By Word Of Mouth

As we celebrated Palm Sunday and the Triumphal entry..

📖 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.  They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,    “Hosanna!”      

 “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”   “Blessed is the king of Israel!”  John 12:12-13

I had a thought....was it really triumphant?  Were the majority of those people genuine? ..real? Was it from the heart or just words from the mouth?

I have some thoughts; 

Believing that many of the people cheering for Jesus as he entered Jerusalem were the same people that days later cheered for the release of Barabbas (an insurrectionist and murderer) and demanded Jesus to be crucified.

📖 Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Luke 23:20-21

How did it come to that!?

First of all, how did they know He was coming? The didn't see it posted on social media or even read it in the paper, I even doubt it was on a poster nailed to a tree.

Word Of Mouth. 

Word of mouth would have brought people out to see this man they called a king, someone to save them from the oppressive Romans.

Word of mouth about His teachings and miracles would have proceeded Him. 

Why He even claimed to be God's son!

I am sure there were those who truly knew and loved Jesus, believing who He was.

But how from a praising crowd to a condemning one in less than a week's time?

By Word Of Mouth.  

What began as whispers of blasphemy and false teachings by those who were afraid of Jesus turned an adoring crowd into an angry mob.

📖  “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate, knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead. Mark 15:9-11

By Word Of Mouth information reached the religious leaders' ears about one who was willing to betray this Jesus for money.  

📖Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them.  They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over. Mark 14:10-11

By Word Of Mouth Judas passed on information that would lead to the arrest of Jesus.

📖 Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.” Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. The men seized Jesus and arrested him. Mark 14:44-46

By Word Of Mouth Peter manages to spread to those around him he is not a follower of this criminal.

📖But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.  Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.” He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!” After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.” Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!” Matthew 26:70-74

By Word Of Mouth the crowd of people are convinced that they want Barabbas released and Jesus crucified.

📖But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.  Matthew 27:20

By Word Of Mouth the events on that hill began to spread!

The words of the thief beside Him

📖 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”  But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence?  We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:39-

43

The darkness.

📖From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. Matthew 27:45

The anguished cry

📖 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). Matthew 27:46

The tearing of the curtain.

📖And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split... Matthew 27:50-51

and 3 days later.....

By word of mouth

HE ISN'T HERE! HE IS ALIVE!

📖 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”  So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Matthew 28:6-8

And the account has continued...by word of mouth!

Are we spreading the gospel by word of mouth?

We Must be careful what we are spreading by word of mouth.

📖 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:2-3

We MUST spread the truth of the gospel by words that proceed from our mouths.

📖 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  Matthew 28:212-22

The best way for us to introduce others to who Jesus is.....

is by Word Of Mouth! 

🙏My prayer is that all that we speak glorifies God.  Father, I pray that we honor Him with all that comes from our mouths. That we are excited to pass on the knowledge and experience that we have about who Jesus is. About His great love for us. For His sacrifice for our sins, and His wonderous resurrection! Especially this Holy weekend ....

📖May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
    be pleasing in your sight,
    Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14 

♥️