In the summer of 1989 a popular uprising by students and workers led to tens of thousands gathering in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. The mood was upbeat and hopes were high that the repressive regime, under which they were forced to live, might be overthrown, and a new era of freedom about to dawn. But the vested interests and political might of the existing system would not take such a challenge lying down. The brutal crackdown that ended the protests was almost inevitable – hundreds were killed and thousands arrested.
Two thousand years ago on the first Palm Sunday, a large crowd accompanied Jesus as he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. The mood was upbeat and hopes were high that the repressive regime, under which they were forced to live, might be overthrown and a new era of freedom about to dawn. But the vested interests and political might of the existing system would not take such a challenge lying down. Within days a brutal crackdown would begin and in the years to come thousands would be killed and arrested for being part of this new movement.
For many followers of Jesus the cost is still high, but 2,000 years on His Kingdom is still here and still expanding.
