John 12:9-19 Your King Is Coming

“Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt”

“A dinner was given in Jesus' honor.” (2) In the town of Bethany near Jerusalem, a group of grateful people got together to honor Jesus who raised Lazarus from the dead. Among them Mary honored him the best by offering to anoint his feet with expensive perfume and to dry them with her hair. Jesus could not have asked for a better way to honor him. Since, what could anyone give in exchange for the salvation of one’s soul! What price would you give for the safekeeping and deliverance of your soul! Of all the acquired possessions we have in this world, be they big or small, significant or insignificant, we really have only one great possession that is neither acquired nor can be given away. The soul. And in the end, the greatest and most significant of possession to offer is our life and soul. Jesus was ready to offer his life for the deliverance of our soul. On the other hand, Mary may or may not have understood this, that Jesus was about to pay with his own blood for the salvation of her soul. But she understood that there is nothing more precious that she could offer Jesus in return for his grace than her very life and soul. And in his honor, she gave him the only thing that truly belonged to her. Her life! Her soul! Expressed in a little bottle of perfume which sadly in a world dictated by material possessions symbolized her worth. We really don’t own anything in this world, even if we have everything, we truly have nothing but our lives and souls to hoard or to give. And Mary chose to give the only thing she truly had possession of in the world, her life and her soul. So while everyone was honoring Jesus with a meal, Mary chose to honor him with her life. What shall I give in honor of Jesus who gave his life to honor me and my soul— I wonder!

It is said that when the Magi came from far off lands to honor the new born Jesus, they presented him with three gifts. It is said that each of these gifts was meant to honor Jesus in regards to who Jesus truly was. They presented him then with gifts befitting a Priest and a Prophet and a King. It seems that Mary not only honored Jesus for who he is as the High Priest of God and God’s Prophet as well, but Mary also honored Jesus as the King— the King of kings. And of all the spiritual lessons we can gather and hope to understand in this and other Biblical lessons, there is nothing as difficult as this one— that Jesus is not only the Savior Priest or Prophet to whom we owe our lives and souls, but that Jesus is also the Savior King to whom we owe our praise; Our submission; Our undivided devotion; Our allegiance! Why? Mainly because we as a people are the unfortunate product of advanced cultures and democratic societies that have long abolished kings and kingdoms all in the cause of and in the name of liberty and freedom. In the process of acquiring our much cherished freedom, we as a people, even as Christians have lost our awe of the Sovereignty of our God and King Jesus. In this passage, therefore, we must turn our hearts once again to both king and kingdom that we might learn how to honor our God and King Jesus and offer Him the due allegiances of our hearts and souls.

Look at verse 1. This was the last week of Jesus’ life on earth. We call it the Passion week. Some Christian cultures celebrate this week by excessive weeping and in lamentations, in fasting and in groveling prayers. Some even go as far as self-mutilations in the manner of the Shiite Moslems who inflict suffering and pain on their bodies to draw blood— all in a show of devotion and humility for their honored prophets. But painful as this last week may have been for the Lord Jesus, there was nothing sad or lamentable about it. Rather it was a victorious week— the most triumphant of days in all of history. It was during this week that Jesus his battle with death and with the enemy Satan, and won the greatest victory of all time. In this week Jesus did what no man was ever able to do for us. He broke the chains of sin and death which bound us to death and to the grave, as well as to the pit of hell which awaited every sinner from the beginning of time until this very day. It was this final week in which Jesus liberated us from sin and brought salvation to those who humbly submit to God’s plan of salvation. His suffering that week was too painful for anyone to bear, even for us who love him. But in reality it was his very suffering to death and to resurrection which brought us victory. It was this glorious triumph of King Jesus that forever labeled his entry to Jerusalem the city of his suffering as “the triumphal entry.”

Read verses 12,13. “The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna!’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Blessed is the King of Israel!’” It was a glorious reception for the Good Shepherd and the rightful King of mankind. His people went out to greet him shouting “Hosanna “ meaning “save” meaning “save us!” All kings in history entered their city in glory and majesty befitting their position as king. Awesome in appearance! Striking awe in people’s hearts. But of all kings, Jesus the King was different from all the kings of the earth. Read verse 14. “Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written...” It is so unusual for a king to do this. To what end did Jesus do such an unusual thing?

First, Jesus did so in obedience to the will of God. It was the fulfillment of the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9: “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Jesus looked for these very words to guide his way in life and now in death as well. Jesus the Son of God followed the word of God in life and in death. He cherished it and obeyed it, trusting it to guide his life according to the will of God. Jesus wonderfully guides us how to live our own blessed lives, in obedience to the word of God. Who can show us the way of life and in death? Who is qualified to give the children of God direction or guidance in a world of many pitfalls? Jesus shows us the way of obedience to the word of God. It was not easy for Jesus to obey such direction. To follow the word of God, Jesus had to painfully disappoint the expectations of his disciples. They had their own expectations in following Jesus. They aspired to many things, even erroneous and foolish things. In his grace Jesus disappointed them. In his mercy Jesus did not satisfy the sinful aspirations of his disciples. He is the Good Shepherd. God shepherds do not live in the eyes of others, not even in the eyes of those whom they love. Good shepherds live for the glory of God, in obedience to the word of God, even if it disappoints others, even at the cost of losing all things. So did Jesus enter Jerusalem in God’s way and not in man’s way.

