The Beginning of The End | The Follow Up - Gospel of John | Week 19

Описание: They were so close — and yet so far. The crowd had the scriptures, the prophecies, and a King standing right in front of them. But they wanted Him for all the wrong reasons.

In this week's episode of The Follow Up, Bill sits down with Jack and Garet to dig deeper into John 12:12–36 and the triumphal entry — commonly known as Palm Sunday. The crowd lines the road, waving palm branches and crying "Hosanna," but their hope is fixed on a political deliverer, not a suffering servant. This conversation unpacks why the desperation of that moment is both heartbreaking and deeply relevant to how we relate to Jesus today.

The discussion explores why Jesus rode in on a donkey instead of a war horse, what the upside-down kingdom actually looks like, and why the way up in God's economy is always down. Jack shares a powerful image of the inverted pyramid — the one with the broadest shoulders holding everything up — and the team wrestles with how easy it is to reshape Jesus into who we want Him to be rather than who Scripture reveals Him to be.

The conversation also turns personal. Garet shares how God led him to Green Bay in ways he could only see in hindsight, and Jack reflects on years of ministry preparation that seemed wasted until the exact moment God needed them. Both stories echo the disciples' experience in verse 16 — they didn't understand until they looked back.

The episode closes with a sobering but hopeful reminder: life is short, and every day is both our greatest and possibly last opportunity to live for Christ. Jack shares stories of sudden loss and restoration, pointing us back to the urgency of walking in the light while we still can.

Main Passage: John 12:12–36
Series: The Follow Up – Gospel of John
Week: 18

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction and what hit the hardest
02:50 – The desperation of the crowd and misguided expectations
04:00 – Why Jesus came as a suffering servant, not a conquering king
05:40 – The donkey, the palm branches, and nationalistic hope
06:35 – The upside-down kingdom and the inverted pyramid
07:15 – Knowing the true Jesus vs. making Him our mascot
08:00 – The Ricky Bobby illustration and reshaping Jesus
10:00 – Revelation and the full picture of who Jesus is
11:30 – Growth means discomfort — loving enemies and laying down your life
13:00 – Hindsight faith — the disciples didn't understand until later
14:00 – Garet's story of God leading him to Green Bay
14:40 – Jack's story of multi-site research that paid off years later
15:50 – Staying anchored when the world feels like it's crumbling
17:15 – Covid, the return to church, and God's sovereignty
18:50 – Life is short — repentance and the urgency of today
20:05 – The Three Doors Down story and living ready
21:05 – Final encouragement and next steps

If this episode encouraged you, like the video, leave a comment, and share it with someone who needs hope today. Your engagement helps more people encounter the life Jesus offers.