John 12:12-19

1. We learn how entirely voluntary the sufferings of Christ were.
2. We learn how minutely the prophecies concerning Christ’s first coming were fulfilled.

"He did not bleed and suffer and die because He was defeated by superior force and could not help Himself, but because He loved us and rejoiced to give Himself for us as our Substitute. He did not die because He could not avoid death, but because He was willing with all His heart to make His soul an offering for sin."

"We must settle it in our minds that the plain, literal meaning of the Bible is generally the true and correct meaning."

Questions:

1. We see that Jesus is able to draw crowds to him even though the religious leaders, who had great power over the people, were against it. Ryle draws from this the incredible truth that Jesus, who could have resisted his enemies who came to arrest him, willingly went to the cross in love and rejoiced to give Himself as our substitute. What does this do to your heart as you consider the love of God for you in Christ?
2. We see that a simple but exact prophecy was fulfilled as Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. Ryle would have us see that if the prophecies of the first coming were so exactly fulfilled that we have even greater confidence that the second will also be fulfilled. He also encourages us to settle it in our minds that the plain, literal meaning of the Bible is generally the true and correct meaning. Are we happy readers who believe the Bible to mean exactly what it seems to mean?