My, how quickly the tide can change.
No doubt many in the crowd on that Sunday who waved their palm branches and spread their cloaks on the ground were also in the crowd that Friday shaking their fists and kicking up dust.
No doubt many in the crowd on that day who joyfully shouted “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” were also among the mob who angrily cried out “Crucify Him! Crucify Him! Away with this man!”
No doubt many who lined the road to watch the Messiah ride humbly into town on a donkey also lined the road to watch Him struggling under the weight of His own cross.
How quickly the people’s hero can become the villain. How quickly praise can turn to scorn. How quickly a Savior can become a scoundrel.
What happened? How is it that in just a few days Jesus went from being adored as the King to derided on the cross?
In a word – expectations. The people wanted a Messiah, all right, and they wanted Him to be Jesus. But Jesus was not the kind of Messiah they wanted. They were looking for someone to come and save their nation from the Roman rule, but Jesus came to save souls from Satan’s rule. They were hoping He’d win a military victory over their enemies, but Jesus came to win a spiritual victory over sin and death and hell.
So when they saw that He was not the King they wanted, they quickly turned against Him, just like Jesus had said they would. They were the people of whom Jesus spoke in the parable who hated Him and did not want Him to reign over them as King (see Luke 19:14).
Hmmm, how little the hearts of men have changed since that day! Is that not what we see in our culture in 2010? Don’t get me wrong – people want Jesus to be their Savior, all right. They just want Him to be their version of a Savior. They want a Savior who will give them what they want.
They want a Savior who will give them wealth and career success and advancement opportunities and material blessings. They want a Savior who will grant them good health and keep their kids from getting colds and eliminate disease and sickness and pain in the world.
They want a Savior who will bestow them with worldly pleasures and indulge their pursuits of worldly entertainment. They want a Savior who will cater to their selfish whims and godless ambitions.
What they don’t want is a Savior who will call them to account for their faithlessness. What they don’t want is a Savior who will require them to deny themselves, take up their crosses daily and follow Him. What they don’t want is a Savior who will demand they flee from sin and pursue righteousness.
Just like the crowds in His day, people today will turn against Jesus just as soon as they see that He doesn’t do things according to their own expectations. They may be quick to praise Him as long as they think He’ll satisfy their self-centered desires, but they’ll also be quick to revile Him when things don’t go their way.
The words of the people’s praise were right, but their hearts were not. I wonder about us today. It’s easy to sing songs of praise with our lips on Sunday morning, but does that song remain in the heart on Friday? Even when Jesus doesn’t meet our expectations? Are we still willing to surrender to Him and submit to His ways even when things don’t go our way?
I pray this Easter season – as we reflect upon the death and resurrection of Jesus – that we’ll not only give Him the praise of which He’s worthy, but that it will rise from true hearts, steadfast, loyal and unwavering in our love for Him.
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