The Road To The Cross
THE ROAD TO THE CROSS
John 12:9-19
9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him.
The Triumphal Entry
12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the King of Israel!” 14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written, 15 “Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.”
16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.
17 Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18 Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”
Had the sovereign hand of God directed each of them down the same road or had they chosen it for themselves? What we know for sure is that they chose to give their lives for others. Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends." (John 15:13) Jesus was traveling this road into Jerusalem to do just that -- lay down His life for His friends.
This "triumphal entry" was actually a road of sorrow He chose for himself. It too was an inspiring sight for those who can see it for what it was.
I. THE ROAD TO THE CROSS WAS A ROAD OF DESTINY (vv. 12-13).
A. Jesus had come to save the world and now was His time.
1. In v. 13, the word "Hosanna" is "an Aramaic expression meaning ’Save now!’ used either literally as a petition for deliverance or as a technical term ascribing praise to God." (Michaels, 222)
2. The people were ready for deliverance—but from what? Jesus had come to save them from their sins, not from their political situation.
B. The people perceived Christ as the One who would “come” from God.
1. At this time He was the people’s choice for Messiah. He had given the blind their sight, made the lame to walk, and raised the dead. Surely He was sent from God.
2. The prophet Zechariah had prophesied, "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." (Zechariah 9:9)
II. THE ROAD TO THE CROSS WAS A ROAD OF DEVOTION (vv. 14-15).
A. His entrance into Jerusalem announced His commitment to the task ahead.
1. But do not forget that His journey did not begin there on that dusty road nor was He there by accident.
B. His humble arrival was evidence of His submission to God.
1. The people wanted a king so badly that they would have gladly taken Him, by force if necessary, and made Him king. They dreamed not of the Kingdom of God but of deliverance from Roman rule—not of doing God’s will but of winning a great military victory. But for the man the people hoped would be king, the donkey He rode was His only throne.
2. Jesus said in Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
III. THE ROAD TO THE CROSS WAS A ROAD OF DISCOVERY (v. 16).
A. The people would discover that their idea of the Messiah was all wrong.
1. “They greetedn Him as a king, though ignorant of the nature of His kingship." (Tasker, 147) That is the essence of their problem. They did not understand the nature of His kingship or kingdom.
B. The disciples would discover the plan of God.
1. The fact that they did not understand the significance of His actions until later is not to be held against them. It was all happening so fast and all the pieces of the puzzle had not come together. On the contrary, it is to their credit that they put all the pieces together after Christ was resurrected.
IV. THE ROAD TO THE CROSS WAS A ROAD OF DELIVERANCE (vv. 17-19).
A. The path Jesus took was the way of salvation for mankind.
B. This was a road to deliverance that Satan could not block.
1. “His continued popularity with the people as a miracle-worker was creating a dangerous situation for the authorities, who are forced to admit that their counter-measures have not yet proved effective. It almost seemed as if Jesus had the world at His feet!" (Tasker, 147)
CONCLUSION:
Someone wrote, “When we view then cross I think that somehow we must learn to see our complicity in it. We cannot dismiss this as an act by self-righteous Jews and brutal Romans. We must so; somehow understand the horrible fact that Satan sometimes uses religious people to accomplish his means. We distort things and before long we call evil good and good evil. Every time we allow sin to seduce us with its distortions, we nail Jesus on the cross once again.”