The Growth of the Church

by Hugh DeLong

It is difficult for us to read the events in John 12 and feel the same excitement that gripped the people in Jesus’ day. The city is filling up with people who have come to celebrate and observe the Passover.

"Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the Passover to purify themselves" (John 11:55).

"The large crowd of the Jews then learned that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead" (John 12:9).

"On the next day, the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem" (John 12:12).

"So the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify about Him. For this reason, also the people went and met Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign" (John 12:17-18).

And finally,

"So the Pharisees said to one another, 'You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him'" (John 12:19).

What follows is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus – and then, his showing himself alive for 40 days. With the first sermon, and with many of the Passover crowd still in the city, 3,000 obeyed the gospel, then 5,000 men (Acts 4), and then many of the priests became obedient to the faith. Thus, the ‘explosion’ of this movement behind Jesus as the Son of God. We are just another set of numbers to add to this, but each of us is important to God. “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Galatians 3:26-27).