By Ken Yates
INTRODUCTION
One of the most infamous days in American history was November 22, 1963. President John F. Kennedy had made a two-day, five-city tour of Texas––which he had won by a narrow margin in the 1960 election––with the goal of solidifying party support and winning new voters. As the Texas tour was nearing its end, President and Mrs. Kennedy, along with Texas Governor and Mrs. John Connally, were riding through the streets of Dallas in an open-top limousine. Videos of that day show a huge, enthusiastic crowd lining the street. The people were cheering the young, charismatic president.
As they headed toward Dealey Plaza en route to Stemmons Freeway, Mrs. Connally turned to the president and said, “Mr. President, you can’t say Dallas doesn’t love you.” Seconds later, as they entered the plaza, a sniper firing from the sixth floor of a nearby building ended the life of John Kennedy. Governor Connally was also seriously injured.
Mrs. Connally’s view of the situation that day was erroneous. The crowd’s applause had fooled her.
THE CROWDS AROUND JESUS
In Luke 9, Jesus is surrounded by crowds. The people loved being around Him. They had all heard of His supernatural power. In Luke 9:10-17, the Lord miraculously fed a multitude with just a few fish and pieces of bread. If we count the women and children, the crowd might have numbered around twenty thousand. It wouldn’t be surprising if those present applauded what they had the privilege of seeing.
A little later, the Lord encountered another crowd. Accompanied by three of His disciples, He came down from the Mount of Transfiguration and found a crowd awaiting Him. We are not told how many were in the crowd, but Luke says it was a “great multitude” (Luke 9:37). Those in the crowd had heard of the things Jesus had done. Almost certainly, some in the crowd were part of the multitude that had received the bread and fish. They were eager to see what Jesus would do this time. Excitement filled the air. I’m sure many applauded when they saw Him.
He didn’t disappoint them. A father brought his son––a young boy cruelly tormented by a demon–to Jesus. Dramatically, the Lord healed the boy. Luke explains how thrilled the crowd was at such a display of power. They were “amazed at the majesty of God” (Luke 9:43).
How did the disciples react to these crowds? Peter had been with the Lord when He fed the twenty thousand. He was with Him as He descended the mountain and met the waiting multitude. As one of the Lord’s disciples, Peter must have been pleased to see the crowds. As a citizen of Israel, Peter would have approved of his fellow countrymen coming together to see Christ. Peter knew that Jesus was the promised King. He saw the large crowds as an indication that the nation agreed with him. You can almost hear him say, “Lord, You can’t say Israel doesn’t love You!”
Like Mrs. Connally, Peter was mistaken. The applause had fooled him.
THE LORD WASN’T FOOLED
After Mrs. Connally told President Kennedy that he couldn’t deny Dallas’s love for him, he said, “You certainly can’t.” These were his last recorded words. Like Mrs. Connally, Kennedy was fooled by the praise of the crowds.
But our Lord wasn’t. He knew what the nation would do to Him. Following His interaction with the applauding crowd that ate the bread and fish, He told His disciples that He would suffer at the hands of the nation’s leaders, who would put Him to death (Luke 9:21). Later, after meeting the adoring crowd at the base of the mountain, He reminded the disciples of what He had told them. The nation would betray Him (Luke 9:44). It would not accept Him as its King. The people would kill Him.
Luke tells us that Peter and the other disciples reacted the way Mrs. Connally did when she heard the applause in Dallas that November day. The disciples didn’t see the reality. Luke records that even after the Lord told the disciples that the nation would kill Him, they did not understand (Luke 9:45).
We should not make the same mistake.
DON’T BE FOOLED
Perhaps encouraged by the generally positive reception he had received as he toured Texas, Kennedy let his guard down. Despite the fact that Dallas was home to a notable faction of extreme right-wingers whom many considered threats to Kennedy, he ordered the Secret Service to conduct the motorcade with an open-top limousine. That decision, of course, made Lee Harvey Oswald’s fatal shot possible. Ironically, Oswald was not a right-winger, but a passionate communist who at one point had defected to the Soviet Union. It seems that in the last moment of his life, President Kennedy, taken in by Mrs. Connally’s remark, had forgotten that he could have many types of enemies concealed in the crowd.
The same was true of the crowds that surrounded Christ. Some believed in Him. But others opposed Him. Many were looking for opportunities to accuse Him of a crime. Some even wanted to kill Him.
We need to remember that when we encounter crowds. The world’s applause conceals danger. The Lord warned His disciples about this when He said, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you…” (Luke 6:26).
James also warns against desiring the world’s approval. He asks his readers, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (Jas 4:4). In simple terms, James is telling us to watch out when the world applauds us. Things are not as they appear.
APPLICATION
When we gain the approval of others, it makes us feel good. We can actively seek that approval and measure our success by the crowds we attract. When we do, we assume that large ministries are more pleasing to the Lord than small ones.
But the Scriptures tell us that the world will always oppose the truth. In Gal 1:10, Paul explains that he does not seek to please men. If we accurately teach what the Bible says, we will have enemies. Many will think we are jerks, heretics, or both. GES, for example, teaches that eternal life is given as a free gift when one believes in Jesus alone for it, and that it can never be lost. We also teach that in the kingdom of God there will be differences among believers. Some will be greater than others. Many people, both in and out of churches, vehemently oppose such teachings. Paul, James, and the Lord said it would be that way.
It is easy to fall in love with adoring crowds. Disciples of the Lord should not seek such approbation and acclaim. In fact, if a bunch of applauding people surround us, we can be sure there is danger around the next corner.
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Ken Yates is a retired Army chaplain (Lt. Col). He has many theological degrees, including a Ph.D. from D.T.S. in New Testament. He leads the GES international ministry, cohosts the daily podcast, and assists Bob in all aspects of the GES ministry. His new book, Mark: Lessons in Discipleship, is a wonderful explanation of Christ’s call to discipleship. He and his wife, Pam, live in Columbia, SC.
