April 10 2022
Lent 6 April 10 2022 Palm Sunday
Old Testament: Deuteronomy 32:36-39
Psalm: Psalm 143
Epistle: Philippians 2:5-11
Gospel: John 12:12-43 (44-50)
Sermon Text: John 12
Sermon Title: “All People”
Grace to you and peace, from God the Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel”. (John 12:13) “And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to Myself”. (John 12:32) “Though He had done so many signs, they still did not believe in Him”. (John 12:37) These are three key texts from our extended Gospel reading this morning; which is only one of many options for the preacher. Both the one-year and the three-year lectionary offer four possible Gospel readings and it is hard to choose from among them.
One option is the simple reading of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem from John 12 or Matthew 21. Then there is the option of reading the entire account of Jesus’ arrest, trial, death and burial (in other words, two entire chapters) from one of the first three Gospels. Then there is the option on our bulletin; to read one half of this two-chapter account. Finally, there is the option I chose, the longer version of John 12, which involves three separate events from this same day.
“The next day, a great crowd who 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, Hosanna, (save us we pray) Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel”. (John 12:12-13) Jesus is coming as king; and the crowds this day acknowledge it with shouts of joy. “And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it; as it is written (Zechariah 9:9) Fear not, O daughter of Zion; behold your king is coming to you, sitting on a donkey’s colt”. (John 12:14-15)
Of course, Jesus did not come as a political ruler at all, He came as a “Suffering Servant”; and the cross; which He had taught His disciples about on many occasions, was only a few days away. So, “His disciples did not understand this at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that this had been written of Him and had been done to Him. The crowd that had been with Him, when He called Lazarus out of the tomb (a few days earlier) and raised him from the dead, bore witness. The reason the crowd went out to meet Jesus was that they heard He had done this sign”. (John 12:16-18) Remember, even the disciples “did not understand at first”. (John 12:16a)
But not everyone was happy that Jesus was doing these signs, teaching in the temple and now accepting the acclamation of the crowds as “the King of Israel”, (John 12:13b) The parable of the wicked tenants, which Jesus spoke against the Pharisees, which we heard last week, was told the day after Palm Sunday. Just before our text today, we hear that, “The chief priests were now planning to put Lazarus to death, because on account of him (Jesus raising him from the dead) many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus”. (John 12:10-11) They were greatly discouraged by Jesus triumphal entry; cursing their “bad luck” and saying, “You see that we can do nothing; look, the whole world has gone after Him”. (John 12:19) Jesus was as popular as ever.
Here is what happened next, “Among those who went up to the feast (of the Passover) were some Greeks. So, these came to Phillip and said to him … Sir, we wish to see Jesus”. (John 12:20-21) Would that these words would be our request too. So, “Phillip went and told Andrew … and they went and told Jesus. And Jesus answered them; the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified”. (John 12:22-23) Again, the cross was only a few days away, but Jesus was still teaching them. He compares what He came to this earth to do, to a grain of wheat.
“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. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me, and where I am, there shall My servant be … if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him”. (John 12:24-26) There is a cost to following Jesus, as His servants, we too will suffer for our faith, perhaps even death.
In His humanity, the weight/burden of His impending suffering was affecting Jesus who said, “Now is My soul troubled. And what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour? No, but for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify Thy name”. (John 12:27-28a) Jesus came to die, to atone for the sins of the world, on what we now call Good Friday. Even in His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus said, “Father if it be Your will, remove this cup from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Your will be done”. (Luke 22:42)
“Then a voice came from heaven, I have glorified it and I will glorify it again. The crowd standing by heard it (the voice from heaven) and said that it had thundered. Others said, an angel has spoken to Him. Jesus answered them saying, This voice has come for your sake; not for Mine”. (John 12:28b-30) Jesus now clearly prophesies of His atoning sacrifice on the cross saying, “Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the ruler of this world (Satan) be cast out; and when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to Myself. (Salvation has been won for all people) Jesus said this to show by what kind of death He was going to die”. (John 12:31-33) Remember Jesus’ words earlier, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life”. (John 3:14-15)
The crowds, still not understanding what would soon take place, “answered Him, we have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can You say, the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man? Jesus answered them, the light is with you a little longer. Walk, while you have the light. Lest the darkness overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes … believe in the light, that you may become sons of light”. (John 12:34-36a)
Jesus’ earthly ministry is nearly done; “and after He said these things, Jesus departed and hid Himself from them; though He had done so many signs before them, yet they did not believe in Him; it was that the word of the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled; Lord, who has believed our report and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed. Therefore, they could not believe, for Isaiah again said; He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts; lest they should see with their eyes and perceive with their hearts, and turn to Me to heal them”. (John 12:36b-40) As Isaiah “saw His glory and spoke of Him” (John 12:41b) centuries earlier, that the people would believe neither Jesus’ message or His miracles/signs.
Those, like the Pharisees, like many in the crowds, who stubbornly refuse to believe in Christ, despite the evidence of the miraculous signs; despite the witness of the Word of God; Jesus affirms them in their unbelief. There were others who believed the evidence of the miracles and the preaching; but they were more worried about how other people saw them than they were about Christ.
“Many, even of the authorities, believed in Him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it; lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God”. (John 12:42-43) This should not surprise us, as we often do the same thing; failing to bear witness to the truth because of fear of what others (both inside and outside of the church) may think of us.
The last thing Jesus says to them reinforces what He had already taught them, “He cried out and said, He who believes not in Me, but in Him who sent Me. He who sees Me, sees Him who sent Me; I have come as light into the world. That whoever believes in Me will not remain in darkness”. (John 12:44-46) But, “If anyone hears My words and does not keep them, I do not judge him, for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. The one who rejects Me and does not receive My words, has a judge; the word I have spoken will judge him on the last day”. (John 12:47-48)
As Jesus also said to His disciples, “the one who hears you hears Me and the one who rejects you, rejects Me”. (Luke 10:16a) Or as the Lord also told Moses; “Whoever will not listen to My words … I Myself will require it of him”. (Deuteronomy 18:19) The final words of Jesus to the crowds were, “I have not spoken on My own authority, but the Father who sent Me, has Himself given Me … what to say and what to speak. And I know this commandment is eternal life”. (John 12:49-50a)
Today Jesus comes today in humility; riding on the back of a donkey; riding into Jerusalem, to die for you and for me, so that our sins would be forgiven and we would receive the gift of eternal life through faith in Him alone. “Therefore, God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father”. (Philippians 2:10-11)
The Lord bless us as we gather around God’s Word and Sacrament this Holy Week and Easter. Amen “The peace of God which surpasses all understanding, ….” Amen.