Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Thursday, March 13, 2014 Read John 12:9-19 The next event in John’s story is one that he also shares with the synoptic writers – the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. John has attached a brief note to this story at the beginning about how the religious leaders are determined to kill Jesus. John tells us that the crowd who had witnessed the raising of Lazarus plays a significant part in the story – they want to see not only Jesus but Lazarus as well, perhaps to verify that he really was raised from the dead. The result is perilous for Lazarus. The religious authorities decide that they must kill Lazarus too – a reference to the reality that followers of Jesus may need to pay with their lives. The religious authorities are threatened because many people are now deserting them and believing in Jesus. We need to wonder how firm their “believing” will be – the cross is coming. The story of the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem told by John and that told by Mark, Matthew, and Luke are quite similar. John has told a few details the others leave out – the use of palm branches and his reference to the testimony of those who witnessed the sign of Lazarus’ raising from the tomb. John has also left out some of what the others included – the details about Jesus followers entering the city and finding the colt that never had been ridden and the placing of their garments on the colt. All four gospels reference Psalm 118 as the response of the people upon Jesus’ entry – it is a triumphant entry in all of them. John did also reference Zechariah 9:9, a reference absent in Mark and Luke but also present in Matthew (Matthew 21:5). The use of this story by all four gospel writers is also strikingly similar. They agree on the symbolic message of this story. While the placement of the story may be a bit more dramatic for Mark, Matthew, and Luke as the first and only entry of Jesus into Jerusalem the symbolism of the coming of the King is the same. John has spoken of an “hour” which is coming for Jesus. Events in John’s gospel could not happen because Jesus’ “time had not yet come.” This story signals the arrival of the “hour” that has been awaiting Jesus. And the next story will make that even clearer.