Most people don’t like to stand out from the crowd. Something in our nature urges us to go along with what appears to be the popular opinion of the moment. Perhaps it is our desire to be accepted or to feel validated, but whatever the cause, we are all susceptible to being swept along with the culture’s current.
Nowhere is this more vividly illustrated than in the rapid change in the public opinion of Jesus the week before His crucifixion. He rode into town at the beginning of the week to shouts of “Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.” (Matthew 21:9) The week ended with those same crowds screaming, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him,” and “We have no king but Caesar.” (John 19:15)
What changed? Certain agitators, the chief priests and elders, took advantage of the fickleness of human nature and the propensity of people to follow the crowd and turned the people against Jesus. “But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.” (Matthew 27:20)
Many of the people who proclaimed Jesus’ praise one day demanded his punishment seven days later. They were not true followers of Jesus. They were cultural Christians. Sadly, many “Christians” today are no different. They will identify with Jesus as long as it is popular, but when the mood around them shifts, they abandon Him. They call themselves Christian because their family is Christian or their community is predominately Christian, but in their heart, they are following the crowd, not Christ. When it is no longer convenient to follow Christ, they walk away. Don’t be a “Cultural Christian.” Be a committed Christian who follows Christ no matter what the crowd does.
Nowhere is this more vividly illustrated than in the rapid change in the public opinion of Jesus the week before His crucifixion. He rode into town at the beginning of the week to shouts of “Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.” (Matthew 21:9) The week ended with those same crowds screaming, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him,” and “We have no king but Caesar.” (John 19:15)
What changed? Certain agitators, the chief priests and elders, took advantage of the fickleness of human nature and the propensity of people to follow the crowd and turned the people against Jesus. “But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.” (Matthew 27:20)
Many of the people who proclaimed Jesus’ praise one day demanded his punishment seven days later. They were not true followers of Jesus. They were cultural Christians. Sadly, many “Christians” today are no different. They will identify with Jesus as long as it is popular, but when the mood around them shifts, they abandon Him. They call themselves Christian because their family is Christian or their community is predominately Christian, but in their heart, they are following the crowd, not Christ. When it is no longer convenient to follow Christ, they walk away. Don’t be a “Cultural Christian.” Be a committed Christian who follows Christ no matter what the crowd does.