey, on 195 00:18:53.890 --> 00:19:00.160 a cult on the full of a donkey. And so, with all of 196 00:19:00.240 --> 00:19:03.519 these hopes, he is going to establish this kingdom. He is going from 197 00:19:03.519 --> 00:19:08.240 the river to the ends of the Earth, over our enemies, over all 198 00:19:08.279 --> 00:19:14.829 of these problems that we have, from these outsiders. Here is our king, 199 00:19:15.670 --> 00:19:18.950 right here is Jesus save us, save us from the Romans, save 200 00:19:19.029 --> 00:19:23.299 us from the Greeks, save us from all who would seek to establish themselves 201 00:19:23.740 --> 00:19:30.460 over Israel, over Jerusalem. And it's for this reason that we have this 202 00:19:30.700 --> 00:19:37.819 note in John Twelve about these palm branches. The palm branches where a nationalistic 203 00:19:37.339 --> 00:19:42.569 symbol in Israel. We find it used in various places, in the temple, 204 00:19:42.690 --> 00:19:51.410 for example, but even more later on we find that palm branches are 205 00:19:51.490 --> 00:19:57.319 used on coinage. Palm branches are used as as symbols of national pride, 206 00:19:59.160 --> 00:20:03.480 and that's why we have a kind of victory celebration here. You might imagine, 207 00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:08.029 all the flags of the country are being waived at this moment, as 208 00:20:08.150 --> 00:20:12.029 they are waving these palm branches, as they are throwing them on the ground. 209 00:20:12.390 --> 00:20:19.670 Here is their national liberator. We have a recorded for example, in 210 00:20:21.150 --> 00:20:26.579 first maccabe's, not a scriptural book, but a recorded history verse this. 211 00:20:26.940 --> 00:20:29.579 Listen to this verse, first macaby's, thus three hundred and fifty one, 212 00:20:29.619 --> 00:20:34.539 speaking of a Simon, high priest, who had brought victory for Israel, 213 00:20:37.250 --> 00:20:41.529 and he entered into it as a tower the three and twenty day of the 214 00:20:41.609 --> 00:20:47.250 second month of the hundred and seventy if and first year, with Thanksgiving and 215 00:20:47.410 --> 00:20:52.000 branches of palm trees and with Harps and symbols and vials and hymns and songs, 216 00:20:52.079 --> 00:20:57.720 because there was destroyed a great enemy out of Israel, music and song 217 00:20:59.160 --> 00:21:03.869 and palm branches, because here comes Simon. In this case he has done 218 00:21:03.950 --> 00:21:14.470 this great thing. The Israel Light eminem enemy has been destroyed. In Washington 219 00:21:14.509 --> 00:21:21.579 DC there is a series of statues called the statues of liberators, people from 220 00:21:21.619 --> 00:21:29.579 various Western countries who had liberated countries from colonial rule. This is how they 221 00:21:29.619 --> 00:21:34.529 were thinking of Jesus. He was going to save them, save them in 222 00:21:34.730 --> 00:21:51.480 re astore of the Nation of Israel. And yet it's not exactly what Zacchara 223 00:21:51.599 --> 00:21:56.599 and nine says, though there are promises to restore Israel, there are promises 224 00:21:56.680 --> 00:22:03.150 to restore Jerusalem, these promises come in a much larger context. Remember what 225 00:22:03.230 --> 00:22:07.109 Zacchara and nine says. It says the battle boat shall be broken off and 226 00:22:07.150 --> 00:22:14.710 he shall speak peace to the nations. His will shall be from sea to 227 00:22:14.869 --> 00:22:19.380 sea and from river to the ends of the Earth. Notice also that this 228 00:22:19.579 --> 00:22:30.730 one who comes riding on a donkey. He comes peace. He comes not 229 00:22:32.130 --> 00:22:41.250 on a war horse, but on this slow and sturdy animal. They, 230 00:22:41.849 --> 00:22:48.640 these crowds, were doing what the world is so often tempted to do when 231 00:22:48.680 --> 00:22:56.759 it finally begins to start to understand who Jesus is. They coopt him, 232 00:22:57.829 --> 00:23:07.190 we coopt him to serve temporal, immediate purposes, forgetting that he comes to 233 00:23:07.349 --> 00:23:14.900 establish a kingdom that is much grander, much more glorious and much bigger than 234 00:23:15.099 --> 00:23:22.980 anyone is