Gary Varvel: Just another peaceful protestMy response to readers about my antisemitism essay plus a new Humor Me cartoon contest and paid subscribers get a timely cartoon from my archives
Fiddling while downtown L.A. is burning, Gov. Gavin Newsom is blaming President Trump again for his failures. As you know by now, organized rioters, uh, I mean, ‘peaceful protesters,’ began gathering when ICE agents began rounding up illegals. The local police admitted that they were overwhelmed. Democrats Newsom and L.A. mayor Karen Bass were AWOL. Plus the legacy news agencies were predictably sympathetic to the rioters. One ABC 7 reporter described the rioting as “just a bunch of people having fun watching cars burn.” I’m not kidding. So Trump sent in the National Guard. Newsom responded on X writing, “Trump is sending 2,000 National Guard troops into LA County — not to meet an unmet need, but to manufacture a crisis.” “Manufacture a crisis?” Townhall’s Matt Vespa writes, “California Democrats have left Earth. That’s the only explanation for the numerous inane remarks and observations about the Los Angeles riots that are turning the city into a war zone.” Oh, and get this, “Rep. Linda Sanchez (CA), who had the gall to say what’s happening in LA right now is no different than when the Dodgers or the Rams win the World Series or the Super Bowl.” Townhall’s Kurt Schlichter makes the case that the Democrats’ goal is to compel people to submit to the narrative that the riots are a “result of Donald Trump attempting to enforce federal law, so to stop the violence, Donald Trump must be compelled to cease enforcing federal law.” Lastly, why are the protesters burning American flags and waving the flag from their home country, if they really want to be Americans? This is what invaders do. The rioters have accomplished 2 things: 1. Proven Trump’s policy of mass deportation is right. 2. The riot videos will become campaign commercials for the Republicans in the next election. The recent firebombing attack by an illegal alien from Egypt against Jewish people in a park in Boulder, Colorado, plus the murder of a young Jewish couple, Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, in Washington, D.C., are just the latest acts of violence against people based solely on their heritage. On the 80th anniversary of World War II and the Holocaust, a recent study found that the number of antisemitic incidents increased by 227% in the U.S., 185% in France, 83% in Canada, 82% in the United Kingdom, 75% in Germany, 23% in Argentina, and 11% in Australia. This hatred is demonic and it’s spreading worldwide. The devil wants to thwart God’s promises to the Jewish people and like a puppet master he is pulling the strings of senseless evil people. ANSWERING READERSWhy the Old Testament is indispensable After my newsletter on Why antisemitism is spreading, a few people unsubscribed, and several others reached out with questions. One response stood out: It’s a sincere question, and I want to give a thoughtful answer.
Jesus didn’t come to erase Old Testament, but to fulfill it. For example, the sacrificial system points forward to Him. That’s why John the Baptist, when he saw Jesus, declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Jesus fulfilled what those sacrifices symbolized. Although most Jewish people today, do not yet believe in Jesus as their Messiah, Scripture assures us that God is not finished with Israel. His promises are still in motion. The prophet Zechariah wrote about a future time when Israel will face great trial. In Zechariah 13:7–9, the Lord says:
Zechariah 12:10, reaffirms this remarkable prophecy:
This clearly points to Jesus. He is the One who was pierced on the cross, and one day, the eyes of His people will be opened and they will realize that Jesus is their Messiah. The Apostle Paul echoes this truth in Romans 11:25–27. He explains that a partial hardening has come upon Israel, but only for a time—“until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” Then, he writes:
God’s covenant with His people (Jews) is still intact. His plan for redemption includes them accepting Jesus as their Messiah, and He will be faithful to complete it. Jesus Himself grieved over Jerusalem in Matthew 23:37–39, saying:
That day is coming. When Jesus returns to establish His kingdom on earth, He will fulfill every promise made to Abraham and his descendants. So yes, the Old Testament still matters. It points us to Jesus, shows us the heart of God, and reveals a future full of hope—for Israel, for the Church, and whosoever will believe. NEED A SPEAKER FOR YOUR GROUP?Contact me at: gary@garyvarvel.com HUMOR MEHUMOR ME: Fix my cartoon with a snarky remark. Email your entries to gary@garyvarvel.com. Winners announced in Friday’s newsletter for paid subscribers. Continue reading this post for free in the Substack app |