The Whole World?
Scripture Reading — John 12:12-19
The Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”
—John 12:19
Walking through Moscow’s Red Square, I recalled the extravagant display of might seen on television many years earlier when the Soviet Union displayed its weapons there. Tanks and missiles paraded for all the world to see. That was quite a difference from Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on a donkey!
Crowds waved palm branches and cried, “Hosanna!”—a shout calling for salvation. Jesus’ ride into Jerusalem that day was not a display of military power. An old prophecy predicted that Jerusalem’s righteous king would come riding “on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). But the peace he proclaimed was not merely political; it was about making it possible for us to have peace with God.
Crowds love parades, and if a performer of miracles is leading the parade, they’ll be there. But, did the Pharisees get it right when they said the “the whole world” was following Jesus? Not really. Does the whole world today follow eagerly after Jesus, who died on a cross?
King Jesus endured this parade because it fulfilled God’s Word, but he knew the suffering he would soon face. He came to die in our place, the only way to bring the peace he promised.
There’s a whole world needing the Savior, who was rejected by the whole world but approved by God. Is he your Savior?
Lord Jesus, we rejoice with all who acknowledge you as Savior and Lord. May our lives testify to the truth that you have made salvation possible for us. In your name we pray. Amen.
About the author — George Vink
Pastor George Vink has served as a pastor in the Christian Reformed Church for more than 30 years in British Columbia, Montana, Michigan, and California. He and his wife, Shirley, have four married sons and nine grandchildren.
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