What If You Knew? John 12:12-13

Bro. Jesse Byrd preaches “What If You Knew?” from John 12:12–13, challenging listeners to consider that if we already knew what was coming—good or bad—why would we pray, and reminding us to trust God daily instead of relying on our own understanding.

Message preached on March 29, 2026.

Transcript

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John chapter 12, verse 12. It says on the next day, most people that were going to the beast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went forth media and cried on, blessed is the king of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. Let's pray. Father, we thank you again for reading the scriptures, reading of the Holy Word. I pray God that you see all the readings of the congregation. I pray this morning, Lord, that you bless the Holy Spirit in this whole service. I pray that you move all physical and spiritual distracts in the morning this morning. I pray God that if anyone is the need of a savior, I pray that all you want to ever last today. What if you knew? How many times have you either said, if you only knew to somebody? Or if you heard growing up anytime, the older people tell you, if you only knew. I've heard those words my whole life, and now I'm passing it on down to my children. As I go through things and I tell them, if you only knew. But if you think about it all throughout life, we never think about what if we knew when bad things were coming? What if we knew when good things were coming? If God gave us that ability to know when things is going to happen, wouldn't we ever call on God? You see, because if we knew everything that was going to happen, we would know before it happened and we'd be prepared. You see, the Bible tells us this morning in Scripture that the Bible says, be prepared to meet the Lord thy God. So we know this morning that there's coming a day that we're going to have to stand before God. That we know this morning, that there's coming a day that we're going to be judged by everything we've said, everything we've done, every word we've spoken, every thought we've ever thought in our mind, there's going to be a day that we're going to get judged for all those things. So you know about those things. Things that happened yesterday, we didn't know was going to happen until they happened. Things that happened today, we're not going to know about it until they happened. You see, but the one thing that we do know in life this morning, that if we die, we're going to, when we die, if we die lost, we're going to go to hell. If we die with the Savior, we're going to have. We know these things this morning. But it tells us Palm Sunday is the most, is the start of Holy Week. It's the most important week for Christianity throughout the whole world. We start Holy Week today, and throughout this week, from this day to next Sunday, we go through the last day, the last week of Jesus walking in flesh here on earth. So it's a very important time for Christians. But also for sinners, it's important as well. Because you realize just what Jesus did for a sinner like you and a sinner like me. That without Jesus doing what he did on the cross, we wouldn't have no way to heaven this morning. So as a sinner, it's just as important to you this morning as it is to a Christian. Because if Jesus wouldn't finish the mission, we wouldn't have a saving this morning that can save us from hell. So it tells us morning. So it's a very important week. But it's a week that should be taught and preached about, not just a week before Easter, but every day of our lives. We should be preaching about the crucifixion and the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. You see, so we get in our text this morning the triumphant injury. Many had gathered for the Passover this time. It lasted about seven or eight days. And it was before the Israelites, they were celebrating from being taken out of bondage, which was slavery, into a new life, freedom, being now being set free by what God had done. It's also the word Passover also means that it was when the Israelites were in Egypt and God spared them from the tenth plague that he protected their house. He passed over their houses to spare them. So that's how they got the word Passover, and that's why they celebrated. You see, the Passover was a very, very important time for the Israelites. Seven or eight days they celebrated, they gathered, they cooked, they ate the right food, they did all the right things, they prayed and learned they were supposed to do. For seven or eight days they've done these things to celebrate what God had done for them. You see, this morning as a child of God, we just don't have seven days of celebration. We've got a whole lifetime of celebration by what God has done for us. That we can't thank him enough. We can pray and preach and thank God every second of our life, and we still can't thank him enough. But it tells us this morning that they were celebrating Passover. Happens in the springtime, so there was many people gathered for the Passover. But then on top of that, they heard Jesus was coming through. So we think about how many more people came down, even the naysayers and the believers, they come down just to see Jesus pass through. And on top of that, we think