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The great multitudes that followed Christ to Golgotha

Luke writes that a great company of people, and of women, followed Jesus who was carrying His Cross and they also bewailed and lamented Him (Luke 23:27).

The great multitudes that saw miracles and received blessings through the hands of our Lord followed Him when He was carrying His Cross on the way to Golgotha. They did not go away due to fear on seeing the Roman soldiers. They were truly weeping for the One Who had blessed them. These multitudes were going from place to place searching for Jesus Christ to receive His blessings. They showed their love to Him by bewailing and lamenting. They were emotional. But, in the Upper Room where the disciples of Jesus Christ were assembled for prayer after the ascension of Christ into the heaven, there were only 120 persons. The thousands who saw miracles and followed Him when He was performing miracles still followed Him when He was carrying His Cross. But ultimately only 120 persons were His disciples who were in the Upper Room.

Jesus had preached the Sermon on the Mount to the multitude (Matt.5:1). The great multitudes followed Jesus to receive healings and miracles (Matt.8:18). The great multitudes were gathered together unto Him so that He went into a ship and sat and the whole multitude stood on the shore (Matt.13:1). When Jesus entered Jerusalem seated on the donkey, a very great multitude spread their garments in the way, and followed Him, crying, "Hosanna to the son of David....Hosanna in the highest". Even the chief priests and Pharisees could not lay their hands on Him because they "feared the multitude" who were with Jesus (Matt.21:46). However, we find in Math.27:20 that when Jesus was arraigned before the judgment seat of Pilate, the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas to be released in place of Jesus. We find that the great multitudes that praised Jesus when He entered Jerusalem did not present themselves before Gabatha, the judgment seat of Pilate, to raise their voice against the voices of the multitude that were with the chief priests and elders. Where were "the great multitudes" when Pilate delivered his judgment pronouncing death penalty to Jesus and freedom to Barabbas, a condemned convict?

To our great surprise, we now find the great multitudes follow Jesus Christ when He was on the way to Golgotha. At Gabatha, they were absent but were present with Jesus when He was on the way to Golgotha. They only wept and lamented Him. After shedding tears over the crucifixion of their Master, they returned home. They had the vision of Crucified Christ but did not follow Him as His disciples after His crucifixion. Only a small group of 120 disciples were in the upper room praying for the promise of the Father for sending the Holy Spirit.

The same thing happens today. Millions attend healing and miracle crusades where our Lord performs miracles and healings. Similarly, the great multitudes praise and adore Jesus Christ in their churches on Sundays. But only a few people become His disciples and serve Him in His vineyard. Many popular evangelists covet popularity by publishing photographs of great multitudes who have attended their crusades and by putting up wall-posters in this regard. What matters is not the great multitude who receives miracles and healings but the small group of people who dedicate their lives to Jesus Christ and become His disciples.

If Jesus were to carry His Cross today, all of us would definitely follow Him weeping and lamenting. But after seeing Him off at Golgotha, we will return to our homes and will lead the same old lives.

Let us go to Golgotha and be crucified with Him. Let us join Paul in saying, "I am crucified with Christ Jesus; nevertheless I live: yet not I, but Christ liveth in me....." (Gal.2:20). Let us not go to Golgotha to see off our Lord.

As we meditate on the passion of Christ, let us examine our lives and fall at His Cross, confess our past failures and crucify our own desires and lusts on His Cross. Let us take up our crosses, deny ourselves and follow Him in His Vineyard.

- Job Anbalagan