John 12:12 - Meaning and Application

This account of Christ’s triumphal ride into Jerusalem is told by all four Gospel writers, which shows how important it is. Here we see the honor the common people gave to the Lord Jesus in John 12:12-13.

First, notice who showed him this respect. It was a great crowd of people who had come up for the feast. They were not mainly the people who lived in Jerusalem, but country people from farther away who had come to worship. The closer some people are to the temple of the Lord, the farther they may be from the Lord of the temple. Some of them may have heard Christ in the countryside and grown to admire him there. If so, they were eager to show him honor in Jerusalem, even though they knew he had many enemies there. Those who truly value Christ will not be ashamed or afraid to honor him before others whenever they can. Others may have been especially serious-minded Jews who had come early to purify themselves. People who care more about God and religion in general are usually better prepared to receive Christ and his gospel, which do not destroy earlier truth but bring it to completion.

It was not the rulers or the great men who came out to meet Christ, but ordinary people. Some would have dismissed them as a mob, but Christ chooses what the world calls weak and foolish (1 Corinthians 1:27). He is honored more by the size of the crowd than by the rank of his followers, because he values people by their souls, not by their titles.

Next, notice what led them to do this. They heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. They had already been asking whether he would come to the feast (John 11:55-56), and now they heard that he was on his way. No one who truly seeks Christ seeks in vain. When they heard he was coming, they quickly got ready to welcome him. News of Christ’s approach should wake us up to consider what work we must do right now. Israel must prepare to meet God (Amos 4:12), and the virgins must prepare to meet the bridegroom.

Then see how they showed their respect. They did not have the keys of the city to offer him, or a sword or a ceremonial staff to lead before him, or city musicians to honor him. They gave him what they had. Even this humble crowd gave a faint picture of the great company John saw before the throne and before the Lamb (Revelation 7:9-10). They were not before the throne, but they were before the Lamb, the Passover Lamb, who was now set apart, four days before the feast, to be sacrificed for us.

John says that heavenly company had palms in their hands, and so did these people, who carried branches of palm trees. The palm tree was long a sign of victory and triumph. Christ was about to conquer powers and rulers through his death, so it was fitting that the victor’s palm should be carried before him. He was only beginning the battle, yet he could act as if the victory were already won. The palm branches also pointed to the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:40; Nehemiah 8:15), showing that all the feasts were meant to lead to Christ and find their fulfillment in his gospel, especially that feast (Zechariah 14:16).

They also cried out with a loud voice, just as the heavenly host does, “Salvation to our God” (Revelation 7:10). These people shouted before Christ in the way crowds often greet a king: “Hosanna, blessed is the king of Israel who comes in the name of the Lord.” Hosanna means “save now” or “salvation.” It comes from Psalm 118:25-26. These ordinary people knew the Scriptures well enough to apply them to the Messiah in a fitting way. High thoughts about Christ are best expressed in the words of Scripture.

In their cry, they first confess Jesus as the king of Israel who comes in the name of the Lord. Though he came in poverty and appeared to be dishonored, they still owned him as king, even though that did not match the ideas their scribes had taught them about the Messiah. This shows both his dignity and his honor, which we should admire, and his rule and power, which we should obey. They also confess him as a rightful king, sent by God, not only as a prophet but as a king. And they confess him as the promised, long-awaited king, the Messiah, the prince, the king of Israel. With the light they had, they proclaimed him in the streets of Jerusalem, and as Israelites themselves, they were claiming him as their own king.

They also wished well for his kingdom. That is part of the meaning of “Hosanna.” It is like the cry made when Solomon was crowned, “God save King Solomon” (1 Kings 1:39). In their “Hosanna,” they prayed for three things. They wanted his kingdom to come in the light and knowledge of it, and in its power and effect. They wanted it to conquer and overcome every enemy. And they wanted it to last. “Hosanna” is also a prayer that the king may live forever. Though his kingdom may be troubled, let it never be destroyed (Psalm 72:17).

