Distortions of the identity of Jesus Christ have huge consequences.
Meaning the spectacular crash and burn of the entire "too big to fail" religious Establishment that thinks it has a lockdown on settled doctrine. Noone dare question it or else. It's particularly twitchy about "trinity deniers". A mountain of apologetics has been constructed to crush the trinity-denying heretics.
Yet what are a few crazies when the vast majority is already on board with the approved teachings and tactics? Plus there is no shortage of fringe elements at which to point fingers, as if objective truth is discerned by relative comparisions. Cain thought he could simply bump off the competition because it made him look bad. No, his gift was objectively unsatisfactory, because he didn't put thought and care into selecting it.
This generation can discern the face of the entrenched fake media, but not the signs of the times in the entrenched fake doctrines. All those kindly teachers and Bible study books can't be wrong...
Then along comes President Trump, the little boy who points out that the emperor is naked. The political Establishment wants him outta here before anyone starts to pay attention.
The Bible is full of blueprints, patterns, and analogs, like the Pharisees, Sadducees, assorted scribes and religious experts who reasoned amongst themselves and desired to trap Jesus by clever gotchas. Their doctrines were their foundation of 'truth', and that Jesus fellow wasn't about to muck things up on the plantation with his simple messages and teaching by way of example and analogy.
Mark 13
1 And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!
2 And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately,
4 Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?
5 And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you:
6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am [Christ]; and shall deceive many.
Great buildings. Like the ones with the year of establishment imprinted upon them. "Est. MCMLXX" or some such. Tisha B'Av is right around the corner. The annual time of mourning and reflection over the fall of the Temple should have served as a repeated warning... to the church, like the 40 years in the wilderness - the men of war of that generation dying out before entry into the Promised Land.
The religious establishment of Jesus' day was eagerly tracking down reports of the appearance of the Messiah, scrutinizing him and demanding signs out of the framework of their settled doctrines, which couldn't possibly have been wrong. Therefore he wasn't the guy, but rather a loathesome troublemaker.
There's a pattern of non-recognition in all of this.
Distortions of the identity of Jesus Christ have huge consequences.
He could be the neighbor across the way, or a local businessman, or the guy fishing off the pier, or even the man sitting in the next pew.
what date is Tisha’B”Av this year?