Lost In the Crowd?
John 12:12-18
April 9, 2006
There were 2 crowds there on the day Jesus came riding into Jerusalem on the donkey.
2 Crowds.
1 crowd was in Jerusalem for historical reason. They had come from all over to recognize the annual religious festival of Passover. 2,700,000 people, some scholars estimate, had come to Jerusalem to remember the saving work of God 1500 years earlier when He delivered His people from slavery in Egypt and brought them out by His mighty hand. That past event, that historical act was the reason for their coming to Jerusalem. Though the people who were celebrating the Passover in Jerusalem that day hadn’t experienced God’s powerful work personally. Their ancestors had and so they went in order not to forget. They went because it was expected of them. They went to thank God for his past presence and his past activity in His people.
The second crowd there that day when Jesus came riding into town on the donkey wasn’t in Jerusalem yet, but on their way. Instead of arriving early, they were with Jesus. Jesus - the living God was leading them into Jerusalem.
John tells us a crowd had gathered around Jesus. A great crowd had heard about Jesus restoring life to a man named Lazarus and they swarmed to where Jesus was to see him and to see Lazarus (John 12:9), Because of God’s work through Jesus in the present, in the now, this crowd came together. These people went to be with Jesus to hear Him and see His healing work. And together with Jesus they made their way into town.
2 Crowds.
The first was there because of what God had done in the past. 1500 years earlier.
The second being brought and led there by what God was doing in the now.
The first there out of ritual observance - "We always celebrate the Passover."
The second arriving having seen the work of God presently in their midst.
And what happened when these 2 crowds met
Intersected
Mingled
Was what we call Palm Sunday.
When Jesus enters into town, the two crowds assemble into 1 large crowd; in an event we recognize and call Palm Sunday.
We’ve already talked about what Jesus was doing when he road into town that day. We said,
1. He was fulfilling prophecy.
2. He was declaring publicly who he was - Messiah.
3. He was declaring his intentions/his method of Kingship - Peace.
What I’d like to spend the next few minutes doing is asking the question, So What? What does this have to do with me? 2000 years later, why are we talking about this 1 man parade?
In coming here today, I believe you are in 1 of the 2 crowds.
Either you are here -
Crowd #1 you chose to come here because it is your religious ritual.
You were raised, or are being raised to come to this religious ritual that we call a church service. You come because you always have or you come because you feel like you should. You come because you feel guilty when you don’t. You come because of something in the past - God made himself real to you or a loved one and because of that you come. You would not describe yourself as tight with God but you were raised or are being raised to at least respect Him and the traditions His followers have.
If this isn’t you, perhaps you fit into crowd #2.
Crowd #2 you don’t have any history with church or religion.
All this church stuff is foreign to you.
All this standing
Sitting
Giving
Praying
Smiling stuff
Is confusing to you. And this Jesus that we talk about is too - except that He has your attention. He is intriguing to you. You come because it’s Him and not me and not this church and not our cute kids, history, music but Him. Jesus led you here, is leading you on your journey. Just as He did for many that day as He rode into town.
No matter the crowd you find yourself in.
No matter if you are a crowd #1 or a crowd #2 person, the text reveals to us that there were some common needs, some common interest within these people.
To be human, to be alive is to have these needs and interests and as this Jesus came riding into town, these 2 groups of people - crowd #1 - there out of historical reasons and crowd #2 there because Jesus was leading them there react revealing the common needs, hurts and interests that they have.
When the 2 crowds become 1, that 1 crowd reveals this about people.
1. You and I are willing to be led. You and I, no matter our ages, play Follow the Leader. People desire, have a need to be led. In our culture people will listen to anyone who calls himself or herself an expert a doctor, a counselor, a life coach, a friend.
People are made to feel in their financial lives, their parenting lives, their exercising lives, their marriage lives, their lawn caring lives that they don’t know enough. They aren’t smart enough, therefore you need to listen to me, the expert, and I will guide you.
