John 12:12-18
Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King
12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,
“Hosanna!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Blessed is the king of Israel!”
14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:
15 “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;
see, your king is coming,
seated on a donkey’s colt.”
16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.
17 Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18 Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him.
As people we like to see miracles...And we like to see and read about those people who can do miracles...When Jesus performed the amazing miracle of raising Lazarus, it was a little bit different than other miracles...Not that any miracle, by its very nature is not different...The raising of Lazarus was a spectacular miracle...And the more amazing the miracle the better, I think we like...
Many people, because they had heard that He had performed this particular sign, went out to meet Him...Now He had healed people, and people had seen those healing miracles...And He raised others from the dead, including Jairus' daughter from the dead (Matthew 5:42)...But she had not been dead that long...Lazarus had been dead for four days...There were those that thought with Lazarus being dead for four days he might emit a foul odor...Many people had seen this miracle at the home of Martha and Mary...And they were amazed how one could be dead for four days, and then Someone could bring them back to life...No one had ever seen a miracle like the raising of Lazarus...And when people heard about this miracle they wanted to meet Him...This miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus means that He can raise us from the dead at anytime...What a miracle...