Luke 2:13-14 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
Matt 15:30-39 Then great multitudes came to Him , having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them
ochlos ^3793^, “a throng of people, an irregular crowd,” most usually “a disorganized throng”; (from Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words)
There are no words to express what it means to be with crowds of people and in crowds of people when you are ministering and are the object of the crowd’s attention.
In today’s world when we see crowds gathering to see or hear a celebrity the celebrity is surrounded be security guards and police or military. Not so with Jesus!
Multitudes or crowds were with Jesus from the announcement of His birth to the cross to the moment of His ascension into heaven. From the time Jesus began His public ministry He was with crowds.
People could touch Him! Jesus touched the people!
I have lived around the world for decades carrying the cross in every nation. Time and again I have been the attention of the crowds. Often thousands line the road waiting for the cross and seeking to touch me or the cross. In the markets of the world there are only narrow passageways and thousands pushing their way forward. I am there with the cross and preaching and the pushing and shoving is unreal. Yet the beauty of the faces and the eagerness to hear from God is glorious. My mind is filled with the faces of people I have seen in crowds and sometimes never spoke a word. Jesus saw and touched people up close and personal. Should you have never had this experience you have missed a treasure. Many artist focus on people’s faces and others pay huge prices for the art to hang in their home or office’¦but art will never replace the real thing’¦face to face and flesh to flesh! Glory.
At the moment I am writing this I am in Africa. Children are pushing and shoving and reaching out to touch me and hold my hand and arms and legs. Often I cannot even walk as the people press around the cross.
Time and again around the world I can see thousands filling the roads and streets and climbing the trees to get high enough to see me. People hands are all over me and I am reaching out to them. The multitude moves as one body forward or backwards and it is an overwhelming force.
I have been invited into homes and as I pass through the door the house fills with people and the windows are full of smiling faces and the house is surrounded with crowds of people waiting for me to come out.
Now my experiences are little compared to what Jesus experienced but it does give me something to relate too.
Jesus had crowds almost all the time with Him. The constant pressure must have been unreal.
When people are being healed it is even wilder with crowds. Have you noticed that many ‘healing’ ministers in their meetings are separated from the masses of people. Why? It is dangerous to be in such crowds and’¦they do not want to have to touch so many sick people. I am not being critical just want to point out that Jesus was in the crowds and was touching and being touched by the huge multitudes of sick and needy people. Oh the love of Jesus! Oh the care of Jesus for people more than for Himself. Jesus gave His life for us. Glory
We do not know exactly how Jesus healed in great crowds. Did he touch them all? Did He just speak and they were healed? We do have the record how He healed individuals and sometimes it was the spoken Word, sometimes it was touch. Jesus used different ways in ministering His healing into the lives of other.
Often today the ministers are very separated from the suffering and hurting people. We are barricaded behind locked doors or office managers and screeners. The bigger the preacher the further we are away from the people.
Not so with Jesus. He moved on the open roads and could be approached by the common people.
Now Jesus did have to get away and be alone. Often He left the crowds and went to the mountains alone to be with the Father. I have to do the same. The crowds drain your strength and one must withdraw at times for refreshment. One must deal with people wanting to meet the celebrity and people who want contact for real. Is it Jesus you want or is it a certain person that you want to pray for you?
In this column I just want you to get the feel of Jesus and the people and His glorious love and care.
With crowds you touch and in touching you come in contact every disease. Unwashed hands from poor toilet conditions and open sores and every manner of illness you come in physical contact with.
I have been with such crowds all day along the roads and in the villages and never have had any sickness or disease in 36 cross carrying years. Jesus did it. I have touched millions of people and it is wonderful to feel the flesh of my brothers and sisters.
Jesus loved, He touched and He cares and Jesus will save you today!
Get this idea out of your mind that has been planted there by Bible publishers and books for children and artist, Jesus in clean white garments with neatly groomed hair without a drop of sweat and not a fly or bug flying around.
You just can’t live this type of life on the road in the Bible lands and surrounded by crowds of people in the super hot weather and dusty roads.
Jesus lived in ‘real’ conditions in a real world. This does not take away from Him it only adds to Him as a person.
One reason we are missing leading so many people to Jesus is that we try to clean Him up and present Jesus in a manner that the people today do not relate to.
The real Jesus is the true Jesus! See how people relate to Lance Armstrong the winner of the Tour de France 7 times. It is because he is tuff and sweating and struggling yet pressing forward that he is honored. Look at the sports heroes and you will see that the reason they are looked up to is that they can run or hit or overcome difficulties.
Let us take Jesus out of the chandelier hanging, organ playing, air conditioned churches and let people see the Real Jesus with the crowds and camping out in the outdoors and loving the people and you will see people today rushing to Jesus.
I am giving some scriptures in just the Gospel of Matthew of Jesus with the crowds. Please read and then try to think of what the real conditions were as Jesus was with the people.
As we read about Jesus you can see He cares. Jesus cares about you and me. Welcome Him to your life and welcome His Touch and Healing. You can have new heart and life.
Now take a look at Jesus and the crowds in Just one book of the Bible.
Matt 4:25 Great multitudes followed Him– from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem , Judea, and beyond the Jordan .
Matt 5:1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.
Matt 8:1 When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him.
Matt 8:18 And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side.
Matt 9:8 Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.
Matt 9:23 When Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing,
Matt 9:25 But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.
Matt 9:33 And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, “It was never seen like this in Israel !”
Matt 9:36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.
Matt 11:7 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?
Matt 12:15 But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.
Matt 12:23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”
Matt 12:46 While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.
Matt 13:2 And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
Matt 13:34 All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them,
Matt 13:36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him,
Matt 14:5 And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.
Matt 14:13 When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities.
Matt 14:14-16 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.”
But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
Matt 14:19-23 Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.
Matt 15:10 When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear and understand:
So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.
Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” Then His disciples said to Him, “Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?” Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven, and a few little fish.” So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left. Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. And He sent away the multitude, got into the boat, and came to the region of Magdala.
Matt 17:14 And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying,
Matt 19:2 And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there.
Matt 20:29 Now as they went out of Jericho , a great multitude followed Him.
Matt 20:31 Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!”
Matt 21:8-11 And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Hosanna in the highest!” And when He had come into Jerusalem , all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?” So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee .”
Matt 21:11 So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee .”
Matt 21:26 “But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet.”
Matt 21:46 But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.
Matt 22:33 And when the multitudes heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.
Matt 23:1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples,
Matt 26:47And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.
Matt 26:55 In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me.
Matt 27:15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished.
Matt 27:20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus
Matt 27:24 When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.”
Thank you Jesus!
Pilgrim followers of Jesus,
Arthur and Denise Blessitt
Luke 18:1