about as while they were celebrating Jesus coming through, they took branches and waved them as he rode through and don't he roll through. And they said, Save us, Hosanna blessed as the king of Israel, save us, is what Hosanna means. Save the people. So as Jesus was coming through the crowd that day, they were celebrating and asking God to save them from the worm of hell they was about to go to. So we see, that's what Mom's Sunday is all about. The people were proclaiming Jesus as King. You see, but a lot of people in that crowd that day, they had their own mindset. They wanted Jesus to be their earthly king. They wanted Jesus to provide for them right now, give them everything they needed right now. That's what a lot of those people were celebrating when Jesus came through. Many people this morning is celebrating Jesus and want Jesus to be an earthly king. This morning we serve a king that's an eternal king, not an earthly king, but an eternal king that says he's going to give us eternity in heaven forever. You see, so we got to make sure this morning that we're celebrating the true reason of Jesus Christ. Celebrating the true meaning of Jesus. So it tells us we know what Palm Sunday is and why it's celebrated. So now we get our sermon this morning. You see, first thing we ask ourselves, what if you were praying last night and didn't finish the prayer? What if? What if you were praying last night? We all guilt of this. We start praying and we get so sleepy, we go to sleep. Wake up the next morning and we'll say, Amen. I forgot to touch the prayer. But what if you didn't finish your prayer from last night? It tells us that Jesus, Peter, James, and John went through the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus told Peter, James, and John to sit here and watch and pray while he goes on and prays while the watch and pray. So it tells us that Jesus asked them to keep praying so they wouldn't fall into temptation. You see, the problem we have this morning is we don't finish our prayers. Then we wonder why the next day we get the temptation. We don't finish our prayers, so we wonder the next day why we suffer in the way we suffer. So we ask ourselves this morning, what if I fell asleep last night and didn't finish what I was asking God or thinking God about? So it tells us that three times the disciples fell asleep because of the eyes of heaven. Jesus told them, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. So this morning we've got to remind ourselves that if I'm going to stay prayed up, if I'm going to stay in the spirit, the spirit is willing to do the right thing. Everybody wants to do the right thing. But it's the human flesh we bow to with that gives us love. So if you don't continue to pray and stay prayed up, the spirit is strong, but the flesh you live in is weak. We have so many people give in to temptation because they don't pray enough. Because they didn't finish their prayers, they don't stay in prayer. So whatever they get out of prayer and parallel for God and start living and walking with God, then they have a temptation. Temptation is not a sin, but when you give in to temptation, what the sin is. So it tells us that they were so tired, it says the eyes of the heaven. They had been on a mission with Jesus. They saw Jesus do all these things. Jesus was wrapping up his earthly ministry. He was talking about death, he was talking about resurrection, crucifixion, he was talking about all those things. And I'm sure not only physical-wise, the subject was tired, but mentally, they were tired. Jesus was giving all these things that were fixed to happen. So they become mentally tired. Three times they fell asleep. Last time he told them to sleep on. Because temptation's coming. So this morning, if you find yourself, you ask yourself, what if I didn't finish my prayer and I'm hit with temptation? It's because you've got to finish that prayer. You've got to keep on praying. So it sacquent says, what if you knew Jesus was coming by? Zacchaeus knew Jesus was coming by. He heard about it. The crowd that got so big, he was so short he couldn't get to the front. Zacchaeus knew that Jesus was coming by, so he went and climbed a single tree or tree just to see Jesus come by. What if you knew this morning Jesus was coming by? What if you knew this morning Jesus was coming by? There were people that were sick and eating. But they knew Jesus was coming by. They found a way to get to Jesus just to be touched. What did he say? Just by the hand of his God, you can be healed. This morning, if you knew Jesus was coming by, whether you're sick, whether you need, or whether you pour in spirit, whatever it may be this morning, if you knew Jesus was coming by, would you find your way to get to Jesus this morning? Wouldn't you find your way? Then third tells us that they have all trials. You think about the cloud that Jesus drew. Hearing of the resurrection of Lazarus, hearing about what Jesus had done, so they would gather, they would want to see Jesus go through. Many times we hear about what God has done for others. We try to get to that same God. But God can do it, but God may not do it. God may give you more, he may give you less. So I'm not worried about what God has given you. I'm thanking God for what I have this morning. So we've