Matthew 21:1-6, John 12, John 13, John 14, John 18, John 19
The Pastor’s Title
A local Pastor joined a community Service Club, and
the members thought they would have a little fun
with him. Under his name badge they printed, “Hog
Caller” as his occupation. Everyone made a big
fanfare as the badge was presented.
The Pastor responded by saying,” I usually am
called the “Shepherd of the sheep”… but I guess
you know your people better than I do.”
This morning we are going to examine several chapters in
John’s gospel. Yes, we are going to talk about the
triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, but we are also
going to see some of the many ways Jesus prepared for
the resurrection.
If we just talk about Jesus going into Jerusalem today
and then we jump right to His resurrection next week, we
miss so many crucial details. Today we are going to talk
about several of those details.
Let’s start by asking God to move in our hearts and to
put our bodies into action as we study the word this
morning.
We are going to spend most of our time looking at the
gospel of John this morning, but since John doesn’t
mention Jesus sending the 2 disciples to find the colt we
are going to look at Matthew’s gospel.
Matthew 21:1-6
Jesus Prepares the Way for His Entry into
Jerusalem.
Jesus gave two disciples the privilege of helping Him
secure transportation to Jerusalem. Similar to when He
told the disciples to find the upper room so they could
have the last supper, Jesus tells the 2 disciples what they
will find and they find it exactly as He says.
Jesus not only prepared the disciples for the task, He
prepared the owners of the colt to allow it to be used for
His triumphal entry.
Most people would take exception to some stranger
coming and taking their donkey. Jesus made sure that
they would allow it.
He told the disciples exactly what to say if anyone
questioned them while they were retrieving the donkey.
Jesus is always at work.
Even when we don’t feel it or see it, He is always
working.
Can you think of a time you were dealing with something
and later on you saw how God used that to protect you or
to bring a different blessing into your life?
What we go through in the present prepares us for
what is coming in the future.
Remember what we talked about the past two weeks.
Jesus predicted His death and resurrection three times.
He also predicted that Peter would deny Him three times.
The disciples couldn’t wrap their brains around that.
They couldn’t see the promise because of the
problem.
Jesus’ preparations also fulfilled Scripture.
Matthew quotes Zechariah 9:9 which speaks of the king
coming on a donkey.
John also mentions the prophets’ words about Jesus
coming on a donkey.
John 12:12-19
The crowd praises Jesus because they see Him as their
military savior.
Little did they know He had actually come to be their
spiritual savior.
But not everyone was there to praise Him.
John 12:9-11
The chief priests were planning on killing Lazarus.
They were upset that many of the Jews were believing in
Jesus because of His power to raise the dead.
The raising of Lazarus from the dead laid the groundwork
for Jesus’ resurrection.
Notice in verse 16 how the disciples didn’t understand
everything that was going on, but after He was glorified
they remembered the words that were written about
Him.
Isn’t it like that in our life too?
We don’t always know how God is working, but when we
finally see it we definitely know it was Him at work.
John 13:1-3
I really like these verses because they show us just how
much Jesus loves us.
“Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved
them to the end.”
They also show us His obedience to the Father.
Jesus loved us so much He was willing to be obedient to
the Father even to the point of death on a cross.
They also show us that He and the Father are one.
He came from God and was going back to God.
He was with God in the beginning.
He will be seated at the right hand of the Father.
They also show us He knew Judas would betray Him.
Jesus predicted His betrayal by Judas in John 13:21-30.
Jesus also helped prepare His disciples for His
resurrection by
Promising the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Promised the Holy Spirit
John 14:15-20; 25-31
Jesus tells them that the world can’t receive the Holy
Spirit because they don’t know Jesus. The Holy Spirit
only comes to dwell in believers.
Jesus also predicts His second coming here. He says He
won’t leave them as orphans. He will come to them.
But in the meantime He leaves the Holy Spirit.
Jesus tells them that the Holy Spirit will teach them all
things and help them remember His words.
He also tells them He is leaving them peace, not the
world’s peace but God’s peace.
He also mentions that He has told them all of this so that
they would believe. He knows that they don’t fully
understand or even believe that His death and
resurrection is going to happen, but after it does, they
will understand.
John 18:1-9, 12-14
Jesus Allows His Betrayal and Arrest
Jesus prepares for His resurrection by
Allowing His Betrayal and Arrest.
It’s interesting that they brought weapons to arrest Jesus
who was not violent at all. I wonder if they thought He
would resist?
Jesus took His disciples across the brook Kidron into a
garden.
Judas knew they would be there so he led the soldiers
and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees to where
He was.
Jesus is ready to complete the work the Father gave Him
to do.
He willingly allows them to arrest Him and tie Him up.
John 18:19-24
Annas asked Jesus about His teaching and His disciples.
He responded by saying He has been teaching openly
throughout His entire ministry. He tells Annas to ask the
people He ministered to what He taught.
Annas sent Jesus to Caiaphas next.
Then it was on to Pilate.
Pilate couldn’t find any fault in Him.
He offered to have Him released per the custom of
releasing one prisoner, but the crowd wanted Barabbas
released, a robber.
John 19:1-3, 16-22; 28-30, 38-42
Jesus knew what He was going to have to endure.
Remember when He took the disciples to the garden of
Gethsemane to pray and ask the Father if there was any
other way.
Of course there was no other way, because
Sin requires death and it was God’s plan for Jesus to go
to the cross to take on our
Do you remember when Jesus told the disciples about the
grain of wheat? He said that what goes into the ground
must die before it can bear fruit.
Jesus had to go to the cross to suffer God’s wrath so that
we could be spared from it.
Without the cross there could be no resurrection.
Notice how Jesus was in charge of when He died.
The Bible says He gave up His spirit.
All of the other times the people tried to capture and kill
Him were not successful because Jesus is in charge!
He laid down His life at the right time.
His death is preparation for His resurrection.
APPLICATION
We must never forget what Jesus did for us on the cross
at Calvary.
He suffered in our place and died a death that we
deserved.
But He is coming back for us.
We must Be Prepared for His Coming.
He has prepared a place for us in Heaven.
While we are still on earth, we need to be focused on
eternal matters.
Praying for the lost.
Sharing our testimony.
Listening for the Holy Spirit’s leading.
Loving our neighbors.
We should be storing up treasures in heaven.
The things of this world are temporary.
The treasures of heaven are forever.