This week’s readings are all from John chapter 12. Click here to see a full listing of each day’s reading and the full chapters for this week. Full readings of each day’s smaller segments of the readings will be posted on this site during the week.
Today's Reading
12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him. They began to shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!” 14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, 15 “Do not be afraid, people of Zion; look, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt!” 16 (His disciples did not understand these things when they first happened, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about him and that these things had happened to him.)
17 So the crowd who had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead were continuing to testify about it. 18 Because they had heard that Jesus had performed this miraculous sign, the crowd went out to meet him. 19 Thus the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you can do nothing. Look, the world has run off after him!”
"The world has run off after Him." They had no idea... 😅
His disciples did not understand these things when they first happened, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about him and that these things had happened to him.
I think it is great that there is this admission that Jesus' disciples didn't really understand all of this as it happened. So much of the work and message of Jesus made sense after the fact. This is true for me as well. So often I miss or misunderstand what Jesus is doing. I hope that I am humble enough that I can admit and I also want to find hope in: "I didn't really get it. It makes more sense now."
“Do not be afraid, people of Zion;look, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt!”
This is a quote from a clearly Messianic passage from Zechariah. The implications under Roman occupation would have been seen as a direct challenge to Caesar.