BROADCASTS.com

b'I had never seen someone braid with such calm fury. But there He was, the one some called the Messiah, methodically twisting three leather cords into a whip. \\n\\u201cAbout time,\\u201d I thought. \\u201cThese Romans have been oppressing us for years! And if He\\u2019s supposed to be some kind of king, surely He would have overthrown them by now. Oh well, better late than never.\\u201d\\nEager to watch this Messiah turn His weapon against the Romans, I sat near the temple gate where I could get a good view of the action. \\u201cWow, it\\u2019s going to be great to see those jerks finally get what they deserve!\\u201d I thought. \\u201cMaybe I can get behind this king after all. The crowds certainly seem to love Him.\\u201d I thought back to yesterday, when He entered the city. I could hear \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153Hosanna!\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d from across town. \\u201cI\\u2019ll give the guy this much: He knows how to stir people up.\\u201d\\nI watched Him, intrigued. His hands, calloused from hard work, danced swiftly, weaving the cords together with beauty and grace. It was mesmerizing. Then I glanced up to His eyes, and my heart dropped.\\nEqual parts rage and sorrow filled His face\\u2014a dangerous combination. A shiver ran down my spine. His eyes declared that something holy had been desecrated. Something beloved had been violated. But His glare wasn\\u2019t directed at the Romans patrolling the streets.\\nHis wrath was focused on those in the temple.\\nI scrambled to my feet, suddenly desperate to leave. He looked up to fix His eyes on me, and I froze, held in place by the intensity of anger, sorrow, and love emanating from His face.\\nThis was the face of a king. And He was going to reclaim His kingdom. \\u2022 Taylor Eising\\n\\u2022 Jesus is angry at sin\\u2014which can actually be comforting! Sin hurts us and those around us, so knowing that Jesus is passionate about removing sin from the world and from our lives can bring us hope. After all, sin gets in the way of us living in union with God, who is the source of all good things. That\\u2019s why Jesus came to die and be raised from the dead\\u2014to defeat sin, brokenness, and death on our behalf and restore us to true friendship with God. When we are hurt by our own sin or the sins of others, how is it comforting to know that Jesus will one day return to get rid of all sin? \\nSo he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. John 2:15 (NIV)\\n\\xa0\\nRead Verses:\\nLuke 18:1-8; Galatians 6:7-10; 2 Timothy 3:1-5,14-17'