Three Responses to the Coming King
Examining Devotion, Hostility, and Discipleship Before Christ
Main Scripture John 12:12-15
Sermon Summary
This sermon addresses how people react when confronted with the lordship and impending sacrifice of Jesus Christ. By examining John 12, it teaches that Christ comes not as a earthly conqueror, but as the humble King who saves through His death on the cross. Readers are challenged to examine their own hearts, move away from secret belief and worldly compromise, and respond to Jesus with extravagant worship, open confession, and self-denying discipleship.
Introduction
Every person eventually encounters the claims of Jesus Christ. In moments of personal decision, professional pressure, or spiritual conviction, the question of who Jesus is demands a clear answer. We live in a world where neutrality toward Christ is impossible. Some admire Him from a distance, others quietly fear the social consequences of following Him, and some surrender everything to honor Him as Lord. In John chapter 12, as Jesus makes His final journey toward Jerusalem and the cross, the environment around Him intensifies. People from all walks of life are forced to take a stand. In this pivotal moment, God's Word exposes the human heart and presents us with three distinct responses to the coming King. By understanding these responses, we are invited to inspect our own lives and align our hearts with the true King who gave Himself for our salvation.
Main Scripture
John 12:12-15
On the next day a great multitude had come to the feast. When they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet him, and cried out, “ Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel! ” Jesus, having found a young donkey, sat on it. As it is written, “Don’ t be afraid, daughter of Zion. Behold, your King comes, sitting on a donkey ’s colt.”
John 12:12-15 is central to this message because it captures the public presentation of Jesus as Israel's long-awaited Messiah and King. Fulfilling the ancient prophecy of Zechariah, Jesus enters Jerusalem riding on a young donkey, demonstrating that His kingdom is established on peace, humility, and divine grace rather than worldly force or political violence. This passage serves as the structural pivot of John's Gospel, transitioning Jesus' ministry from public signs to His ultimate purpose on the cross. It forces every observer to decide whether they will welcome Him on His terms or reject Him for failing to satisfy their self-centered expectations.
Main Sermon Points
1. Worship the King with Sacrificial Devotion
Therefore Mary took a pound of ointment of pure nard, very precious, and anointed Jesus ’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.
Mary's act demonstrated complete self-surrender and deep reverence, pouring out a year's wages to honor Jesus before His burial.
Mary understood what others overlooked: Jesus was worthy of absolute, unreserved devotion. While Judas calculated the financial cost and criticized her extravagance, Mary recognized that no earthly gift is too valuable for the Son of God. Her posture of wiping His feet with her hair defied social conventions to honor her Lord. Sacrificial worship does not ask how little it can give, but delights in giving its absolute best to the Savior.
Evaluate what you hold most dear—whether your time, finances, reputation, or career goals. Consider whether you are holding back from total devotion to Christ out of fear of criticism. In your home, workplace, and local church, choose to honor Jesus through tangible acts of generosity, worship, and service, refusing to let the opinions of observers dictate your devotion.
Quick Insights
- True worship prioritizes the supreme worth of Jesus over financial security and human opinion.
- What the world considers wasteful extravagance, God values as precious spiritual devotion.
- Sacrificial love for Christ creates a fragrance of grace that blesses the entire community.
2. Resist the Trap of Fear and Pride
Nevertheless, even many of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they didn’ t confess it, so that they wouldn’ t be put out of the synagogue, for they loved men ’s praise more than God ’s praise.
Many religious leaders intellectually recognized Jesus, but their desire for human approval prevented them from making an open, saving confession of faith.
The second response seen in John 12 is fearful resistance and quiet compromise. The chief priests plotted murder to protect their positions, while certain leaders believed privately but refused to confess Christ publicly. John pinpoints the exact spiritual disease: loving the applause of men more than the praise of God. Fear of social exclusion, professional loss, or peer rejection creates a silent faith that ultimately dishonors the King.
Identify areas in your life where you might be shrinking back from openly declaring your faith in Jesus Christ. Whether in school, business dealings, or family gatherings, resolve to seek God's approval above human applause. Speak openly about your hope in Christ, knowing that loyalty to Jesus is worth far more than temporary social acceptance.
Quick Insights
- Seeking the approval of people will eventually silence your public testimony for Christ.
- Fear of earthly consequences often masquerades as quiet prudence or secret belief.
- Loving human praise blinds the human heart to the eternal glory and favor of God.
3. Follow the King in Faithful Discipleship
He who loves his life will lose it. He who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life. If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there my servant will also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
Jesus explicitly lays down the requirement of discipleship: dying to self-preservation in order to inherit eternal life and receive honor from the Father.
When inquiring Greeks arrived seeking to see Jesus, the Savior declared that His hour had come to die like a grain of wheat planted in the soil. He immediately applied this principle to everyone who would follow Him. The third response to the King is active, self-denying discipleship. We do not merely cheer for Jesus from the crowd; we surrender our self-will, pick up our cross, and walk where He leads, trusting that losing our earthly self-interest guarantees eternal life.
Practice daily self-denial by placing God's will and the needs of others ahead of your personal comfort. In your local church and community, serve quietly and faithfully without demanding recognition. When faced with choices between worldly gain and righteous obedience, choose the path of Christlike service, confident that God the Father will honor those who faithfully serve His Son.
Quick Insights
- Spiritual fruitfulness is never produced through self-preservation, but through total surrender.
- Following Jesus means walking where He walks and serving where He serves.
- Those who yield their lives to Christ are promised eternal honor from God the Father.
Bottom Line
Jesus Christ is the humble King who gave His life on the cross to save us, and the only fitting response to His supreme love is wholehearted surrender, fearless confession, and faithful discipleship.
Memorable Quote
When King Jesus demands your life, partial surrender is actually resistance; total devotion is the only fitting response to His infinite grace.
Theological Point
John 12 highlights the doctrine of Christ's Kingship and Redemptive Sacrifice, demonstrating that Jesus enters human history not as a worldly political conqueror, but as the divine Savior who secures victory through His death on the cross. His entrance into Jerusalem fulfills messianic prophecy, while His sacrificial death as the grain of wheat reveals that God's eternal glory is manifested through the cross, drawing believers from every nation into His eternal kingdom.
Prayer Guide
- Pray for a heart that offers unrestrained, costly worship to King Jesus without fear of human criticism.
- Ask God to deliver you from the trap of seeking people's praise above His divine approval.
- Seek God's help to surrender personal control daily, trusting that dying to self brings true life.
- Thank God for sending Jesus as the humble King who gives eternal life to all who follow Him.
Responding to God’s Word
Responding to God's Word requires us to revisit our title: Three Responses to the Coming King. We have seen that faced with the claims of Jesus, people either respond with extravagant devotion like Mary, fearful resistance like the cautious leaders, or faithful discipleship like the true followers who yield their lives to Him. Jesus did not ride into Jerusalem to receive empty applause; He came to lay down His life as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. On the cross, He was lifted up to break the power of darkness and draw all nations to Himself. Today, the King calls you out of spiritual darkness into His marvelous light. Will you hold back your life out of fear and love for human praise, or will you pour out your devotion at His feet? Let us turn away from compromise, embrace the cross, and follow King Jesus with joyful, unreserved obedience.
