Dial In with Jonny Ardavanis - Dial In - John 12:9-26 (Ep.33)

Episode Date: May 14, 2020

Dial In is a devotional series with the intention of helping followers of Christ understand God’s word and love Him more. Jonny seeks to communicate the profound depth of scripture in a digestible and condensed format each weekday. The goal of the podcast is that our “minds would be renewed” as we behold who God is in His word. In this series, Jonny is walking sequentially through the Gospel of John.In this episode, Jonny covers John 12:9-26 which details the account commonly known as “Palm Sunday.” The crowds are enthralled with Jesus and shout “hosanna!” Days later this same crowd would be shouting “crucify him!” This is no surprise to Jesus, this is why he came. To suffer and die. Verse 25: “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” Jesus must die in order to bring a harvest of salvation. For more information on Jonny Ardavanis and Dial In visit: https://www.jonnyardavanis.comTo watch the video series: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGB5fYWHTNemqp9aZC232egEnjoy!

Hey guys, my name is Johnny Artavanis and this is Dial In. We continue in our study of the biography of Jesus Christ as we look at an event that takes place just days before his execution. In this episode, we're in John chapter 12 verses 9 through 26. Let's dial in. John chapter 12 verses 9 through 26. When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him, but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.

So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, because on account of him, many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus. The next day, the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel. And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, fear not, daughter of Zion, Behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt. His disciples did not understand these things at first,

but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they had heard that he had done this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, you see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the whole world has gone after him. Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, sir, we wish to see Jesus. Philip went and told Andrew. Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. And Jesus answered them, The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to

you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me, and where I am, there will be my servant also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. Jesus has done powerful works and proclaimed powerful words throughout John's gospel, And the excitement around him is building. And then it ultimately explodes with the raising of Lazarus from the dead. This is the exclamation point on the three-year ministry of Jesus. The timing was perfect.

The location is perfect. Hundreds of thousands of people are flocking to Jerusalem for the Passover. And the topic of conversation as they walk and gather is Jesus, the one who casts out demons, who casts out disease, who feeds thousands, who walks on water, and who now has raised a dead man from the grave just two miles outside of the city. Jesus has sparked the enthusiasm of the entire nation. This passage includes what on the surface might look like the most memorable moment in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. In verse 13, the crowds are shouting out, Hosanna, which means

save us now. It is a plea for deliverance and they're waving palm branches in the air as Jesus rides by on a donkey. These branches were a symbol of celebration, a symbol of liberty. They were used as an expression of joy, but there was no joy amongst the Pharisees observing. They are fuming in verse 19 and they're saying, what are we to do? The whole world has gone after this man. What a transition, because that's exactly who Jesus came for, not just for the Jews, but for the entire world. John the Gospel writer weaves this story together to make plain that the kingship of Jesus is more than a local kingdom, but a global one. So the Gentiles in verse 20 want to talk to Jesus, and Jesus responds and says,

The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. So here's what's happening. Jesus enters the city on a donkey. Hundreds of thousands of people are celebrating him and the Gentiles want to meet Jesus. And Jesus says, the hour has come for the son of man to be glorified. He's referring here to his death. And he says, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. He is saying that his own death must occur in order to bring about the salvation of the world. Apart from his death, Jesus is saying,

no one will be saved. But not only is the principle of death applied to Jesus here, it is applied for all of those who will follow him. Jesus continues in verse 25, whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. The cross is not only the symbol of what Jesus would bear for us, but the symbol for that which we must bear as well. Jesus is saying, if you want to follow me, you must be ready to follow me where I am going. But where is Jesus going? He is going to the cross. He is going to die. In Matthew 16, 24, Jesus says, if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life

for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? Eternal life is an open invitation. Jesus is not merely the savior of the Jews. He is the savior of the world and he offers himself to whosoever believes, to whoever thirsts or anyone that would come unto him. This is a wide open general invitation, but it is also an invitation to die. And in losing our life for Jesus, we what? We find it. The thrill of Jesus doesn't last long. Four days later, this enthusiastic crowd is no longer shouting, Hosanna, but they are shouting, crucify him, crucify him. And when Pilate comes out and says, do you want Jesus to be released? They beg for him to release a criminal named Barabbas instead. And when Pilate says,

then what do you want me to do with Jesus? They say, slaughter him, slaughter him. On Friday of this exact same week, Jesus will literally be crucified and die while thousands of other Passover lambs are being slaughtered in the temple. But Jesus alone is the Passover lamb that God has chosen. All of the millions that have been slaughtered in previous years could never take away sin, but could only point to the one lamb that could, Jesus himself. The next time Jesus will have branches waved before him, it will not be by a fickle crowd, but by the redeemed of all of the earth. John says in Revelation 7 verse 9, after this, I looked and behold a great multitude that no one could number

from every nation, from all of the tribes and peoples and languages standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands and crying out with a loud voice, Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the lamb. Jesus is the lamb, the lamb that was slaughtered so that you and I might have peace with God. Stay dialed in.