The politics of Easter is powerful. Let’s not forget it
Jesus was considered an illegal by the ruling authorities of his day. We would do well to pay attention to who is being called a criminal today
As Christians around the world celebrate Easter this weekend, the news cycle will be captivated by the debate about the US justice department’s decision to exonerate Donald Trump of any crimes related to Russia hacking the US presidential election in 2016. Trump is, according to his own attorney general, no criminal. But we who worship the resurrected Jesus would do well to pay attention to who is being called a criminal in our common life. Because the Gospel story is clear: Jesus was numbered with the transgressors.
To translate that into our 21st-century context, Jesus was considered an illegal by the ruling authorities of his day. His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday was an intentional demonstration of people power over-and-against the ruling authorities. By blessing and healing the rejected people of Palestine, Jesus had built a popular movement that mimicked the pageantry of Rome to celebrate the revolutionary vision of God’s reign, which offered a real alternative to Caesar’s reign.