Palm Sunday: Jesus’ Journey To The Cross

Palm Sunday is a time for Christians to prepare their hearts for the agony of His Passion and the joy of His Resurrection and we, with all Christendom, hail Him as our King and hope is renewed in the world.

May God bless you all this Palm Sunday.  

Where Is He That Is Born The King Of The Jews?

Every year at this time there seems to be an augmented attack on those who welcome Christmas into their lives.

Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the “Little House” book series which chronicled a lost era of American history, said of Christmas, “Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.”

The Magi, three wisemen who followed a star to Bethlehem to worship the infant Jesus asked, “Where is He that is born the King of the Jews?”

Herod, the ruler of Judea, had been named King of the Jews by the Roman government.  Herod became outraged at the Magi’s question.  The birth of the Christchild threatened his position. Herod cunningly asked them to tell him when they had found The Child so he might also worship Him.  The Magi were warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod because of the treachery in Herod’s heart. 

Having been ignored by The Magi, Herod ordered his Roman soldiers to kill every single male child under two in his kingdom.  This atrocious act of genocide, the Massacre of the Innocents, was meant to rid the world of the Baby Jesus.

The birth of Christ is an incredible event we celebrate each year.  For centuries mankind has kept an appointment with Christmas.

Recently the King Herods, the Grinches and the Scrooges have tried to marginalize Christianity and the birth of Christ through the provocation of religious America.  The progressive secularists have adopted three strategies:  (1) create a niche for secular humanism among the unchurched; (2) mimic various aspects of evangelicalism (even as they target this movement as their main antagonist) and (3) flood the media with minority victimization and identity politics.  It’s not just the ACLU anymore; it’s also The Freedom From Religion Foundation, American Atheists, et.al.

We must not throw away our beloved traditions.  We must celebrate Christmas and freethinkers must learn to survive in a religious society.

Christmas signals to the world that God gave mankind His most glorious gift and 32 years after His birth Jesus was sacrificed upon a cross and resurrected so that we might have everlasting life.

The war on Christmas rages on, but I love a quotation that has been attributed to former President Ronald Reagan:  “Christmas can be celebrated in the school room with pine trees; tinsel and reindeers, but there must be no mention of the man whose birthday is being celebrated. One wonders how a teacher would answer if a student asked why it was called Christmas.” 

I believe Dickens had it right in A Christmas Carol.  After being visited by the specters of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Future, Ebenezer Scrooge learned about the blessings of Christmas and said, “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”

Where is He that is born the King of the Jews?  He is in my heart every day in every way.  With the rise of atheist groups in America, I can only hope that Scrooge’s Christmas specters visit these misguided men and women, and that they too, will unharden their hearts and join in the joy of this most holy celebration.

May we always be free to keep our appointment with Christmas.

The Via Dolorosa

It Is Finished

“The cross was two pieces of dead wood; and a helpless, unresisting Man was nailed to it; yet it was mightier than the world, and triumphed, and will ever triumph over it."—Augustus William Hare