John

Check out all the previous John readings here.

John Reading Plan | Week 15, Day 2

Prayer

Give your soul a moment of silence to align with your body. Express gratitude to God for the opportunity to be with Him and invite Him to meet you at this time.

Bible Reading: John 12:12-19

Read these verses three times slowly.

The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

“Hosanna!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Blessed is the king of Israel!”

Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:

“Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;
see, your king is coming,
seated on a donkey’s colt.”

At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.

Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”

Reflection & Questions

Jesus is approaching Jerusalem, and He knows He is approaching his death. A death he enters because of the joy of the liberating of those in sin and the gift of eternal life, but a harrowing death all the same.

But for His followers, who have no idea of what this Holy Week holds, this is a ride of a King coming to liberate them from Roman occupation. They are shouting praises like “Hosanna” (Save Us!) and “Blessed is the king of Israel”.

This confusion of who Jesus was remains to this day. Some will say, “If Jesus was a King, why is the world still just as broken?” Or “He was a good teacher, but nothing more.” Or “What relevance does a holy man 2,000 years ago have to do with me?”

But for those who know Jesus, He has transformed their hearts and one day will heal body, mind and soul, giving them eternal life. The Pharisees complained in astonishment, “Look how the whole world has gone after him!”; little did they know that that would become more and more real even 2,000 years later. Jesus didn’t shy from facing a cruel death for our liberation, of course we are going to “go after him!”

1. What word or phrase sticks out to you from these verses? Why?
2. What are some opinions you have heard others say about who they think Jesus was? What convinced you that Jesus is who He says He is?

Prayer

Talk to God in response to today’s reading.

Worship Song

You might use this song today to worship Jesus today:

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Questions?