imagining. When Jesus does come in victory on the last day, 235 00:23:23.660 --> 00:23:33.450 it's not going to be large. I laughing because you know it's not going 236 00:23:33.529 --> 00:23:37.329 to be. It's going to be much larger than this. When the mighty 237 00:23:37.569 --> 00:23:44.680 host of Heaven swoops down into the earth to gather up the elect to bring 238 00:23:44.839 --> 00:23:52.359 the resurrection of the dead, millions and millions of innumerable people are they're caught 239 00:23:52.400 --> 00:24:00.630 up with the Lord singing his praises, with all of the angels and all 240 00:24:00.789 --> 00:24:07.630 of these voices, this scene here won't seem quite so large. The expectations 241 00:24:07.910 --> 00:24:15.420 to finally get rid of the Romans will seem like a nothing when Jesus establish 242 00:24:15.539 --> 00:24:23.220 his rule in his kingdom forever in ways that are so beautiful. The that 243 00:24:23.369 --> 00:24:30.609 John in revelation, when he receives these vintages, he seems to struggle in 244 00:24:30.690 --> 00:24:34.890 a way to express them. I saw a temple and it looked like this, 245 00:24:36.690 --> 00:24:41.119 and then you read it and you go, Huh, what did it 246 00:24:41.240 --> 00:24:48.519 look like? So beautiful, so amazing that his descriptions a tantalize us in 247 00:24:48.599 --> 00:24:56.269 a way. They make us want more, they give us hope to understand 248 00:24:56.470 --> 00:25:03.990 the great power of this king and he is, this Jesus, but we're 249 00:25:04.029 --> 00:25:12.900 not quite there yet, and so there is a kind of mixture of meanings 250 00:25:14.180 --> 00:25:19.819 going on here. Is Jesus, the Great Messiah that had long been promised? 251 00:25:21.180 --> 00:25:25.410 Is he the king of Israel that everybody was hoping for, the promised 252 00:25:25.410 --> 00:25:33.970 King and Zachari Andine? Yes. Is Jesus coming in ascending to his royal 253 00:25:33.210 --> 00:25:40.799 throne? Yes. Is that symbolized in this procession and on this donkey? 254 00:25:40.839 --> 00:25:48.359 Yes. Are the words of the crowd proper and right? Are they true? 255 00:25:48.480 --> 00:25:53.269 And what they say save US blessed? Are you king of Israel? 256 00:25:53.309 --> 00:26:00.190 Yes, yes, yes, but is the understanding of those who save them, 257 00:26:00.750 --> 00:26:03.819 of those who are participating? Is that in the right place? No, 258 00:26:07.779 --> 00:26:11.140 and we can't really blame them, because we suffer from this every day. 259 00:26:12.299 --> 00:26:15.420 We know who Jesus is. We Love Jesus, we are, we 260 00:26:15.579 --> 00:26:19.009 worship him, we anticipate him, we hope for him, but do we 261 00:26:19.250 --> 00:26:26.569 fully understand who he is? Do we fully take into ourselves all the comfort 262 00:26:26.650 --> 00:26:30.410 that he has to offer, all the strength that he gives us? Do 263 00:26:30.529 --> 00:26:34.480 we rely on him in every moment of our lives? No, we don't. 264 00:26:37.440 --> 00:26:44.480 Our understanding is partial, it's failed, it's mixed. But the good 265 00:26:44.599 --> 00:26:51.509 news is is that the Lord's arrival and the Lord's success does not depend on 266 00:26:51.869 --> 00:27:00.109 our abilities, but on his. His success is not going to depend on 267 00:27:00.349 --> 00:27:08.220 these crowds and their praises. It might seem that way, because very soon 268 00:27:08.980 --> 00:27:15.210 this Lord who enters in this great victory parade, will find himself, will 269 00:27:15.210 --> 00:27:22.410 give himself over to death on across these leaders who want to arrest him, 270 00:27:22.450 --> 00:27:26.930 will arrest him. Judas, who wants to betray him, will betray him 271 00:27:26.970 --> 00:27:36.720 and he will die and God will turn away his faith from him and he 272 00:27:36.880 --> 00:27:45.150 will suffer with suffering that none of us can even begin to imagine. But 273 00:27:45.430 --> 00:27:52.670 none of it is dependent on these crowds. God is using them, even 274 00:27:52.710 --> 00:28:00.819 in their sinfulness, for his own glory, to make manifest his promises, 275 00:28:00.859 --> 00:28:04.900 to show how steadfast he is, to show how