March 14, 2006 7:30 PM
The Last Week
A kingdom of might and a kingdom of love converged on Jerusalem that first Palm Sunday. At the heart of this contrast lies the conflict that led to Christ’s execution.
As pilgrims arrived for the Jewish festival season, the Roman governors and soldiers processed in from the west to reinforce the city’s garrison.
From the east, the humble Jesus rode into the city on a donkey to the joyous cheers of a peasant crowd. This unassuming counter-demonstration heightened political unrest and inaugurated for his followers God’s reign on earth.
But why put Jesus to death? Surely he was no threat to the illustrious and mighty Rome. Was it the risk of an actual political kingdom they feared or something far greater?
Bestselling author Marcus Borg provided an evening of insight and new understanding into Jesus’ passion. In The Last Week, Borg and fellow Jesus scholar John Dominic Crossan unveiled a Jesus that dared to challenge empire and introduce a new way of life.