Thursday, May 22, 2025

Looking Like Jesus

 

Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up before him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground. He didn’t have an impressive form or majesty that we should look at him, no appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was. He was like someone people turned away from; he was despised, and we didn’t value him.
Isaiah 53:1-3 CSB

Jesus According to Hollywood


When it comes to picturing Jesus in our minds, Hollywood has really done us a disservice. They’ve given us an endless parade of handsome actors with compelling eyes, dramatic gazes, and dynamic facial hair. But Isaiah paints a different picture. Apparently, to look at him, Jesus wasn’t all that attractive. He didn’t have an impressive form or appearance. He was like someone people turned away from.

Besides, what he looked like wasn't the point. His appearance wasn't what made people pay attention to him. What he did and what he said were the magnets.


Jesus said to the Twelve, “You don’t want to go away too, do you?”

Simon Peter answered, “Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”
John 6:67-69 CSB

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Truth is...It would be good for you and me to also put little to no importance on our physical appearance. Instead, let's look like Jesus by living lives of compassion and service and speaking words of encouragement and truth.


Thursday, May 15, 2025

When Somebody's Worst Is Better Than Another's Best

 

In 1988, the world celebrated the record-setting Olympic performances of Carl Lewis. He became one of only four Olympic athletes to win nine gold medals. His 100-meter finish of 9.92 seconds was amazing.

And then along came Oblique Seville, who managed to beat that feat by running 100 meters in 9.91 seconds. It's just that in 2024, that was only good enough to earn him last place.


*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Truth is...somehow, this comparison reminds me of 1 Corinthians 1:25  -  For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.


Thursday, May 8, 2025

The Fault in Our Fretting

 

Do not worry or be anxious (perpetually uneasy, distracted), saying, "What are we going to eat?" or "What are we going to drink?" or "What are we going to wear?" For the pagans eagerly seek all these things; but do not worry, for your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.
Matthew 6:31-33 (AMP)

I look at this list of things Jesus tells us to not worry about and think, "Add 'where are we going to live?' and you've pretty much got the Top Four Concerns of Mankind, right there." Why else do we work 40-60 hours a week?

And yet, a person HAS to pay attention to such things. I mean, we can't go around naked, starving, and dehydrated.


Perhaps the key resides in the word worry. It's one thing to need to physically provide for yourself and your loved ones. It's another thing to have your happiness and sense of well-being completely dependent on food, drink, and shelter.

Part of Thomas à Kempis' thoughts on these verses:

O most sweet and loving Lord, you know my weaknesses and my sufferings. I am often weighed down, tempted, disturbed, and defiled. I come to you for a remedy. I beg you for comfort and support. You know what good things I need and how poor I am in righteousness.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Truth is...Where do you put your trust: in things or the creator of all things?


Thursday, May 1, 2025

Calvin & Hobbes' Unintentional Commentary on Proverbs 6:6

 

Our text today, flock, features our hero, Calvin, coming to a wise conclusion at an unwise time.



Truth is...Go to the ant, you slacker! Observe its ways and become wise. (Proverbs 6:6 CSB)


Thursday, April 24, 2025

What If You Knew When Jesus Is Returning?

 

I don't remember in which Billy Graham movie I heard him say what I'm about to write, but I certainly remember the sense of anticipation and urgency that welled up within me as I heard him say it.

The Bible says that no man knows the day nor the hour of Christ's return. But what if you did?

What if, through some miraculous means, God endowed you with the knowledge of exactly when Jesus was going to part the skies and return in triumph?

And more to the point, what if you knew he was coming back next month? What changes would you make on your bucket list? What activities would you want to experience before Jesus called an end to time?

Or what if you knew he was returning to judge all of mankind next week? Would there be people you needed to mend fences with? Would there be words of love and appreciation that you made sure you said?

What if God told you, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Jesus Christ was coming back tomorrow? Who would you tell? What would you say?

What about one hour from now? Who would get your first phone call?

What would you do if you knew Jesus was returning in five minutes?

One minute?

By the time you could count down from 10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2...

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Truth is...None of us know, so all of us should be living as if it could happen at any -


Thursday, April 17, 2025

Grok Weighs in on Easter

 

The strongest argument supporting the historicity of Jesus' resurrection is that it provides the most compelling explanation for a set of widely accepted historical facts: the discovery of the empty tomb, the reported post-resurrection appearances of Jesus to his followers, and the sudden transformation of his disciples. Below, I’ll break down why this argument holds significant weight.

