so... which crowd are you in?

This past Sunday was of course "Palm Sunday" the day when we recall and celebrate Christ's entry into Jerusalem at the time of Passover.  He came riding in upon a donkey, an animal commonly used in that culture by royalty when coming into an area peacefully.  When coming into an area as conquerors, they would come riding upon a horse in a display of warlike intentions.  Clearly, Jesus was sending a message as well as fulfilling scripture.

Zechariah 9:9 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
The Coming Ruler of God’s People
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion!
    Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!
Lo, your king comes to you;
    triumphant and victorious is he,
humble and riding on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

In their wonderful book "The Last Week", Marcus Borg and Dominic Crossan (The Last Week) talk about the two crowds in the story of Jesus last week on Earth.  The first crowd the crowd that we read about in the Lectionary for this week's service, and the crowd that appears before Pilate and ask for Barabba's release over Jesus. Borg and Crossan maintain that it is not made up of the same demographic in the Jewish population.  After reading their book, I was inclined to agree with them, but lately, I've started to question this perhaps too 'easy' conclusion.  The problem is that it releases the crowd of culpability in the death of Christ.  The crowd isn't fickle, it's a different crowd... But, like I said it's perhaps just a bit too convenient and maybe even too clever by half.  

The problem was that Jesus wasn't who they wanted, they wanted a conquering King, somebody who would come in and kick the Romans to the curb so to say.  Here comes Jesus, looking so very promising in the incident at the Temple and then he just lets himself be arrested without so much as putting up a struggle. As a conqueror, this guy is a sad disappointment, to say the least.  In the courtyard of Pilate, the crowd wants the man of 'strength' the warlike Barabbas.  Barabbas had to be an insurrectionist; the Romans basically only crucified two classes of people insurrectionists and run-away slaves.  Barabbas likely was the leader of a group and the other two men crucified with Jesus were probably his followers.

The crowd wants the man of violence, they turn from the man of peace to the man who had apparently killed in the insurrection. One could even speculate that Barabbas was another Messianic figure (there were several in Jesus' time). Barabbas would literally mean "the son of the father", so the crowd opted for the "son of the father" that was a man of violence rather than the "son of the Father" that was a man of peace. One can also wonder how long Barabbas lived after being released, I would speculate not long, the Romans weren't big on allowing insurrectionists to just walk around.  That was what caused Rome to want to kill Jesus, a man of peace or not, he was a trouble-maker and Rome wanted nothing to do with him.

All too often in life, we behave like the crowd(s).  We're all excited when asking God for something, but when things don't seem to us to work out the way we'd planned, we turn on God and we too cry 'Crucify Him'...  So, which crowd are you in?

Be a blessing to someone today!

In Christ's Love & Joy,
Roy

Photo by Christian Begema

John 12:12-16 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
12 The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting,

“Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord—
    the King of Israel!”

14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it; as it is written:

15 “Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion.
Look, your king is coming,
    sitting on a donkey’s colt!”


16 His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written of him and had been done to him.


Mark 11:1-11 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
11 When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples 2 and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. 3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’” 4 They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, 5 some of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6 They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. 7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. 9 Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting,

“Hosanna!
    Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
10     Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”


11 Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.


Matthew 27:15-26  New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Barabbas or Jesus?
15 Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted. 16 At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Jesus[a] Barabbas. 17 So after they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus[b] Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”[c] 18 For he realized that it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over. 19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him.” 20 Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed. 21 The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22 Pilate said to them, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”[d] All of them said, “Let him be crucified!” 23 Then he asked, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”

24 So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood;[e] see to it yourselves.” 25 Then the people as a whole answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” 26 So he released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.

Footnotes:
a) Matthew 27:16 Other ancient authorities lack Jesus
b) Matthew 27:17 Other ancient authorities lack Jesus
c) Matthew 27:17 Or the Christ
d) Matthew 27:22 Or the Christ

e) Matthew 27:24 Other ancient authorities read this righteous blood, or this righteous man’s blood

Psalm 118:25 King James Version (KJV)

25 Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.


Zechariah 9:9  New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
The Coming Ruler of God’s People
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion!
    Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!
Lo, your king comes to you;
    triumphant and victorious is he,
humble and riding on a donkey,

    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

John 12:27-35 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Jesus Speaks about His Death
27 “Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30 Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people[a] to myself.” 33 He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. 34 The crowd answered him, “We have heard from the law that the Messiah[b] remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 Jesus said to them, “The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going.

Footnotes:
a) John 12:32 Other ancient authorities read all things
b) John 12:34 Or the Christ