Yet it wasn’t easy for Jesus to do so. Temptations are too powerful to subdue. We understand that well. Satan whispers: “When you are well established first; When your future is secure first; When you have enough money first; Then you would have the foundation, the power and the means to do all the work of God that your hearts desires. Its reasonable. Don’t listen to the voice of faith, now is the time for reason” So many people, Christians, have confused temptation with the voice of Godly wisdom. And with this, they grab every opportunity for success and for glory in this world— all at the cost of God’s will, at the cost of their very faith, and often at the cost of their own souls. We must know that most invitations to share in what this world offers us are not God’s blessings nor God’s will, but the devil’s deceptions to trap those who are called by God to live the life of faith and mission. Be on your guard against the devil’s ploy.

Jesus humbly decided to submit his will to the will of God and entered Jerusalem on a donkey. His entry looked powerless, almost useless; but Jesus believed that it was the road to salvation and the road to glory. When Jesus humbled himself and obeyed the will of God, he was able to finish the work of salvation which God had given him. When we are struggling to obey or not to obey the difficult will of God in our lives, it is good to remember these timeless words in the Bible: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (1.Pet.5:5b) It is the humble heart which usually enters into God’s will with triumph, while the proud heart goes on to defeat.

Second, the True character of the King and his Kingship. A king should also be a shepherd, otherwise he is not a king at all but an imposter. A king is the protector and the servant of his people. But no king in history has been able to accomplish the duty of a king in this manner. Because of selfish ambition and hunger for power, kings have devastated their people and ruled them in cruelty and oppression. Today worldly rulers rather sacrifice the lives of their subjects in order to maintain their power and authority. But not Jesus. Jesus our King did not come to exercise power and authority over our lives. Our King is a righteous King who came to offer us salvation and to gently rule our hearts. Jesus The donkey’s colt describes the gentleness of this most precious King. Jesus did not come to crush and subdue. He came to heal and to restore. The rulers of men care nothing for the sufferings of the afflicted. They gather around them the strong and useful. Even in God’s churches on this earth, most church leaders gather around them the able and the strong, the impressive and the knowledgeable. To no good, since God does not work through human qualities. It is a shame that the church is no longer a haven but has become an arena of showmanship. They discard the weak and the helpless. This is not the character of Jesus kingship. It is not the Christianity Jesus came to establish and to bless.

Our King Jesus is gentle. Jesus the gentle and humble king came to heal and to restore our lives, ruined under the heavy burden of sin. Isaiah describes our King Jesus like this, “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.” (Isaiah 42:3) Indeed, how gentle is Jesus the King! Jesus the King came to touch the leper’s sores. He wiped the tears from the eyes of the blind man. He eased the sorrow of the helpless. He helped the lame man walk. Jesus our King never hurt anyone. Instead he came to be hurt for our sake. Jesus came to be flogged, beaten, and suffer great pain and anguish of body and soul. He came to die a cruel death on the cross. Why did this King do this? It was because he was the true King of mankind, who loved us enough to lay down his life for us. It was to save us from our sins that hurt us and make us a stench to God. Indeed Jesus, the gentle King, forgives repentant sinners, heals their wounds, comforts their burdens and leads them to green pastures. Therefore, Jesus alone is worthy of our praise and worship. For this reason all of heaven and earth join together to worship Jesus saying, “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” (Rev.5:12) Indeed, the Bible tells all the people of the world to give their hearts to Jesus in worship while they are living, while they have a chance, for the time will come when men will have to face this King and be judged by him. For God has ordained that “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Amen. (Phil.2:10,11)

Third, the character of Jesus kingdom, the kingdom of God. Jesus rules the subjects of his kingdom with love and peace. Just like the kings of the world, the kingdoms of the world offer no peace nor shelter to man. In fact, the kingdoms of the world are marked by godlessness and wickedness. (Rom.1:18) There are wars, and bloodshed, hatred and strife. It is because in the kingdoms of the world, the devil rules with through the power of sin. He rules the hearts of men by inflicting guilt and shame and fear which rob man of their consciences and demoralizes and dehumanizes them. How terrifying it is to live under the banner of the kingdoms of the world, a world full of injustices and agonizing trials and troubles. What kingdom or country in this world can offer us security and peace of heart? There are none! Even the great American Empire cannot provide these basic necessities to the subjects. Because of this, our nation suffers grave injustices. Even though millions of people buy insurance policies for life and security to calm their anxieties and fears, no one is secure. No one has peace. No one is happy. Old men and women are supposed to be a rock of assurance and a treasure of wisdom. But these days they are useless because they only worry about their future. Sadly, they cannot even find peace nor shelter in their own sons and daughters. So they cry in their loneliness and abandonment. And young sons and daughters of our nation are too irresponsible and too immature to realize the insecurities that they will have to deal with in life. And when they do, they franticly search for escapes from their present realities. And their escapes are devastating.

