Hello and welcome to our broadcast. We're in John chapter 12. We're going to be looking at verses 12 through 20. Have your Bible ready. Well, in our last broadcast, we were in Bethany. We were at the home of Simon the leper, and there was a supper there that was made for the Lord, and we found, of course, the Lord was there, Lazarus, Martha, Mary, and the disciples, and Judas Iscariot, of course, his first recorded words. He's all upset because Mary was anointing the feet of Jesus with some very costly ointment that could have been put, sold, and the money put in the treasury so that he could steal it. That's all he wanted. This says in verse 6, he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief and had the bag and bear what was put therein. Well, the Lord sharply rebuked him, he said in verse number 7, let her alone. And at that point, we find that Judas went out and sought the Pharisees to see how he could betray Christ for 30 pieces of silver. Well, many people were believing on the Lord because of the miracle that they saw here that had happened concerning Lazarus. And so we read in verse number 10, the chief priests consulted together that they might put Lazarus to death. Well, we pick it up today in verse number 12, and it says, On the next day, much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went forth to meet him and cried, Hosanna! Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. We read in verse 14, And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon, as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Zion. Behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt. These things understood not his disciples at the first, but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written to him, and that they had done these things unto him. The people, therefore, that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave and raised him from the dead, bear record. For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle. The Pharisees, therefore, said among themselves, Perceive ye how he prevailed nothing? Behold, the world is gone after him. And there were certain Greeks among them that came to worship at the feast. Well, let's look what we have here. First, as we look at this, it says, the next day, the day following the supper was lathered. There was a crowd. It was a Passover time, and there was major crowds that were gathered. Some say millions of people that were coming for the Passover. And they've got the Word. that Jesus is coming. Now, it was prophesied back in Daniel chapter 9, also in Zechariah 9 and 9, it was prophesied that King cometh riding on an ass. This is coming down to be fulfilled as it is written here. It says in verse number 14, everything is happening right down to the very day that the prophets hundreds of years before said it would happen. And Christ is coming in the King riding on an ass's coal. Well, it says in the next verse that they took branches of palm trees. They took branches. Why are you doing that? Well, if you check back into Leviticus 23 and verse number 40, this was a token of rejoicing at festivals and the crowd was excited. Here is our King. We've been promised all through the Old Testament. And look at verse number 13. It says, They took branches of palm trees and went forth to meet Him and cried, Hosanna! Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. Very important to understand that we're talking about the king of Israel. That's what we're talking about here So verse number 14 says and Jesus when he had found a young ass sat there on as it is written now It's important to understand that this situation here and what is happening with him coming in and in what they call the triumphal entry, is recorded in all four Gospels. And in order to get the details of it all, we need to look at those four Gospels. We're not going to do that today, but I challenge you to do that. But John just is hitting the one highlight here, and he says, as it is written, this is exactly what was going to happen. when the king of Israel came. You can read the details in Luke 19, 29-35 and see what it says there. Now in verse number 15 it says, Fear not, daughter of Zion, behold thy king cometh sitting on an ass's colt. Thy king cometh. A colt, the Bible says, never a man sat on this colt. And all the details, it's interesting if you will study the other four Gospels, And so we see here in verse number 15, the king is officially presenting himself to the nation of Israel as it was written, that the scriptures might be fulfilled. All of the details are happening here because it's going to happen as it was prophesied. Well, keep in mind that here in John 11 we've seen that the leaders want to put him to death, and here the crowd wants to make him king. Well, life is simply a bunch of choices and consequences. We have the prophecy here that's being fulfilled. Rejoice, O daughter of Zion. That would be a choice for them. They're just saying, yeah, we're rejoicing. He's coming in. to be our king, but not very long after we find them, the same crowd, rejecting him and hollering, crucify him, crucify him, we will not have this man to reign over us. Well, we read in verse number 16, these things understood not his disciples at the first, but when Jesus was glorified, they remembered, then remembered they, that these things were written of him and that they had done these things unto him. These things understood not his disciples at first." It's interesting that one of his disciples is writing this, and he is saying, we did not understand any of this at the first. They couldn't understand, I mean, Christ is coming in And he is going to be the king. And they're all laying down the palm branches and blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. And they're thinking, wow, finally, finally, they're accepting him. We've rejected him for three and a half years now. They're receiving him. But it says here in verse number 16, at the first, they didn't understand. I'm sure they didn't understand why Christ made a whip when in the temple at this point started whipping them all again like he had done at the beginning of his ministry. Why is he doing that? I mean, they're going to accept him as the king now. Why is he wrecking it all? They didn't understand it. And they probably didn't understand why Jesus was weeping. You know, we call this a triumphant entry. We would better call it the tearful entry. John