John 12:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,

NIV: Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:

NASB: Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written:

CSB: Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written:

NLT: Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said:

KJV: And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written,

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

The people are cheering and celebrating Jesus as their Promised One (John 12:12–13). Palm branches are symbols of victory, hosanna is a kingly shout derived from the Psalms, and they are eagerly anticipating a Savior. All of these are fulfillments of prophecy. Daniel 9:25 even suggests a specific date, indicating a certain time from a kingly decree to the arrival of Messiah. Examining those details points to the date of March 30, AD 33, which is the Monday prior to Passover (John 12:1, 12).

Some of Jesus' fulfillments of prophecy were deliberate. This is one such example. Zechariah 9:9 speaks of the king of Israel riding on a donkey's colt; this will be cited by John in the next verse (John 12:15). This choice has other implications, as well. Conquering heroes of the ancient world would have ridden in on horses—animals used in that region for war. Jesus, on the other hand, enters on an animal that's useful only for peaceful purposes. This is the same contrast as someone riding in a modern parade in the bed of a pickup truck, rather than in the turret of a tank.

This reception for Jesus is in no small part due to His recent resurrection of Lazarus (John 12:17–18), but this has been building for some time. The people have noted how Jesus seems to fit the Scriptures, and they've responded to His power in the past (John 6:15). However, most people still expect Messiah to be a military / political ruler. Being told otherwise is not what they want to hear (John 6:26, 66). The excitement of the people for someone to challenge Rome is also exactly what the local religious leaders have feared (John 12:19). That, in fact, was their main justification for plotting to have Jesus killed (John 11:45–53).

John 12:12–19 describes the triumphal entry: Jesus' celebratory parade into Jerusalem a few days before Passover. To this point, Jesus has been relatively quiet about His mission, even asking people not to proclaim Him. Now, He fulfills prophecy by riding into the city on a donkey, as people shout ''Hosanna'' and throw down coats and palm branches. This affirms the fears of local religious leaders, who worry Jesus' popularity will attract the anger of the Roman Empire. As it turns out, most of these people misunderstand Jesus' mission, thinking His plan is to overthrow the Romans to free Israel. This event is also described in Matthew 21:1–11, Mark 11:1–10, and Luke 19:28–40.

Jesus is treated to an honorary dinner at the home of Lazarus, whom He has recently raised from death. At this dinner, Lazarus' sister, Mary, anoints Jesus with expensive oil. Jesus then enters Jerusalem to great fanfare, stoking fears that His popularity will attract the anger of the Roman Empire. That anger even inspires a murder plot against Lazarus. After being approached by non-Jewish seekers, Jesus offers a final plea for people to understand His ministry. In effect, these are the last public words spoken by Jesus in the gospel of John.

In the prior chapter, Jesus spectacularly raised Lazarus from death in front of a crowd of witnesses. This inspired local religious leaders to commit to having Him killed. Here, after a celebratory dinner where Jesus is anointed with oil, He will fulfill prophecy by riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, celebrated with shouts of ''Hosanna'' and a massive crowd. This leads to a group of curious non-Jews approaching Him. Christ then offers a final plea for belief in Him and His message. After this, His ministry will turn 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.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.