Strength From the Crowd

Yesterday was Palm Sunday, a commemoration of the day Jesus entered Jerusalem to the cheers and adoration of the crowd. I imagine there were people who heard the commotion and ran to find out what was going on, then joined in the celebration themselves. It must have been like a modern day parade.

“Many in the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others spread leafy branches they had cut in the fields. Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting,

‘Praise God!
    Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David!
    Praise God in highest heaven!’” (Mark 11:8-10)

Up to this moment, He had drawn crowds when He taught, but there had been nothing like this. This crowd recognized Him as worthy of praise and honour and they bestowed both on Him lavishly. 
I’ve always wondered what Jesus thought as He rode that donkey into town, with the crowd shouting around Him. Did He know how quickly they would turn against Him? Did their cheers and praise at that moment help to strengthen Him for what would come at the end of the week?

He knew what He was going to Jerusalem to face; He had already told His disciples that He was going to die. He knew...and He went anyway. He went because He knew it was the only way to save the people cheering for Him along the sides of the road that day, and the ones who would call for His crucifixion later in the week. Amazingly, He was just as willing to save the latter group as He was to save the former.