But there is a kingdom where men and women can find peace and love. It is the kingdom of God. It is the kingdom of our Lord Jesus. How beautiful is the kingdom of God! Every human being, whether they know it or not is looking for the kingdom of God. For this reason, Jesus our King, sacrificed his very life on the cross, battling with the power of death and hell and rose from the dead to open the doors to the kingdom of God for all his children. And this kingdom is the kingdom where all of man’s glorious dreams and aspirations, hopes and holy desires find fulfillment. Where God reigns, he reigns in righteousness, that is in perfect justice, in love and in peace. Therefore, the kingdom of God has been open to every soul since the resurrection of our Lord Jesus from dead. The kingdom of God has been accessible to every heart that puts faith in Jesus and submits to him as the king of their lives. And this kingdom is not only the distant dwelling place of the blessed in the Lord. Jesus promised to plant this kingdom in the heart of all who believe, even now. From the beginning of his ministry Jesus declared, “The time has come...The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15) Again, Jesus said, “... the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21) It is true! Where Jesus reigns, there is the kingdom of God, where God reigns in love and peace. And this has been the mark of every Christian heart. Those whose hearts belong to Jesus, have the fragrance of the kingdom of God, the fragrance of life and peace, joy and love.

Many are living in the kingdoms of the world, where darkness rules. They have the fragrance of an oppressed soul. They always complain. They are often sad and frustrated. They have no peace in their hearts. They have not tasted the love of God yet, and they are unable to love anyone. On the other hand, when the children of God begin to live in the kingdom of God, they find true peace; peace with God and peace with man. They are gentle and no longer hard hearted. They are quick to repent and to change their ways according to the word of God. As long as the seed of the kingdom of God grows in their hearts, they are happy and content. They love Jesus from their hearts. They also love the suffering people of the world and urge them to come to Jesus and receive the gift of eternal life and begin to live in the kingdom of God. How beautiful is this kingdom of God! Jesus came to this world to restore this kingdom to our hearts and lives.

Jesus’ entrance to Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt reveals the character of this kingdom so well. He does not come forcefully, but he enters gently on a donkey’s colt so that anyone may be able to approach him. He is a humble King who calls his subjects to come home to the kingdom of God their Father-- long lost because of the barrier of sin. Jesus wants to enter every heart on a donkey’s colt, so humbly, so gently. He wants every one of us to come to him in humility of heart and meet our rightful King. He is no tyrant, but a loving shepherd King whose greatest desire is to lay down his life for our dirty sins. Therefore we must not hold on to our sins and our own ways, but we must in all sincerity of heart repent of them and come to him who is able to cleanse our every sin and wash away our dirty hearts and minds with his blood poured on the cross for us. What reason do we have to remain proud and reject such a King? Where can we find such a Savior King who can love us so? Where in heaven or on earth can we find such a Righteous King who invites unworthy and unrighteous people to enter his kingdom and live eternally with him in glory? Indeed, there is none in heaven nor on earth who is like Jesus. No wonder the whole Bible glorifies and magnifies the precious Jesus. No wander God the Father cried out from heaven, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Mtt.3:17) No wonder all the hymns that have been written sing to the beauty and to the glory of our Lord Jesus.

Look at verse 16. Jesus’ disciples were a little slow to understand spiritual realities, especially the truth about Jesus’ kingship and his kingdom. They were only country boys who were excited about Jesus’ popularity. But even though they did not understand everything that Jesus taught them, still they did not reject him. Later when they believed the gospel they began to understand spiritual things very well. In this we see their greatness. They were not stubborn nor impatient. They simply accepted what he said by faith and kept it in their hearts. So God in time taught them the gospel truth clearly and deeply until they became the Bible teachers of the world. On the other hand, the religious leaders rejected Jesus as their King. When they rejected Jesus as their King, they could not ignore him anymore, they had to kill him. It is true! We cannot simply ignore Jesus. We either accept him or reject him. We are either for him or against him.

Jesus entered Jerusalem that day riding on a donkey’s colt. People shouted “hosanna.” But later when Jesus did not meet their expectations of a king, and his kingdom did not appeal to their ambitious and sinful hearts, they rejected him as their king and shouted instead, “Crucify him!” How tragic that men should reject such a King, Jesus. Still Jesus was willing to walk the way of the cross for all. And he still comes humbly and gently to many and knocks on the door of their hearts, again and again. Do we want to be our own king and live in the glamorous kingdoms of the world, and suffer the consequences of our decisions? Or are we looking for a humble and gentle Savior who comes to us, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey? Are we looking for the kingdom of God where Jesus reigns in love and peace? May God give each one of us a life decision today to newly receive Jesus as our Rightful King and to serve him in his kingdom until this kingdom consumes the heavens and the earth. God has given every person a choice in life. We must choose to come to Jesus in faith and live under his banner as our Everlasting King. May you begin to live in his kingdom even now as you receive him into your hearts.