“What is so enigmatic about Jesus is how soft He was toward sinners, even though He never soft-pedalled sin. He lived up to the prophecy made about Him, that a bruised reed He would not break and a smoldering wick He would not snuff out. Still, His central message represented a profound challenge: Repent. Give up any allegiance to the snake and to sin and realign with the dawning reality where God again is king.”