Page 88 - The Gospel of John - Student textbook

that we fail to see that some expressions of worship, although costly, are worth it. Obviously, the point can be
overstated, but the truth is most of Jesus’ followers will never be accused of being too generous in the
expenditure of their money for kingdom causes.

The contemporary church has too few people with Mary’s devotion. Her love was deep, intense, and
unmistakable. Her passion for Jesus moved her to fall at His feet. This kind of love is a rarity today. If the church
is to recover her passion for Jesus, then we need more people who are willing to humble themselves and fall at
His feet and stop criticizing those who do.

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Then a large crowd of the Jews learned He was there. They came not only because of Jesus, but also to see
Lazarus the one He had raised from the dead. Therefore the chief priests decided to also kill Lazarus,
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11 because he was the reason many of the Jews were deserting them and believing in Jesus. The next day,
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when the large crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took
palm branches and went out to meet Him. They kept shouting: “• Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the
name of the Lord —the King of Israel!” Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written: Fear
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no more, Daughter Zion; look! your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt.

The next day Jesus enters Jerusalem ridding on a donkey. This event is known as the Triumphal Entry and is
recorded in all four Gospels (Matthew 21:1 – 11; Mark 11:1 – 10; Luke 19:28 – 40). Its importance is seen in the
fact that not since the feeding of the 5000 has an event been found in all four Gospels. While John’s account is
more succinct than the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke), he does add some points of his own: he
alone dates the incident on the Sunday preceding Passover, the laying down of the palm branches, the reference
to the raising of Lazarus, the fact that the disciples do not understand the significance of these happenings until
later, and the Pharisees’ pessimistic words. When this event is examined in all four Gospels it becomes clear that
Jesus was making a messianic statement. The Gospels indicate that Jesus intentionally sought to fulfill the
Zachariah 9:9 by entering the city on a donkey. Both Matthew (21:5) and John specifically quote Zachariah 9:9.

This event was unspeakably important with respect to Old Testament prophecy and to the ministry of Jesus. It
did not happen accidentally. Jesus planned and
strategized to make it happen. The day was
Sunday and Jesus was planning to enter
Jerusalem for the last time.

The Triumphal entry was perhaps the greatest
fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy of all.
Fulfilled prophecy is an important evidence of the
Divine origin of the Scriptures. Let’s go back to
the book of Daniel.

In 538 B.C. Daniel wrote the following bold
prediction:

Daniel 9:25 “So you are to know and discern that
from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild
Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be
seven weeks of years and sixty-two weeks of
years.”
Mount of Olives – View from the Kidron Valley
In this prophecy (written 538 years before Christ was born), Daniel claimed there would be 69 “weeks of years”
between the issuing of a decree to rebuild Jerusalem and the appearance of the Messiah. In 464 BC, Artaxerxes,
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