November 10

Are you part of the Sunday crowd or the Friday crowd?

The Sunday crowd is about numbers, outward appearances, power, and glitz. The Friday crowd is about crosses, sacrifice, serving and humility. Which crowd are you part of?

The Sunday before Passover Jesus came out of the wilderness on the eastern side of the Mount of Olives (just as the prophecy said the Messiah would come). The Sunday crowd gathered to remember the liberation of Israel from Egyptian bondage. During this period of time many riots occurred because self-proclaimed messiahs would start uprisings during Passover. That is why the Romans brought extra troops into Jerusalem. This crowd was ready for political freedom but not spiritual freedom. The shout of “Hosanna” was an ultra-nationalistic slogan of the Zealots. It meant “Please save us! Give us freedom!” That is why the Jews were so upset; they thought the Romans would come into Jerusalem and create a bloodbath.

The fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9 is seen with the mighty warrior Jesus riding into Jerusalem on the foal of a donkey. The newspaper editorials must have had a field day the next day. What an oxymoron.
This is not a problem for the Friday crowd. We know that servants ride on donkeys and not white horses.

The Sunday crowd had a real problem with the overturning of the tables at the temple. In their minds the Jewish merchants were not the problem; it was the Romans!! Why would Jesus go after the investment bankers? They needed them to finance the revolution.

The big difference between the Sunday crowd and the Friday crowd was that the Sunday crowd did not hear the voice of God.

John 12:28-30 “Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine.”

There were three messages heard at this event on Monday:
1. The Sunday crowd heard thunder. They knew something happened out of the ordinary but they couldn’t pick up on the message.
2. The mid-week crowd heard an angel. They knew it was a spiritual source but the voice was still muffled.
3. The Friday crowd heard the voice of the Father. It was God the Father who said, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.”

The Good Friday crowd knows the voice of the Father. When was the last time you heard the voice of God?

I pray that today we all hear his voice and join in the mission of bringing glory to Jesus’ name.