"12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,
15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, 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 about him and had been done to him. 17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”"
John 12:12-19
We have spoken of how the gospel writers have presented a King to us in the story of Jesus. Well, here is the King not only offering Himself to His people but also coming to do battle against sin, against the sin that had marred the face of God's creation. Jesus had set His face steadfastly to go to Jerusalem for this very thing. In this connection, there is a tremendous irony and pathos in the fact that it is precisely here - in His own people's rejection of Him - that He comes in contact with the most awful and terrible aspect of sin - the deliberate blindness on the part of a people who should have known Who He was and welcomed Him. This is the heart of the mystery of sin. One senses nevertheless, the attitude almost akin to pride and joy with which the gospel writers display this King going forth to battle as if to say 'Behold Him, this glorious Figure, Who has shown His kingship in such an unmistakable way. Is it really possible that sin and death should survive such an onslaught and still retain their reign and rule in the world?' Thus John and the others go on from this point to show Christ accomplishing the death of death in the death He died. It is surely here that we see the inevitability of the resurrection of Christ. Peter said on the day of Pentecost 'It was not possible that He (Jesus) should be holden of it (death)'. Not possible indeed: For He is the High King of heaven come down Himself to put things right. Furthermore, His Kingship is demonstrated supremely in the fact that in their very refusal of Him He was still in control, not-withstanding, and did His biggest and greatest work, accomplishing through their refusal of Him His glorious redemption, turning the wrath of man to praise Him. This is how Kingly He is: But there is something else to be said. The dark side of grace is judgment; when the King was refused, the kingdom was taken from the unbelieving Jews. It is not all the same in the end what men do with the King. To reject Him is to reject all hope or possibility of peace.