I’m reading in Luke the account of Jesus’s trial and death. No one wanted to be responsible for killing Jesus it seems–none of the leaders anyways. But due to the crowd screaming for Jesus’s death, Pilate gave in.
Jesus therefore died due to the power of crowd mentality. These same people who were praising Jesus when he entered Jerusalem almost in the same breath were now calling for his death. Why?
Because people went along with the crowd. And people behave differently when in a crowd. We have probably all experienced some form of this in our own lives.
Otherwise known as Mob Mentality, Crowd Hysteria, or Herd Behavior, man’s imbedded desire to be liked arises and makes him do things he otherwise would not.
I’m wondering if Pilate himself was afraid of this mob. We’re not for sure how large the crowd was around Jesus but I’m imagining it must have been considerable in order for Pilate (arguably one of the most powerful men in the Roman Empire at that time) to give in. Crowds can in one instant change the focus of their anger.
I find this fascinating. Jesus who had come to save man was ultimately done in by man’s character flaws (of which God had created). He died by the hands of the people He had come to save.
I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the whole concept of God having planned everything, including the Fall and Jesus. It seems like man is the cause of a lot of heartache in this world. Yet God created us, who we are deep inside, which leads to this heartache.
Why would God create such a flawed creation (when He is perfect) and put up with us? Why not either: 1) not create us at all or 2) create us differently to avoid all this?
Maybe God has hope one day we will overcome our innate iniquities and tendencies.
The reasoning is beyond me. Another twist on yesterday’s question about the Fall.
Note to self: ASK GOD when get to heaven.
Dear Atozmom – When God was finished with His creation He saw that it was good. It was all perfect. Adam and Eve were perfect and without character flaws. The free will God gave them was not a character flaw, it made them different from all the rest of creation. I believe these character flaws developed after the fall.
Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you…
Like I said as you start maturing and even when you study Genesis with BSF it will help ….It is getting to know the heart of God…Spend more time doing that….Ask Him now….Why wait…..
Again…God did not want robots. He created man out of His own image. And He didn’t want us programed to love and follow but gave us the free choice to love and follow Him. We cannot force anyone to love us…but we can hope they will. We hope they will respond to our love for them FIRST and love us in return. I think it is all about love.
God did not create a flawed man. Everything He created was good. It was man who made the choice to follow the lies of Satan.
YES. I love how you bring all these side notes of yours together here and you mentioned Reuben. Because I was thinking about Reuben when the crowds were yelling for the curse to be on them and their children if Pilate had Jesus killed and Reuben said if he didn’t get Benjamin back safely it would be on his sons life while Judah said if he didn’t get Benjamin back safely to his father he would bear the blame. It’s all so deep. And on the love part, was thinking how there is no greater love in the whole universe than Gods. Even though we have shown ourselves incorregable so not even one person has it in himself to be saved without Gods intervention. That way we all are on the same level as murderers and given a blanket salvation available to the worst and the best that still requires our free will. Yes! How wonderful is this? I can’t even make my kids love me or be loyal to me who I love with all my heart, nor would I want this kind of love even if it was available.
Thanks again for you faithful efforts, as always. Hope you will have a wonderful resurrection day I next week!