Finally, they welcomed him into Jerusalem. They were saying, “Welcome is the one who comes. We are glad to see him. Come in, you blessed of the Lord.” We should welcome Christ into our own hearts in the same way. That means praising him and being well pleased with him. As we should be fully satisfied with God’s being, his character, and his relationship to us, so we should be satisfied with the person and work of the Lord Jesus, and with his role as the one who brings us to God. Faith says, “Blessed is he who comes.”

Then Christ placed himself in the right posture to receive this honor. After finding, or arranging for, a young donkey, he sat on it (John 12:14). It was a poor-looking display, with him alone on a donkey and the crowd around him shouting “Hosanna.” Still, this was more of a royal entrance than he usually took. He normally traveled on foot, but now he was mounted. His followers should be content with humble things and should not chase after outward grandeur. Still, they may use the lower creatures, as God’s providence allows them to do, since he has given mankind a general rule over them. Yet this was much less like earthly kings and princes, who usually make a much grander show.

If Christ had chosen to make a public entrance like an earthly prince, he would have ridden in a chariot like Solomon’s, with silver pillars, a gold base, and a purple canopy (Song of Solomon 3:9-10). But by worldly standards, this entrance seemed more like a lowering than an honor to the King of Israel. It looked as if he wanted to appear great, but did not know how. His kingdom was not of this world, so it did not come with outward display.

He was humbling himself now, but in his glory John later sees him in a vision on a white horse, with a bow and a crown. The prophecy in this event was also being fulfilled: “Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion” (John 12:15), from Zechariah 9:9. All the prophets testified to Christ, and this prophecy spoke especially clearly of him.

It had been foretold that Zion’s king would come this way, sitting on a donkey’s colt. Even this small detail was promised, and Christ made sure it happened exactly as written. Christ is Zion’s king. Long ago, the holy hill of Zion was set apart as the chief city of the Messiah. Zion’s king comes to his people and looks after them. Though he may seem to withdraw for a time, he returns in due season.

Even if he comes slowly, like one riding a donkey, he still comes surely. His humility and gentleness should encourage his loyal people to come to him. Humble believers may still speak with him. If Zion feels troubled because her king appears without great outward strength, she should remember that though he rides on a donkey’s colt, he goes out against her enemies riding on the clouds for her help (Deuteronomy 33:26).

The daughter of Zion is therefore called to look at her king, to notice him and his coming. She is to behold him and wonder, because he comes before her eyes, though not with worldly show (Song of Solomon 3:11). “Do not be afraid.” In the prophecy, Zion is told to rejoice greatly and shout, but here the call is framed as fearlessness. Unbelief and fear work against spiritual joy. If fear is driven out, joy will follow. Christ comes to his people to quiet their fears.

If we cannot yet reach full joy, we should at least work to get free from fear. “Rejoice greatly,” or at least, “do not be afraid.”

The evangelist also notes the disciples’ understanding of this event (John 12:16). At first, they did not understand why Christ acted this way, or how the Scripture was being fulfilled. But when Jesus was glorified, and the Spirit was given, they remembered that these things had been written about him in the Old Testament, and that they and others had done these things to him in fulfillment of that word.

This shows the weakness of the disciples in their early stage. Even they did not understand these things at first. When they fetched the donkey and set Jesus on it, they did not realize they were carrying out the ceremony for Zion’s king. Scripture is often fulfilled through people who are not themselves thinking about Scripture (Isaiah 45:4). Many good things in God’s Word and in his providence are not clear to believers at first. At first, they see only partly and dimly. What later becomes plain was once obscure.

It is good for Christ’s disciples, when they grow in knowledge, to look back on their early mistakes and weakness. That helps them give glory to free grace for their growth, and it makes them more patient with those who are still ignorant. “When I was a child, I spoke like a child.”

