FICKLE FOLLOWERS
Julie Ackerman Link
Read: John 12:12-19; 19:14-16
Behold, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt. —John 12:15
How quickly public opinion can change! When Jesus entered Jerusalem for the Passover feast, He was welcomed by crowds cheering to have Him made king (John 12:13). But by the end of the week, the crowds were demanding that He be crucified (19:15).
I recognize myself in those fickle crowds. I love cheering for a team that’s winning, but my interest wanes when they start losing. I love being part of a movement that is new and exciting, but when the energy moves to a new part of town, I’m ready to move on. I love following Jesus when He is doing the impossible, but I slink away when He expects me to do something difficult. It’s exciting to follow Jesus when I can do it as part of the “in” crowd. It’s easy to trust Him when He outsmarts the smart people and outmaneuvers the people in power (see Matt. 12:10; 22:15-46). But when He begins to talk about suffering and sacrifice and death, I hesitate.
I like to think that I would have followed Jesus all the way to the cross—but I have my doubts. After all, if I don’t speak up for Him in places where it’s safe, what makes me think I would do so in a crowd of His opponents?
How thankful I am that Jesus died for fickle followers so that we can become devoted followers.
For Further Thought
Read these Bible verses and ponder Jesus’ love for you
(Rom. 5:8; Rom. 8:37-39; Heb. 13:5-6,8; 1 John 3:1).
Allow your devotion to Him to grow.
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Christ deserves full-time followers.
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