The rejection of Christ by the Jews opens up a conversation with MP3 click here Gentiles. John 12:20-22; Isa 11:10; 42:6; 49:6

John 12:12 On the next day the great multitude who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,

 

John 12:13 took the branches of the palm trees, and went out to meet Him, and began to cry out, "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel."

 

John 12:14 And Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written,

 

This was prophesized by Zechariah in 9:9.

 

John 12:15 "Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, seated on a donkey's colt." [ZEC 9:9]

 

John 12:16 These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified [resurrection, ascension, and session], then they remembered that these things were written of Him [by Zec the prophet], and that they had done these things to Him [Jesus’ vineyard parable and Psa 118].

 

Notice that the disciples, who have been with Jesus, learning doctrine every day for three years, did not understand.

 

The principle is: don’t get fat headed because you know a bit of doctrine.

 

John 12:17 And so the multitude who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb, and raised him from the dead, were bearing Him witness.

 

They were repeating the raising of Lazarus and the words that Christ said outside the tomb.

 

John 12:18 For this cause also the multitude went and met Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign.

 

These would now be in contrast to the believers since they only go out to see Him because He raised Lazarus. “Let’s go see a miracle. All these cleansing rituals for the Passover are getting boring and it’s cramped and smelly here, let’s go see a miracle.”

 

They don’t realize how boring, cramped, and smelly the Lake of Fire is going to be if they don’t believe He is the promised Savior of the world.

 

And so, positive believers who are there, negative believers and unbelievers who are there, all leave the city and the temple to run up the hill to see Jesus.

 

And somebody is left standing in the temple with a sparse amount of people where normally it would have been packed with worshippers - the wittle ole Pharisees and priests.

 

Remember that the Sanhedrin had made a law that Jesus was to be seized by anyone who saw Him?

 

John 11:57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might seize Him.

 

Well there He is on the hill and they know He’s there and the people have run out to Him without so much as a report or confession, and they’re thoroughly frustrated.

 

But they can’t run up there and kill Him without discrediting Him first, otherwise He’ll end up as a martyr and martyr’s can overthrow kingdoms and they know it.

 

They know they have to discredit Him to sway the crowd and that’s what the 6 unfair trials are for. These religious types are very good at what they do. You should be as meek as a dove, but around them, wise as a serpent. The same people shouting Hosanna right now will be shouting “crucify Him” is just a few days.

 

Another meeting is called.

 

John 12:19 The Pharisees therefore said to one another, "You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him."

 

They point to each other and blame each other for not discrediting Jesus enough, for not scaring the people enough about the law they made, for not capturing Him under the right circumstances so that they may kill Him violently, and they’re completely scared of losing their power hold over the people.

 

The world has gone after Him. No, not the world [kosmos = satan’s world], your world [idea of losing power] has gone after Him.

 

However, they did not know that most of these people who had run out to see Jesus did not do so to believe in Him or because they believed in Him, they were just curious to see a miracle and would certainly remain under the yoke of religious slavery.

 

The crowd is always fickle and it can change like the wind. Right now they want Him to be their king and take them into the Millennium and throw the Romans back into the Mediterranean, but soon they will demand Him crucified.

 

Always remember, if the crowd is with you they will demand status quo and usually improvement, but disappoint them even a little and they will turn on you as quick as the wind can change from east to west.

 

 

 

There is a time in the life of every person when he is well thought of by a maximum number of people. That time has to occur in every person’s life. What is the approbation of a group worth? It is worth absolutely nothing!

           

The Pharisees are conscious of the approbation of the crowd. They are also conscious of the fact that they have lost the approbation of the crowd, temporarily at least, to Jesus Christ. Having lost it they are now wondering what to do next.

           

Beginning in verse 20 and going through verse 36 we take up a new aspect of the crowd.

 

We leave the Pharisees looking at each other, wondering what happened, wondering why none of their plots had succeeded, and wondering if they will still be in power tomorrow.

 

And while we leave them we go to the people who are the most interesting phenomenon in this whole picture.

 

Everything that has been emphasised before was Jewish. The parables that Jesus spoke were Jewish parables. The things that the crowd sang or shouted were Jewish scriptures from the Psalms. Everything was Jewish. Jesus answered as a Jewish King, for He is the legitimate King of Israel.

