24
CROWDS
Jesus was quite an attraction in HIS earthly ministry… He
was in HIS three and half years of ministry what one could no doubt recognize
as a focal point of Jewish life…
Herod was consumed with finding Jesus even as a child… He
was hunted for and looked for by those like Herod. There were those who shared
the hatred and jealousy over this one called Jesus… People such as Caiaphas,
Pilot, and the sect called the Pharisee’s… Even too, those of the Sadducees did
not see this Jesus who was drawing such large crowds of people.
We can see they were part of that crowd.
There too, were those we read of that go unnamed. They are
simply referred to as the multitudes… The multitudes, another crowd… They
followed HIM, they looked for HIM. We even find them at times and in places
where the bible says of the crowd. They,
the crowd, waited on HIM…
In the ministry of Jesus, the word (multitude), 65 times, the
word (multitudes) 18 times all within the gospels. The bible mentions the words
throng, thronging, and the description of the multitudes in the word, “press.”
Jesus would teach, preach, heal, and deliver amongst the
multitudes… He conquered demonic spirits all within the crowds… Here is the
fact and the truth of the matter… All that Jesus did within and even for the
multitudes however, did not make them sheep… They at this time were never
considered as the church.
Its easy to comprehend that there were only 120 in the upper
room, and in comparison to the multitudes pale in comparison in regard to
number… Some of the multitudes contained in the gospels were given numbers… We
see 5000 men here, 5,000 over there… We see them when the multitudes were fed
by the LORD. Yet, we can see the multitudes for what they were, and even today
what they are, because the multitudes still exist today…
Yet, hear the mind of the multitude…
Luke 23:8 And when
Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a
long season, because he had heard many
things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. KJV
That is the prevailing thought of the multitude. Then too, many
of them were there for the fishes and the loaves. They followed their fleshly
appetites.
Jesus had this to say of Nazareth HIS home in their thoughts
towards HIM… You
have heard of me and what I have done in Capernaum your statement is, do it
here also… Luke 4:23…
The interest was there, but it was for themselves; their own
belly. They just wanted to see what they could have, and what they could
consume on themselves…
Sound familiar?
Jesus had the crowds, but HE had not the church.
Jesus had the multitudes, but HE did not have the church.
Jesus had their attention, but HE didn’t have their repentance.
Jesus had them as hearers, but not as doers.
If your apart of the multitude your part of the problem with
religion… We need a spiritual awakening and that never is going to come with
crowd appeasement, and the appeal to the appetites of the multitudes…
You can be in the crowd, but you won’t be in the church… You
can have the crowd, but you won’t have the church…
We know the multitude, we can see the multitude… But note
where HE is…
Matt 4:24 And his fame
went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were
taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with
devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed
them.
This was within the multitude…
25 And there followed him great multitudes of
people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea,
and from beyond Jordan.
Again, multitudes coming from all over…
Matthew 5:1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a
mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: KJV
He see’s the multitudes and gets himself in a place where HE
can be heard and seen… He sits down, and HE teaches… Where is Jesus??? HE’S
outside with the multitudes…
From one place to the next… We see HIM from chapter 5 of
Matthew to chapter 8 and now we see HIM coming down and great multitudes are
following HIM…
Matt 8:1 When he was
come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. KJV
Yet, there came a day in particular Jesus did something HE had
not done until chapter 13 of Matthew.
Matt 13:36 Then Jesus
sent the multitude away,
Jesus here sends the multitude away… Up until this time it
was about Jesus teaching, ministering, healing the sick amongst the multitude.
Jesus had finished with those that would never follow him to
the upper room… Jesus stops where those who are satisfied with standing on the
outside looking in…
And Jesus after HE sends them away…
and went into the house:
It is important to note that Jesus after the multitude. HE goes
into the house… It is in the house that suddenly where the focus changes… It’s
those that are not of the multitudes that are now with HIM, and they are in the
house… It’s those that have come as far as entering into the house that will soon
make up HIS church… It will be them that will know the secrets of the kingdom…
It will be them who would follow HIM to the upper room… It’s going to be those
that said, declare unto us the kingdom… It will be them who will say, we want
to know…
and his disciples came unto him, saying,
Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. KJV
But it wasn’t outside the house, it was in the house. The
church.
It is also worth noting that Matthew records that when Jesus
went into the synagogues, the religious places for the multitudes. It was
always noted as (their synagogues.) Matthew, Mark, Luke records this.
Were the multitudes blessed by HIM? Surely. HE will bless
those that are in the way and until they satisfy their hunger… But those who truly
followed HIM they weren’t just blessed and filled with the fishes and loaves, they
were trusted. They were given access, not to just blessings, but the GOD of the
blessings… They were given knowledge. They were given invitation. They followed
HIM to their end. The end of themselves. Not as the multitude but as the church
soon to come. They were going to become a part of that which HE was going to
give HIS life for…
You see, the world and the religious systems that exist…
They are the multitudes that have their synagogues that are around Jesus… They
have the bling, the names, and the circle… They have the crowds… They have the
noise… They have the stage… But its just a multitude… A multitude that never
denies self… A multitude that carries no cross… A multitude that is without
righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost… Surely, they have the meat and
drink, but they are a multitude that will not follow HIM to the cross…
Therefore, they cannot make it to the upper room, because the only way to get
there is by the way of the cross…
Jesus was with them for over 40 days after HIS resurrection.
Jesus showed HIMSELF to over 500 folks. Of
course, HE was talked about and the news was spread abroad. Should it then provoke
the question. Where then was the multitudes? They were where they had always
been, looking for signs, looking to see some great miracle not realizing the
greatest miracle ever known was looking right back at them.
Today, the mentality of the multitude is very much alive. The
Jesus they look for is the one they can define and design to their own liking.
It’s the multitudes. The word of GOD escapes them. The natural man cannot
understand HIM. They are foolish to them. Neither can they know them. It’s the way
of the multitude. The way of the crowd. They look where everybody else is looking.
They watch what everybody else is watching. They repeat what everybody else is
saying. They look like what most everybody looks like. It’s the way of the
crowd, the multitude. They live outside the house.
Acts 28:26 Saying, Go
unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and
seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:
27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull
of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and
understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. KJV
This is what happens when you look through the eyes of flesh.
Outside doesn’t look so bad. This is what it looks like when man is satisfied
with what he has done for himself. But it’s not in the house. There may be a
crowd but the crowd is not interested in having Jesus or seeing Jesus or
hearing Jesus in the house.
The multitude will get in the way. The multitudes will
always get in your way. You can't see all of Jesus when the multitude blocks
your vision. One cannot hear good through the noise of the multitude.
Luke 19:3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and
could not for the press, because he was little of stature. KJV
Luke 19:5 And when
Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide
at thy house. KJV
Zacchaeus went from the back of the crowd to the house with
Jesus. O that we could get to the house.
Acts 2:1 And when the
day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty
wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. KJV
Sounds like the house is where to be. Leave the multitudes.
Leave the crowd, their concepts and ideas. Leave the ways of men and flesh. Leave
turn and get to the house where Jesus is.
Is that what not Noah did? He left the crowd behind in what
would be a house that GOD had provided.
Thank you for reading and thank you to those who have commented both here and in
conversation. Blessings
