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TODAY'S TEACHING
Today we celebrate our King, Who stepped out of heaven & fulfilled the century-old scriptures to become the Suffering Servant. Discover the drama of Palm Sunday, where celebration, conflict, and prophecy collide, as Jesus rides into Jerusalem just days before being crucified.
Palm Sunday comes on the heals of a most amazing event, when Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead, after being in the tomb for 4 days! Because of that event, many Jews believed in Jesus, but some went and told the religious leaders who met and decided to kill Jesus the next time they saw Him (Jn 11:45-53). Jesus left that area for a while, but a few weeks later…
Bethany was only 2 miles away from Jerusalem, just over the Mount of Olives.
In the previous chapter (John 11), we see Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead after he had been in the tomb for 4 days! But that dead man didn’t stay dead! Jesus called to him and Lazarus arose - a vivid picture of what it will look like in the future, according to what Jesus taught.
What Jesus did for Lazarus couldn’t be denied. Lazarus’ life was a living testimony to the power and authority of Jesus. People were lining up to see Jesus & Lazarus. But the chief priests - family members of the high priest, Caiaphas - decided to kill both Jesus and Lazarus. With all this heat, would Jesus show up to the Passover celebration (Jn 11:56)?
Like a victorious king returning from battle in their day, the people went out to meet Jesus and usher Him back into the city.
Palm branches had long been a symbol of freedom for the Jewish people.
- Almost 200 years before (165 B.C.) when Judas Maccabees and the Jews ran Antiochus Epiphanes IV out of the temple and rededicated it, palms branches were used in the celebration (1 Macc. 13:51; 2 Macc. 10:7) - an annual celebration known as Hanukkah. So, palm branches had both a religious and political symbology of freedom from oppressors.
- “Hosanna” is a Aramaic term meaning “save us”, followed by the phrase, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” - and they specifically recognized Jesus as the long awaited Messiah - “the King of Israel”.
Palm branches were later stamped on the coins minted by the Jewish rebels during both major wars with Rome.
The people were quoting (Jn 12:13) from a well known phrase of praise to God, the Hallel (praise) song from Ps. 118.
Jesus had done something very strange & very intentional.
- While a donkey was not considered an animal to carry royalty in Jesus' day, before & during King David's reign, it was considered a royal animal worthy to be ridden by a king.
- In Jesus’ day, the donkey was seen as a servant, a burden-bearer carrying much weight for others - What a picture of the ONE who would carry our burdens!
- Kent Hughes: "He chose the donkey because it beautifully portrayed both his position as King and his character as servant."
- Further, this is a fulfillment of Zech. 9:9 [written over 500 years before Jesus saddles this donkey].
Jesus is more than a conquering king; He is the burden-bearer giving His life as a ransom for many, just days from this event.
People were excited about what Jesus HAD done just outside of Jerusalem and were expecting Him to do something even more amazing in Jerusalem! They were expecting for Him to be crowned king, and He would be crowned in Jerusalem, but not as king.
The disciples of Jesus didn’t have all this figured out. It wasn’t until after Jesus was resurrected and he explained these things to him to them that they fully understood the significance of what they had seen that day.
Those who had seen Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead continued to testify, knowing it could cost them dearly. Yet even in the midst of persecution, they wouldn’t stay quiet about what Jesus had done! What a great example for us!
The world has gone after him? John gives us a quick glimpse of this reality in verse 20.
Like Cornelius and the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts, these Greeks were God-fearing Gentiles who had not yet become full converts to the Jewish faith, but they want to see Jesus for themselves. Could it be that these Greeks are the first of the “other sheep” Jesus had mentioned in John 10:16, the first of many Gentiles who are going to seek out and follow Jesus?
Jesus will ultimately task His Jewish followers take the message, not just to Jews, but to the world (Mt 28:19-20).
Many times before, John’s Gospel notes that Jesus hour had not yet come (John 2:4, 7:3, 8:20). But now…The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified - Jesus is about to accomplish the mission He has come for. Jesus didn’t ride in as Conquering King, but as a Suffering Servant - who was about to DIE for others. That DEATH would produce much fruit - bringing LIFE to millions more like Lazarus, people who are forever changed - born again servants who pour out their lives to bless Jesus and point others to Him!
FEET2FAITH
The Final Days of Jesus
Welcome to Holy Week. In this course, each day will include a video, Scripture reading, and reflection leading up to Easter Sunday. A concluding section will recap the week and give the learner time to consider other applications of Christ’s death and resurrection.
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These open-ended questions are designed to help you LIVE what you LEARN with your Family, Friends, or Small Group.
📖 Understanding the Text
- What made the resurrection of Lazarus such a pivotal moment in the story of Jesus’ final days?
- (Consider both the crowd’s reaction and the response of the religious leaders.)
- Why did the people wave palm branches and shout "Hosanna"? What were they expecting from Jesus?
- What does Jesus riding a donkey instead of a warhorse tell us about the kind of King He is?
- WHY did Jesus show up in a place where he knew the religious leaders wanted him dead?
🔎 Digging Deeper into Scripture
- What do the “wanted posters” for Jesus and Lazarus (John 11:57 & 12:10) reveal about how threatening their presence was to the religious leaders?
- Why do you think the disciples didn’t understand what was happening until after Jesus was glorified (John 12:16)?
- What does that teach us about recognizing God’s plan in real time?
- How does the fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9 enrich your understanding of Palm Sunday? Why is fulfillment of prophecies like this important to the Christian faith?
- What does Jesus mean when He says, "Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies..." in John 12:24? How does this connect to the cross—and to your life today?
🌍 Kingdom Impact
- What might it look like for our church to embody the image of Jesus: a King who is both mighty and humble, triumphant and sacrificial?
- Lazarus’ life was living proof of Jesus’ power—how is your life a living testimony to what Jesus has done in you?
- What specific cultural pressures today tempt Christians to stay silent, and how can we courageously speak the truth in love like those who testified about Lazarus?
