John 12:12 Commentary and Bible Study

There are a number of subjects mentioned in this passage from verses 12 to about verse 30. What do they have in common? The uniting factor seen in most of these verses is the apostle John tracking the statements or views or reactions of seven different parties to Christ. There are seven views, utterances, attitudes, statements of different groups listed throughout the passage.First, there is the voice of the people: ‘Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.’ They were, of course, taking these words from Psalm 118. It is the preparation for the Passover, and this was the psalm that dominated the Passover, that was repeated and sung. ‘Hosanna’ – it is not just an exclamation of praise. The Hebrew word translated there ‘Hosanna’ literally means ‘save now’. And you can translate it that way. Of course, it commemorated this feast and it looked back to the deliverance of the people centuries before from slavery in Egypt. So their minds were very much on liberation from slavery. And they believed wrongly that the work of Messiah would be to give them another deliverance. Just as they were long ago delivered from slavery in Egypt, so now they believed they would be delivered from Roman occupation. So now he is coming to Jerusalem, against all expectation – the authorities thought he would never return – and they take branches of palm trees and they proclaim him and they cry out for him. So the people give voice first of all. This is surely our Messiah. They may have the objective wrong, but that is the first testimony: that of the ordinary people who came from the town and cities and countries around, the Jews who flocked to Jerusalem for the Passover. A vast throng are saying publicly: He honours all the signs of Messiah; he fulfils all the requirements. He has the power, the character; he is surely our Messiah. It is a tremendous attestation of him, authentication of him, as the Son of God qualified to be our Redeemer.