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Many wanted to crown Jesus as King—but He came to die. Discover why the cross wasn’t a tragedy, but the only way life could multiply—and what that means for you.

There was the unbelievable event that had just occurred only a couple miles away, just on the other side of the Mount of Olives.

Bethany was only 2 miles away from Jerusalem, just over the Mount of Olives. Earlier in the same writing, 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 for all who have died, according to what Jesus taught.

What Jesus did for Lazarus couldn’t be denied. Lazarus’ very life - breathing, eating, talking - 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. 

• The people called out to Jesus: “Hosanna” - an 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”.
• What the people said comes from a well known phrase of praise to God, quoting the Hallel (praise) song from Ps. 118. 

• Jesus did what most Jews expected their Messiah to do. He worked miracles, healing all kinds of diseases.
• Causing the lame to walk. Bringing sight to the blind. Casting out demons. Multiplying meals to feed thousands.
• Jesus controlled nature (known the the apostles of Jesus). Jesus raised the dead! Jesus taught with an authority they had never heard before. 

During a previous visit to Jerusalem during the Festival of Shelters…

Later that week, “On the last and most important day of the festival…”

NO PROPHET EVER TALKED LIKE THAT! They told people to believe in Yahweh, not themselves! Yet Jesus told the people, “Come to ME. Believe in ME.” Some did believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Others did not.

Religious leaders recognized the miracles, teaching, and wisdom of Jesus when they confronted Him and asked an important question on the temple mount during winter.

Those sheep included the apostles of Jesus, and when He asked them who they thought he was, Peter responded by saying…

Right after Peter and the apostles note that THEY believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God (Mt 16:16). BUT...

Peter had a tradition that was different from the TRUTH. Despite the many Scriptural prophecies pointing to the Messiah’s suffering for & paying for the sin of others, Peter had been told and had believed that the Messiah would never die.

Jesus continued to hammer home what was soon to occur.

Later on, Jesus brings this harsh reality up AGAIN to His disciples. 

While on the Mount of Olives, just outside of Jerusalem, Jesus told His disciples about the future destruction of the city and of those who refused to follow Him.

Crucified!!?? That’s the most brutal way to DIE! Jesus is the Messiah? WHY DIE? Just claim the CROWN and take over! That’s what the Jewish people EXPECTED, what His own disciples expected. But NOT DEATH…not for the Messiah!

A grain of wheat falls to the ground and gets buried in the soil, seemingly dead. It’s gone and forgotten…

but what looks like death is actually the beginning of multiplication - and in just a little while, LIFE breaks out through the soil and produces more grains of wheat!

If it doesn’t DIE, it doesn’t MULTIPLY.

Jesus would DIE, be BURIED, and RISE AGAIN, glorified as His kingdom begins produces much fruit (like us)!

The use of the terms of “love” and “hate” is referring to what has PRIORITY in your life. What you LOVE is what has top priority in your life. What you “hate” is something that is moved down the priority list.

• If you love your life - if YOUR SELF, if YOUR DESIRES are 1st place - then…you will lose eternal life. 
• To hate your life in this world means that you have moved YOUR SELF and your DESIRES down the priority list. Jesus doesn’t want you to hate life on this side of eternity, but He demands that we follow Him. We die to our old selfish and sinful lives and enter eternal life.

Regarding our sinful & selfish lives…WHY DIE?

If it doesn’t DIE, it doesn’t MULTIPLY.

Problem is…Everyone wants FRUIT, but nobody wants the DEATH.

We want the blessing…without the burial. We want the crown…without the cross.

Just a few moments later Jesus says something that goes against their tradition, their expectation of the Messiah.

Draw all people to Himself? How in the world could crucifixion do THAT? As Jesus entered into Jerusalem that week, He knew It wouldn’t be long before His purpose for coming would be fulfilled, crucified rather than crowned. Jesus would be arrested in Gethsemane by the Jews who wanted Him dead. Jesus would stand before the Sanhedrin, and be condemned for blasphemy. He would be beaten spit on, and ridiculed by His own people. And just as Jesus predicted, He was handed over by His own people - the Jews, to the Gentiles. 

The Romans brutalized Him, beating him over the head with a stick, mocking him, spitting on Him, beating Him with their fists, & scourging Him with whips that contained lead balls & sharp bones that would bruise & rip open the skin.

Finally, Jesus was crucified like a criminal, in between 2 criminals. And after 6 hours on the cross, praying & caring for others, suffering through excruciating pain, being mocked & ridiculed, the Lord Jesus breathed His last breath.

The week that started off with people wanting to CROWN Jesus king, ended with Jesus being CRUCIFIED instead.

WHY DIE? 

Something else happened on the cross, something no one could see, but something that we must all appreciate.

Jesus bore OUR SIN! Our lies, our sexual impurity, our drunkenness, our selfishness, our cutting words toward others…were placed ON HIM! His life was substituted for yours, your sin given to Him.

THIS…is what should draw us to Jesus, thankfulness & appreciation that He went to the cross to pay for OUR sin - thankfulness & appreciating that He has forgiven us & made us CLEAN! 

3 Questions:

1. Are you FORGIVEN? HAVE you returned to the Shepherd of your soul? 
2. Are you LIIVIN’ FORGIVEN? Or, are you still living like YOU want rather than how HE wants you to? What needs to DIE in your life?
3. Are you SHARING how others can be FORGIVEN? Don’t you think that serving Jesus and following Him means you should be telling others about Him?