12 On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “HOSANNA! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel.” 14 Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written, 15 “FEAR NOT, DAUGHTER OF ZION; BEHOLD, YOUR KING IS COMING, SEATED ON A DONKEY'S COLT."
Message: Greeting the King
Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."
What the Lord is Saying: In the first 11 verses of Chapter 12 the main idea of this text is the anointing of Jesus by Mary. She does it. Not sure what prompts her to do this and not sure if she was aware what she was doing. Hard to say. But there was a significant purpose in it, as it anticipated the burial of Jesus. Now maybe He is the only One that knew when this burial would be soon, but nevertheless it was significant.
And now in this passage is another offering of sorts or another recognition of sorts of Jesus. Passover is near or beginning and many have come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. Jesus is 2 miles away in Bethany and word of Him has spread. But in verse 12 it mentions that He is headed to Jerusalem and in anticipation of this people come bringing branches of palm trees and speak words from Psalm 118:26, "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord." The words from Psalm 118 could have referred to the Messiah, but they could have referred to anyone that was coming to Jerusalem or coming to the Temple to present an offering. Jesus will be soon presenting the ultimate offering, sacrificing Himself for the sins of mankind.
Hosanna can take on the meaning "Save us Now." And that phrase is not found in Psalm 118. So perhaps by using this word, it takes the message from Psalm and tweaks it so that it speaks of Jesus. Jesus is the one who will save them.
After this occurs, Jesus then finds a donkey. The donkey signifies Him arriving in humility. Again, He will be one who sacrifices Himself. He is not there to conquer His foes or to wage war against them. He is not coming on a war horse, but coming on a donkey. Jesus has a different foe - sin, Satan, and death. A humble animal could be ridden even of a victorious king like in I Kings 1:33.
This last phrase is a quote from Zechariah 9:9 - "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey." This verse mentions a king coming, a king that is different. And now applies to Jesus. And John points us to this here.
Summary: Jesus is intentional, being greeting in Jerusalem with palm branches and then riding on a donkey, humble with a foe of sin, Satan, and death.
Promise: We need to approach the Jesus that came and not the one we want. Let us seek to follow Jesus as He reveals Himself in the Bible.
Prayer: Thank you Jesus for revealing Yourself. And thank you for the bridge that is brought from the Old Testament words to Your coming.
Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.
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