The Cross & the Tomb

Key Historical Facts

The Empty Tomb
The New Testament accounts claim that Jesus’ tomb was found empty shortly after his crucifixion. This is significant because, in the first-century Jewish context, a messiah who was crucified would have been seen as a failure  —  yet his followers proclaimed his resurrection. If the body had remained in the tomb, opponents of early Christianity, such as the religious authorities or Roman officials, could have easily disproved the resurrection by producing it. The absence of such counterevidence suggests the tomb was indeed empty.

Post-Resurrection Appearances
Multiple accounts in the New Testament describe Jesus appearing to various individuals and groups after his death, including the disciples, women followers, and even skeptics like Paul (who later became a key Christian leader). These reports span different times and locations, making it harder to dismiss them as a single, isolated incident. While critics might suggest these were hallucinations, the variety and number of witnesses complicate such an explanation.

Transformation of the Disciples
After Jesus’ crucifixion, his disciples were depicted as fearful and scattered, hiding from authorities. Yet, within weeks, they became bold proclaimers of his resurrection, willing to face persecution and death. This dramatic shift is striking  —  what could account for such a change if not an extraordinary event they genuinely believed in?

Why the Resurrection Explains These Facts

The resurrection hypothesis ties these elements together into a coherent narrative:

  • The empty tomb is explained as the result of Jesus rising from the dead, rather than requiring alternative theories like body theft (which lacks evidence) or the disciples’ mistake (unlikely given the tomb’s specific location).
  • The appearances align with the claim that Jesus was alive again, interacting with his followers in a tangible way, rather than being mere visions or delusions shared across diverse groups.
  • The disciples’ transformation makes sense if they witnessed something as profound as their leader returning from death, giving them unshakable conviction in their message.

Challenges to Alternative Explanations

Critics often propose naturalistic alternatives, but these struggle to account for all the facts:

  • Theft of the Body: Who would have taken it, and why? The disciples lacked motive (they were risking their lives), and enemies would have produced the body to stop the movement.
  • Hallucinations: Mass hallucinations are rare and don’t explain the empty tomb or the consistency of the appearances across different settings.
  • Fabrication: The early Christians’ willingness to die for their belief, combined with details like women (whose testimony was undervalued in that culture) being the first witnesses, suggests the story wasn’t a calculated invention.

Cultural Context

In first-century Judaism, the idea of a single person rising from the dead before the general resurrection at the end of time was unexpected. For a movement to emerge around a crucified leader — proclaiming him as risen — defied cultural and religious norms, adding to the argument that something extraordinary must have sparked it.

Conclusion

While the historicity of the resurrection remains a matter of debate and interpretation, its strength as an argument lies in its explanatory power. The convergence of the empty tomb, the post-resurrection appearances, and the disciples’ radical transformation presents a historical puzzle that the resurrection hypothesis addresses more effectively than competing theories. For those open to its possibility, it stands as a robust case for the event’s reality, grounded in the origins and rapid spread of early Christianity.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

X's artificial intelligence engine, Grok, wrote this post to answer the question "What's the strongest argument for the historicity of the resurrection of Jesus?" I then asked it to come up with a concluding "Truth is..." statement. What it wrote is more hippyish than I normally publish, but it's not bad:

Truth is...the resurrection of Jesus stands as a beacon of hope and mystery, inviting us to consider the extraordinary possibility that love and life transcend even death itself.


Thursday, April 10, 2025

Laughing at the Lack of Justice

 

There's usually not much to chuckle about in the face of an innocent person being railroaded by the justice system. This is especially true when thinking about the arrest and trial of Jesus.

And yet...

According to Mark 14, even though Jesus had spent all week acting like a messiah, starting with riding into Jerusalem on a donkey on Sunday and throwing moneychangers out of the temple on Monday, the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were having a hard time getting any hard evidence or corroborating testimony pulled together that would justify a conviction worthy of the death sentence they so deeply desired.


They were doing so horribly, Jesus finally had to give it to them on a silver platter.

Mark 14:61-64 (CSB)

The high priest questioned him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”
“I am,” said Jesus, “and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy."

But the religious leaders' incompetence (and the main reason I find this funny) didn't stop there. When they took Jesus to Pilate to get Rome's stamp of approval on their plan to kill Jesus, things got...awkward.

John 18:29-30 (CSB)

So Pilate came out to them and said, “What charge do you bring against this man?”
They answered him, “If this man weren’t a criminal, we wouldn’t have handed him over to you.”

Imagine a beer-gutted Southern sheriff sliding his arm around the Roman governor's shoulders: "Piiilate! Ol' buddy ol' pal...This Jesus guy is nothing but trouble. Truuuust us!"

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Truth is...Not even I could find this funny if it weren't for knowing how the crucifixion isn't the end of the story. Spoiler alert: Jesus wins!