As I was thinking about it later, I imagine that both Palm Sunday and Good Friday were filled with people who didn't really know what was going on. There were bystanders watching as Jesus passed who had no idea who He was and just went about their business for the day. There were other people who were curious enough to follow the crowd in hopes of seeing or hearing something interesting. There were many who had false ideas about who Jesus was—some wanting to kill Him, others wanting something from Him. And there were a small number who would come to faith in Jesus as their Savior and Lord.
I was reminded of a camp I worked at while on summer ministries. One night the youth enacted the crucifixion (though greatly sanitized). The mother of the teen who played Jesus was there, and she said later it was all she could do to keep from running up to get her son off the cross. The cross takes on new meaning when you know the person hanging there.
For those who drove past us today and for those who walked with us, I’m sure there were a wide range of thoughts and beliefs, from annoyance to skepticism to curiosity to faith to overwhelming gratitude for the One who took our place.
“But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” -Romans 5:8
© 2017 Dawn Rutan.