truly is, so that 276 00:28:06.099 --> 00:28:11.140 our faith in him might be confirmed even more so that we can cry out 277 00:28:11.299 --> 00:28:25.690 Hosanna, save us. Perhaps the crowds had forgotten the other words that are 278 00:28:25.730 --> 00:28:33.200 proclaimed in psalm eighteen or one hundred and eighteen, that this, this one 279 00:28:33.240 --> 00:28:38.200 who comes, is also the stone who would be rejected. They do forget 280 00:28:38.279 --> 00:28:44.509 this. The disciples themselves forget it. They flee in terror, wondering what 281 00:28:44.589 --> 00:28:51.470 will happen to them for being associated with him, even Peter, who proclaims 282 00:28:51.509 --> 00:28:56.980 that he would be with him to the very end. Nevertheless, nevertheless, 283 00:28:57.099 --> 00:29:04.059 listen to what God will do. The stone that the builders rejected will become 284 00:29:04.700 --> 00:29:12.130 the cornerstone, the cornerstone what man sets aside and says, no, we 285 00:29:12.210 --> 00:29:15.089 don't need this, no, it doesn't measure up, no, it's not 286 00:29:15.210 --> 00:29:19.970 part of our plans. God will take and used to establish as the foundation 287 00:29:21.369 --> 00:29:26.880 for his whole city, his whole temple, his whole people. This one 288 00:29:27.119 --> 00:29:30.759 that they seek to put to death will become the life of us all. 289 00:29:34.160 --> 00:29:38.630 And, as Verse Twenty Three says, in Psalm Eighteen, this is the 290 00:29:38.829 --> 00:29:47.390 Lord's doing. It is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that 291 00:29:47.509 --> 00:29:57.779 the Lord is made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. The 292 00:30:00.619 --> 00:30:07.170 Lord is good. The Lord is said fast. The events of the world 293 00:30:07.569 --> 00:30:11.450 and of our lives. They're up and down, they're all over the place, 294 00:30:12.210 --> 00:30:19.609 they hurt, they're happy there. It's hard, it's good, but 295 00:30:19.890 --> 00:30:26.640 God is firm, God is strong and God is steadfast, and is Jesus 296 00:30:26.799 --> 00:30:33.079 goes on this parade to the grave. It is for our good and he 297 00:30:33.279 --> 00:30:40.109 will take his place on a throne, but it is that throne is the 298 00:30:40.230 --> 00:30:47.190 cross. It is he is exalted he is lifted up, but he does 299 00:30:47.309 --> 00:30:53.539 so for our salvation. It's not an accident that this great victory parade is 300 00:30:53.619 --> 00:31:00.180 surrounded by these two events. First of Jesus's victory over death in Ras Lazarus 301 00:31:02.019 --> 00:31:10.009 and his victory over Satan, this one who has for so long terrorized us 302 00:31:10.769 --> 00:31:15.890 with the fear of death. As we go on, and will consider this 303 00:31:15.049 --> 00:31:22.519 passage next time, in John, Chapter Twelve we read. We read this. 304 00:31:26.920 --> 00:31:29.279 Now my soul is troubled. And what shall I say? Father, 305 00:31:29.480 --> 00:31:33.230 save me from this hour, but for this purpose. I have come to 306 00:31:33.390 --> 00:31:37.069 this hour. Father, glorify your name. Then a voice came from heaven. 307 00:31:37.150 --> 00:31:41.430 I have glorified it and I will glorify it again. The crowd that 308 00:31:41.589 --> 00:31:47.460 stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said an angel 309 00:31:47.539 --> 00:31:52.380 has spoken to him. Jesus answered, this voice has come for your Sake, 310 00:31:52.539 --> 00:31:56.180 not mine. Now is the judgment of the world. Now will the 311 00:31:56.259 --> 00:32:02.049 ruler of this world be cast out. Put Your faith in Jesus Christ, 312 00:32:04.210 --> 00:32:07.890 in his victory, in his exaltation. He goes to the cross, not 313 00:32:08.049 --> 00:32:15.410 as some poor soul who got caught up in some bad political mess. He 314 00:32:15.609 --> 00:32:21.640 goes to the Cross on his own authority to conquer death, to conquer Satan 315 00:32:21.960 --> 00:32:27.440 and to set us all free. This he does so cry out Hosanna, 316 00:32:28.319 --> 00:32:31.589 cry out save us and say bless. It is the name of the Lord, 317 00:32:32.829 --> 00:32:35.470 the one who comes in him. Let's pray