CNS| Allen West: Greetings, everyone, as we begin Holy Week for those of the Judeo-Christian faith heritage. It is the foundation of our faith, which is why it is revered and critical for spiritual strength.
It began yesterday, Palm Sunday, when we remembered Jesus Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The interesting point to consider is that there were those who believed that Jesus was entering Jerusalem as a conquering earthly king. They truly did not comprehend the real intent of His mission.
Since the fall of man — going back to the Garden of Eden, which was God’s perfect will for mankind — sin, strife, wars, pestilence, and death entered the world. From that moment, God sought to provide a means by which there could be reconciliation to His grace. more here
Very nice post from lt col west. I miss his prominent voice.
Amen, beautifully written Col. West
God bless retired Colonel Allen West. I have the same painting of George Washington kneeling besides his horse praying at Valley Forge. It is prominently displayed in my front room and has been there for a long time as I got that as a Christmas present from my late wife probably about 20 years or so ago.
Catholic church probably depleted their supply of donation envelops.
“Just because church is closed, doesn’t mean you should close your wallet via the weekly tithe! it’s in the Bible….somewhere, in the back, ushers will come door to door all Sunday with their collection baskets, we will be watching!”
I was wondering why Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, as a Nazerene, went from celebration, to holy hell so quickly?
What exactly transpired in four days????? Other than one can point to scripture? What the heck happened from being hailed as a hero or king to being Crucified five days later.
Politics in a week with the Romans and the Sanhedrin??
Was is just Judas’ fate?
Jesus’ entry most have been soooo powerful that those in charge HAD to immediately do something??
Why in a WEEKs time??
Asking for help @SNS or anyone else.
BLESS all that graze here at IOTW this Holy Week.
@Mithrandir – I forgot to mention that Gandalf, Grey or White, would not like the derision between Men, Elves and Dwarves (that is IOTWers)….be careful with the bullshit Catholic ‘church’ bashing.
LOTR, Ralph Bakshi,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEgHjCWeFd0
All churches deserve their own self imposed bashing, now is the time to attack the communist ORCS and defeat Balrog. What did JRRT tell us?
Middle Earth is great, I get it, but lets unite and fight Sauron together??
Okay?
ghost–
The resentment of the Jewish leaders against Jesus had been present and building during the three years of his earthly ministry. The events of Palm Sunday, including Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple and challenging of their authority—during Passover time when Jerusalem was crowded with Jews for their holy days—brought everything to a head. The spark was provided by Judas’ treachery. They struck while the iron was hot.
But of course, everything was on GOD’s timetable.
Thanks @ Ann Nonymous Prime – I get the pre build up.
But things certainly went to hell in a hand basket real quick…
“…things certainly went to hell in a hand basket real quick…”
Yes, they did. The Jewish leaders were clearly past masters of crowd manipulation for their own nefarious purposes.
Gee, that sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
But God knows all and uses all for his ultimate design. Both then and now.
ghost of brig gen j glover
APRIL 6, 2020 AT 10:02 PM
“I was wondering why Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, as a Nazerene, went from celebration, to holy hell so quickly?”
…the short answer, from Jesus’ own mouth, was because He willed it.
“50 And Jesus said unto him,Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.
51 And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote off his ear. 52 Then said Jesus unto him,Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.
53 Thinkest thou that I cannot* now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?
54 But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?
55 In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes,Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily* with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me.
56 But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.”
Matthew 26:50-60
Our Lord knew that sin had opened too wide a gulf between God and Man to be breached by anything other than a perfect sacrifice. We could not bear our sins, so He had to bear them to His death FOR us, to fulfil Scripture and make it possible for us to be worthy of Heaven.
Simply put, it could not happen any other way.
As for the human factors in play, well, the Pharisee were indeed manipulators and decievers, talking up Jesus as a blasphemer and denigrating His works. In order to fulfil prophecy, Jesus mounted no defense before the crowd. We have this from Matthew as one example of his lack of defense:
“11 And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest.
12 And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.
13 Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?
14 And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.”
Matthew 27:11-14
…and this as Pharasee crowd manipulation…
“But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.”
Matthew 27:20
…but the Jewish people also had different expections of a messiah. Jesus was unconcerned with the kingdoms of Man and signified this as he entered by riding a donkey instead of a stallion: but Jewish crowds had more of a Messianic expectation of a militay conquerer who would defeat Rome and take temporal power right HERE and NOW.
The books of Maccabees are illustrative of this. Generally considered non-canonical by Christian faiths and included as Apocrypha in Catholic bibles, these deal with the historic figure of Judah Maccabee (Literally, “The Hammer”), his breaking of the Seculid Empire’s hold over Jerusalem, and the cleansing of the Temple. This includes the origins of Hanukkah, so he’s a figure of some import in the Jewish faith, and a pretty proactive guy.
“12 When the foreigners looked up and saw them coming against them, 13 they went out from their camp to battle. Then the men with Judas blew their trumpets
14 and engaged in battle. The Gentiles were crushed, and fled into the plain,
15 and all those in the rear fell by the sword. They pursued them to Gazara, and to the plains of Idumea, and to Azotus and Jamnia; and three thousand of them fell.
16 Then Judas and his force turned back from pursuing them,
17 and he said to the people, “Do not be greedy for plunder, for there is a battle before us;
18 Gorgias and his force are near us in the hills. But stand now against our enemies and fight them, and afterward seize the plunder boldly.”
1 Maccabees 4:12-17
This framed the Jewish expectaion of “Messiah” as it removed “foreign” influence from Jerusalem 170 years before Christ, and they were perplexed that this was NOT what Jesus did AT ALL.
This idea of a Messiah was to lead the Jewish people wrong time and again, from an abortive try by Herod Agrippa in the time if Emperor Claudius that led to his being eaten by worms,
“21 And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.
22 And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.
23 And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.”
Acts 12:21-23
…to the rebellion of the Jewish people started under Nero that led to the horrific destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD in the First Jewish War as recouted by Flavius Josephus, the first of THREE revolts the Jewish people would lose under false messiahs.
…more could be said, like how the Pharasee could have learned something about crowd manipulation from Pilate’s use of Roman troops disguised as civilians to keep order in crowds, but this is WELL into TL:DNR territory and I have to go to work at 0530 this morning, so I’ll end here.
God Bless,
SNS
Good luck resurrecting the US economy.
Just sayin’
@SNS – thank you and God Bless as well.