Written by Lisa Davis, senior MA student, and brought to you by the Kelso Museum of Near Eastern Archaeology at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
Scripture
John 12:9-19
9 When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.
12 The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting,
“Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord —
the King of Israel!”
14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it; as it is written:
15 “Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion.
Look, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey’s colt!”
16 His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written of him and had been done to him. 17 So the crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to testify. 18 It was also because they heard that he had performed this sign that the crowd went to meet him. 19 The Pharisees then said to one another, “You see, you can do nothing. Look, the world has gone after him!”
Devotional
The Jerusalem crowd's shouts of Hosanna found in today’s Gospel reading have always fascinated me. Only a few chapters later, we see another crowd shouting for this same man to be crucified—utter exultation to complete condemnation in a matter of days.
What’s more, today’s Gospel reading tells us that the people came not for Jesus’s sake, but also to see Lazarus. In other words, the people’s hearts were not in the right place. They were seeking signs, miracles, and results instead of solely seeking the One for His own sake. Now, at the beginning of Holy Week, is the perfect time to learn from this crowd. Are we missing out on what God is doing because we are seeking something other than Him for His own sake? Let us use this week to recommit ourselves to seeking Jesus for Who He is, taking time to sit at His feet and experience Him, free from the burden of our expectations. Let us seek Him alone.
Prayer
Holy Father, we come to You asking for our hearts to be prepared to receive Your truth. Help me to seek after You for Who You are, trusting that my expectations are not necessary for You to work in my life. Amen.