Tomorrow is Palm Sunday, celebrating Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem a week before his crucifixion. Jesus is preparing to celebrate the Passover feast. He has come from Jericho where he restored sight to blind Bartimaeus, and Bethany, where he reaised Lazarus from the dead. Jesus comes down the Mount of Olives, the temple glistening in the sun across the valley, riding a donkey. The crowd sees the significance of the moment and people begin to sing and shout, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" They wave palm branches and lay their cloaks in his path, hailing Jesus as king. Yet less than a week later, many in the same crowd are calling for Jesus' blood, "Crucify him!" They want Barabbas, a gangster and murderer rather than Jesus, and loudly proclaim, "We have no king but Caesar!" How could the people turn on Jesus so quickly? As I read this story I see four kinds of follower in the crowd.
The Disillusioned Follower. Judas was likely the most ambitious of the disciples. He saw Jesus as the Messiah who would kick out the Romans and set up his own kingdom. He was treasurer and was angling for Minister of Finance in the new kingdom. Jesus had already missed one chance. When Jesus fed the multitude in Galilee the people wanted to make him king. But Jesus would only say he was "the bread of life," the one who could meet their inner needs. By the end of the day he had lost the crowd. Judas was disillusioned, and by this time he was plotting how to betray Jesus. At least he would get something out of it.
The Silent Follower. Many Jewish leaders were in the crowd that day. One may have been Nicodemus, who came to Jesus at night, to whom Jesus said, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Those words had a great impact. Once Nicodemus tried to speak up for Jesus in the Jewish council, but was rebuffed. He wasn't ready yet to give up his position of authority to follow Jesus, so he remained silent. It was not until after Jesus' death that he followed Jesus openly.
The Temperamental Follower. Peter, the most prominent of Jesus' followers declared his loyalty loudly. He boasted he would follow Jesus to death even if everyone else forsook him and fled. Yet when the test came his courage failed; he bowed to peer pressure and three times denied that he knew Jesus. In spite of Peter's failure, however, Jesus tenderly restored him after the resurrection.
The Faithful Follower. After Jesus' arrest, even the most loyal followed at a distance. John tried to stay as close to his master as he could. He followed into the high priest's palace, and later was at the side of Mary, the mother of Jesus, at the cross. It was to John that Jesus entrusted the care of his mother. John stayed faithfully at his master's side to the end.
Are we fickle or faithful followers? We may feel unworthy as Jesus' followers. But this Easter reflect on His love for us. He loved us enough to die in our place; He rose again to give us eternal life and hope, and he says, "I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
