04/06/2026
Crowds can be intoxicating. The same people shouting "Hosanna!" on Palm Sunday would be screaming "Crucify Him!" just days later. Their praise was loud but shallow, based on what they wanted Jesus to be rather than who He actually was.
We see this pattern everywhere today. Social media can make someone a hero one day and a villain the next. Workplace popularity can shift with a single decision. Even in churches, people's approval can be fickle when we don't meet their expectations.
The danger isn't just that crowds are unpredictable - it's that living for their approval shapes us in unhealthy ways. When we're constantly worried about maintaining our image, we make decisions based on fear rather than faith. We avoid difficult conversations, compromise our values, or present a version of ourselves that isn't authentic.
Jesus knew the crowds would turn on Him, yet He didn't change His mission to keep their approval. He understood that crowd-pleasing is ultimately crowd-serving, and He came to serve His Father's will instead. This same freedom is available to us when we anchor our identity in God's unchanging love rather than people's shifting opinions.
True security comes not from managing what others think of us, but from knowing who we are in Christ.
