Opinion, Out and About

Out and About

March 28, 2024 | Sandi Kemp

I have always had an interest in history, and mythology and when I was in elementary school. I read every book my school library had regarding myths and mythical creatures that make up the culture of many nations. I was also brought up in a Judeo-Christian Church and home and loved the Bible stories as well – which some, not me, believe to be mythical stories. And, I’ve also had an interest in Nostradamus, a French astrologer, apothecary, and physician who made predictions – and I give Nostradamus the same weight as I give a horoscope – none. But it is still interesting. I wish my Bible study teachers had put more weight on all the predictions otherwise known as prophesies in the Bible – because they actually come true. My column this week may be considered “religious” but I’m going to be as factual as possible and even include a historian that wasn’t a believer.

Let’s start with the Bible. Faith and fact are said to be mutually exclusive. However, let’s just say that I have faith that the Bible is fact, and it proves itself to be over and over again. We can believe the Bible because of what it says about itself. “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.” (Proverbs 30:5-6) And there are many other verses proclaiming the validity of the Bible. Next, you can believe the Bible because of how it came together. “God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets as many times and in various ways.” Hebrews 1:1. More than forty men contributed to the Bible, like Moses, Samuel, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Paul and many more. No one sat down one day and decided, “Let’s write a Bible.” The Bible was written over more than 1,500 years and was translated from Hebrew into Greek and later into many different languages including English. And there are many other reasons – but I’m running out of room to talk about Palm Sunday and Easter.

This past Sunday was Palm Sunday, and this coming Sunday is when we celebrate Easter, or Christ being risen from the dead after being crucified for our sins on a cross on Golgotha outside of Jerusalem. The original Palm Sunday – the day Jesus came into Jerusalem on a donkey and was documented in secular history by the historian Josephus who recorded, then present day history. He was basically a journalist. As we say around here all the time – we have to get it right because today’s news is tomorrow’s history. When Jesus entered Jerusalem that day – it was a week before Passover, April 6, 32 AD. Josephus recorded that 256,500 lambs were sacrificed that year for Passover. Even at a low estimate of 10 people to each lamb (one per extended family), the number of people assembled would have been nearly 2.7 million for the first Palm Sunday. According to encyclopedia Britannica, because I don’t want to quote Wikipedia, “Palm Sunday commemorates the Christian belief in the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, when he was greeted by cheering crowds, waving palm branches that they set out on the ground along his path.” You can read about it in the New Testament of the Bible in Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; and John 12:12-19. However, you can also read about it 500 years earlier in the Old Testament in Zechariah 9:9 where it says “Jesus, the Messiah would enter Jerusalem on a donkey, and that he would be betrayed,” (Zechariah 11:12-13), would be falsely accused (Psalm 35:11), would be silent before His accusers (Isaiah 53:7), would be crucified with criminals (Isaiah 53:12), hands and feet would be pierced (Zechariah 12:10), and Psalms 22:16, Soldiers would gamble for the Messiah’s garments, Psalm 22:18, soldiers would pierce the Messiah’s side, Zechariah 12:10 and so much more. As you can see, I’m running out of room. If I have made you the least bit curious about knowing more, then my column is complete. I want to know more myself. But what I do know is that Jesus is the Messiah promised in Genesis and because he died on the cross for our sins, was buried and rose again on the third day – just as prophesized in the Bible, that those who believe and have accepted Jesus as their savior will live into eternity. But our main purpose on this earth is to tell others of Jesus’s grace, forgiveness, and love for us.

Quote of the Week: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6

Return to Homepage