“Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so…” That’s what children have been singing for years, but do we really believe that? Do we believe that Jesus loves us and do we believe it purely because the Bible says so? Are we able to believe everything in the Bible just because it is the Bible? It shouldn’t be too difficult considering some things on the internet that people believe. There are some things that are placed on social media that are such blatant nonsense, and people actually believe them. Is it far-fetched to think that Noah built a massive boat, miles from the sea, which consequently housed representatives of every species of animals and birds for about a year, while the entire earth was covered in water. Amazingly the first rain caused the first flood. Could Moses and the entire Israelite nation have crossed the Red Sea on dry land? In the forty years in the desert their clothes and shoes never word out. What about Joshua who circled Jericho 7 times with his people causing the walls to collapse spontaneously? Then there was the rebellious Jonah who was swallowed by a big fish and stayed in its belly for three days. Elijah was fed by ravens while he hid in the desert. That was after he had been instrumental in negotiating a three year drought with God. The drought ended by fire from heaven burning up offerings on an altar that had been saturated in water. Oh yes, this fire was so fierce, the altar was consumed as well.
Then I think of Daniel who was cast into the lion’s den and was totally unharmed. Shadrach, Meshach and Abed Nego were thrown into the fiery furnace and not a hair on their heads was scorched. Their clothing didn’t even smell like smoke. David killed a giant with a single stone shot out of a sling. King Nebuchadnezzar went mad because of his arrogance, and ate grass like an animal. He realized that his sin had caused it, repented and returned to being king! That’s just so amazing.
In the New Testament Jesus is born from a virgin. I might as well stop right there. If we don’t believe that, then believing anything else isn’t going to help one bit. In the Old Testament it is prophesied that the Messiah will be born from a virgin. Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” The Gospel hinges on that fact. We need to believe the seemingly impossible in order to be saved. We need to believe things that our minds cry out against, and that don’t make sense and can’t be scientifically proven. Who knows, maybe science will catch up with the bible one day? Then of course, Jesus grows up and is baptized, after which the devil tempts him with all kinds of wonderful promises, which He resists. Then His ministry starts and He does incredible miracles like turning water into wine, walking on water and healing incurable diseases. He fraternizes with tax collectors and prostitutes, tells a woman caught in adultery that she’s free to go, and cleanses lepers. Jesus even raises his friend from the dead.
The way Jesus is framed for crimes he didn’t commit is unreal, and then He is innocently put to death by crucifixion. What happens after this is even harder to believe because on the third day in the grave He is resurrected and begins walking around like He used to among His friends. After 40 days He is taken up to heaven in plain sight of His disciples. Then some time later the disciples received the Holy Spirit. They physically saw tongues of fire descend on them, after which they started speaking in strange languages.
Someone told me last week that He doesn’t believe the whole bible because it’s just words on paper. I emphatically stated that I believe every word and I will stand by that for as long as I live. Do you believe the whole Bible?
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