chapter 19 and verse 41 tells us, He beheld the city and He wept over it. Well, they couldn't understand. couldn't understand. They're slow learners. I think we're all slow learners. He said to them on several occasions, Matthew 16 and 19, how is it that you do not understand? He said it again in Mark chapter 8 and verse number 21. In Matthew 16 he says, do ye not yet understand? Well, the disciples understood not. They're learners. They're disciples. That's what the word means. But they're slow learners. The Pharisees, they were willfully blind. They just didn't want to understand. They knew the Old Testament scriptures inside out, but they did not want to understand. It's simply a case of choices and consequences. Well, in verse number 17, the focus goes back to the people. The people, therefore, that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave and raised him from the dead bear record. For this cause, the people also met him, for they that heard that he had done this miracle. Now, keep in mind that there's thousands if not millions of Jews that have come in from other areas. They weren't there and seeing this resurrection of Lazarus from the tomb, but they certainly had heard about it. And so they heard that Jesus was coming in, and that's why they went out to meet him, it says here, and they were accepting him. as king of the Jews. Now keep in mind that the Pharisees had said anybody who receives Christ is going to be rejected out of the synagogue. Well, these people coming in from Judea and a far away for this Passover, they didn't know anything about that. They just thought, wow, this is great. They probably couldn't understand why the Pharisees were acting like they were acting. I'm sure they couldn't. But they understood it before too long because they will all be persuaded and influenced by these hypocrites who call themselves Pharisees and the religious leaders in the temple. They will be influenced by them, and you'll see this as we get further on in the story. And these same people will be hollering, crucify him, crucify him, crucify him. Well, the focus goes back in verse 19 on the Pharisees. And the Pharisees therefore said among themselves, perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? Behold, the world is gone after him. Well, we have this plan. They were getting together to figure out how to kill him. And exactly the opposite thing was happening. They said the whole world is going after him. Our plan is not working. No, whenever you decide you're going to fight against God, your plan is not going to work. But we look at verse 20 and it says some Gentiles were coming into town here. That's really interesting. It says, and there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast. The same came, therefore, to Philip, which was of Bethsaida, of Galilee, and desired of him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. Now, isn't that interesting? While the Jews are saying, no, we don't want this man to reign over us, we have some Gentiles coming on the scene, and they are saying, Sirs, we would see Jesus. That is just an excellent thing to say. Well, I'm sure that Philip and Andrew They just can't figure this out. What are we going to do with these Gentiles? We have nothing to do with these Gentile dogs. Jesus said, only go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Well, that was with the message that had to do with Jesus being the King of Israel. With the message of salvation, that was for everybody. But they hadn't understood this yet. They'll be a while understanding all of this. And we see that while these Gentiles come in, Philip and Andrew are not, what are we going to do here? So Philip, he comes to and tells Andrew, verse 22, and Andrew and Philip, they come and they tell Jesus, we got some Gentiles out here who want to accept you. Well, Jesus understood the whole picture here and exactly what this represented. The Bible is going to go in the word of God and then Christ is going to go to the Gentiles and to all the world and preach the gospel. But, as we saw back here in verse 16, the disciples at the first did not understand this. Well, in verse 23, Jesus answered them. Interesting how he answered them, saying, The hour is come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it, and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. He continued in verse 26, If any man serve me, let him follow me. And where I am, there shall also my servant be. If any man serve me, him will my father honor." Now that might seem like a strange answer to this question, what are we going to do with these Gentiles? But it's not. He says here, first of all, the disciples, you need to understand, my hour is not yet come. My hour is not yet come. He said that over and over again. But here in verse 23, Jesus answered them saying, The hour is come that the Son of Man must be glorified. And so what he does immediately is he focuses on the crucifixion. Now all the Gentiles, all the Israelites, Everybody in the world needs to have faith in the Crucified One, not faith in the King of Israel. Be they Gentiles or be they Israelites, they needed to have faith in the Crucified One. Everybody's looking at a very physical thing here. when they're looking at the king of Israel, and the Lord is saying, the hour has come, we're coming to the crucifixion now, and this is the difference between the physical situation, which has to do with the king and his kingdom, and the spiritual situation, which has to do with life eternal. And so, the Lord gives this illustration in verse 24, it says, I say unto you, accept a corn of wheat, fall into the ground, and die, it abideth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. That's what we're concerned about here. Not some kingdom and not some physical thing. Herein is my Father glorified. He said that ye bear much fruit. Much fruit. So right away the Lord puts the focus from the physical to the spiritual. And He says in verse 25, He that loveth his life shall lose it, and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. Yeah, they had their focus on the throne. That's why Jesus said to Peter, Thou savest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of man. In Mark number 8 and 33. Well, we're out of time here again already. We're going to have to pick this up again tomorrow. Be sure and tune in to our broadcast. We'll try to make it plain and we'll try to make it simple. you