 

And yet He was under the plan of the Father and it was not the time for Him to assume the throne of David. The cross must come before the crown.

 

But in that crowd were Greeks, people who had no frame of reference for Judaism, no frame of reference for the Davidic covenant, no understanding of the basic principles of Messiahship as related to the unconditional covenants.

 

But they were Greeks who were smart enough to realise that something big had occurred, that someone had been brought back from the dead, and that is what intrigued them.

 

John 12:20 Now there were certain Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast;

 

These are Greeks and not Jews. They are not intending to take part in the Passover, but will if the opportunity arises. It’s like going to see a snake charmer. You go to watch cause it’s fun, and you might take part in the ceremony, again for the fun of it, but you’re not there cause you believe in Indian snake charming. So they are basically curious about the greatest and largest Jewish feast so they attend.

 

The word for worship in the Greek means to “kiss face to face”. This has meaning to the believer, but it’s just a curious ritual for the unbelieving Greeks.

 

They have no idea what the Passover is for and they don’t understand all the things that are going on around Jesus, but they are curious enough to attend and maybe even get involved.

 

Worship for you and I as believers, however, takes on a whole different face. We are free to worship Christ and we do so when we love Him.

 

So worship involves two things: love and freedom.

 

The basis if freedom is the cross. As we take advantage of the doctrine given to us we develop personal love for Christ.

 

Your love for Christ motivates you to take in more doctrine, which gives you more freedom, and therefore more love of Him. As you continue to grow in doctrine you worship Him more and more through your own freedom and personal love for Him. As you enter super-grace you have maximum freedom, because you shall know the truth/doctrine and the truth/doctrine shall make you free.

 

Naturally these Greeks who knew nothing about JC were extremely curious about Him raising someone from the dead.

 

This is the beginning for the Gentiles and the beginning of the end for client nation Israel. These Greeks are going to seek an audience with Christ and they are going to get one.

 

But as Christ communicated to the Jews in the parable of the owner of the vineyard, in Jewish prophecy by riding the colt on the precise day that He should as prophesized by Daniel, during the Jewish feast that clearly represented His death, He will not do so with these Greeks that know nothing about Jewish culture or Jewish doctrine.

 

Speaking to them in their own way and not in a Jewish way reveals that Christ is doing something amazing here; He is going to be rejected by the Jews and is reaching His hand out to Gentiles.

 

This was prophesized in the OT.

 

Deut 32:21

'They have made Me jealous with what is not God;

They have provoked Me to anger with their idols.

So I will make them jealous with those who are not a people;

I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation,

 

ISA 11:10

Then it will come about in that day

That the nations [Gentiles] will resort to the root of Jesse,

Who will stand as a signal for the peoples;

And His resting place [right hand of God] will be glorious.

 

 

 

 

ISA 42:6

"I am the Lord, I have called you [JC in HU] in righteousness,

I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you,

And I will appoint you as a covenant to the people,

As a light to the nations [Gentiles],

 

ISA 49:6

He says, "It is too small a thing that

You should be My Servant

To raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel;

I will also make You a light of the nations [Gentiles]

So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth."

 

These Greeks are a symbol of the beginnings of the Church which would spread to all nations. They are the birthpangs of the Church and the approaching darkness to the client nation Israel, which now must be delayed because they want the crown before the cross.

 

So they approach Philip.

 

John 12:21 these therefore came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and began to ask him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus."

 

They approach Philip probably because he has a Greek name [Philhippos, “lover of horses”] since the Jews looked with disdain upon Gentiles and they knew that, especially after being in the city for a while. They also probably approached him because Philip was a very relaxed and approachable person. He was a great witness for Christ.

 

Right in the beginning of the Lord’s ministry He saw Philip and immediately knew he would be one of the twelve. After Philip answered the call he was witnessing.

 

John 1:43-46

The next day He purposed to go forth into Galilee, and He found Philip. And Jesus said to him, "Follow Me."  44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." 46 And Nathanael said to him, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him," Come and see."

 

Notice that Philip doesn’t argue with Nathanael, but responds in a relaxed way.