got to make sure that if we know Jesus is coming by, will you be a bench woman when you get out and try to find your way to God? Because many people this morning want to go see Jesus. They know Jesus in the house, they know Jesus in the spirit of the church. They know that. But instead of finding their way to God, they let distractions stop them. They let people get their way. Well, this morning, my friend, we've got to be a Zacchaeus. That if you're in front of me, I'm finding a way to see Jesus this morning. It doesn't matter, I've told you plenty of times. It doesn't matter how many Sundays go by, it doesn't matter how many people's in the crowd. When that spirit draws you, you better be like Zacchaeus and make ancient come forth. Five trees, you've got to see Jesus. But make sure you don't let Jesus pass you by this morning. So if you were in the crowd this morning, would you shout for Jesus? Many people this morning, they get up, they've been a Christian their whole life. They don't even want to say amen. Whenever they read the Bible scripture, they listen. They don't even want to say, Thank God this morning. But will you shout for Jesus this morning about what he's done for you? I can't shout loud enough for God this morning because I know what he's done with a broken sinner like myself. Also, you ask yourself, would you shout against Jesus? Many in that crowd that day came to see Jesus just to shout against him. Many people get up on Sunday mornings just to go to church just to shout against Jesus. Many people go out in the free world just to go out and shout against Jesus. I've had people knowing what God has done for me in my life, my family, and you and all. I've had people come to me and still try to discredit God. They rather shout against God and say, You're right. They rather say God isn't real because God didn't do this, but on the other hand, look what God has done for you. Many people in the crowd this morning shout against me. Many people this morning would rather die and go to hell than find their way to Jesus. Many people this morning have become so hard-hearted that they don't give Jesus to sit right beside them. They'd rather die in their own sinful ways than say, God, I need you. This morning, hell is full of prideful people that said, I don't need God, I can do this, so now they woke up in hell where they needed God. This morning, you've got to understand you have to choose. Wouldn't you have enough faith in Jesus if he was walking by and saying, God, I need you. This morning we've got to say how excited I would be if Jesus was coming through this morning. I don't know about you this morning, but I can't wait for that sky break apart and Jesus comes back. Because Jesus says he's coming back to gather his children. So it says this morning that would you need in the crowd that shouted for Jesus to be crucified and barriers to be released. There was many in that crowd that morning that was shouting for a robber, a thief, or bad guy to be released over Jesus. Jesus, they wanted Jesus to be crucified. They were shouting to crucify Jesus. Turn away barriers. Many this morning is in that same situation. They rather root for the devil than root for God. This morning we can't root for the devil because the devil's been defeated. I'm not rooting for a loser this morning. I don't know about you, but I'm never going to root for a loser. I'm rooting for the winning God this morning, which is God Almighty. God has been defeated. Satan, there ain't nothing else Satan can do about it. So it tells, another thing it says, what if you were on your deathbed right now? Many of us on our deathbed right now don't even know. You don't have to be in the hospital to be in your deathbed. You don't have to be a person's house. Many of us are walking around this morning on our own deathbed and don't even know. What if you were on your deathbed right now and this was your last opportunity to call on Jesus? What would you do about it this morning? Think about it this morning. Just like the two things on the cross right beside Jesus, one on one side and one on the other, Jesus in the middle. They were on their deathbeds. One had the right mind, one didn't. This morning, many people are on their deathbeds, still in their right minds, but not calling on God. Which thief are you this morning? Are you the first one that says, I don't, I'm making fun of God, I tell God, get us both down. If you God, if you say you're God, get us both down off the cross. How many of us are challenging God this morning to do things for you? You see, that thing never said I was a sinner. The other thing said, God, I'm full of sin. I repent of my sin. Save me. What did Jesus tell him? Today, thou shalt be live there. So if you were on your deathbed this morning, which thief are you this morning? Are you the one that's saying, God just healed me? God just fixed me. God get me out of this problem. Show me your power. Or you the other thing saying, God, I'm a sinner. If I die now, I'm going to hell forgive me. Do you acknowledge sin this morning? Do you acknowledge that you are on your deathbed? The Bible says this morning, if you're living without Christ, living without a saint this morning, you are dead to God.

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Amen.

