What Jesus Did! 'Clearly Praised for a Few Days' — John 12:12-13

Sunday, August 23, 2026

The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted,
"Praise God!
Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hail to the King of Israel!"
— John 12:12-13 NLT

Key Thought

The people hope Jesus is their conquering savior sent to deliver them from the Romans. [1] They hail him as the great King David's heir. [2] Jesus, however, identifies with the servant and peaceful Savior of Zechariah's prophecy. [3] He comes as a peacemaker, not as a warrior on a conquest. [4] The crowd hails him in our verses today, but when he refuses to be the conqueror and a week later submits to arrest and torture, the crowd cries, "Crucify him!" [5] If Jesus is to be our Savior, he must also be our Lord. We come to him on his terms, or we miss him and miss the peace he came to bring to us. [6]

[1] Jeremiah 23:5-6.
[2] Matthew 21:9.
[3] Zechariah 9:9-12.
[4] Matthew 5:9; Luke 22:49-51.
[5] Mark 15:12-14.
[6] John 14:27.

Today's Prayer

Holy God, my Abba Father, thank you for sending Jesus to be our mighty Savior and humble servant King. Help me understand all that this means, and empower me to follow him no matter the cost. In Jesus' mighty name, I pray. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

4 Related Resources by Heartlight

Hail to the King!
Devo: Passion for Praise
"Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in God's name! Yes! The King of Israel!"
The Humility of a Little Donkey
Article by Joe Bagby
How much glory should we expect? From Mother Teresa comes a very simple lesson on humility and graciousness.
Let Jesus ...
Article by Phil Ware
What do these words mean and whose words do we trust? Phil Ware weaves in the 7 sayings of Jesus on the cross with the sense of forgiveness and mission that should be ours in the cross and resurrection of Jesus.
Connecting People of Other Cultures with Jesus
Article by Phil Ware
Are we willing to take the risk and reach outside our comfort zones to connect people with Jesus? Phil Ware continues his series on "The Andrew Effect" and connecting people with Jesus.

Illustration

Illustration of John 12:12-13 NLT — "Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hail to the King of Israel!"

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Sunday, August 23, 2026

Praying with Paul
Features the apostle Paul's writings turned into daily, powerful prayers.
'Anticipation of Victory' (1 Co. 15:47-50)
"Dear Father, keeper of every promise, Thank you for making the first man, Adam, a living soul. Thank you even more that by your power the last man,....."
Passion for Praise
A daily passage of Scripture emphasizing praise to our God.
'Who Alone Does Great Things' (Ps. 72:18)
"Praise the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does such wonderful things."
God's Holy Fire
A daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
'The Last Days Are Now' (Ac. 2:17)
"[Peter, on Pentecost, quoting from Joel 2:] "In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your..."
Spiritual Warfare
A daily devotional about God's power for our battles.
'God even Examines Your Secret Motives'
"The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the Lord, search all hearts and...."

About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

More What Jesus Did!