Truth Baptist Church
John 12

      • Romans 15:7NLT

      • John 12:13–15ESV

  • All Hail The Power Of Jesus' Name
  • Holy Forever
  • You Are My King (Amazing Love)

  • The Triumphant King: A Call to Follow

    Bible Passage: John 12:12–33

    Prayer: Welcome back to the sanctuary! This is not the church. You are! Church launch, mission, glory to God!
    Week 6: Hospitality – “Reflecting the Welcome of Christ”
    Romans 15:7 “Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you.”
    Focus: We are welcoming people into the Kingdom.
    Prayer Guide:
    – Let every guest feel seen and valued.
    – Give us eyes to notice individuals.
    – Make our church warm, not rushed.
    – Help us build bridges for conversation.
    TITLE SLIDE - READ PASSAGE
    Introduction
    Jesus’ triumphal entry is usually celebrated as “Palm Sunday.” Today, a week before Palm Sunday, we look at this event (All Gospel accounts).
    This is the last week of Jesus’ earthly life. Signifies the climax of His messianic mission that culminates in His death and resurrection.
    Highlights the diverse responses to Jesus, emphasizing the importance of belief and following Him amidst opposition and misunderstanding.
    What had happened? Jesus raised Lazarus, then plot to kill Lazarus. (ch. 11) Funny! Jesus could just raise Lazarus again. In fact, He will…with us! Great promise!
    Passage foreshadows the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies regarding the Messiah, humbly riding into Jerusalem. Embodies the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 52-53), points to His greater mission of salvation for all humanity. Fulfills Zechariah’s prophecy (9:9) of the humble king victoriously riding into Jerusalem.
    SLIDE
    Main Idea: Recognizing Jesus as the Triumphant King calls us to a courageous and committed discipleship amidst a world that often misunderstands or rejects Him.

    1. Hail the Humble King

    John 12:12-19
    This moment reflects the fulfillment of Messianic prophecy and sets the stage for Jesus’ sacrifice. The coming king will bring peace for His people and for the nations.
    John 12:12-13 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 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!” 
    The next day was probably “Palm Sunday”. It was the day after Mary anointed Jesus with the very expensive oil for His burial. The feast was Passover. There was a crowd to greet Jesus, just like the one that had intended to make Jesus king in John 6:15. Now that Jesus had raised Lazarus, people hear, greet Him, and hail Him as king.
    By waving palm branches (Jewish national symbol) the people hail Jesus as the Davidic king. “Hosanna” = “Save us, we pray”! (Psalm 118:25–26). Waving palm branches symbolically meant victory over the enemy. Probably understood “King of Israel” in a political and military sense, hoping Jesus would overthrow Roman rule and lead them to independence.
    Indicates they mistakenly thought Jesus would bring national deliverance. Jesus was on a mission to bring deliverance, but not the one they wanted (or really needed!). Earthly deliverance vs. total deliverance. (TRUE FOR US!)
    John 12:14-16 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!” 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.
    Jesus’ riding into Jerusalem mounted on a donkey fulfills Old Testament scripture. Jacob blessed His sons before He died and spoke of a ruler from Judah who, riding on a donkey, will command the obedience of nations (Genesis 49:10–11). More specifically, we see this prophecy in Zechariah 9:9.
    SLIDE
    Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9)
    The people are summoned to acclaim their coming king. He is described as “righteous,” (Psalm 72). He will ensure God’s blessing, bring about their “salvation.” He is humble, (donkey = brings peace, not military horse). Jesus is revealed as the humble shepherd-king of Zechariah 9:9, who comes to the Holy City to take His rightful place.
    Passage reveals Jesus’ popularity, it would not last! The same people who hailed Him as the victorious king would call for His crucifixion within a few days.
    “Fame is a fickle friend”, Gilderoy Lockhart in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Popularity is unreliable and can vanish quickly. People will sing your praises one day and want to crucify you the next. Literally true for Jesus!
    Verse 16 is an important verse on the misunderstanding motif. Many of the things Jesus said and did were understood only after the cross and resurrection.
    Application: Consider how the crowds’ misunderstanding of Jesus’ invites us to think about our own perceptions of Jesus. Who are we seeking in Jesus? A friend? A good man? A King? Do we truly understand who Jesus is? Do we need to see Jesus not just as a King of power, but as a humble Savior of mankind.
    John 12:17-19 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. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”
    Pharisees’ reaction! The world had gone after Him (an exaggeration). It seemed they were losing their control and influence. They were!
    SLIDE

