NLT Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition - Flipbook - Page 52
J ohn 1 2
•
page 1826
Lazarus, the man Jesus had raised from the dead. 10Then the leading priests decided to
kill Lazarus, too, 11for it was because of him that many of the people had deserted them*
and believed in Jesus.
12:10
Luke 16:31
Jesus Rides into Jerusalem on a Young Donkey
(183/Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44)
12The
next day, the news that J esus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city.
A large crowd of Passover visitors 13took palm branches and went down the road to meet
him. They shouted,
“Praise God!*
Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hail to the King of Israel!”*
14Jesus
15
12:13
Lev 23:40
†Ps 118:25-26
Zeph 3:15
found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said:
“Don’t be afraid, people of Jerusalem.*
Look, your King is coming,
riding on a donkey’s colt.”*
12:15
Isa 35:4
†Zech 9:9
12:11 Or had deserted their traditions; Greek reads had deserted.
12:13a Greek Hosanna, an exclamation
of praise adapted from a Hebrew expression that means “save now.” 12:13b Ps 118:25-26; Zeph 3:15.
12:15a Greek daughter of Zion.
12:15b Zech 9:9.
12:10-11 The leading priests’ blindness and hardness of heart caused
12:13 The people who were praising God for giving them a conquering
them to sink ever deeper into sin. They rejected the Messiah and planned
to kill him, and then plotted to murder Lazarus as well. One sin led to
another. From the Jewish leaders’ point of view, they could accuse Jesus
of blasphemy because he claimed equality with God. But Lazarus had
done nothing of the kind. They wanted Lazarus dead simply because
he was a living witness to Jesus’ power. Once more we see vividly
how sin can work. Sin leads to more sin, a downward spiral that can
be stopped only by repentance and the power of the Holy Spirit to
change our behavior.
12:13 Jesus began his last week on earth by riding into Jerusalem on
a donkey under a canopy of palm branches, with crowds hailing him as
their king. To announce that he was indeed the Messiah, Jesus chose a
time when all Israel would be gathered at Jerusalem, a place where huge
crowds could see him, and a way of proclaiming his mission that was
unmistakable. (For more on the prophecy that Jesus was fulfilling here,
see Zechariah 9:9 and the note there). On Palm Sunday we celebrate
Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem as Lord of lords and King of peace.
king had the wrong idea about Jesus. Many of them were sure he would
be a national leader who would restore their nation to its former glory,
and thus they were deaf to the words of their prophets and blind to Jesus’
real mission. When they realized that Jesus would not fulfill these hopes,
many people turned against him.
12:16 After Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples understood for the first time
many of the prophecies that they had missed along the way. Jesus’ words
and actions took on new meaning and made more sense. In retrospect,
the disciples saw how Jesus had led them into a deeper and better understanding of the truth about him. Take time to think about the events in
your life leading up to where you are now. How has God led you to this
point? As you grow older, you will look back and see God’s involvement
more clearly than you do now.
12:18 The people flocked to Jesus because they had heard about his
great miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead. For some of them, their
adoration may have been short-lived and their commitment shallow, for in
a few days this cheering throng would do nothing to stop his crucifixion.
Devotion based only on curiosity or popularity can fade quickly.
12:20-21 These Greeks were probably converts to the Jewish faith
who had come to the Passover celebration. They may have gone to
Philip because, though he was a Jew, he had a Greek name. He was
from Bethsaida near the territory inhabited by many Gentiles, including
Greeks, and he almost certainly spoke their language.
12:23-25 This is a beautiful picture of the necessary sacrifice of Jesus.
Unless a kernel of wheat is buried in the soil, it will not become a living
plant producing many more seeds. Jesus died to pay the penalty for our
sin and to show his power over death. His resurrection proves he has
eternal life. Because Jesus is God, he can give this same eternal life to
all who believe in him (see 1 Corinthians 15:36, 42-44).
12:25 We must be so committed to living for Jesus that we “care nothing” for our lives by comparison. This does not mean that we long to
die or that we are careless or destructive with the lives God has given
us, but rather that we are willing to die if doing so will glorify Christ. We
must disown the tyrannical rule of our own self-centeredness. By laying
aside our striving for advantage, security, and pleasure, we can serve
God lovingly and freely. Releasing control of our lives and transferring
control to Jesus brings eternal life and genuine joy.
12:26 Many believed that Jesus came for the Jews only. But when Jesus
said, “Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me,” he was talking
to these Greeks as well. No matter who the sincere seekers are, Jesus
welcomes them. His message is for everyone. Don’t let racial, social, or
economic differences become barriers to sharing the Good News. Take
the Good News to all people.
Mediterranean
Sea
GALILEE
N
SAMARIA
Sea of
Galilee
Jordan River
TIME WITH
THE DISCIPLES
Lazarus’s return to
life became the last
straw for the religious leaders, who
were bent on killing
Jesus. So Jesus
stopped his public
ministry and took
his disciples away
from Jerusalem to
Ephraim. From there
they returned to
Galilee for a while
(see the map on
page 1765).
Ephraim
Jerusalem
JUDEA
IDUMEA
R
PE
EA
Dead
Sea
0
0
20 mi
20 km
