The Faces in the Crowd
Luke 23:24-33
March 18th 2007
Pastor Jerry Stepp
This is not the kind of kingdom that either the Palm Sunday or Good Friday crowds wanted. You see, God’s grace is the enemy of all “institutionalized religion.” Institutional religion wants to control people by misusing the Word of God. It looks for power. But God’s grace comes to set people free. And that was Jesus’ plan – to liberate; to set free; to offer grace and forgiveness and peace and to release condemned prisoners.
To Pilate, it is obvious that the peasant Jew before him is no king at all. Kings have bodyguards and armies and money and power. Jesus has none of this. Any reasonable person would defend himself against the aggression of his enemies and save his life.
Pilot knows that Jesus is not guilty of anything even close to deserving the death penalty. But the crowds press in. They shout, “Crucify Him, crucify Him, crucify Him.” They press more and shout louder. And so the sentence is pronounced – death by crucifixion.
Some of the people were common folk - wanting nothing more than a decent shake, hoping to be saved from rank poverty and economic corruption.
A Palm tree was a symbol of victory, triumph, joy, etc.
Behind the palm branches - can you see the faces?
In this crowd were, Fishermen, farmers, shepherds, tax collectors, zealots......
Ah, there were many faces in the crowd that day as Jesus rode into Jerusalem -- many faces for which Jesus wept.
Who was in the crowd?
1. The Friends of Jesus
The Disciples:
Christ Himself asked for them top run forward to retrieve the donkey for Him to ride. No doubt, these men were following Jesus as He traveled the dust road on the day of the Triumphal Entry.
~Let’s fast forward a few days and see them as He traveled the dusty road to the Hill
called Calvary.
~We can see them mingled in the crowds gathered,
~Identified by the others in the crowd, as followers of Jesus.
~And they were willing to deny Him, for fear they too would become as He is, crucified.
John 15:13 says…
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Only one was willing to stand with, at least in voice in..
John 11:16 it says…
Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.
~A Friend will be there always…
Proverbs 17:17 says…
A friend loveth at all times,
~Christ showed His love for His friends, even when they all left, He still maintain his Love to them.
~When the world fails, your job fails, your friends and family forsake, Christ will always be true, a true friend.
~If we’ve ever denied Jesus, or failed to make room in our lives for God, we’ve crucified Him. If we’ve hated or lusted or stolen or ignored the pain of others, we’ve crucified Him.
~Even though He still is our friend.
2. The Family of Jesus
His mother
~We can recall from the movie that Mel Gibson made called “The Passion of Christ”. We
can see as Jesus journeyed to the top of the Hill, his mother traveled there too.
~At this time in the movie I was deeply moved.
~For me it really set in that this was not just a man, but also someone’s son. Not just a
son of man , but the Son of the Living God.
His cousins
~No doubt, they and all the family gather, knowing that there family member was about
to die.
~As for you and I today, we get the call from the doctor and he tells all the family to
gather, for time is so short, before death will come.
~We rush to see that loved one, one more time before life is over.
~To bid our last farewells and I love you.
~As Christ journeyed to the top of the hill, they had the chance to have a last minute of
eye contact with there son, cousin, friend, and Savior.
~Would you want to see what they seen that day?
~Would you too like to look into the eyes of Jesus one more time?
3. The Lost people
You an I
~Some of this crowd was gathered there on the Palm Sunday, welcoming Jesus into there
life, as king,
~Now here just a few short days later they were gathered for the crucifixion of this very
same one they called King
~Christ loved them as they gathered to spread out there palm branches and there clothing
in front of Him as He came in on that donkey, and cried with a loud voice “Hosanna,
Hosanna “ which means save us
~Christ also loved them as they gathered to cry with that very same loud voice “Crucify,
Crucify”.
~Those that stood by, and said nothing,
~Those that stood by and threw rocks,
~Those that shout hatred, obscenities, called Him a blasphemer.
~Those that held the coats of those that beat Him.
Conclusion
~There were many people gathered along the road to Calvary.
~They were gathered there for many reasons
~Some with gladness, some with sadness, either way, they were there.
~Although, it is was a day of mixed emotions, this day had to come, so that you and I
could have the hope of eternal life, in this very same Jesus.
~Some look to this day as a day of great defeat
~We as saints of God look to this day as the day of our greatest victory.
~Either way, we were there that day, who were you in the crowd that day,
~What side of the crowd did you stand on, not only that day, but here today.
The Bibles says ….
Joshua 24:15
… Choose you this day whom ye will serve;
