Maggie's Farm

Kimball's piece is totally offensive. In many ways it is just another attempt to marginalize Jesus Christ. Jesus himself was not a radical. But his message was. It was one that the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders at the time could not accept.

Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Christ. But we mustn't lose sight of the fact that he essentially came to earth to die.

What many people do not realize is that Jesus' ride into Jerusalem on a donkey was fulfillment of O/T propehesy. Jesus was fully aware of the fate that awaited him. In fact, his disciples pleaded with him not to go.

It was indeed a radical act. The crowd stood by and cheered his arrival, which inscensed and frightened the Jewish leaders. There is a tendency to condemn these men, but one must also look at their reaction in proper context. At that point the Jews had been under Roman authority for seventy years. This was in itself a miracle. The Romans typically decimated entire populations. However in this case they showed mercy by allowing the Jews to continue living in Jersusalem.

The Jewish leaders did everything possible to keep the peace, out of fear that if they made too much trouble the Romans might change their minds. Then along came Jesus, whom the Pharisees saw as a troublemaker. Jesus stirred the crowd into a frenzy, which obviously caught the attention of the Romans.

The Pharisees were in a sense only trying to protect their people. Instead of recognizing the coming of the Messiah, they saw Jesus as a potential threat.

It's tragic when people like Roger Kimball also do not recognize Jesus Christ for who he really is.