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Motive awaits opportunity.\u00a0 Jesus the Christ had been messing up the program of the high-ups for three years.\u00a0 His words touched people and made them think which is dangerous for those holding the reins of power.\u00a0 They had to shut him down; Jesus had to go.\u00a0 The motive was clearly established and the leaders now watched for opportunity.<\/p>\n
It came when Jesus rode into town riding on a donkey and the grassroots masses had to,\u00a0\u00a0 \u2018get something and wave for Jesus\u2019\u00a0 going delirious with their palms hailing him as the new king.\u00a0 The conspirators seized the opportunity and labeled him a political troublemaker whose aim was to overthrow the rulers.\u00a0 It was a time of Roman occupation of Israel and so they dragged him before Pilate the Roman governor saying, \u201cWe have no king but Caesar\u201d and so \u201cCrucify him.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Except for the names and a few other changes this same drama still plays out today.<\/p>\n
This week we journey the way of the cross.\u00a0\u00a0 This cross which should be a symbol of shame has become a symbol of divinity.\u00a0 Crosses are everywhere; in the churches, hanging from rusty nails, nestling between breasts and that once evil thing is now used to scare off evil things.\u00a0 The merchants whether they believe in Jesus or not make\u00a0 serious profits selling crosses of all types\u00a0 from a few cents to hundreds\u00a0 of dollars.\u00a0 At the Council of Nicaea an ancient name for a place in Turkey\u00a0\u00a0 under the orders of Emperor Constantine of Rome 325 years after Jesus was crucified, 320 bishops of the Roman Church gathered, and after 72 days or so of debate and sometimes vitriolic arguments, voted 318-2 that Jesus the man on the cross is of the same substance as God and should be worshipped as such.<\/p>\n
The result of that seems to be that he was placed as the third person in the Godhead trinity but his image remained permanently affixed to a cross.\u00a0 These bishops came up with the Nicene Creed (I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ), and they also established what day should be Easter. You may now see from that why there is so much controversy about Jesus.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0 writing skills of Tim Rice and music of Andrew Lloyd Webber combined to produce the ultra successful rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar in which the question is repeatedly asked in chorus, \u201c Jesus Christ Superstar who are you, are you what they say you are?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 So who is this Jesus who alternately is called God, Son of God and Son of Man, and sometimes all in the same breath and In whose name churches are erected purportedly to save souls for him.\u00a0 History shows that we know very little about him and really worship him by faith.\u00a0 All that we know comes from the Bible which includes writings by those who were his disciples though they ran away on the night he was arrested and Peter his top disciple was ready to jump ship protesting \u201cI do not know him.\u201d\u00a0 The historian Josephus born after his death writes shortly that he did wonderful things and was executed.<\/p>\n
There are doubts expressed about his existence at all and his virgin birth.\u00a0 There is controversy about his death.\u00a0 According to Jewish law in those times no one could be arrested at night but the Scripture tells us that he was.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Scriptures tells us that he was crucified on the day before the Special Sabbath or High Day (John 19:31) which I understand is not the regular Sabbath\u00a0 Day and that has brought forth the argument that he was not crucified on the Friday but on the Wednesday a clear three days and nights before\u00a0 Resurrection Day.\u00a0 In the gospel of Mark (8:27), Jesus asks: \u201cWho do men say that I am?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Scholars claim that Jesus can best be understood as a first century apocalyptic prophet, who fully expected the end of the world was at hand when God would come down and throw out existing corrupt institutions and impose a new order on the earth:\u00a0 a New Jerusalem; the Kingdom of God.<\/p>\n
Whatever and however it is said about Jesus\u00a0 the fact remains that after his ignoble death\u00a0 his disciples became lions for his cause\u00a0\u00a0 and suffered hardships, cruel torture and slaughter\u00a0 for his sake.\u00a0 From their fledging few over centuries rose thousands of churches, elaborate pageantry, holy day feasts,\u00a0 1.2 billion followers, and yes, wealthy\u00a0 preachers.\u00a0 There was a time\u00a0\u00a0 in the 13th century when thousands of humans were burnt alive as unbelievers, heretics and witches.<\/p>\n
Holy Week is a time for essential remembrance of his passion; his holiness and sacrifice.\u00a0\u00a0 Palm Sunday celebrates the proud entry of Jesus riding into Jerusalem and people shouting, \u2018Hosanna!\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Five days later they were screaming, \u2018Crucify him.\u2019\u00a0 This may be a lesson for all who walk under the shelter of popularity and power today. The washing of the feet of his disciples and his saying that, \u201cWho would be greatest among you must be the humblest\u201d again should give the powerful people pause.<\/p>\n
If you would ask me, \u201cWho do you say that Jesus is?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 I would respond that he was not just a meek and mild soft talker but a man of action even to the point of organising his own death knowing it would change the world.\u00a0\u00a0 He questioned not only authority but hypocrisy everywhere and anywhere. He advocated truth and proclaimed it is, \u201cTruth that sets you free.\u201d\u00a0 He represents hope to those who have little of it and a miracle worker for those beyond hope.\u00a0 Who do you say that Jesus is?\u00a0 I will answer just like he proclaimed, \u201cThe Messiah and Son of God.\u201d\u00a0 Those who claim to have him in their hearts\u00a0 and cherish the cross hanging from\u00a0 their necks knocking themselves out\u00a0 with emotion whenever they\u00a0 hear his name should pick up their spiritual cross of\u00a0 pain and rejection\u00a0 which those who stand for truth must bear\u00a0 and go and stand for truth\u00a0 likewise.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We owe that to Jesus the Christ who we acknowledge died for truth.\u00a0 The same question, \u201cWho do you say that I am?\u201d applies to us personally this week; in other words what do you fearlessly\u00a0 and boldly stand for?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Motive awaits opportunity.\u00a0 Jesus the Christ had been messing up the program of the high-ups for three years.\u00a0 His words touched people and made them think which is dangerous for those holding the reins of power.\u00a0 They had to shut…","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","footnotes":""},"categories":[81],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-89090","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-just-dennis"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n