John 12:12-19
12:12 a The next day was Sunday (see 12:1 b).• A large crowd of pilgrims (many from Galilee) camped in this region. As Jesus followed the road to Jerusalem, they cheered him. This triumphal entry appears in all four Gospels (Matt 21:1-11 c; Mark 11:1-11 d; Luke 19:29-38 e).
12:13 f palm branches: The date palm was a celebratory symbol of Jewish nationalism.
• meet him: The Greek word commonly describes crowds greeting a returning, triumphant king.
• Blessings on the one: The crowd quoted Ps 118:25-26 g, with a greeting for those who came to Jerusalem. The phrase Hail to the King of Israel is not in the psalm (but see Zeph 3:15 h). Although the people saw Jesus as a national political liberator, he rejected this role (John 6:15 i).
12:14 j By choosing a young donkey rather than a warhorse, Jesus calmed the frenzied crowd that was passionate for his kingship. He also fulfilled Old Testament predictions regarding the Messiah (see Zech 9:9 k) and showed that his kingship was not that of a warrior. His gift is life, not conquest.
12:16 l The crowds and even the disciples didn’t understand Jesus’ true significance. When the disciples received the Holy Spirit following Jesus’ glorification, they fully comprehended who Jesus was (see 2:22 m).
Summary for John 12:17-19: 12:17-19 n This scene describes the apex of Jesus’ popularity.
12:19 o everyone: Literally the world. The Pharisees’ words were more significant than they realized. Jesus came to reach the world (3:17 p), and the Pharisees said that Jesus had accomplished his task.
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