My thoughts wonder now if it was difficult for the chief priests and elders to persuade the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas. I wonder now if it was difficult at all for these same leaders to stir up the crowd to “shout all the louder, ‘Let Him be crucified!’” (Matthew 27:23b).
What a difference in the shouts!
On Sunday they shouted “Hosanna”!
On Friday they shouted “crucify”!
And there was one final shout to be made . . .
“Pilate saw that he was making no impression, that in fact a riot was imminent. So he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowds and said, ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood. It is your concern.’ And the people, every one of them, shouted back, ‘Let his blood be on us and on our children!’ Then he released Barabbas for them. After having Jesus scourged he handed him over to be crucified.” (Matthew 27:24-26)
What a difference in shouts!
They had the right man, but they stopped believing in Him and angrily turned on Him when He failed to live up to their expectations!
What about us? What about the crowds who follow Him today?
What happens when He fails to live up to our expectations?
Do we only praise God when we see Him at work in our lives?
When He relieves our oppressions and all is well in our world?
We shout “Hosanna’s” when needs are provided for, when things are nice, neat, orderly and relationships give no grief. But what happens when life gets hard, unpredictable and even messy? What happens when a job is lost, the creditors won’t stop calling, a bad medical report is received, a loved one dies, a spouse breaks a promise, or a child breaks a heart?
When He relieves our oppressions and all is well in our world?
We shout “Hosanna’s” when needs are provided for, when things are nice, neat, orderly and relationships give no grief. But what happens when life gets hard, unpredictable and even messy? What happens when a job is lost, the creditors won’t stop calling, a bad medical report is received, a loved one dies, a spouse breaks a promise, or a child breaks a heart?
Do we stop believing and turn from Him?
Do shouts of praise turn silent
—or worse—
do they turn to words of
anger and dejection?
God cannot be boxed. There is much we can know by knowing His word. We can trust Him explicitly. But His ways of doing things, His sovereign will, will not always make sense to us. It will not always be what we expect.
The Shouts ~ Part 1
The Shouts ~ Part 2
{edited from the archives, as I spend my week quiet with Jesus}
Get blog updates to your inbox or news reader by clicking here...
