Judging by the statistics on military ""dropouts,"" something happens to a good number of soldiers between the recruiter's office and a healthy dose of army life. Official estimates indicate that out of the new recruits who enlisted in the army in 1997, fifteen percent will leave during the first six months. Thirty months after enlistment, the number of dropouts reaches twenty-two percent. And well over one-third of the recruits will not make it through three years of military service.

It's easy for people to fall away when things get tough. We can see an illustration of this in the account of the Holy Week as Jesus entered Jerusalem and ministered during the final days of His earthly life.

The Gospels indicate that early on in the week, Jesus' public approval rating was high. Even though the Jewish authorities were against Him, as we saw yesterday, the crowds that filled Jerusalem received Him gladly.

Luke gave a strong testimony to Jesus' popularity. The Jewish leaders couldn't find a way to lay their hands on Jesus because ""all the people hung on His words"" (Luke 19:48).

John's report is even stronger, because the words come from the mouths of Jesus' enemies: ""The whole world has gone after Him!"" the Pharisees said in their jealousy (John 12:19).

But the plotters did not need to worry about whether or not they'd be able to carry out their murderous plans. By Friday of Holy Week, the crowds would be calling for Jesus' death. What looked like a popular movement on Palm Sunday wasn't so attractive after Jesus was arrested and it became clear that anyone associated with Him was in danger.

Obviously, not everyone who followed Jesus during this week proved to be a ""fair weather"" disciple. John says that many people put their faith in Jesus after they saw how He had raised Lazarus from the dead.

But the fact remains that when it came time for the crowd to make its decision about Jesus' fate, there is no record of anyone's shouting in His defense. Today's lesson is a sobering reminder of human fickleness and of our need to stand strong for the Lord.

It's possible that there are some in the Today family who are unsure about their relationships with Jesus Christ.

If that describes you or someone in your home, you can settle the issue today by repenting of your sin and by putting your faith in Christ. The Bible says ""all have sinned"" (Rom. 3:23), but it also promises that whoever believes in Jesus will have eternal life (John 3:16). If the need exists, make today a day of salvation in your home.