Devotion for Tuesday 08/04/2025

John 12:12-13 (NKJV)

12 The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,

13 took branches of 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!”

14 Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written:

15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion;

Behold, your King is coming,

Sitting on a donkey’s colt.”

When John wrote this gospel, the other three gospel writers of Jesus' life—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—had already been established and distributed. Hence John wants to focus more on the details and real meanings behind Jesus' miracles and teachings. In John's writings, the inner motivations and the private thoughts of the disciples are given greater emphasis.

This coming Sunday is Palm Sunday – commemorating the branches of palm trees held up to welcome Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem. Palm branches were ancient symbols of victory. The term hosanna was most famously used in Psalm 118:25–26, and means "save now!". These exclamations signify the high hopes for deliverance, in anticipation of a mighty deliverer/messiah.

In line with our previous week’s devotion, every bit of Jesus’ life are fulfilments of the prophecies spoken about him. The triumphant ride on the young donkey in John 12:15 was foretold in Zechariah 9:9, some 600 years before.

After Jesus spectacularly raised Lazarus from death in front of a crowd of witnesses in John 12, the Jewish religious leaders had made up their mind to have Him killed. Jesus had become an existential threat to their power structure. They began a scheme to whip up public sentiment to go against Jesus.

Conventional wisdom tells us to never trust a crowd, for they can be swayed and turned at a short time. Within the space of a week, the same crowd that shouted ‘Hosanna’ had changed to ‘crucify him’!

After this, Jesus’ ministry immediately turns to preparing the disciples for His impending death and resurrection. The next several chapters of the gospel of John are almost entirely made up of his teachings to these men to prepare them for his departure.

What is our take on these events? The answer is that we can never entrust our lives and anchor our hopes on public opinions or any political movements. One moment they are applauding you and the next moment vying for your blood!

Our ultimate security is in God who is unchanging and faithful. In James 1:17, it says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows".

Have a blessed Tuesday!