"When the large crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took palm branches that went out to meet him, They kept shouting: 'Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.'"
Less than a week later, the same crowd shouted, 'Take Him away! Take Him away! Crucify Him.'" - John 12:12-13 & John 19:15
Hosanna. A word chanted by the Jews that literally means "save me." Before entering Jerusalem, Jesus raised a man named from the dead and word spread quickly. Everybody wanted a piece of Jesus and his amazing miracles. They gathered along the streets to watch him pass, waved palm branches in celebration and even laid their cloaks on the ground for his donkey to walk on. Ironically though, many of the same people who shouted at Jesus with cries of salvation would have him crucified less than a week later. The promised messiah, the "King of the Jews", was very different than they had expected. His teachings were difficult and his way was not great in the eyes of the world. He instructed his followers to leave everything, talked about suffering and of a greater glory that was to come. Following him meant living on little, denying yourself and loving God above all. It's no wonder the crowds had second thoughts about Jesus. They gathered to worship his miracles and and not the king himself. When Jesus fell short of their lofty expectations and failed to meet the needs of the Jerusalem crowd, they quickly had him crucified.
If you were in that crowd, what would you have done? Many of us have flocked to Jesus at one time in our lives with similar cries of "save me" only to give up on really following him not long after. People are drawn to the illusion that Jesus can magically make them better but want no part of the suffering, selflessness and service that are required for spiritual growth. Are you quick to dismiss Jesus when he doesn't meet your wants and desires? Have circumstances or events in your life that you don't understand caused you to crucify Jesus on the cross of your heart and sent you in search of a different king?
There is no other king like Jesus. His way is hard and following him will cost you everything but nothing else can compare. We can make achievements our king, success our king, and knowledge our king but the truth is that no list of achievements, amount of success or breadth of knowledge can satisfy the deepest part of a man. So are you a follower of Jesus or just another wayward observer in the crowd interested in Christ for what he can do for you? Will you make Jesus your king and the goal of your life to live so that he gets the glory?
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