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So this morning, you've got to understand. You may be in good health. You may have good wealth. You may have a good job, you have nice deals. You may have a beautiful family. Marriage may be perfect. But if you're without God this morning, you are on your deathbed and you are on your way to hell before. We've got to understand it. So it tells us that Jesus told them that if you repent of your sins, you can be in paradise today. Just that simple. He didn't tell the people on the cross that you had to get down and go and do this or you waited too late. He said, today, because he acknowledged that the Spirit drawing. This morning, if you feel the Spirit drawing, you want to be like this repentant thief and say, God forgive you. Because you never know. So then it asked, What if you were selling Jesus out? Now we get into more of the story. What if you sold Jesus out? What if you're selling Jesus out this morning? Think about it. We must ask ourselves, what am I selling my soul this morning for? Many people this morning have gone to hell for a cheap price. Many people this morning is on their way to hell for a cheap price. Many people this morning is an expensive sinner. Maybe they spend a lot of money not to go to church. Maybe they spend a lot of money believing a man. So that's one of those expenses of spendings. But many people this morning is selling their souls out for cheap. Think about Judas this morning. Judas sold out for 30 pieces of silver. At this day in life for a labor's reward, it said it's compared to $900 to $3,000. Judas sold out for a minimum of $900 this morning. Many are selling out cheaper than that. I know many people sell out for $20 a week. Many people sell out for maybe nothing a week. They just sell out just to be selling out. You see, so we asked ourselves, what if he was studying it all out this morning? Judas walked with Jesus. Judas ate with Jesus. Judas talked with Jesus. Judas saw Jesus work. Judas was with him. He was set at the same table with Jesus. But I can substitute my name for Judas' name. Jesse also done the same things. Jesse saw Jesus walking beside him. Jesse also knew that the devil was out to get him. He also knew that he was living on bar time. He also knew that God could save him, but he also chose the opposite direction. You can substitute your name in that same sentence this morning because you know better. The Bible says that he that knows better to do wrong is more in trouble than he that don't know better. You know better this morning. You know better than living the way you live. You call yourself a Christian this morning, you know better than continue to live in sin. You know better than continue to live without God or try to disprove God. You know better this morning than the way we're living. We should be living more for God than anything this morning. We should always be in a constant prayer attitude and a constant prayer for mind. But think about it this morning. Now we understand that the Bible tells us in Matthew 6 and 19. Lay not up for yourself treasures upon earth, where moth and rust does corrupt and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. Where neither moth nor rust does corrupt than what thieves do not break through nor steal. For what your treasure is, there will your heart be also. This morning, whatever your treasure is, it's where your heart is this morning. Many people, this morning, if a man's eye is set on everything in this earth, man will be disappointed in eternity. If you've got your eyesight set on the world and earthly things, you're going to be disappointed when you stand before God. This morning, if you got your eyes set on the eternal living and what God has promised us, then when you stand before God, you're going to be very pleased of what you see. But if you got your eyes on earthly treasures this morning, those things will wrought away, those things will be stolen from you, those things will be left behind. Nobody has ever died and took money to heaven with them. Nobody has ever died and was buried with a house beside them or took the house for the lives or nothing. When you die this morning, you're going to be judged by what you said and what you came with, which is nothing but a heart this morning. So this morning you've got to understand where your treasures are is where your heart's going to be. How many of us is living this morning for treasure on earth? We want all the money in the world. We want all the good clothes, all the vehicles, all the furniture. We want all these things that the world has offered us. But when we die, those things will run away. But if you have Jesus this morning, everything you have this morning is going to stand in God's time. Everything will be done perfect. Well, it tells us that we've got to understand that many choose sin over grace. But if you must choose today, Jesus or pleasure of sin, which is just for a season. Many people sold out just for a pleasure of a season pleasure. Just for a little bit of time. They sell out just to have that pleasure for a little bit. But my friend, the Bible says that sin only lasts for a season. All the money in the world, these big superstars and big-time rich people's guys, what is that money is not going to buy, but you've got to get into heaven. That's all Jesus. But it tells us this morning, what if you were going to have to choose today whom you will follow or serve? Joshua 24, 15 says, choose today whom you will serve. Whether the gods your father served who were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, and who's making you follow them, but for as me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Amen. Joshua was a big-time warrior. Joshua, he a war, he won anybody. He won all kinds of battles. But Joshua couldn't make his family follow God. This morning, I can't make you follow God. Nobody can make you follow God. But we've got to be like Joshua. Who are you going to serve? The gods on the other side of the flood, the God you're living with now, or the God in eternity. But for me and my house, we're going to serve God. Amen. This morning, we've got to be like Joshua and look by that verse. Every day we must preach and tell people there is God in this world. There is devils in this world. But in