While I joke about it and while you may be saying "Not me. O, I’m so glad I’m beyond that." You too are influenced by others and led by them. To be human is to have this desire.
Perhaps that is why Jesus called Himself the Shepherd and we the sheep. Perhaps that is why one of Jesus’ first invitations was, "Come and Follow Me." Because He recognized that people need to be led. They are followers.
Whether they follow a pattern of religious ritual observance or are following Him, people desire, unconsciously or consciously to be led. Each crowd was led to Jerusalem or into Jerusalem that day. Just as certain reasons led you to come in here today. People are willing to be led. So who’s leading you and what leader are you following?
2. A quality present in those 2 groups that became one on that Palm Sunday was that we are people eager to praise.
Not only do we play follow the leader but we also were created with a need to praise. We will praise, give praise, applause and share kind words to those who lead us.
To find out who’s leading you. Who is influencing you, think about who do you praise.
On Monday night, Richard Waits and other people were in Indianapolis to watch 5 guys on one team trying to throw a round pigskin into a round iron rim with a white net hanging from it, while 5 other guys tried to stop them and vice versa. It was the Championship Basketball game in college basketball. And people who were there were going crazy. They were dressed in orange painted in blue. They heard pep bands and listened to cheerleaders trying to out cheer out praise the other team.
There were all ages there from all over the world there to cheer on their team. People were created to praise.
On the day Jesus rode into town, we see this as well.
The people, Matthew says, shouted. (Matthew 21:9)
Mark says, cried out. (Mark 11:9)
Luke says, with a loud voice. (Luke 19:37)
John describes the people as crying out. (John 12:13)
When they realize what Jesus was doing.
When they began to figure out what he was saying, their reaction was to praise, cheer and to shout. They laid down palms. They took off their coats and placed them on the road, to praise him. So who do you give praise to? Who receives your admiration?
When the crowd there that day shouted, what came out their lip revealed the true longing of each of us. Save Me. Save Us. Hosanna, Hosanna, Jesus save us. That one crowd expressed/made vocal/cried out and admitted their need that they couldn’t do life on their own. "Jesus save us." "Jesus save us." "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord."
Today people don’t say Hosanna, but help.
Help me.
Rescue me.
I can’t do it anymore, I’ve tried.
I’ve failed.
God, help me. Save me.
The crowd there that day admitted their human need. Admitted that life on their terms wasn’t working, so they cried out, "Jesus, God’s Son, save us. Save me. Help."
But notice what Jesus does-
to these people who need leading.
to these people who give him praise
to these people crying out for help.
Pay attention here to how he responds to those in the crowd.
Jesus does not speak to them. He says not a single word. He does not wave his hands in triumphant, an act of receiving the crowds praise. He does not.
He simply rides quietly, obediently, calmly on that donkey. Because he cares not for the crowd, but instead about each person that makes up the crowd. He is wise to the dynamics of the crowds. One day, on this day they cheer for you and a few days later they cry out "Crucify him." Crowds turn quiet.
Jesus, throughout His ministry attracted crowds but this was never His purpose. He wasn’t concerned with the many but the few. (Mark 7:32-33, 8:22-23, 5:21, 22-5:40)
Remember Jesus’ question order to his followers.
Who do others (the crowd) say I am?
And then he asks, but what about you, who do you, say I am?
That’s the question before us today. Who do you say I am? You, Not those around you but Jesus.
With Jesus, no one is ever lost in the crowd.
With Jesus, you can never hide yourself in the crowd.
With Jesus, you and I cannot let the crowd speak for us, with Jesus and with our God.
One day, we will leave this crowded earth and see Him face to face. And then to each of us it will be revealed.
Who it was who led you.
Who and what it was that received your praise.
Who and what it was that you were hoping would save you.
A gift of Palm Sunday is that our Jesus hears, sees and was willing to die that He might be the One who leads you. The one you praise and the one who can save you, if you will only cry out to him. Amen.
