What can a person believe anymore?

Different news outlets present “facts” in the framework of their own pre-conceptions and according to their particular agenda.  For that matter, political parties do too!  This is even the case in the history, science, biology, and social studies literature utilized in our public school systems.

Artificial intelligence (AI) makes it possible (and common!) to generate false images and fascinating accounts of “factual” events, places, people and creatures.  Social media is chock full of AI-spawned features which grab people’s attention.  In fact, the common approach and ultimate goal for many seems to be to post articles that generate excitement … not share facts.

Consequently, the running joke has become, “It must be true.  I saw it online!”  And everyone understands the implication: the fact is that the factuality of internet information is dubious at best.

All of which fosters even more skepticism in already skeptical people.

Now consider that three of the most implausible events in the history of the world involved a single individual, AND that the makeup of this individual was beyond believable.

Who in his or her right mind is going to believe that a fully human person would also be fully God?  Sure, in books and movies we root for superheroes who have abilities beyond human parameters.  But in real life?

Yet, that is how the Bible describes Jesus.  Truly God and truly Man – miraculously intermingled in a single human body!  “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity (God!) lives in bodily form …” (Colossians 2:9).  Seems pretty preposterous to many.

Which leads us to the first of the most remarkable and almost unbelievable events in history.  After a miraculous conception inside a young virgin named Mary, (Lk. 1:34-35, Mt. 1:20-22), “Immanuel, which means “God with Us,’” was born in a barn in Bethlehem. 

Now honestly, if God was truly going to come to earth, this would seem to be the least likely way he would arrive!  Just the concept of a god entering our realm through childbirth seems inconceivable. (Pun intended.)  Yet the Bible tells us this is exactly how Jesus, the Son of God, arrived. (Lk. 2:11).

Which makes Jesus’ birth one of the three most remarkable events in history.

But the second remarkable event raises the implausibility level even higher.  This God-Made-Man named Jesus was not only born … but born specifically to grow up and die an excruciating death.  For God to be born so that he could die is already a ridiculous reach of logic (at least to a human way of thinking!).  For God to be born to die a brutal, bloody and agonizing death seems beyond preposterous.

And doubly so when one considers that the Bible tells us that Jesus died this death deliberately so that he could be the sinless Substitute for sinful human beings.  Human rationale concludes that no real god would do this!  But the Bible tells us that the real God did exactly this!  (Isaiah 53:5).

Which makes Jesus’ death the second most remarkable event in history.

The second led directly to the third most remarkable event – a human body which was thoroughly dead for days came back to life. 

Once again, it was Jesus who accomplished this.  His resurrection sent spiritual reverberations through the world and throughout eternity.  It meant (and still means!) that every single sin of every single sinner … which Jesus was born and died to address … has been fully atoned for! 

Now all who believe in this almost unbelievable Jesus – his birth, death and resurrection – have “a living hope” and a “never perishing inheritance” in heaven.  (1 Peter 1:3-4).  It’s something that no sinful human has a right to expect from the sinless God.  Yet, our God Jesus provides it for us through absolutely astonishing historical events.

Yes, it all seems simply unbelievable.  But it’s all absolutely true!  And thank the Lord that it is!

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Proverbs 30:5
Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

1 Corinthians 1
¹⁸ For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹ For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

²⁰ Where is the wise person?  Where is the teacher of the law?  Where is the philosopher of this age?  Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ²¹ For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 

… ²³ we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block … and foolishness to [many], ²⁴ but to those whom God has called, … Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵ For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.

Galatians 4:4-5
But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.