Who is This Son of Man?

Text: John 12:34

Proposition: Who is this Son of Man?

Introduction

Today is the Day of what we call the Triumphal Entry. Jesus entered Jerusalem riding the colt of a donkey. One on which no one had ever ridden on, (Luke 19:30). This was a miracle itself. Jesus didn’t have to train the colt so that he could ride it. The donkey didn’t buck Him off or give him any trouble. Jesus just sat on it and rode. Riding an unbroken donkey was no trouble for the one who created it. There were many people in Jerusalem, and more would be coming in the next few days. The feast of the Passover was coming in five more days. As Jesus rode into Jerusalem from Bethany many of the people were laying their garments and palm branches on the road as the donkey and Jesus came into Jerusalem. They were praising Jesus for all the miracles He had done. They were saying;

BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!

Hosanna to the Son of David;

BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD;

Hosanna in the highest!

The people were praising Jesus they were glad their Messiah had come. The Pharisees were jealous and angry. They said to one another, “You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him.”

Everybody is rejoicing, but Jesus is troubled.

John 12:23-28, Jesus knew he only had five more days until he was crucified. He entered Jerusalem as the Lamb of God. This day was also lamb selection day. The Israelites were to select a lamb for their Passover meal (Exodus 12:3) on this day and keep it until they killed it on the Passover. Jesus knew He was the Lamb of God. This Passover would be like none before it and like none after it. Jesus would be with the Israelites in Jerusalem for another five days just like the Passover lambs. This is the Passover that God had selected the Lamb. Jesus would be lifted up as the Passover Lamb

I. The one who was lifted up

A. The people understood Jesus was telling them what kind of death by which he was going to die. They didn’t like what they heard. They were expecting a king who would live forever. They were expecting a king that would conquer all their enemies and have a great kingdom like David. They didn’t want a King who was going to be crucified.

B. Jesus, just like those Passover lambs, was going to be lifted up.

1. When God told the Israelites how to cook their Passover lamb. He said, “Do not eat any of it raw or boiled at all with water, but rather roasted with fire, both its head and its legs along with its entrails.” Exodus 12:9

2. When you roast a whole animal with fire you have to lift it up high over the fire so that you won’t burn the exposed flesh before the inner flesh is cooked. The lamb would be on impaled on a stick lifted high for all in the family to see. When they brought the lamb to the table you would know it was the lamb you had selected a few days ago. There would be no mistaking what they were eating. My wife doesn’t appreciate it when I skin and gut a squirrel or a rabbit and put it in the freezer whole. She likes it better cut up in pieces because then she doesn’t think about eating a rodent. It is just some pieces of meat.

3. God had a reason that they have the whole lamb. That lamb had given its life so that the death angel would pass over their house and not harm the first born. What better illustration than a lamb lifted up on a spit or skewer could there be for the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world?

4. Jesus would be lifted up for all in Jerusalem to see the real Passover Lamb.

5. Joh 12:34 The multitude therefore answered Him, "We have heard out of the Law that the Christ is to remain forever; and how can You say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this Son of Man?"

6. They were right that He would remain forever.

7. Luke 1:31-33

8. They forgot about Isaiah 50:6, 52:14, and Isaiah 53 along with many others.

9. Jesus was the Son of Man who was lifted up

10. John 3:14

11. He was lifted up on the cross. He was lifted up out of the tomb. He was lifted up to heaven.

12. We must be careful not to be like these who knew that the Messiah would reign forever, but they rejected Him when he told them he was going to be killed. Don’t just believe the parts of the bible you like and fit with your agenda. Believe and obey the whole book.

13. One man I know has spent hours studying the bible. He knows it much better that the average person, but he lives with a woman he is not married to. It is plain and simple to see that living with someone you are not married to is sin. This man believes that there are some people who have satanic blood. All races except the white race are somehow descended from the devil. I didn’t read enough of the book he has to figure out how that came about. He thinks that is what Jesus meant in John 8:44 when he told the Jews they were of there father the devil. He believes they were really physically descended from the devil. He has a big fat book called The Last Battle Cry to prove it. I told him that is not what Jesus meant. Those men were sinners who refused to believe and obey Jesus. That meant their father was the devil. In this book the author said that fornication is race mixing. That the pure race had adulterated their pure blood by race mixing in marriage. I said, “I don’t know where the author got that definition. Fornication is when you are living with someone you are not married to. Fornicators and adulterers have as their father the devil.”

14. We have to observe all that Jesus has commanded, not just what fits with what we want.

II. The one who drew all men to himself (How was Jesus the Son of Man who drew all men to himself?)

A. On this day we see many different kinds of people drawn to Jesus.

• The children
• The multitudes
• The Greeks
• Even many of the rulers believed Jesus

B. The multitudes were drawn to him. They wanted to see this man who had raised Lazarus who had been dead for four days

1. John 12:17-18

2. They wanted a king who could raise the dead. If he could raise the dead. No army could ever defeat Him. When you fight a war. You win by killing your enemy. If you can raise the dead you can keep fighting until your enemy surrenders or there are no more of your enemy left to fight.

3. Zechariah 9:9, Jesus wasn’t the King they were looking for. He came to Jerusalem on a donkey. Kings ride horses not donkeys

• When we see pictures of George Washington leading his troops in the Revolutionary War. He is on a beautiful white horse.
• When picture of Napoleon. He is on a white horse.
• Triumphant kings ride horses.
• Even the kings in the Old Testament didn’t ride donkeys. David rode a mule and his sons rode mules
• Solomon had horses and chariots.
• Donkeys were for servants and prophets to ride, not kings
• Jesus rode a donkey.
• His kingdom was not of this world. He was humble.
• He didn’t come into Jerusalem leading an army to drive his enemies away. He came to Jerusalem to bring salvation. He came as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the sin of the world.

C. The Greeks

1. John 12:20-27

2. The Greeks were looking for Jesus.

3. Luke 2:25-32

4. Jesus is a light to the gentiles. The Greeks are seeking Jesus. Jesus knows that it is time for him to be glorified. It is time for him to lay down his life.

5. Matthew 28:18-20, we are to take the gospel to all creation. Jesus has no favored nations. No favored races. If a nation doesn’t want the kingdom of God the kingdom is removed from them and given to a nation that will produce the fruit of it.

6. Matthew 21:33-43, the kingdom of God was taken from the Jews and given to the Gentiles.

D. The rulers

1. John 12:42-43

2. These rulers believed in Jesus, but their belief was not enough. They didn’t confess their belief.

3. Matthew 10:28-33, these rulers feared man more than they feared God. Their belief was useless. They wanted the praise of men more than they wanted the praise of God

III. The one who abides forever (What did the law say about Jesus ruling forever?)

A. God promised David that his son would rule forever.

1. II Samuel 7:1-13

2. Jesus is the Son of David. We have his genealogy in Matthew chapter 1 and Luke chapter 3

B. He is a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek

1. Psalm 110:4

2. Hebrews 7:1-3

3. Melchizedek was a priest and a king.

4. Jesus is our king and our High Priest forever

5. Jesus entered into heaven itself with his own blood to make atonement for us.

6. Hebrews 9:11-12 and 24

Conclusion

Jesus is the Son of Man who was lifted up. He is the Son of Man who draws all men to himself. He is the Son of Man who abides forever. We have the choice just like these people did to believe Him and obey Him or reject Him for and crucify Him.

Hebrews 6:1-6

Let us not crucify Jesus again and put Him to shame, but glorify His name and live so that we bring glory to Him.