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John 12:12-23
Hosannas and High Expectations
Rev. Charles R. Biggs
Expectations. How many times have your
expectations of others gotten you into big trouble and
disappointment?! You had high expectations of another, yet when that
person did not live up to your expectations you grumbled, felt anger, were
discouraged, and decided that you would think twice about expecting
anything from someone again. We all become disillusioned (and
oftentimes demanding!) when we have expectations of others and they do not
come through.
This is even true of our expectations of God.
Sometimes, in God's mysterious providence, he does what he knows to be best
for us, yet we do not understand as weak and fallen sinners. We have
expectations that we think God should live up to, but we have yet to begin
to understand that God's ways are so much higher than our ways!
Remember, as the Apostle Paul teaches, that "No eye has seen, nor ear
heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared
for those who love him." We should be cautious of placing high
expectations on others, but when it comes to God, I think we need to be
reminded that our so-called "high expectations" are not high
enough! Today, we shall look at the high expectations of the crowd when
Jesus rode on a donkey into Jerusalem in John
12:12-23.
John 12:12-23: The
next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was
coming to Jerusalem. 13
So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying
out, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the
name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!"
14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is
written, 15 "Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!" 16 His
disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was
glorified, then they remembered that these things
had been written about him and had been done to him. 17 The
crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and
raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18 The
reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this
sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, "You see
that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him." 20
Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks.
21 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and
asked him, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." 22 Philip went
and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 And
Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be
glorified.
Jesus had healed Lazarus. Jesus had truly given
back life to a man who had been defeated by death. He had called him
forth with the power of a divine command, "Lazarus, Come forth!"
and Lazarus came forth alive. Many in the crowd placed their
hopes in this life-giver. They had high expectations for what this
one could do for the people! The crowd who had witnessed and heard
about Lazarus thought this must be Messiah. This Jesus must be the
one we have been awaiting, the One to deliver us from Roman rule and
oppression! The crowd had very high expectations of Jesus.
So, when the crowd heard Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they
went to meet him, proclaiming "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the
name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!" (12:18). If Jesus could raise
the dead, heal the sick and give sight to the blind, he must be the long
expected Messiah who could deliver the people. And what a wonderful
time to do it! It was Passover, and many people had come from miles
around for the yearly sacrifice offering for the sins of the people! The people had high expectations of
Jesus, so they paved his way with palm branches, singing Psalm 118 to him
as he rode on the humble colt of a donkey.
Despite the crowd's expectations however, Jesus was
riding the colt of a donkey into Jerusalem so that he might lay down
his life for his people, and die as the final Passover sacrifice that
year. Even though Jesus had given life to Lazarus, he was now going
to offer up himself, to be raised up in a death on a cross. Jesus had
come to lay down his life for the sins of his people. Jesus loved his
people so much that he was willing to die for sins in Jerusalem, to
ride a humble donkey into Zion, so
that he might overthrow the great spiritual powers of this world in his
being lifted up. Jesus had come to deliver men from bondage to sin
rather than those in bondage to Rome.
Although Jesus was going to his death, he described what
he was about to do in his laying down his life as the "hour for the
Son of Man to be glorified" (12:23).
God-fearing Greeks (in contrast to the Pharisees who are plotting to take
his life, 11:45-57) had come to Jesus, revealing to all that the time had
now come for all of the world to be drawn to the Son of Man by faith.
When the people in the crowd sang
"Hosanna!" to the Lord as he rode, and declared him their King,
they did not know fully at that time that they were celebrating the True
King who was going to be lifted up and crucified in order that he might be
glorified in his resurrection and ascension. Jesus would take
the throne and receive the glory that belonged to him since the foundation
of the world (John 17:3) and he would draw both Jews and Gentiles unto
himself. When the Holy Spirit came after Jesus had been
glorified, so many things in Jesus' ministry were better understood, as
Jesus said that they would be (John 16:12- "Many things I have
yet to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.").
One of the things that is
better understood by us today is that the expectations of the crowd were
not too high, but too low. This was indeed the Messiah, the King who
would reign over heaven and earth and draw all nations to himself.
However, this was the King who loved his people so much as to lay down his
life for his servants who did not deserve it. Jesus considered his
people worth laying down his life for. Although faced with anxiety
and a great deal of anguish knowing he was to face the terrible wrath of
God on behalf of sinners, Jesus said "Not my will, but yours be
done."
The expectations of the crowd thought he was a mere
political messiah who would deliver them from earthly threats, but Jesus
exceeded all expectations! He destroyed the power of death, hell, and
the devil so that those who believe upon the Son of Man may be saved,
reconciled to God, become a New Creation, and one day inherit the earth,
and reign with Jesus the Almighty King! Many of those in the crowd
who yelled "Hosanna!" that day as Jesus rode into Jerusalem would
later become disillusioned and demand he be put to death. In
fact, some of the same people would yell "Crucify Him!"
in a matter of days, because Jesus did not live up to their mere
earthly expectations and hopes.
The crowd's expectations were not high enough. In
fact, they were quite low! Through Jesus' death, he was highly
exalted above all rule, power and dominion, and every name that can be
named not only in this present age, but also in the age to come (Eph.
1:20-23). We can truly say as Christians: "Hosanna! Blessed is
He who comes in the name of the LORD!" because of what Jesus has done
for those he loves through his death! With extremely high
expectations we can live by His Spirit knowing that He will indeed return
for us, but this time on a great white charger (Rev. 19:11-16).
ESV Revelation
19:11-16: Then I
saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is
called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12
His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems,
and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He
is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is
The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine
linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From
his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He
will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16
On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and
Lord of lords.
Christ's name is "Faithful and True" and he
will deliver us completely from sin, death, the devil, and the miseries of
this present age. When he returns we shall not escort him into Jerusalem, but
he will call us to be with him (1 Thess. 4:16, 17), and he will
escort us into the New Jerusalem! God's ways are truly higher than
our ways. We should never be demanding of our Gracious God, but
should always allow Him to fulfill our expectations in a way that will
glorify Him and be for our good!
So, are your expectations too high? Or perhaps,
they are too low! With God all things are possible! Believe.
CRB
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