Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt

 Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.  But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.

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

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

"Fear not, daughter of Zion;
Behold, your King is coming,
Sitting on a donkey's colt."

His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.  Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness.  For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign.  The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, "You see that you are accomplishing nothing.  Look, the world has gone after Him!"

- John 12:9-19

On Saturday, we read the conclusion of the story of the raising of Lazarus, which is the seventh and final sign in the Gospel of John.  (See the first part in Friday's reading.)   After speaking with Christ, Martha went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you."  As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him.  Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him.  Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there."  Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."  Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.  And He said, "Where have you laid him?"  They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."  Jesus wept.  Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!"  And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?"  Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb.  It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.  Jesus said, "Take away the stone."  Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."  Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"  Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.  And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me."  Now when He had said these things, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"  And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."

Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.  But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.  The lectionary skips over two important passages.  The first is that of the plot to kill Jesus by the Sanhedrin, in response to the raising of Lazarus (11:45-57).  After taking this decision, the Gospel tells us, both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone knew where Jesus was, he should report it, that they might seize Him.  It is now the time of Passover, when all devout Jews went to the temple in Jerusalem.  Our passage for today tells us that many believe in Jesus, and apparently also among the leadership and their followers.  Lazarus has also become a target for murder, as his life is now proof of the presence of God with Jesus.  The second passage that has been skipped is the anointing of Jesus' feet, by Mary of Bethany, six days before Passover (12:1-8).  At that time, Judas Iscariot criticized Mary, but she was defended by Christ.

The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 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!"  Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written:  "Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming,  Sitting on a donkey's colt."   At this time in Jewish history, nationalism and a hope of throwing off Roman rule had led to the expectation of a political Messiah, who would reestablish the kingdom of David.  With the raising of Lazarus, after the other signs performed by Christ in His ministry, expectations regarding Him run very high.  Everyone knows who He is, and that the leadership seek Him out to seize Him.  We can't forget the intense political backdrop to the story, and the passions and different interests, aims, and expectations that run very high.  But Christ sends His own message.   After the feeding of the five thousand, John's Gospel told us that previously He realized the people wanted to forcibly make Him king, and did His best to evade them (6:15).  Here He rides not on a horse or in a chariot -- the image of a conquering king -- but rather in humility, on a young donkey.  My study bible says this is a sign of humility and peace, as referenced in Zechariah 9:9, which the people proclaim here in one of the many notable ironies of the Gospel.  My study bible says that this entrance into the Holy City declares the establishment of the Kingdom of God.  It is also a promise of Christ's final entrance into the heavenly Jerusalem with all believers, and His accepting the New Jerusalem as His pure Bride (Revelation 21:2).  The people also shout from Psalm 118:25-26, associated with messianic expectation.  This was recited daily for six days at the Fest of Tabernacles, and seven times on the seventh day as branches were waved, a proclamation of the coming kingdom.  Hosanna means "save, we pray!" which is a prayer of deliverance.

His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.  Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness.  For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign.  The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, "You see that you are accomplishing nothing.  Look, the world has gone after Him!"  It's important to note that the disciples did not understand these things at first.  It was after Jesus was glorified that they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.  The coming of the Holy Spirit is so important to all of these events that it illumines and magnifies for the disciples the meanings hidden within them.  But in the meantime, John reports the ferocious political climate of this time, both among the people and among the leaders who tell one another, "You see that you are accomplishing nothing.  Look, the world has gone after Him!"

The political backdrop to the Gospel is made explicit by the details that John reports.  In the remarks of the Pharisees we can read their full-on attachment to their positions, their political envy and scheming, their desire to simply be rid of Jesus whose very presence threatens their authority over the people.  The people, for their part, expect Jesus to be a king, a political messiah, one who can lead them amidst Roman rule to a victory of the nation.  What did kings do at this time?  The greatest king was the one who could conquer all with his might and tactical fighting abilities, gaining spoils for the nation and the people.  Jewish spiritual history looks back to David, who loved God and sought to lead in righteousness, not always succeeding.  This is the backdrop of concerns and experience reflected in the people and in the leaders in this story, and into this Jesus comes with another kind of kingdom, and asking for a particular kind of faith -- riding on a young donkey.  Even the disciples do not clearly understand this at this time.  From their varied responses in all the Gospels, we know that on the way to Jerusalem they quarreled among themselves as to who would be greatest in the kingdom they also expect to manifest, despite Jesus' several warnings to them of what is to come.  John's Gospel is at once perhaps the deepest mystically but at the same time looks with an acute eye for the politics of the time, the every day political experience of the times.  Even the term "the Jews" is used as a political term, denoting the religious leadership, and giving us -- when we understand it properly -- a picture of an extremely political time, a time when kingdoms were constantly battling each other and Rome ruled the world as a conquering empire at this time.  At the specific period of time in which John's Gospel was written, Rome was at its highest level of prosperity and stability, and greatest territorial expanse.  Moreover, historical documentation reveals to us the persecution of Christians of this period, carried out more in the context of denunciation and which demanded renouncing of Christian faith upon pain of death.  All of this contributes to the acute political backdrop of the time of the writing of this Gospel, as we must assume John's personal experience of exile must have done as well.  But amid all the politics, the one thing remains true, and that is the spiritual kingdom ushered in by Jesus Christ, and especially the true light of His illumination that gives meaning to all things.  The Gospel captures the intensity of political conflict and its deadly effects, while always reminding us of the true reality of Christ amidst the worldly.  Christ's use of images is frequently mistakenly taken literally, and depends upon His illumination to be understood (such as when He speaks with Nicodemus in chapter 3, or with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well in chapter 4:1-42).  But at the time of the Triumphal Entry, which we commemorate at Palm Sunday, there are unprecedented motivations and aims, all of them deadly serious, all of them violent in one way and another.  The urgency of both leaders and the people should be understood in this context.  But in the midst, we have Jesus, who rides into Jerusalem as expected Messiah, but sitting on a young donkey, sending a message it would take the enlightenment of His glory for the disciples to understand.  "Who is the King of Glory?" the psalm asks. "The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory" (Psalm 24).  The story of Christ teaches us to look to that Light, no matter what the times may present us with -- no matter how urgent, or deadly serious, or viciously cruel.  Let us remember whom we worship first, and what He teaches us amidst all other calls and demands we see in our lives.  It is in His light that we see light (Psalm 36:9), and He is the light that gives meaning to all things, and shows us how to walk through our own ruthless times and circumstances (8:12).