The twentieth anniversary of the...
Illustration
The twentieth anniversary of the death of President John F. Kennedy rekindled the speculation that more than one person may have been involved in his assassination. The allegation would be important in determining the meaning of President Kennedy's death. If the allegation were true that there had been involvement of a government agency, it would have deep repercussions for the trustworthiness of our government agencies. If the allegation were true that there was a much larger conspiracy afoot, then our security as a nation was jeopardized.
Kennedy's death gives us some sense of the consternation that filled Jerusalem after the death of Jesus of Nazareth. We are apt to think the only places people gathered to debate his death were in the state and ecclesiastical courts. However, we may safely conjecture that folks gathered around kitchen tables and stoves in cottage after cottage to talk about his death. Many probably dismissed the incident out of hand, because they saw it unrelated to them.
We, too, may feel far removed from the relevance of this death at times. However, while the New Testament is somewhat casual about the incidents surrounding Jesus' death, it is clear in proclaiming that God used the occasion of man's bungling for the salvation of the world. The New Testament is filled with the proclamation of Peter that this crucified Jesus God raised from the dead to be both Lord and Christ.
Kennedy's death gives us some sense of the consternation that filled Jerusalem after the death of Jesus of Nazareth. We are apt to think the only places people gathered to debate his death were in the state and ecclesiastical courts. However, we may safely conjecture that folks gathered around kitchen tables and stoves in cottage after cottage to talk about his death. Many probably dismissed the incident out of hand, because they saw it unrelated to them.
We, too, may feel far removed from the relevance of this death at times. However, while the New Testament is somewhat casual about the incidents surrounding Jesus' death, it is clear in proclaiming that God used the occasion of man's bungling for the salvation of the world. The New Testament is filled with the proclamation of Peter that this crucified Jesus God raised from the dead to be both Lord and Christ.
