The Ingredients for a Movement

When he reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen. “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭19:37-38‬ ‭NLT‬‬

While the other three Gospel accounts focus on the gathering crowd that welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem, Luke gives us the distinct vantage point of a growing group of disciples.

As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen,”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭19:37‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“The whole multitude of His disciples.”  This was a growing movement!  Who was in this growing movement?  The Twelve were right there by His side.  The Seventy Two were gathered around them.  But these eighty four did not constitute a multitude.  There were more.  Perhaps there were many who had been impacted by the ministry of the Twelve as they had been sent two by two throughout Galilee.  These Jews would have been on their way to Jerusalem for Passover.   And perhaps the recent ministry of the Seventy Two, as they were sent out two by two, had produced many more believers.  Perhaps thousands had responded in faith to the preaching of Jesus, the Twelve, and the Seventy Two, believing that He was the Messiah, the Savior, the coming King.

This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said, “Tell the people of Jerusalem, ‘Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.’””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭21:4-5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus did not shy away from their belief that He was the Messiah, the Savior, the Coming King.  He wanted them to understand that His kingdom would not be as they envisioned nor as they desired.

Jesus, in riding in on a colt, knew exactly what He was doing.  He knew the prophecy.  He knew He was announcing to all Jerusalem that He was the coming King, the fulfillment of prophecy.

Evidently, Jesus had so many disciples following Him at this point that it caused a stir throughout the city.  Word began to spread.  People came to see.  A murmur spread through the growing crowd.

The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭21:10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Who is this?  What a question.  Their curiosity had been piqued.  This reminds me of Jesus’ question to the Twelve.  “Who do the people say that I am?  And what about you?  Who do you say that I am?”  Now, circulating through the crowd of curious onlookers was this response to their question…

…He is the Son of David!

…He is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth!

…He is “the One who comes in the name of the Lord!”

…He is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!

…He is the King of Israel!

Those already in the city for Passover had heard the stories about Jesus.  They had heard about this man from Galilee, this miracle worker.  They wanted to see Him for themselves.  They wanted to know more.  There was the anticipation throughout Israel, the hope that the Messiah would come to deliver His people from Rome.  Could Jesus be the one?

The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors”

‭‭John‬ ‭12:12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Raising Lazarus from the dead just a few months before Passover was the hinge point in the crowd’s anticipation.  Yes, Jesus had raised a dead girl and a dead boy before, but they weren’t yet in the grave.  It would be easier to dismiss those miracles as mere misdiagnosis, that they had only fainted or stopped breathing for a moment.  But Lazarus?  He was dead and buried, in the tomb for four days.  No misdiagnosis there.  He walked out of the tomb still wrapped in grave clothes.

Who is this man?  He even raises Lazarus from the dead!  And we’ve heard stories that His disciples have raised the dead too.  What kind of miracle-working power is this?  It must be divine!  He must be divine!  Sent from Yahweh.  The promised Messiah.

Many in the crowd had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, and they were telling others about it. That was the reason so many went out to meet him—because they had heard about this miraculous sign.”

‭‭John‬ ‭12:17-18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Where did the crowd go wrong?  Where had they missed it?

They believed, or at least hoped that Jesus was the Messiah who had come to save His people from Rome.  They couldn’t see that He was the Messiah who had come to save them from themselves, to save them from their sin.

It’s still the same today.

People want God to change their circumstances.  They don’t think God needs to change them.  They are looking for a “Blesser,” not a Redeemer.

This blogpost originally appeared at: The Ingredients for a Movement – Sonlife and is based upon Sonlife’s study, Knowing Him / A 50 Day Study in the Life of Christ / Day 44.