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Will the Real Messiah Please Stand Up.

A Teaser for Part 2: the hope. Stay tuned for Part 2 later this week.

(the confusion, Part 1 review via a personal story)

The slip had the name of the student I was asked to escort to the principal’s office; “J-E-S-U-S.” What!? Really, Jesus is in trouble?!” I said surprisingly, “No” the administrative assistant laughed, “No, Brian, trust me he is no Jesus, his name is pronounced Hey- Zeus. Be careful hun, he’s bad news!” Over my one school year term as an office-aid at Hobby Middle School, this ‘Jesus’ was summoned to the principal’s office for a plethora of offensives including; skipping class, fighting, gang activity, drug use, smoking, dress code, vandalism… No Jesus, indeed, well actually he was a good example of the bandit Jesus Barrabas. He also had quite a following on that campus; in some ways he was one of the most influential students at the school.

Funny how some things don’t seem to change, the violent Jesus Barabbas’s remain dangerously popular, while few seem to be following the Prince of Peace.

I wish I knew what came of ‘Jesus,’ he was transferred to alternative school the next year and I never saw him again. Hopefully, he changed his ways and has a meaningful life. We can imagine what might have happened to him if he continued down the wrong road, Sin leads to death. Paul, in the letter to the Romans, spends several chapters illustrating humanity’s choice between living ‘in the flesh’ and living ‘in the Spirit.’ And infamously Chapter 6 of the book of Revelation depicts the ultimate result of humanity choosing to live for our own selfish desires at the expense of Creation and community.

And the prophetic book of Revelation also is the catalyst for our greatest hope! God’s Grace is so abundant and expansive that the humble Lamb of God on the throne ushers in a new world order where suffering, sin, darkness and evil are no more! (Revelation 21). Thanks to our brother Jesus the Christ, when humanity’s brief chapter of the cosmic story ends, Love reigns supreme. For love to one day reign supreme, those of us who believe in Jesus as the Prince of Peace, need to stand up and make our voices heard…