Thessalonian Faith

Your King is Coming (John 12:12-19)

(43-37a)

For this week’s study:

  1. Whenever you read or study the Bible, always begin with prayer, asking God to guide you so you understand God’s message and learn His methods for living.
  2. Read John 12:12-19 several times using your Bible and the two translations provided below to understand the boundaries, content, and flow of the study passage. (Reading the passage once a day from any of those translations is recommended.)
  3. Read and respond to the “Study Guide” and use the “Study Resources” provided below to learn more from this study passage.

Read the Passage

Berean Standard Bible
(BSB)

The Triumphal Entry

(Zechariah 9:9–13; Matthew 21:1–11;
Mark 11:1–11; Luke 19:28–40)

<12>The next day the great crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. <13>They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting:

“Hosanna!”1

“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”2

“Blessed is the King of Israel!”

<14>Finding a young donkey, Jesus sat on it, as it is written:

<15>“Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion.

See, your King is coming,

seated on the colt of a donkey.”3

<16>At first His disciples did not understand these things, but after Jesus was glorified they remembered what had been done to Him, and they realized that these very things had also been written about Him.

<17>Meanwhile, many people continued to testify that they had been with Jesus when He called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead. <18>That is also why the crowd went out to meet Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign.

<19>Then the Pharisees said to one another, “You can see that this is doing you no good. Look how the whole world has gone after Him!”

Word Come Alive
(WCA)
(An extended translation)*

Jesus receives a royal welcome as he enters Jerusalem

<12>The following day the huge crowds who had gone to Jerusalem for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way there. <13>They were happy and excited. They broke off some leaves and branches from the palm trees that lined the road. They welcomed Jesus, cheering, ‘Saviour! God bless the Messiah! He comes in the name of the Lord!4 God bless the King of Israel! Praise him!’ The people saw Jesus as the One who would set them free from Roman rule.

<14>But Jesus remained humble and found a young donkey, which he sat on as he entered Jerusalem as king. This fulfilled the prophecy of Scripture. It showed Jesus would rule not with violent hostility but with peace and gentleness. <15>‘I tell you, people of Israel, “Don’t be afraid, but look up with hope and see your king coming to you. He will sit on a young donkey.”5

<16>At the time all this happened, Jesus’ apprentices didn’t understand the significance of what was going on. It was only later, after Jesus had returned to his Father’s glory, that they fully grasped that the prophecies had been written about him and were being fulfilled in him. They realised that these things had been done to him.

<17>The crowd of people who had watched Jesus call Lazarus out of the tomb and raise him from the dead kept on telling others what they had seen and heard about him. <18>Because they had heard that Jesus had performed this miracle, many people wanted to meet him and see him for themselves. If he could raise people from the dead, then surely his power was unlimited and he could set them free from the Romans. <19>But the Pharisees were angry. They felt threatened and said to one another, ‘Look, we’re not getting anywhere! What we’re doing at the moment is useless! Everyone is following him! What can we do?’

* Words in italics are not translated from the original Greek text.  They have been added to explain and at times apply the text, much as a preacher does on a Sunday or notes do at the foot of the page in a study Bible. These additions are integrated with the text itself, and are in italics, so readers can see what has been explained, changed or added.

Study the Passage

Study Guide

Jesus’ triumphal entry is recorded in all four Gospels, but the Gospel of John is significantly different from the other three Gospels.

After reading our study passage (provided above in two helpful translations), read the other accounts of the triumphal entry in Matthew 21:1–11, Mark 11:1–11, and Luke 19:28–40.

  • What details do the other three Gospels include that are not in the Gospel of John?
  • What details does John provide that the other three Gospels don’t?

Based on John’s account, what impact did Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem have on the disciples, the crowd, and the Pharisees?

What impact should it have on us?

Study Resources

To learn more about this study passage, go to
https://www.bibleref.com/John/12/John-12-12.html. Read the commentary for each verse in the study passage.  (Also read the Context Summary and the Chapter Summary.)

If you have any questions about this passage, type the verse reference or your question in the search box at the top of
https://www.gotquestions.org/ and explore the results.

If you have a study Bible, read the footnotes and study notes and see how they help you understand this passage. Also, check out any maps, charts, and articles related to the study passage.

Footnotes:

  1. Hosanna is a transliteration of the Hebrew Hosia-na, meaning Save, we pray or Save now, which became a shout of praise; see Psalms 118:25. ↩︎
  2. Psalms 118:26 ↩︎
  3. Zechariah 9:9 ↩︎
  4. Psalm 118:25–26. ↩︎
  5. Zechariah 9:9. ↩︎