    2. Follow Jesus Through Sacrifice

    John 12:20-26
    Many people came to welcome Jesus as a king. Others did not. Another group!
    John 12:20-22 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.
    “Greeks” refers to Gentiles, not just from Greece. Most likely non-Jews who had come to Jerusalem to worship at the Jewish festival. The Gentiles heard about Jesus and wanted to see Him. They came to Philip, who told Andrew, and they told Jesus.
    QUESTION:
    That is what the church has to offer. Not programs, events, food and music. At the core, the church offers Jesus to the world. Jesus is Who people need. Jesus is Who they should seek. Q: Who has God put in your life to welcome them to Jesus?
    John 12:23-25 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
    As Jesus spoke, the way in which He will be glorified came into focus: Grain of wheat falling into the ground and dying (v. 24). The time for Jesus to sacrificially die for His people had come.
    If the grain of wheat does not die, no fruit comes. A seed must be "buried" or "die" to bear fruit. Likewise, if Jesus did not die, no one would be saved. Death of Jesus led to salvation for the world.
    Jesus shows the cost of discipleship. Whoever “loves his life” = “delights in his life in this world more than in God.” Whoever hates his life in this world = “thinks so little of his life, and so much of God, that he is willing to sacrifice it all for God.” This is the cost of discipleship. Following Christ entails self-sacrifice. The cross!!!
    SLIDE
    John 12:26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
    If we are to be a part of Jesus’ people, we must serve Him and others. We must follow Him and His example (e.g., washing feet!). Following Jesus requires us to surrender all.
    Application: As Jesus’ disciples, we need to embrace sacrifices that come with genuinely following Him. Put aside our own personal desires and comforts. Look to the cross where such love is perfected!

    3. Submit to God’s Sovereign Will

    John 12:27-33
    Jesus reveals His total submission to the Father’s will. He explained He would not seek the Father’s deliverance from death. His very purpose was to die so others could be saved.
    John 12:27-29 “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”
    Jesus acknowledged His troubled soul yet submits to God's will for glory. Demonstrates the depth of His mission. Did not pray for deliverance. Prayed the Father would be glorified. In the midst of His final days, Jesus was laser focused on His mission. Pointed to the Father and focused on God’s glory.
    QUESTION
    As we do all this work at Truth Baptist, as we prepare for an Easter celebration, the launch, and work to reach the community,
    Are we focused on the glory of God?
    Are we focused on making Jesus’ name great or making our name great?
    Are we focused on building up this church or building up the kingdom of God?
    Then the Father spoke! This is one of three instances during Jesus’ earthly ministry where the Heavenly Father spoke (also Jesus’ baptism and transfiguration). This is another example of people misunderstanding what was happening. Spiritual events of eternal consequence were occurring (the very voice of God!), people thought it was natural. Spiritual blindness.
    After God speaks, Jesus explains the purpose of God speaking.
    SLIDE
    John 12:30-33 Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.
    The cross is judgement on the world. It shows the painful seriousness and consequence of sin, the Son of God had to die for the world to be saved. Most explicit “lifted up” saying in John (also 3:14 and 8:28). Echoes the Suffering Servant prophecy in Isaiah 52:13. Reveals kind of death. In a few days, Jesus will be lifted up on a cross and die. Represents something in the Old Testament.
    Recall: Moses lifting up the bronze serpent in the wilderness. Israelites complained to God (again!) and were punished by snakes biting them. God said to make a bronze serpent that when Moses lifted it up and the people looked on it, they would be healed (Numbers 21:4-9). Bronze serpent became their only hope, their salvation from death and judgement.
    In the same way, when Jesus says He must be lifted up, He is offering hope. When He was lifted up on the cross, He was paying the debt of our sin. Jesus was offering life. The King Who left heaven’s throne to come to us, came to save us from our sin and to give us life. Look to the cross and live!
    Application: When we search for hope, search for an answer, search for relief, look to the Savior and trust in Him. Do you trust Him? Is the cross of Christ sufficient for you?
    Conclusion
    What kind of king entered Jerusalem in triumph? Not the kind of king who…
    would take from his people to enrich himself,
    use his people to protect himself,
    deploy his people to defend himself, or
    neglect his people to entertain himself.
    No, the kind of king who entered Jerusalem in triumph is the kind…
    Who made Himself poor so that His people could be rich, 
    Who put Himself between His people and the danger they face, 
    Who defended His people at the cost of His own life, and 
    Who always concerns Himself with the needs of His people.
    Passage teaches that Jesus came not just as a King to be celebrated, but as a Savior meant to be followed and worshiped. As we recognize His authority and sacrifice, we are called to respond with faith and obedience, understanding that true following may lead us through trials and sacrifices. Remember that our triumphant King served rather than demanded service.
    SLIDES
    Do you welcome the humble, triumphant King in your life? Do you acknowledge Him as the King of all kings and the Lord of all?
    Do you look up to Jesus as the only One Who gives you hope?
    Do you find peace in surrendering to God’s perfect plan, trusting in His redemptive purpose?
    Will you invite others to know Jesus as their only hope?
    To be selfish is to live for this life only. To be truly self-interested is to recognize that surrendering this life for Jesus is the best and most honorable kind of life we could possibly live. May we live for Jesus, the triumphant King and Savior of the world. Amen!
    Closing Song: Crown Him with Many Crowns

      • Zechariah 9:9ESV

  • Crown Him With Many Crowns
Truth Baptist Church
truthbaptistnc@gmail.com
8 members • 1 follower