The Glory of Jesus

I want you to take your Bibles and turn to John 12:12. Today’s message is entitled, “The Glory of Jesus,” and begins the last week of Jesus’ life on this earth. 

 

If you are visiting with us today, we have been studying John’s Gospel verse-by-verse and chapter-by-chapter.  Remember that John 1-11 highlights parts of Jesus’ life during His three-year earthly ministry.  John 12-21 covers essentially the last week of His earthly life.

 

 

Last week, Jesus went to Bethany on Friday night and stayed with Lazarus and Mary and Martha.  On Saturday, there was dinner hosted by Simon the Leper in honor of the Lord.  It was here that Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with oil and wiped them with her hair. 

 

Today, we begin in John 12:12.  This would have been what we call “Palm Sunday” and Jesus’ Triumphant or Royal Entry into Jerusalem. 

 

 

Exposition

Actually, let’s begin with verse 23.  On multiple occasions in this gospel, we have seen Jesus say that it wasn’t His time yet.  He usually said that in relation to His enemies trying to trap Him or arrest Him. 

 

In verse 23, He said now was the time.  Specifically, He said, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.”  In other words, it was not time for the events to be set in motion for His purpose in coming. 

 

It was time for Him to be glorified.  However, what does that mean?  Now, we will go back to verse 12.

 

 

13. The Glory of Jesus is that He came to Save, John 12:12-13.

12 The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna!  ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’  The King of Israel!”

 

As I said previously, verse 12 begins by moving us to the next day.  Mary anointed Jesus with oil on Saturday.  Therefore, this is Palm Sunday, and begins the last week of Jesus’ life on earth. 

 

The great multitude had come to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast.  In verse 13, we see that the large crowd took palm branches and waved them at Jesus and begin to shout.

 

They shouted, “Hosanna!  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! The King of Israel.”  There shout was a quotation and fulfillment of Psalm 118:26.

 

Hosanna meant Praise God! Save us now!  The large crowd was declaring Jesus to be the Messiah they had been waiting for. 

 

Of course, we know that Jesus came to be the Savior of Israel.  However, verse 20 foreshadows the fact that Jesus not only came to save Israel but to save Gentiles as well.  These Greeks mentioned in verse 20 remind us that Jesus came to save the entire world.  Consequently, anyone who would believe in Him would be saved.

 

 

15. The Glory of Jesus is that He came in PEACE, John 12:14-15.

14 Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: 15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey’s colt.”

 

Verse 14 says Jesus then found a young donkey and rode on it into the city.  Verse 15 is the quotation and the fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9.

 

Jesus coming into Jerusalem on a donkey is ironic.  It is a paradox.  This large crowd hailed Him as the King of Israel.  Normally, the king would come riding on a war horse dragging his conquered kings behind him or perhaps in a chariot leading his army. 

 

That is not what is happening here.  The donkey was a sign of peace and humility, and this King is not a warrior-king they assumed but the Prince of Peace.

 

Think about this and how it relates to you in 2023.  Do you want the glory of Christ on display in your life?  If so, remember that does happen when you win all the time and run rough shod over your spouse and your family and your coworkers or employees with your words and your social media.

 

If you want the glory of Jesus, live a life of peace.  Paul commanded the same in Romans 12:18.

 

18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.

 

 

In verse 16, there appears to be a second group of disciples, and John is writing about their experience well beyond their actual happenings in real time.  These disciples didn’t originally understand all of who Jesus was. 

 

However, after He was glorified, which refers to His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, they did remember that these things were written about Jesus, and He was who He said He was.  They realized He was the one Lord and Savior.

 

These particular disciples were onlookers or eyewitnesses of Jesus calling Lazarus out of the tomb.  As a result, they bore witness about Jesus.  Their response was telling others what happened.  Consequently, verse 18 tells us that people were coming to Jesus to meet Him because He had performed these signs.

 

Unfortunately, when the Pharisees saw the popularity that Jesus was gaining and how His followers were increasing, these opponents of Christ were very upset.  They were very angry.  They were resentful. 

 

Look at verse 19.  They were talking to one another and claimed that they had done no good since many were coming to Christ.

 

 

• The Glory of Jesus is that He came to DIE, John 12:20-26.

20 Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. 21 Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”  22 Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus.  23 But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. 24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. 25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.

 

Verse 20 tells us that some Greeks or Gentiles had come to Jerusalem.  It is says there were there to worship.  Perhaps they were close to being converts to Judaism. 

 

By the way, some commentators believe we have now moved to Monday.  That debatable and probably not that significant, but I wanted you to know.

 

They then came to Philip and told him that they wanted to see Jesus.  Perhaps they went to him because his name is a Greek name, and they knew he was a disciple of Jesus.  Philip then told Andrew, and they came and told Jesus.

 

When they told Jesus, in verse 23, He said that the hour had come for the Son of Man to be glorified.  Remember that Jesus had escaped and eluded His enemies on several previous occasions because it wasn’t His time.  Now, it is.

 

In verse 24, Jesus used an agrarian illustration of a grain of wheat falling into the earth and dying or being buried.  If it doesn’t die and isn’t buried, it remains alone.  If it does die and is buried, then it bears much fruit.

 

He then applied this illustration personally in verses 25-26.  He who loves his life, loses it.  He who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. 

 

He was talking about gaining a future eternal life.  However, you don’t gain like you would think.  It comes to those who lose their life and to those who hate their life. 

 

However, Jesus isn’t speaking literally but relatively.  Jesus died so that He would live. 

 

 

Conclusion

And so here is the conclusion and invitation for us.  In order for us to live, we must die too.  It can’t be about us and what we want, but about Him and what He wants.

 

Verse 26 then is an invitation to follow.  If you want to serve Jesus, you must follow Him.  You will then be with Him in heaven, and God will honor you for serving His Son.

 

Paul understood this idea as he wrote to the Galatian Church.  See Galatians 2:20.

 

20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.