05/07/2026
Jesus laid down his life for all of us collectively, but to a much finer point, he died for each of us individually. It is easy to disavow personal ownership in the ramifications of something when we are part of a crowd, but it becomes very clearly an individual matter when we form a personal attachment, or take a leadership role. Jesus died to save each of us as individuals, and we are each responsible for our own actions, salvation, and in maintaining covenant with Him.
“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,”
Philippians 2:12 ESV
“And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”
Luke 22:19-20 ESV
During the first Communion, Jesus offered the bread and the wine to each one of the apostles. They each took a piece of bread from Him, and each one drank from the cup. Jesus made covenant with all of them at the last supper, but did so with one of them at a time. Ownership in the covenant was made with all of them (the group, and later The Church) but it was joined into individually. It is the same for us today.
When we are a part of a crowd it is easy to assign responsibility, and guilt, to the crowd itself as if it were a living entity. We say things such as He took bread and wine and made covenant with “the apostles.” We see this reassignment of accountability all the time on television when there is civil unrest. There are terms we use to define it... names such as mob mentality, crowd mentality, herd mentality, or pack mentality, just to name a few. When this occurs then the group takes on the attributes of an individual, and the individual gets lost within the group. Good things can happen in a group, and conversely, some very bad things can happen too, but becoming a part of a group is often done to allow someone the ability to pick and choose what they will claim as their own personal responsibility and what they will assign to “The Group”. They feel that they are able to do this despite the fact that they have been actively involved in all of “The Group’s” doings and are ultimately responsible for its actions.
We saw this when Jesus entered Jerusalem and the crowd celebrated Him, and we witnessed it again as the mob mocked, taunted, and eventually had Him crucified. The people in the crucifixion mob were able to claim that they were never personally a part of the original welcoming crowd, and when Jesus was put to death they would each be able to claim that “it wasn’t me”, no, it was “them”... it was “the Romans”… it was “The Group.”… but was it really?
The Jews in Jerusalem who greeted and later crucified Jesus aren’t the only ones who have done wonderful things in the name of Jesus, and then turn right around and done despicable things. We see such happenings throughout Christian history, with everyone claiming the good, but blaming the bad on “The Church.” This still goes on today. Such behavior isn’t limited to raucous crowds of people looting and running in the light of flames on our television screens. It is easy to get caught up in the crowd in many other circumstances too, and to yield our own responsibility and accountability to other “Groups” or “Mobs” as well... but wait...
Jesus makes a point in the covenant of Communion by demonstrating that this is an individual agreement between Him and each of us. We all make this covenant with Him individually, and we will each be held personally accountable before God. How many people have we witnessed on television as they jumped in and out of store windows with arms filled with someone else’s belongings on a Wednesday nightwho might then be sitting in church the very next Sunday? How many people have been put to death over the course of history at the hands of “The Church”, and yet no one in that “Mob” wanted to assume individual responsibility? What was the harm in Peter denying Jesus in the heat of the moment as the mob took action against our Savior? He denied Jesus saying he wasn’t “one of them.”… meaning a member of the “group” that was following Christ.
We might think that we can assign blame, or responsibility to groups, crowds, mobs, and such, but there is always personal accountability for our actions that cannot be denied or masked by the mob moniker. God sees each of us, even in the midst of a crowd, even in the body of a legislature, even after the decision of a church board. We like secret votes and discreet actions, but our sins are never hidden from God... we have a personal relationship and accountability to Him, and there is no hiding from it.
“for it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.” Romans 14:11-12 ESV
So, my salvation is not the responsibility of a crowd, or a church, or my parents, it is mine alone! Nothing I do as a part of a group is any less mine. I might be able to deny responsibility for my actions successfully before men, but that denial fails before God. In the end men will not be my judge, and eternity will not be assigned to me as a class action reward for mob actions. Countries, gangs, churches, and school boards, will have no place in heaven or hell... only the individuals within them. The “groups” will be dissected, and we will each be judged alone before the throne.
Are we proud of our group behavior? Do we reflect God’s image in the midst of the mob that surrounds us? Are we seeking out our own salvation or attempting to associate it with our belonging to the group we call our “Church”?
Prayer:
Father, thank you for the personal relationship I have with you, and Jesus Christ. I thank you Lord for holding me accountable for my actions and being willing to spare me just as you were willing to spare Sodom if there were ten righteous people which could be found there. You look at my individual righteousness alone; not that of a group I might find myself part of. Holy Father, I thank you for setting me apart, and showing me that even when I am considered a part of a group, my individual contribution to it will be what is judged. Help me Father to walk away from ungodly and sinful activities, votes, demonstrations, and other ungodly situations. Lead my two feet alone down paths of holy righteousness, even amidst the sound of many others traveling around me. Give me the ability to discern, and to separate myself from poor decisions, especially when they are being made by a group that I once felt was good. Let your Word be my guide, and the taste of the body and blood of Jesus on my tongue dictate what is acceptable upon your table. Open my eyes to sanctity and truth Merciful Father, and turn my face away from man’s justifications. Let each of my votes stand on their own, and my actions be mine alone. Keep me personally faithful to you even when I find myself in the midst of large groups, and let me feel your hand upon me even in a crowd that professes to be true to your Word. You separate me from the pack Father, and you make me Holy, even within a throng. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you in who I love with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength. Father, I personally believe that you are the one true God, and personally desire to walk with you for eternity. Though I might walk in a crowd let me stand alone with you.
“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV
Rich Forbes