40 DAYS in the GOSPEL Sample

THE CROWD

When I (Josiah) was growing up, we were being advised that fat in our diet was the number one reason people were sick and dying early from heart disease. What this meant in our house was that my mom used a fake vegetable oil butter called margarine on everything—popcorn, pancakes, spaghetti, and so much more. There is a lot I could say about what it tasted like, but I am just going to leave it as not good. Everyone seemed to know that it was a matter of life or death though, so what was I going to do? Everyone was sharing lifesaving recipes now freed from the deadly influence of butter.

Imagine my surprise when a decade or so later most of the bad reputation that butter had gained was overturned, and margarine became the new clogger of arteries! Now listen, I’m a pastor not a dietician, so I think you should still eat whatever you and your doctor think is best. But the point I’m making is that it is amazing how convincing something can be when a large number of people just believe it. Especially when large crowds of people are spurred on by the current so-called experts in their culture.

The power and opinion of the crowd was something Jesus faced all during His public ministry. Our text (v. 6-15) tells us about one of the most pivotal examples. Many who had cheered Him on Palm Sunday are now jeering Him, calling for His death. At the instigation of the Pharisees, they are willing to see Jesus crucified and have a violent insurrectionist released in His place.

The gospel message of salvation from our sin in the name of Jesus is always going to suffer the same on-again off-again fate with the popular crowd. There were times in history when the message of Jesus was held in high esteem. Even if you were not a follower of His, it was a good idea for your reputation to at least pretend you were. We live in a time now when, especially in the western world, the situation is the exact opposite. It seems that now many just seem to “know” that there’s something wrong with Christianity.

Jesus showed the way when He simply ignored the cheers and the jeers of the crowd and stayed faithfully committed to what the Father had called Him to do. In this case, what He committed to do was die for all of those who rejected Him for the freedom of a murderer instead! We need to take the same path as Jesus. We rejoice when the gospel is popular if it smooths the way for us to spread the message far and wide, but we do not retreat when and if the crowd decides it's time to abandon the message of the cross. Our Father in heaven is the only expert we need to listen to when it comes to our salvation and the power of the gospel.

PRAY ABOUT IT: Pray for steadfast courage for yourself, your family, and your church no matter which way your culture turns as it concerns the gospel and the Kingdom of God.