Attending a Concert
A very common human experience is found in attending a music concert. A plethora of artists energize their fans with the anticipation of familiar songs. The type of concert I am referring to involve a thousand plus attendees. I have no frame of reference other than what I hear, but Taylor Swift, the Beatles, and Mannheim Steamroller attract large audiences.
The pre-concert preparations can be as exciting as actually going to the concert. Every person who scores tickets will no doubt share this news with friends and family right away. These days, customers know exactly where their seats will be – and how much it will cost. This badge of honor indicates a certain level of “thinking ahead” to be envied by others. Not my gig, but some people will start planning about what they will wear the night of the concert. Back in the day, ticket stubs were a souvenir or reminder of the event. But computers and cellphones substitute for proof of sale.
Day/night of the show finds people scoping out where their seats are located. It may be because I’m old and frugal, but buying a t-shirt or other items at the “merch table” provides bragging rights that symbolize “I was there”. The time to sit back and enjoy the show has come.
Seems somewhat blasphemous to say, but Jesus was a rockstar. I often wonder how people knew when He was going to be somewhere and what He might have to say to the crowds that gathered. The only real mention of how many people were there was the feeding of the 5000. However, when the Bible references “a crowd” I have to believe standing room only was a common experience.
Unlike the familiar songs of today’s artists, the messages found in Jesus’ teachings changed to meet the people and times of the day. When we read the words of Jesus the “lyrics of faith” gave the people hope (a level of excitement) of the Good News.
There is no mention of Ticketmaster found in the Bible. So, how did the people in the crowd know the when and where of Jesus’ appearance. Some might hypothesize that the disciples had something to do with it all. Regardless, the more important piece was the people were present to hear Jesus.