Jesus-feeding-the-multitude  Have you ever wondered how the people of Philadelphia would treat Jesus if He paid our city a visit? Obviously we can’t know exactly what the general public would do, but we can have a pretty good idea. We know how He was treated when He came to earth two thousand years ago, and human nature hasn’t changed at all since then.

   Paintings of Jesus’s preaching usually picture throngs of adoring crowds all around Him. That is not exactly accurate. While it is true that Jesus attracted large crowds, some of the time that was because He gave them free food (John 6:26). His popularity only lasted for a short time. Have you ever wondered why?

   At first glance hating Jesus doesn’t make any sense. Jesus never harmed anybody. Not only that, He was peaceful and healed everyone who came to Him.

   The crowds didn’t get bored with Jesus, but eventually most of them turned away from Him anyway. In fact, the very strict religious leaders led the way. We know this is true because:

  • They said Jesus was crazy (Mark 3:21)
  • They criticized Him for not keeping religious traditions (Mark 7:5)
  • They condemned Him for spending time with the outcasts of society (Matthew 9:11; Mark 2:16; Luke 5:30; Luke 7:39)
  • They accused Him of blasphemy (John 10:33; Luke 5:21)
  • They said He was demon possessed (John 10:20)
  • They conspired to have Him put to death (Matthew 12:14; Luke 6:11)

   Not only that, the political leaders hated Jesus as well (Luke 13:31). Finally, in the end, most of His followers turned away from Him, too (Matthew 26:56; Mark 14:50).

   What caused Jesus to become so unpopular and disliked? The Bible reveals two reasons why Jesus was hated—by the way, these are the same two reasons Jesus is hated today.

   Here is the first reason: Jesus exposes our need to be forgiven. Jesus told His own half-brothers (sons of Joseph and Mary) that, “The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil” (John 7:7). Think about it. The fact that Jesus lived a perfect life highlights the fact that we don’t! We do not like to think of ourselves as sinners who need to be forgiven. The Apostle John explained it this way, “This is the judgment, that the Light

[Jesus] has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed” (John 3:19–20).

   Jesus became unpopular because He preached that people needed to repent (turn from their sin) and trust Him (Matthew 4:17). We, frankly, don’t like to be told that we have a sin problem that we can’t solve ourselves. Even today, most of the popular so-called “Christian” preachers avoid talking about sin. The truth about sin is not popular, but Jesus knew that sin separates us from God and ruins our lives. Talking about it is necessary.

   It’s like going to a doctor. Before he can properly treat you, he must first understand the real cause of your problem. Rev. Ron Walters said, “Repentance has never been what people want. But repentance has always been what people need….Strong medicine was never designed to taste good. It was designed to cure the patient.”

   Here is the second reason Jesus was hated: He taught that God has to draw us to Himself before we can come to Him. In other words, we don’t even have the ability to trust Him unless God gives us the strength to do it. That is a huge blow to our ego!

   This is what Jesus said that got Him into trouble with the crowds: “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught of God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me” (John 6:44–45).

   What happened next? “As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore” (John 6:66). True followers of Christ believe that there is NOTHING they can do to earn God’s favor. Christians understand that God, “has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity” (2 Timothy 1:9).

   Following Christ is much more than attending rallies or participating in rituals. It means humbling ourselves and trusting that Jesus’s work on the Cross is all that is needed to pay for and wash away sin. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand” (John 10:27–29).

   How would Jesus be treated if He came to Philadelphia? We can speculate, but our speculations don’t really matter. What does matter is how YOU are treating Him. When you read about Him, when you hear His message, He is calling you to repent and follow Him. “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 4:7).