Hello everyone! 

After two weeks away, The Up Devotional is back to your email inboxes, social media feeds, and podcast platforms five mornings a week.

We are now in what is often called Holy Week. Yesterday was Palm Sunday. This coming weekend we remember and centre ourselves in the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. It is the ground zero of the Christian faith.

Have you ever noticed how the crowds come and go in Jesus’ ministry? People like him, then hate him, then like him again, and hate him again. When he feeds them food, they come. When he heals people, they also tend to come. 

When he starts teaching people, the results are a bit less consistent. Sometimes they come, but sometimes they go. When people tell you that Jesus wandered around talking about peace and love all the time and never ruffled any features like some sort of first-century hippie, they are clearly not paying attention. Jesus was anything but a push-over people-pleaser. Sure, he pleased a lot of people, but he also upset a lot of people too.

An example is in John 6 when he was teaching about how he was the bread of life (and exclusively so). Some of his disciples said: “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” On that day, many of them left.

And yet, there were some who remained faithful. In verse 68 Peter replied: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

On Palm Sunday, there were big crowds. On Good Friday, most of his followers had left. Crosses tend to cast long, bloody and trembling shadows. Danger and difficulty have a way of staring people in the eyes and asking them what they truly believe.

As we approach Easter, ask yourself what kind of a follower you are. Are you a fair-weathered follower, or an all-weather follower?

Let’s ground ourselves in the confidence of Hebrews 10:39: “we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.”

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Notes:

—Bible quotes are from the NIV.