The Way of Love #3 – Weekly Study Questions
The Triumphal Entry
Easter 2026 – The Way of Love (CGS #3) – John 12:12-26
INTRODUCTION – As we continue looking at the Way of Love, we’re following Jesus as he sets his face toward the cross, which is the perfect expression of God’s love for us. This week, the Triumphal Entry, in which Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time before his crucifixion. From a purely narrative standpoint, we could call this “the beginning of the end” for Jesus’ time on earth. Just a few days after this moment–and in the same general area–is the Last Supper, the betrayal in the Garden of Gethsemane, and the crucifixion. This is essentially the last stop on Jesus’ journey to the cross. Knowing what’s about to happen to him, a few surprises stand out:
First, the overwhelmingly enthusiastic welcome he receives. Palm branches had historically been used in Jerusalem to welcome back military conquerors, and the shouts of “Hosanna” (literally, “Save us, we pray!”) indicate that this large crowd expects Jesus to be a military hero who will defeat the Romans and restore Jewish independence. Calling him “the King of Israel” tells us that they wanted him on the throne, not the Rome-loving Herodians. This is especially surprising because we know that in just 5 days’ time, this same crowd will be calling for his death. A sad irony is that while they call him the King of Israel now, the board proclaiming the reason for his death will say “the King of the Jews” (John 19:19).
Another surprise is that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. If Jesus was approaching Jerusalem as a conquering king, you’d expect him to be riding a war horse, probably with an army behind him. A donkey indicates peace and humility, not power. In seeking out a donkey (v. 14), Jesus was intentionally fulfilling a prophecy from Zechariah 9:9-10, which says that Jerusalem’s king will come “humble and mounted on a donkey,” and he will be “righteous and having salvation.” Most surprising of all, this king will “cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations.” By riding a donkey, Jesus was telling the people of Jerusalem that he was indeed their promised king, but he was not bringing war with the Romans; he was bringing peace with God.
A third surprise is the response of the Gentiles (Greeks) in verses 20-26. These people would be non-Jewish worshipers of God who had come to the Passover festival, indicating the partial fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham way back in Genesis 18:18 (“all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him”). Jesus was here to bring that promise to its ultimate fulfilment. His fame had spread outside of Israel’s borders, and now, truly, all nations were finding salvation in him. It’s even more surprising that it’s at this point, not the earlier entrance into Jerusalem, that Jesus says, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” (v. 23). Now, finally, with the arrival of the nations, Jesus says the time has come for his glorious victory on the cross.
As we turn our eyes to Jesus this Easter season, let’s inspect our expectations of him. Are you, like the crowd on Palm Sunday, expecting too little of Jesus? Because the fact is, their expectations were far too small. In the light of eternity, Rome was just a flash in the pan. It would be gone in a few hundred years. Jesus was after a much bigger enemy: death itself. His willing sacrifice on our behalf would reverse death, and his resurrection on Easter Sunday would make his offer of new life available to all. He invites us to bring everything to him, big things and small things, but let’s not lose sight of who he really is and what he really came to do: He is God, the Prince of Peace, the King of Righteousness, the author and perfector of our faith, the head of the Church, preeminent over all creation, our great high priest and intercessor before the Father. He did not die for your comfort, but for your holiness, and to give you new life that starts now and lasts forever.
GETTING STARTED – As a group, take time to answer this question: Have you ever been disappointed by unmet expectations? What happened and how did it feel?
IN THE WORD – Let’s dig back into the passage. It’s important to strengthen our muscles in reading God’s Word. On Sunday, we walked through the passage in the sermon. Hopefully, that helped you to see the landmarks of the passage with fresh eyes. Now, with your group, go back through it and see what God is saying to you specifically.
First, before you read the passage, take a moment to ask God’s Spirit to quiet your mind and heart and to illuminate the text to you. Second, read the passage aloud to the group. Then, follow the simple method below (O.P.A.).
Observe: Make 8-10 observations from the passage. Pay close attention to observe and note repeated words and phrases, names, places, and themes.
Principles: From your list of observations, what patterns or big ideas do you see emerging? Can you distill it down into 2-4 big idea truths?
Apply: Moving from your list of principles, it is time to apply God’s Word. Remember, we believe that God’s Word is living and active and that it can change the way we live Monday-Friday. What is one tangible way to apply a truth from your list above?
DISCUSS – Another way to approach your time together is to talk through the following discussion questions:
- What did you hear God’s Spirit say to you through the passage this week? How does it encourage you? How does it sharpen you?
- How have you seen God at work in your life this week? Have you enjoyed him? Have you heard his voice and the leading of his Spirit? Big ways or small ways.
- How could the inhabitants of Jerusalem go so quickly from shouting “Save us!” on Sunday to “Crucify him!” on the following Friday?
- Why does the text say the crowd went out to meet him (v. 17-18)? What does that tell you about how they viewed him?
- What did the crowd want Jesus to do? What did he actually come to do?
- Are your expectations of Jesus ever too small?
- When has God exceeded your expectations?