“God had promised to come back, to return to his people in power and glory, to establish his kingdom on earth as in heaven. The Jewish people always hoped that this would simply underwrite their national aspirations; he was, after all, their God. They wanted a divine hurricane simply to reinforce their already overheated high-pressure system. But the prophets, up to and including John the Baptist, had always warned that God’s coming in power and in person would be entirely on his own terms, with his own purpose – and that his own people would be as much under judgment as anyone, if their aspirations didn’t coincide with G0d’s. Jesus believed, as he came to Jerusalem he was embodying, incarnating, the return of Israel’s God to his people in power and glory.” (“The Hurricane”, Simply Jesus,  N. T. Wright, p. 38)

It is clear, at least I think, that the one the Israelites hoped would come to rule Israel (according to their national hopes) and the world was not your typical King. The one to come back was G-d – not a human ruler who claimed the title of G-d – like Caesar. If Jesus was the one, the incarnation of G-d, then establishing power was going to look differently. There was not going to be a formal “proper revolution”. It would be a different kind of power – a different kind of glory. And the zealots and others hoping for a “King of the Revolution” would not understand what Jesus stood for.

There are a lot of people today who do not understand what Jesus actually stood for – even those who come to church every Sunday. Some will say he was a good “moral” teacher, others will say that he was a prophet. And still others will say that he was just a fraud. Some think Jesus came just for them and their churches – others believe Jesus came for everyone. Who was Jesus and what did he stand for? We will be talking more about this in my devotions. But one thing you can be sure of: Jesus came so that we all can and will have new life, that we will live as new creations, and will live in the hope of the resurrection, now.

Pastor Dave