“And the multitudes that went before and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest” (Matthew 21:9).
One of the saddest commentaries on human nature can be found by comparing the stirring testimony in our text with the shouts of a similar crowd only a few days later, when “the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask for Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. . . . Let Him be crucified” (Matthew 27:20,22).
People often act and think quite differently in a crowd than when they are alone. There is great risk in standing alone. Numerous tests have shown that a person will many times deny the obvious, choosing illogically rather than standing alone. But many times the crowd is wrong.
Much of the popularity of current evolutionary theory stems from the fact that “everybody” believes in evolution. Never mind the fact that there is no objective evidence in support of evolution, that the possibility of it defies natural law and probability. All too many people blindly accept what the Bible calls foolishness simply because it is called wise by the crowd (Romans 1:22).
Notice the kind of things that result when the crowd is wrong, particularly the crowd calling for Christ’s death. First the leaders, who know and/or hide the truth, escape responsibility (Matthew 27:20,24, etc.). Truth is mocked (vv.29; 39–44) and lies prevail (26:59–61). The guilty go free, and the innocent are punished (27:26).
Praise God, in this case and in certain other cases, He sees to it that “the wrath of man shall praise thee” (Psalm 76:10). The ICR and many others are currently feeling the sting of the evolutionary crowd’s wrath, but we have not been abandoned by the One who gives the victory. JDM
