The Gospel According To John; wk. 6 "The King Who Came to Us"

Title: The King Who Came to Us?
Key Verses: John 11:43–45; John 12:12–19
Link to full Sermon: (click here)

The King Who Came to Us

Palm Sunday is one of the most powerful and revealing moments in all of Scripture. It is the day Jesus entered Jerusalem as King. Crowds gathered, palm branches waved, and voices shouted, “Hosanna!” But this moment was far more than a celebration. It was a revelation. The King had come, and the question was simple: would people receive Him, or would they miss Him?

The Miracle That Set Everything in Motion

Before Jesus ever rode into Jerusalem, He stood outside a tomb and called a dead man back to life.

“Lazarus, come out.”

For four days Lazarus had been dead. His body had begun to decay. There was no hope left. And yet, with a single command, Jesus proved that He had authority over death itself.
This miracle changed everything.

Many believed in Jesus because of what they saw. Others, especially the religious leaders, were filled with fear. Instead of surrendering to what was clearly the power of God, they began to plot against Him. Their decisions were driven not by truth, but by fear.
And that is still true today.

When fear leads, we rarely respond the way God desires. Fear causes us to ask, “What if?” But faith declares, “Even if.” Even if things do not go the way we expect, God is still in control. His plans are not shaken by our circumstances.

The Prophecy Being Fulfilled

As Jesus entered Jerusalem, the scene looked spontaneous, but it was anything but.
Hundreds of thousands of people filled the city for Passover. When they heard Jesus was coming, they ran to meet Him, waving palm branches and shouting, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

What they did not fully realize was that this moment had been prophesied centuries earlier.
The prophet Zechariah declared that the King would come riding on a donkey. And that is exactly what Jesus did. Every detail was intentional. Every step was fulfillment.
Jesus was not caught in the moment. He was carrying out a plan that had been set in motion long before.

The King They Didn’t Expect

The people were ready for a king. But they were expecting the wrong kind.
They wanted a conqueror. Someone who would overthrow Rome. Someone who would restore political power and national strength. But Jesus came differently.

He did not ride in on a war horse. He came on a donkey.
He did not come to take a throne. He came to carry a cross.
The people wanted external freedom, but Jesus came to bring internal transformation. He came to conquer sin, death, and the human heart.

And because He did not meet their expectations, many of them missed Him.
That is the danger for us today. We can want Jesus to fix our circumstances while missing the salvation He came to provide.

Fascination vs Faith

The crowds were amazed by Jesus. They had seen miracles. They had heard His teaching. They were fascinated.

But fascination is not the same as faith.

Even the disciples did not fully understand what was happening at the time. It was only later, after Jesus was glorified, that everything began to make sense.

Many followed Jesus because of what He did. But true faith is about trusting who He is.
So the question is not: do you like Jesus?

The question is: Is He your King?

The King Who Came to Die

Palm Sunday looks like a celebration, but it is actually the beginning of a journey to the cross.

Every step Jesus took into Jerusalem was a step closer to His death.

He knew it. He was not surprised by it. He came for it.

Centuries earlier, Isaiah prophesied that He would be pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities. Jesus did not come to avoid the cross. He came to embrace it.
Most kings come to conquer by taking lives.
Jesus came to conquer by giving His.

The greatest enemy we face is not a government or a nation. It is sin. And the only way to defeat sin is through sacrifice.

That is why Jesus came.
Don’t Miss the King
Within a few days of Palm Sunday, everything changed.
The same crowd that shouted “Hosanna” would cry out “Crucify Him.”
The same city that welcomed Him would reject Him.
Why?
Because He was not the king they wanted.
But He was exactly the King they needed.
And that leads us to the most important question:
Will you receive the King who came to you, or will you miss Him?

Jesus did not wait for you to come to Him. He came to you. He stepped into our brokenness, our sin, and our need. He came to bring salvation.

As He told Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.”

That is the hope of the gospel.
And that is the invitation of Palm Sunday.