The disciples also show growth in their mature state. They were children once, but they did not remain children. They moved on toward maturity. They understood this only after Jesus was glorified, because until then they did not rightly understand the spiritual nature of his kingdom. They expected it to appear with outward power and splendor, so they did not know how to apply these prophecies to such a lowly entrance.

A right understanding of Christ’s spiritual kingdom, its power, glory, and victories, would keep us from twisting the Scriptures that speak of it. Also, the Spirit had not yet been poured out to lead them into all truth. The disciples understand Scripture by the same Spirit who inspired Scripture. The Spirit of revelation is, to all believers, a Spirit of wisdom (Ephesians 1:17-18).

They understood by comparing the prophecy with the event and placing them side by side. In that way, each gave light to the other, and they came to understand both. Then they remembered that these things were written about him by the prophets, and that what happened to him matched those writings. There is a beautiful harmony between God’s Word and God’s works. What is written helps us understand what is happening, and what is happening helps us understand what is written. As we have heard, so we have seen. Scripture is being fulfilled every day.

The people honored Jesus as he came into Jerusalem because of the great miracle he had recently done in raising Lazarus from the dead. News of that miracle had spread everywhere, and the whole city was talking about it. But those who believed it as proof of Christ’s mission wanted solid confirmation of the fact. So they traced the report back to the eyewitnesses, to know with the strongest possible certainty that it was true. The people who had stood by when Jesus called Lazarus out of the tomb testified to it openly (John 12:17). They all agreed that it was true, with no room for doubt or argument, and were ready to confirm it under oath. The truth of Christ’s miracles was shown by clear and undeniable proof.

It is likely that those who saw this miracle did not only answer questions about it, but also spoke of it freely. That would add to the joy of this public day. And since Jesus was coming from Bethany, where the miracle had happened, it would naturally bring the event back to mind. Those who want Christ’s kingdom to be honored should be quick to tell what they know that can bring him praise.

This miracle had a strong effect on the people and helped lead them to meet him (John 12:18). Some came simply out of curiosity, wanting to see the one who had done such a great work.

Many good sermons had been preached in Jerusalem, but none had drawn such crowds as this miracle did. Still, others, out of conscience, tried to honor Christ as one sent by God. This miracle was kept for one of the last moments so it could confirm the earlier ones and win him honor just before his suffering. Christ’s works were not only well done, as in (Mark 7:7), but also well timed.

The Pharisees, the religious leaders who opposed Jesus, were deeply angered by this. Some of them probably saw his public entry, and all of them soon heard about it. The committee they had formed to find ways to crush him had thought they had won when he withdrew into private life, and they expected him to be forgotten in Jerusalem. Now they were furious to find that their plan had failed.

They admitted that they had not made any real progress against him, for it was clear they prevailed nothing. They could not turn the people’s hearts away from him, and they could not stop them from showing their support. Those who oppose Christ and fight against his kingdom will find that they gain nothing. God will carry out his own purposes despite them and despite the weak efforts of their spite. They really get nothing by opposing Christ.

They also admitted that he was gaining ground, saying, The world has gone after him. There was a huge crowd around him, a world of people, as people commonly say in a strong way. Yet, like Caiaphas, the high priest, they spoke better than they knew. They were really predicting that the world would go after him, people from every sort and every place, since the nations would be taught to become his disciples.

Why did they say this? First, they were showing their own frustration at the growth of his influence. Their envy made them restless. When the honor of the righteous is lifted up, the wicked see it and are upset, as in (Psalm 112:9, Psalm 112:10). Considering how great these Pharisees were and how much respect they already received, one might think they would not grudge Christ such a small share of honor. But proud people want all the honor for themselves, like Haman.

Second, they were stirring themselves and one another to fight more strongly against Christ. It was as if they were saying that delay would never solve this. They needed some other, more effective way to stop this spread, and they should act before the trouble became impossible to fix. In this way, Christ’s enemies became more determined when they were frustrated. Should his friends be discouraged by every setback, when they know his cause is right and will finally win?