Jewells of Thought

Wow! This week has been as much an emotional roller coaster as the original week of passion circa 33 AD. In college, I was taught that academics were using the phrase, by the common era, instead of before Christ and after Christ. The A. D. actually means anno Domini “in the year of the Lord”. I don’t care to use the BCE, but I was informed about this so-called transition by the liberals in acedemia. Taking Christ’s name out of our dating system does not take Him out of our history.

For the record, I graduated from a Baptist University in Southern Indiana, but I do remember having a professor lecturing about the differences. I just can’t remember which history professor, although two names do come to mind.

Anyhow, after some thinking about the past couple of weeks here in this country it is hard to not see parallels to that momentous time in World History. Some on the right political sphere believe Trump to be God and Jesus. While those on the other side of the political isle believe him to be the devil. I emphatically do not believe either, he is a mere mortal man, but one cannot look at this man and not see something… uncanny… special. The Lion of Judah is a phrase of honor for God, yet… Trump does have a passion for us Americans as fiercely as a lioness for her cubs.

This week has been a stark display of lawlessness. The pride of our American Nation has been the bedrock of our society for 246 years; our governing laws. Our constitutional rights have had a bearing until these last few years where cracks have been slowly dissolving them.

We all should know the name of the Manhattan District Attorney, by now. He has political aspirations and simply wants to enjoy the celebrity for his actions on Tuesday. However, his actions are not new how many times in human history have rivals gotten the upper hand over opponents? It doesn’t even require a solicitor’s title. The name Cyprianus Thascius comes to mind which would be another series in its own right. Talking about rivals Sparta and Troy would be another ancient example. How much meticulous and hatred went into creating the Trojan horse? Granted there are major differences, but rivals either have scruples or don’t! Mr. Bragg and Sparta did seem to until a certain tipping point, of course it’s conjecture what civility would be in antiquity and modern day.

Going back to the original passion week who exactly would be Bragg’s apparent counterpart from scripture. Grandpa Freddy had a library of books he collected and studied for his Sunday School classes. I am grateful to now have them knowing they were his and to use them now. This publication was created in 1973 from Readers Digest titled, “Jesus And His Times”. Rome was the prevailing governing nation with its extensive system of government. There are layers of the Roman leaders and the Jewish leaders who could quite possibly be the equivalent to this modern D.A., Mr. Bragg?

Two Jewish bodies of thought had come into existence within the 400 years of silence between the Old and the New Testament. The description this book gives of the Sanhedrin goes like this, “a combination of supreme court and legislature…even the Romans allowed to operate with great freedom”. The consternation of the two bodies was, “their very identities…the aristocratic power base of the Sadducees, the Pharisees…from their learning and the rigor of their devotion to the Torah”.

Simply by definition the high priest being a Sadducee shows both a leader of the Jewish people, but also backed by the Roman government. Caiaphas was the high priest in Matthew 26:59-60. I think we can take the Pharisees out of the running. However, there is one more leader, Roman Prefect.

According to this book, the prefect gave this idea to the editor. “The Gospels, in one way or another, describe Pilate as reluctant to execute Jesus… was genuinely puzzled by this prisoner”. Pontius Pilate held a deep anger for the Jews and was somehow encased in the middle of that hatred for Jesus’ brazenness and his fury for the Jewish leaders who brought this mess onto his lap shown in Matthew 27:2 and 12-26.

Herod Antipas was also an interloper in these events and was possibly the reason behind Jesus wearing the royal robe. Herod and Pilate were no friends until this very event of deciding whether to charge Christ and setting his execution. There really is no competition, though, Mr. Bragg’s counterpart would be Pontius Pilate.

The District Attorney Mr. Bragg, is a very intriguing man. Why did he and Pilate make their decisions? This week of historical significance for our Country with breaking precedence, while also memorializing a comparable story from Biblical history throughout the world.