If you’re a big celebrity in this day and age, first of all please let me know because I’d love to meet you, secondly, you would be crowded by security keeping fans away. Celebrities have different entrances and exits in airports, secret ways of getting into venues, and if they’d really like to, they would never have to be in close contact with anyone else! However, this wasn’t the case in the first century.

Just yesterday we ended with the Pharisees wanting to kill Jesus. They began their schemes about how to get rid of him. But this wasn’t the only reaction of the people around Jesus. While the leaders wanted to kill him, the crowds loved him. Jesus’ popularity was growing so much that people were following him all around the countryside. He was a first-century celebrity! It got so crowded by the lake that he even had to get into a boat to avoid being crushed. Why was he so popular? Well, the main reason given was because of his healing and casting out of demons. People were coming from everywhere to touch him to be healed and the evil spirits recognised him for who he truly was, however, he didn’t allow them to speak. If the word that Jesus was the Son of God got out, then the Pharisees may have crucified him before he completed his on earth ministry.

What are we seeing here? Well, we’re seeing the power and the authority of Jesus at work in the healing and exorcisms and we are also seeing our gracious and compassionate Lord at work in the world. We’re also seeing the people who he came to save flock to him like sheep. Jesus didn’t come to save the hypocritical but those who make him Lord. The kingdom is breaking in and the king is showing who he really is - the Son of God. MC

Questions

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we are so thankful for the gift, the power, the authority, the kingship of Jesus over every aspect of this world. Help us like the crowds to run to him in everything and to recognise him as King in our lives. Amen.