Did we really have an oil spill in the Gulf? Of course we did. Is two plus two four? Some things are just plain facts. In these cases, there’s no room for argument.
Yet strangely, many today fool themselves and others into believing that there are no undeniable facts, that all truth is relative. These people either purposely lie, or confuse truth with the concept of perspective. As an elementary school principal, one of my many hats was that of “investigator”. When Billy and Johnny had a fight, I uncovered the truth of the situation. Many people offered honest perspectives, (and a few not so honest), but regarding them together I could discern the key elements of what really happened – the inarguable, undeniable truth.
Have you ever heard anyone argue the existence of Thomas Edison? Surely not. He lived. He died. He invented the light bulb somewhere in between. These are facts documented by many and recorded for all time. From many accounts of His life, written from many perspectives, truths about His life emerge.
Jesus lived and died, too. This is a fact that intelligent scholars do not argue. There is sufficient evidence to document His life and death and even His reappearing, evidence from many sources that has been recorded for all time. The debate over Jesus lies not in His existence, but in His identity.
According to several reports, Jesus appeared and spoke with many people after he had been crucified and sealed in a tomb. His glorious appearing moved men and women to say, “I have seen the Lord!” These recognized that Jesus was not merely a man, but God in flesh – the Almighty Creator who reigns supreme over life and death. One man, Thomas, remarked, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe” (John 20:25). Fortunately for him, Jesus came to him individually and helped him see and believe.
While we cannot see Jesus in His earthly body today, we recognize Him in other ways as He comes to us individually like Thomas, helping us to see and believe. We often perceive Him in and through the lives of others – lives transformed by His power, committed to His plan, and sacrificed for His people. We see Him not through human works done in honor of Him, but by the actual holy work of God Himself revealing His living presence to us.
As sure as Edison brought electric light to our world, Jesus brought the Light of the World to us. It’s a matter of fact, believe it or not.
Questions: Do you see Him? Do others see Him in you?
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