Today's Devotional Thought
March 31, 2010 by Rachel Piferi
Hosanna! Then Crucify Him!
Has your life ever turned on a dime? I mean one minute everything is fabulous and the next minute everything is a mess. I bet Jesus felt that way in the short 5-days between Palm Sunday and Good Friday.
If you look at the Easter Story, it really starts with Palm Sunday. And, Jesus rides into Jerusalem and is greeted by the many people who were in awe of his miracles. Many of them had heard of his miraculous raising of Lazarus from the dead and they were eager to see him, praise him, and honor him. And as today’s scripture says, “they took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!’???
Have you ever wondered why the crowds turned so quickly? How could they be praising him and yelling, Hosanna! on Sunday and then be yelling Crucify Him! on Friday? If you lived at that time, would you have been swept up by the crowds and changed as quickly as they did?
One of the biggest reasons that the crowds changed was because of fear. As Jesus grew in popularity, the Pharisees and leaders began to fear his power and began to plot against him. And, they began to see anyone who supported him (especially those who supported him closely) as also dangerous to their political power. So, it quickly became clear, that being associated with Jesus was dangerous and people began to scatter. Even his dearest friends and disciples scattered.
Does your support of something or involvement in something change as the tide of public opinion changes? Or, do you stand true to what you believe, even if it is not popularly supported or even could be dangerous? We can learn from the crowds of the Easter story who’s adoration of Jesus was so shallow that they abandoned it when it became a unpopular and dangerous. Don’t let the tide of public opinion sway you from a faith and adoration of Jesus Christ. Don’t betray your love for him just because it may be unpopular or uncomfortable or dangerous to your social or occupational position.
Let’s learn from the crowds. Don’t sing Hosanna! one moment in one crowd and then Crucify Him! in a different moment with a different crowd.
December