Everyone loves a Success Story

Over the past few days, I've received three separate invitations to events where speakers and teachers are sharing their experiences in business, ministry, or both. Two are large faith based organizations, the third is not, but all are organizations i have a high respect and regard for. Each invitation promoted speakers who have had great success in their calling or vocation.

Yes, everyone loves a success story. Not often do stories of apparent failure draw crowds. With the passing of Easter weekend, my thoughts have been drawn more to Christ's life, suffering, death and resurrection than usual. I've began thinking on how people perceived Him, as a success or a failure?

Jesus drew crowds, huge crowds at times. He spoke as a man with authority, his words pierced hearts of seekers, people who were searching for a change, truth, healing and redemption from their struggles. He touched lives, performed miracles, healed the lame and blind, even raised people from the dead. Word of His success reached far and wide.

People became ecstatic in following such a man, as there was none like him. They laid palm leaves on the road, praising Him as he rode on a donkey into Jerusalem. Never had anyone received such praise and adoration for what they had done. Yet how many really knew or understood the reason He came...

Christ's greatest success was actually what most men view as failure: His betrayal, arrest and death sentence. He lost it all. Not only was it all taken away from Him, He chose to give it all up voluntarily. He could have resisted, fought for His rights. He could have performed more signs and wonders to gain support and turn the masses towards Him again. Yet he chose to remain silent before his accusers, and to loose the respect of so many of His followers, even those closest to him. Yes, even Peter denied he had any association with Jesus.

People are so easily swayed by man's view of success and failure. I wonder how many of those who weeks earlier were amazed by Jesus, were now calling for His crucifixion. People who once followed, were now walking away. We really don't like to hear stories about difficulty and avoid talking about pain. Instead we judge people who seem to fail, questioning their credibility and abilities. Failures are usually not worth following, or even wasting any time with.

How many people remained at Christ's side while He died? You could easily count them on one hand, a far cry from the masses he drew weeks earlier. Yet His sacrificial death was His greatest deed, the greatest sacrifice anyone can give for another, an action worthy of more praise and honor than all of His previous words or miracles. But where had all that praise and honor disappeared to?

Resurrection day came quietly. No fanfare, no crowds drawn in to witness Christ's victory over death. This is news breaking material, think of the acclaim and respect He would have received, and how much more impact He could have had amongst the masses! No, God thinks differently than we do. He chose to raise Jesus with no witnesses on hand. Over the following days Jesus appeared to each person personally, but not to the masses. Why? Probably because He wants us to know Him personally, not as part of the masses who are so easily swayed by popular opinion on success and failure.