14 April 2025

At the end of the millennium, the Churches Advertising Network in England created a poster to encourage attendance at church on Easter Day 1999. With the latest technology, they transformed an image of Che Guevara into Jesus. The Cuban revolutionary had a crown of thorns upon his head on a distinctively blood-red background. Underneath, there were some words, ‘Meek. Mild. As if.’ And the invitation, ‘Discover the  real Jesus. Church. April 4’.

This time, Jesus was being reframed as a political revolutionary in the image of the zealots who had inspired Judas Iscariot whose disillusionment betrayed Jesus but  ended his life in a shocking suicide. The politically inspired poster wanted people to think about Jesus. ‘We want people to realise that Jesus is not a wimp in a white nightie or someone who is a bit of a walkover, but a strong, revolutionary figure.’ they said.

When Jesus arrives in the city, he does two things. Firstly, he weeps. He has the insight to see that the people cannot discern the things that make for peace. They are not to be found in MAGA baseball caps and Cuban revolutionaries. When we weep, we reveal our emotional turmoil to the world. Classic masculinity does not weep. ‘Boys don’t cry!’ remember the paternal cliché? But Jesus is unafraid to share his emotion.

Secondly, he goes to the Temple. And there we see not only his physical but his moral strength of character. He challenges the corruption of Temple business and refocuses attention on the prayerful purpose of the worship space. Here is one who has integrity, strength of character, moral courage. He is strong in his emotional understanding  and strong in his moral purpose. He is unafraid to challenge the status quo and to reorder the world according to God’s ways.

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