What Old Testament prophecies connect to the events in John 12:17? Setting the scene in John 12:17 The crowds are buzzing because they witnessed Jesus “call Lazarus out of the tomb and raise him from the dead” (John 12:17). Their testimony and excitement form part of the Triumphal Entry moment, which Scripture had been pointing toward for centuries. Key Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in the surrounding events “ ‘O LORD, save us, we pray!’ … ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.’ ” – The cry “Hosanna” (Hebrew, “save now”) on Palm Sunday echoes this Messianic psalm. – The crowd’s blessing of Jesus lines up precisely with the psalm’s declaration over the coming King. “See, your King is coming to you, righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” – John 12:14-15 quotes this verse directly. – The people’s eyewitness report about Lazarus raised their expectation that the humble donkey-rider was indeed the prophesied King. “Then the eyes of the blind will be opened … the lame will leap like a deer.” – Isaiah foretold that Messiah’s ministry would be marked by miraculous healings. – John’s Gospel highlights sign after sign—including Lazarus’s resurrection—as proof that Jesus fits Isaiah’s description. “Your dead will live; their bodies will rise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust!” – The raising of Lazarus gives a literal preview of this promise. – The crowd unknowingly celebrates the One who will bring the full resurrection Isaiah foresaw. “‘I will open your graves and bring you up from them, O My people … Then you will know that I am the LORD.’ ” – Lazarus walking out of the tomb is a tangible sign that the LORD Himself is present and at work in Jesus. How the prophecies converge in John 12:17 1. Messianic miracles (Isaiah 35; 26; Ezekiel 37) create the witness. 2. Messianic recognition (Psalm 118) shapes the crowd’s shout. 3. Messianic arrival (Zechariah 9) explains the donkey and the procession. The people may not grasp every theological detail, yet their enthusiastic testimony perfectly dovetails with what the prophets declared—demonstrating that the Scriptures speak with one voice about Jesus, the life-giving King. |
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