The Triumphal Entry – John 12:12-19

John 12:12-13
12 The next day, when the large crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to
Jerusalem, 13 they took palm branches and went out to meet Him. They kept shouting: “Hosanna! He
who comes in the name of the Lord is the blessed One—the King of Israel!

Need to Know
● This is not the only account to include the story of Jesus entering into Jerusalem.
○ Matthew 21, Mark 11, and Luke 19 all tell the same story with minor different details.
● There was a crowd present because the Passover feast was beginning.
○ John 12:1 – Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus was, the
one Jesus had raised from the dead.
● “Hosanna” means, “Pray, save us!”
○ The people are reciting from Psalm 118:25-26 – 25 Lord, save us! Lord, please grant us
success! 26 He who comes in the name of the Lord is blessed. From the house of the
Lord we bless you.
● “The palm branch represented goodness and victory and was symbolic of the final victory He
would soon fulfill over death.”
○ Paul talks about this victory in 1st Corinthians 15 – “Death, where is your victory?…”
● “Those present” were correct that Jesus was/is the King…just not the one they were wanting.
○ He entered the city riding on a donkey, and was celebrated. Some of the same people
would be crying out different words in just a few days.

“Hosanna” and The Palm Branches

● “Hosanna” means, “Pray, save us!”
○ The idea seems to have been a request for salvation, perhaps salvation from their enemies
by the hand of the Messiah; an expression of honor.
● Palm branches were/are a Jewish national symbol.
○ The people hailed Jesus as “the Davidic king”. The palm branches signified victory AND
peace. (The peace that would come after victory.)
● “At His birth, the angels announced “peace on earth” (Luke 2), but in His ministry Jesus
announced “war on earth” (Luke 12). It is significant that the crowds shouted “peace in heaven”
(Luke 19), because that is the only place where there is peace today.” – W. Wiersbe

The Donkey

● John 12:14-15 – 14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written: 15 “Fear no
more, Daughter Zion. Look, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt.”
○ This comes from Zechariah 9:9 – 9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O
daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having
salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.

The People

● “There were three different groups in the crowd that day: (1) the Passover visitors from outside
Judea; (2) the local people who had witnessed the raising of Lazarus; and (3) the religious
leaders who were greatly concerned about what Jesus might do at the feast.” – W. Wiersbe
● The witnesses to Lazarus being raised were telling the story:
○ John 12:17 – Meanwhile, the crowd, which had been with Him when He called
Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify. 18 This
is also why the crowd met Him, because they heard He had done this sign.
● What were they hoping to see? Another miracle?
○ Do we get stuck in that loop of only praising Jesus only when good/great
things happen?
● Where were these people when Jesus was being tortured? When He was being
nailed to a cross?
● Where were they when His lifeless body was taken down and hastily buried?
● The Disciples would have been part of Group 1 and Group 2 (visitors and witnesses to
Lazarus):
○ John 12:16 His disciples did not understand these things at first. However, when
Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about
Him and that they had done these things to Him.
■ “[The disciples] are clouded by a traditional Jewish interpretation that this
Promised One will be a political or military leader. Like most in the crowd,
the disciples probably see this adoring response as further proof that Jesus
will overthrow the Roman oppressors and restore Israel to independence.”

The Pharisees

● The Pharisees were angry because they saw the reaction of the crowds towards Jesus.
○ John 12:19 Then the Pharisees said to one another, “You see? You’ve accomplished
nothing. Look—the world has gone after Him!”
■ The Pharisees were scared of losing their power (even if the power they held was
governed by the Romans.)
○ “How little they really understood the mind and heart of the Master! The Lamb of God
had to give His life when the Passover lambs were being slain.” – W. Wiersbe

“Missing the Mark”

● So many different groups missed the mark in understanding who Jesus was/is and what He was
going to Jerusalem to do.
● Jesus’ followers were still unsure.
○ (If you read the next few chapters, their level of understanding doesn’t improve
dramatically.)
● The people who believed the story of Him raising Lazarus were hoping for another
miracle and possibly to see Jesus standing against the Romans, militarily.
● The religious leaders were jealous and scared of Him (a dangerous combination) and had
already plotted to kill Jesus. They were worried about losing what little status and
authority they had!

Who did the people think Jesus was?
Who did they want Him to be?

Do we ever “miss the mark” with understanding Jesus’ words or actions?
(We even have the benefit of hindsight and the word of God!)

Jesus entered Jerusalem and the people were celebrating Him and cheering because they
thought He was going to be who and what they thought they needed (wanted).

Instead Jesus was exactly who and what they REALLY needed: the Son,
the Willing Sacrifice, their Savior!