Which Crowd Were You In?
Which Crowd Would You Choose?
by Jo March
Before and after you read this, I want you to take a deep look into your soul. If you had been there the day that our Lord was crucified, which crowd would you have been in? Don't be hasty to answer this question too quickly. Examine this question. Analyze it from all sides. Your first reaction would be to quickly admit that you would have supported Jesus and his crowd. Even Peter, who was one of the favored disciples, denied Jesus three times in one night.
The reason that I wrote this is because sleep alluded me that night. I tried everything in my power to cause sleep. The Holy Spirit told me that I was to write this for your sake. The night of August 3, 2002 I put down my book and prepared for sleep, but it seems that the Spirit had other plans. Just as I was about to drift off the Lord planted the thought of, "Which crowd would you have been in?" I lay in bed and thought about this for awhile and decided to write about it later. I again laid down for sleep. I kept trying to sleep for an hour or so. I kept thinking about my thought. I knew that I would not be able to sleep if I didn't write something. I stumbled around in the dark and found my pen and paper. Looking back I now see that it was not I who penned this article, it was the Holy Spirit. He used my hand to write this. I sincerely hope that this will somehow touch your life.
The masses loved Jesus and how He told His stories and parables but they could easily be swayed. During the good times of Jesus' earthly ministry they followed Him as sheep follow their shepherd. But then they turned away when He became unpopular, and shunned Him and all who were still faithful to Him.
How often do we this same thing in our Christian walk? During the good times we sing praises and glorify His holy name. Then, when times get rough, we turn our backs on Jesus and turn to earthly pleasures. Then again, some people are just the opposite. When things are going well for them, they "put the Lord in a box." They use Jesus as it is convenient for them. The tragedy of September 11th proves this sad fact. We returned to patriotism, then we forgot about God and focused on finding Bin Ladin instead of focusing on God.
The crowds in Jesus' time were swayed with the popular vote of the Pharisees. Just as we rely upon the picture that the media portray. You should know before you become a Christian that it will not always be easy. We must turn away from the world and go against the grain. History simply repeats its self over and over again. We will be persecuted till the end of time. When I asked myself the same question I posed to you earlier I could not answer immediately. I could only pray that if I am called upon to stand up for Jesus that I will be on the "unpopular" side of the crowd. Many true Christians end up like Christian and Faithful in John Bunyan's Pilgrims Progress, and end up in the dungeon of Giant Despair. Some escape, but many die. This is because they turned aside from the path of righteousness. One day we will all have to stand before the Lord for our judgment. God will look us in the eye and ask, "Which crowd were you in?" Will you truthfully be able to answer that you lost your life for him or did you chicken out and follow your friends. What will your answer be? No one can choose for you; it is a personal experience between you and God. Now I will give you a story that I wrote on my sleepless night. It is about two young boys and the choices they made.
It was about an hour after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ had taken place. Two young boys stood discussing what had happened. As the two talked about what had happened the younger of the two asked his peer, "Which crowd did you join?"
The older boy stood up a little bit straighter and proudly answered, "My father and I cheered for them to release the prisoner Barabbas. You were in that crowd also, weren't you?" The older boy looked with suspicious eyes at his young companion.
"Well, um..." the boy groped for words but none came. The only answer he had for his friend was the simple truth. "No." No he and his father had not joined the crowd he had. His companion stared at him in disbelief.
"Well," said his so-called friend in a haughty voice. "I don't believe that I can be a friend with someone who wants to support a man like that. That conniving, scheming, liar claiming to be the promised Messiah. If he was really the Messiah he would have been saved the horrible death. I can't be your friend any longer." With that he walked off to find new friends. The young boy stood there unable to move. Silent tears streaming down his face. Oh how he wished to run after his friend and say he had only been joking, but he knew that he couldn't lie. Unknown to him his father had seen everything that had transpired between the two boys. The father wished he could somehow bear his son's pain for him. His heart was bursting forth with pride at the courage his son had shown in the face of torment. Then again, his heart broke as he watched the tears roll down his son's face.
This man's son suffered because he stood up for his religious convictions. But was it really worth it? As you read you will be the judge of that.
For three days the father watched in helpless agony as his son bore the torment of many; old and young. Anywhere the boy would go he would be labeled as one who had been a lover of the Jesus man. On the third day of such agony the boy wondered away from the public eye early in the morning. He feet lead him towards the gardens of Gethsemany. As he sat among the flowers and wept as if he heart was breaking, sobs racked his body. A man came up and asked him why he was crying. He replied in a tremulous voice, "I cry for my Lord, sir. They hung Him upon the cross. Three days have passed since that time. My friends have all left me, I am all alone."
The man replied, "My child, I will never leave you or forsake you. For today your Lord is risen." The boy looked up, amazement in his eyes. He immediately recognized his Lord, and his face lit up with joy and his tears dried.
I again ask you was the price of losing all his friend worth it? Would you give up your family, friends, and social status to follow Jesus as the boy did? More than once we are going to be called upon by the public to make this decision. They will watch you. If you make a mistake they will noticed. You can have gold and treasures here on earth that one day will turn to dust. Or, if you rather, you can store up treasures in heaven that will never corrupt. Which is of more value to you? Man's favor, or God's? Ask yourself again, which crowd you have chosen. It is never too late to accept the free gift of salvation. The payment for our sins was the life of our Lord Jesus. Spread the good news! Jesus lives today in the hearts of Christian's around the world.