The Bible is the bestselling book of all times. Our lord Jesus Christ should not have to complain today that He lacks popularity. There are many churches and various sects which proudly carry the name “Christian.” There is a lot of money to be made in religious tracts and artifacts. Many references are made to Christ in literature, music and cinema. Christ has received the stature of a “superstar,” and were He living on earth today, He would be a much invited speaker on the celebrity circuit. Perhaps Christ need not have worried so much when He wondered if there would still be faith on earth at His return. There seems to be faith in abundance.

Yet we are somewhat concerned and worried ourselves when we see and read that Christ meets with such general interest and even massive enthusiasm. According to the Word of God, that is rather unusual. Certainly, Christ has been hailed before by enthusiastic crowds and been given a hero's welcome. In His own time, our Lord knew moments of great popularity. Christ's bitter enemies, the Scribes and Pharisees, were angry witnesses to this mass-appreciation and adulation. And they complained with great envy and deep resentment, “Look, the world has gone after Him.”

Our Lord was indeed in those days very popular for a time. His popularity was at a peak just before and during the entry into Jerusalem. People were still buzzing with wonderment about the resurrection of Lazarus. Many times the Pharisees had voiced their objections to Jesus and made public their criticism, but the multitudes did not seem to share the objections of their leaders. Jesus, the great healer, who could multiply bread at will, had stolen their hearts and captivated their attention. And the Pharisees saw it happening: the Jewish people in their fierce hatred for the despised Romans would joyfully receive Jesus in Jerusalem as leader and king to lead them to freedom. Jerusalem was ready to take in its king who would drive out both oppressors and traitors.

So we can understand, there is an atmosphere of joyous anticipation in the city. People are milling about; crowds are gathering. And Jesus apparently plays along, too, for seated on an ass, He makes a triumphant entry into Jerusalem, while the crowds shout their approval, “Hosanna, the King!” The Pharisees were outrightly disgusted with this whole display. Jesus and the people, it seemed like an unbeatable combination.

But the Pharisees knew better. They knew the power of Rome. They also knew how weak the Jewish nation really was. They were certain that any popular uprising would be quelled in blood by the Roman troops. Previous rebellions had met with a terrible fate. This Jesus had to be stopped at all costs. Yet all their attempts had been quite fruitless, and the Pharisees are extremely frustrated, “You see that you can do nothing; look, all the world has gone after Him.” To arrest Jesus now, would lead to instant rebellion and widespread pandemonium. The Pharisees could only bide their time, hoping nothing serious would come of it; hoping especially that the Roman authorities would not intervene by declaring martial law and ending the relative authority of the Sanhedrin.

However, the Pharisees need not worry overmuch. For this popularity of Jesus is temporary. As soon as the crowds realize that this Jesus does not meet their standards and demands, they drop Him. They prefer the criminal, Barabbas, above the Mediator Jesus. For the one whom they first acclaimed as the King of Israel soon appeared to them as just another imposter. He did not measure up to their expectations, and they turned against Him.

The whole world goes after Him? Later Jesus told His disciples not to be surprised if the world hated them, “Know that it has hated Me before it has hated you” (John 15:18). The Pharisees were right at that moment, the world has gone after Him, but there is a difference between going after Christ and following Him.

“Going after Christ” is a going along with the crowds, and it's a short-lived infatuation. But following Christ is a life of obedience to God's will out of gratitude for the salvation given in Him. Going after someone is a matter of sensationalism; following someone is a matter of faith.

In fact, our Lord has never been “in” in this world, and He never will be. Often people have made a wrong image of Christ and worshipped that image. But that is not Christianity; it is self-willed worship, contrary to God's revealed law. It means making a Messiah after your own design. And any religion based on this deception cannot last before God or among men. Christ did not come to shine among men in a worldly way and to conquer as Superstar in a worldly manner. But He came as Mediator of the covenant to show the humble form of a servant, to fulfill the Word of God, and only in this way to receive the Kingship and the glory. A glory based on divine approval and not on popular support. It is decisive how we acclaim Him: as Superstar of the world, or as Mediator of God!

When the world goes after Christ, the church should be careful. For the world is not impressed with the Truth of God's Word but is always obsessed with the grandeur of its own imagination. The world constantly creates its own Superstars and goes after them. That is also the style of the false church. When people tire of the one, they find another. We see a succession of Superstars in every area of life. But the church always follows the one Mediator and remains faithful to Him in every sector of life.

Many mass-movements, impressive though they be, lead a short and turbulent life. The fervour of the crowds cools quickly. The church is not a movement chasing an illusion, but is the body of Christ inseparably bound to Him.

Following Christ is not a temporary fling, but a life-long commitment. It is not a passing fad, in which we indulge, but a way of life which requires perseverance and self-denial. Following Christ is never the “in-thing” in this world, for it means ridicule and persecution from the side of the world. Our Lord Himself put it very plainly when he said,

If any man would come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.Matthew 16:24