As I read through the beginning of Matthew 21 this morning, I couldn't help but laugh at the odd position that Jesus had found himself in. The obscure, homeless, Galilean peasant was now the center of attention in Jerusalem, the cultural hub of the day. The people are bowing at his feet and telling others "Jesus is here! Yes, THE Jesus!" In only a few years time Jesus has gone from marginalized to celebrity status. Everyone knows about who he is and what he's done.
We know celebrity Jesus too don't we? There were two distinctly different groups among those gathered in Jerusalem that day. The first was generally in awe of Christ. They praised him as the promised Redeemer of Israel. The second was the religious people, disgusted that the man who is acclaimed to be the Christ would dare come to their turf.
The entire city knew who had just walked through the gates, and everyone had their opinion on who this Jesus guy was. We have the same decision to make. Whether we'd like it or not, the Jesus of history cannot be ignored. Religious people have been trying to ignore him for millennia and have been unsuccessful. The pharisees went out of their way to kill him so that they could go back to business as usual. Let us not ostracize the Jesus who is to the background of our minds and instead lift up religious services and activities.
So; who is Jesus to you?
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