order to be in good standing with God, we've got to call on the true Savior, the true living God, which is God Almighty. No other God. So it tells us this morning that Joshua told his family. You choose what you choose, you do what you gotta do. But I'm going to choose, and today is my God. This morning, what if you had this opportunity? It was your last opportunity. What if today you had to choose what God should serve? Would you be like Joshua take a stand? You see, the devil can show you all kinds of things. The devil's won more people over yesterday than he did the day before. The devil's going to win more people than he did today. The devil's going to give and do whatever he's got to do to win people over. But which side will you choose this morning? Will you choose a God that helped him through the flood? God in the flood, help him out, or are you going to choose to truly in God, which is God Almighty? So it tells you morning, what if last night or tonight was the last night? Now in chapter 12, that tells us that Jesus came through and he made went to a supper. This same Lazarus that he had just raised from the dead. What if Lazarus knew that was going to be his last? Night again. See what I'm saying? The Bible tells us the night before Lazarus, the night before the Passover, the night before Jesus went to riding the donkey and all that, the night before, they was at a big supper. What did Lazarus do? This is my last time being in God's presence. It tells the next day the leaders plotted against Lazarus. They plotted against Lazarus because he was raised from the dead, right back living again. Jesus raised him from the dead, right back living again. So it made the religious leaders mad. They were trying to get people to stop following Jesus. But here it was, Jesus was in the presence of Lazarus. Somebody had just raised from the dead. So how many people do you think Jesus is going to win on about that? Plenty of. So many people saw Lazarus being raised from the dead, was right back in with Jesus. So you think about it this morning. Lazarus had spent the night before with Jesus, and now it's going to be facing death again. This morning, you've got to ask yourselves. What if last night was my last night? What if the night was my last night? What if? There's something you can do about that. What if this morning? You can call on God. In closing this morning, what if the devil was plotting since last night? Or maybe this morning from the time you got out of your vehicle and walked in your seat? What if the devil was plotting against you to destroy you? What if? What if the devil knew that he could win you over today? What if this morning you knew that it was time for you to get it right before God? You see, we don't have a clock game yet. But what if you knew this morning that at 12.05 that was going to be the last second? What if you knew when you were going to die? Everybody will live to the last second to try to get saved. This morning, we can't predict when we're going to die. We don't know when we're going to die, but we've got to understand that we've got to be prepared. What if this morning, the Bible says now is the accepted time when you're accepted? What if you could fix your past? All the things you've done in the past, the black eye will be. I can't fix it, you can't fix it, but I know a Savior that will take your sins this morning and cast them into a sea of forgiveness that he'll never remember again. I can't fix it this morning, but God can. Will you let God fix your past this morning and put you on the right road? The Bible says that he who puts his hands to the plow and look back is not fit for the kingdom of God. So that means this morning that when you accept Christ, you've got your hands to the plow and you're moving forward. If we start looking back, we can't go straight. We start looking back, we can't make it to the end. So this morning, if you've had your hands to the plow, you've been looking back. Now is the accepted time to get back in line with God. God wants you to make it this morning. If He didn't give up to you, you wouldn't send his son about the road. So I want you to understand this morning. Think about all these what if we talked about. What if you're living in the last time, the last seventh of your life? What if? Wouldn't you let God fix things in your life this morning? Say, well, preacher, I've got one of the worst pasts I've ever heard. Paul said he's cheap all seven. He's done everything. Everything was a son. Paul said he's done. God says he can take you broken this morning and fix you. God can put you on a stabbing stone this morning. God says he'll forgive you this morning. But you must acknowledge just as the thief on the cross did, you must acknowledge this morning that you need a sick. Will you call on Jesus this morning? God is waiting. God sent his son. He done his part. What will he do with the blood of Jesus this morning? Let's pray. Father, we thank you again for this opportunity. We have to preach thy word. Hid thy word be increased. God, we're so thankful this morning that we're able to sit in peace and freedom this morning and just been able to serve and worship you freely. Father, I pray this morning for everyone upon the sound of my voice. I pray, God, that if anyone's in the crowd this morning, being the saved, I pray they step out. Maybe if they're confused, maybe they don't know what to do. God, I pray they step out on faith this morning and come down and pray the sinner's prayer. That God will come into their heart and forgive them of their sins. God, we trust you this morning. We serve you. We love you, God. We thank you this morning. God, I pray this morning that if anyone's been living a Christian life, and maybe they backslid, or maybe they look back, and not going in a straight line. I pray this morning when they step out, God, and acknowledge you before the other last week and ask you to help them get back in a straight line. Father, we thank you for sending your son and down across our sister. I thank you, God, for the crucifixion and the resurrection. We thank you this morning for every precious blood, every drop of your blood that was cast upon us this morning. God, thank you for everything you've done. We ask this in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.