John 12:12

John 12:12 says, On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,  The religious leaders were wondering if Jesus would come to Jerusalem for the Passover, and they got the answer.  Verse thirteen adds, Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.  He did not come quietly into the city.  When the people heard He was coming, they met Him with palm branches, and cried, "Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord." Palm branches were a sign of victory and triumph.  They were not meeting a man under a death sentence, but a man Who they saw as the true King of Israel.  When we meet Jesus today, we must meet Him the same way.  He is the victor over sin and death, and we must greet Him as such.  They declared Him the King of Israel Who came in the name of the Lord, but He was so much more.  He was and is the Lord.  Verse fourteen continues, And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written,  Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it for His ride into Jerusalem.  He wasn't greeted by those in power, but by the ordinary people.  He didn't ride in on a great steed, but on a donkey. Jesus did not come to bring an earthly kingdom of power into existence, but a spiritual kingdom of service.  He did not come just for the rich and powerful, but for all people.  We too often want the steed when we go out in His name.  We don't need private jets and thousand-dollar hotel rooms, but simply a way from place to place and a place to rest.  Verse fifteen concludes, Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt.  Jesus's entry was in fulfillment of a prophesy from Zechariah 9:9, which says, "Fear not, daughter of Sion: Behold, a King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt." God’s word has always been true. Verse sixteen says, These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him. The disciples at first did not understand the saying, but after Jesus was glorified, they realized these prophecies were written about Him and done to Him.  I think we too often see the fulfillment of prophecies about Jesus as Him checking off a list to accomplish.  The prophecies were fulfilled as Jesus lived His life instead of Jesus living His life to fulfill the prophesies.  We may not always understand everything that God is doing in our life until we look back on it, and the same was true with the disciples and the prophecies about Jesus.  As they looked back, they saw how the prophesies were fulfilled.