John 12:18
The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign.
If you want to be “trending” on X/Twitter or Instagram or Facebook…raise someone from the dead. I’m sure you will grab some headlines and your 15-minutes of fame is soon to follow. Of course, the skeptics will come out of the woodwork to vehemently deny such a supernatural power exists, while other people will fall at your feat in adoration and worship. How would you handle all the attention? What would you do with the spotlight?
Jesus was definitely “trending” when he made his triumphal entry into the capital city of Judaism. The reports of his miraculous deeds had spread far and wide and the people were hopeful that he would be The One to return them to the glory and prestige of the past…as in the days of David and then Solomon. Their motivation was off, of course, as they had missed what the scriptures had already taught about a suffering servant Messiah, but at least there had been some activity coming out of Jesus’ ministry that was noteworthy, to say the least. Do you and I generate any such headlines for our faith journey with Jesus?
Fame is certainly not the point, nor is trying to do things just to “get noticed for Jesus.” The church in Colossae had become known for its faith and good works and Paul acknowledged such when he wrote to them:
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. Colossians 1:3-7
The point is this: When you live a life of faith and holiness, amazing things are going to happen. You probably won’t raise anyone from the dead, but your good works and kind words will raise many out of their pits. You probably won’t multiply some bread and a fish to feed a massive crowd, but you will multiply people’s hope and comfort in a way that will touch lives, possibly for generations. Little things done with great faith and a pure heart are always seeds that the LORD will water and grow and bring to great harvest. Your walk with the Lord may not trend on Twitter, but it certainly will in the lives of your family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers.
The crowds went to meet Jesus because they had heard of the great things he had done. Is anyone noticing us because of the good things we are trying to do in His name? We may not draw the attention of a large crowd, but our Father in Heaven will always take note, as will the people in our lives that He wants to reach through our faithfulness.
