March 25: Insight Post by Rusty Coram
Wednesday Insight Post
by Rusty Coram
After bringing his friend Lazarus back from death, Jesus’ popularity and fame grew exponentially - and so did the hate from His enemies. As He came into Jerusalem to celebrate Passover (and prepare for His coming sacrifice), the crowds were fawning over Him and shouting loud praises to Him. This was predicted long beforehand in the Old Testament book by the prophet Zechariah:
“Rejoice, O people of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem!
Look, your king is coming to you.
He is righteous and victorious,
yet he is humble, riding on a donkey—
riding on a donkey’s colt.” Zechariah 9:9 (NLT)
The question is “What/who were they celebrating?” In just a few days, a crowd will have been persuaded to call for Jesus’ death so loudly that the governor caves into their demand to keep the peace,
“Pilate argued with them, because he wanted to release Jesus. 21 But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Luke 23:20–21 (NLT)
This drastic change could be the result of several factors, but one stands out to me: the people were initially celebrating what they expected the “king” to do for them; they were not expecting who Jesus is. They were caught up in Jesus’ ability to perform the miraculous, and they hoped that if He were king, He would do even more for them to make their lives easier and better - the same attitude that motivates many in our country to vote for a particular political party or candidate. Jesus is King, but He came to provide not what the public wanted but what they, and we, desperately (and unknowingly) needed.
“All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him
the sins of us all.” Isaiah 53:6 (NLT)
Rusty Coram
Senior Pastor
New Hope Church
Lorton, Virginia
www.newhope.org