Hosanna

 Temple Baptist Church - 11-29-2023

John 12:12-19

Introduction:

 

A.  In our text tonight, we find one of the reasons that Israel rejected Christ. 

 

1.  The rejected who He was, the great IAM THAT I AM.

 

2.  They rejected what He did, miracle after miracle.

 

3.  They rejected what He said, authoritative.

 

4.  Here they rejected why He came.

 

B.  Here we find His First Entrance into Jerusalem.

 

1. Though our Lord Jesus had come to Jerusalem on many occasions, there were two entrances that were the fulfillment of prophecy.     

 

2.  The Jews confused the first entrance with the last entrance.

 

3.  Though many believed on Christ and were saved (The Old Testament believers put their faith in the coming of Messiah and His Sacrifice while the New Testament believers look back to the coming of Messiah [Jehovah God in the flesh—Christ Jesus and His sacrifice], many of the Jews saw His entrance into Jerusalem as the end of Roman rule and the setting up of the Kingdom Age.

 

a)  Instead of leading a rebellion and overthrowing the Romans, the Lord almost immediately cleansed the Temple, upsetting the religious practices of the Pharisees and money changers.

 

b)  Then the Lord was betrayed, arrested, beaten, mocked, and publicly displayed in His horrendous condition while be hailed as the King of the Jews.

 

c)  Christ Jesus, the Lamb of God was not what they expected and they rejected the Lord and claimed their king as Caesar. 

 

John 19:13-15  When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.  (14)  And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!  (15)  But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.

 

4.  The result of this confusion led up to the rejection of Christ:

 

John 1:11  He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

 

C.  Israel’s view of this First Entrance is evidenced in their use of the word “Hosanna” in John 12:13: “Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.”

 

1.  This First Entrance was preceded with “Hosanna”, a compound word that expresses “save now”.  Something that is desired TO BE DONE. 

 

“Hosanna” is well defined in Psalm 118:25 which says, “Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.”

 

2.  Israel was looking for a King, a Conqueror, instead of Sacrifice on a hill called Mount Calvary.

 

3.  The Last Entrance of Christ Jesus into Jerusalem is found in Revelation, chapter 19, is preceded by four uses of the word “Alleluia”, a word of thanksgiving and praise for something that HAS BEEN DONE.

 

D.  Tonight, I want to biblically compare the two entrances of Christ into Jerusalem.  I want to preface this with the understanding that Jesus made many entrances into Jerusalem beginning with His childhood, but these two entrances were both prophesied in the Old Testament.

 

1.  The First Entrance that we read tonight is recorded in all four Gospels.  It was an entrance that was prophesied in the Old Testament.

 

Zechariah 9:9  Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

 

2.  The Last Entrance is also prophesied in the Old Testament, but it is an Entrance yet to come.

 

Ezekiel 44:1-3  Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut.  (2)  Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut.  (3)  It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same.  (The Eastern Gate of Jerusalem was walled up in 1530 AD by the Muslim conquerors (the Ottoman Turks) and has a cemetery in front of it.)

 

E.  What Israel expected and what Israel got were two different things.  Comparing the Gospels, we find the Jew’s view of this first entrance.

 

Matthew 21:5-11  Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.  (6)  And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,  (7)  And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.  (8)  And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.  (9)  And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.  (10)  And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?  (11)  And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

 

F.  His First Entrance was as a Lamb, not a King. John 1:29  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

 

G.  One day, Christ Jesus will come again as KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS!  Revelation 19:16  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

 

1.  Christ will come a Sovereign instead of a Sacrifice.  Revelation 19:16  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

 

2.  Christ will come again in Clouds of Glory instead of Palm Branches.  Revelation 1:7  Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

 

3.  Christ will come again in Power instead of Submission.  Jude 25  To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

 

4.  Christ will come again in Boldness instead of Meekness.  Revelation 19:12  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

                         

5.  Christ will come again on a White Horse instead of an Ass.  Revelation 19:11  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

 

6.  Christ will come again in Judgment of Sinners instead of payment for Sin.  Revelation 20:11-12  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.  (12)  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

 

7.  Christ will come again on a Jewish Throne instead of Roman Cross.  Psalms 93:1-2  The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.  (2)  Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.