Not knowing what to believe, police sergeant Joe Friday, played by Jack Webb in the 50s show Dragnet, used the catchphrase “Just the facts” in order to get to the truth of the matter at hand. Knowing that people have strong feelings about what they believe to be true, he meticulously sorted out feeling from fact.
In matters of faith, people have no less, and in reality, stronger feelings about what they believe to be true. The spiritualist believes we all float around after death with no specific place to go. The atheist believes we all cease to exist the instant of our death. The Hindu believes we all simply inhabit another being (animal or person) when our current bodies expire. The Christian believes we all face judgment when we die. While all of these can be false, two differing beliefs cannot be true.
The facts in this case are scientifically proven to be accurate and true. For example, the Jewish scriptures – commonly referred to as the Old Testament - were formally published around 450 BC. They represent a collection of works by dozens of authors writing in different countries, continents, decades, centuries and millennia. People who couldn’t possibly have met to collaborate were all inspired to point us to the coming Messiah – including giving us extremely specific prophesies about what to look for when Messiah comes.
The facts also include the odds of mis-identifying someone by means of a DNA sample are, according to FBI statistics, 1 in 19 billion, over two times the world’s population. Mathematicians (scientists) calculate the odds of 8 futuristic prophecies being fulfilled in one person at roughly 10 times those odds. Since Jesus fulfilled 8 prophecies about the Christ, we know forensically that Jesus is the Christ with evidence 10 times more conclusive than DNA evidence. To believe Jesus is the Christ is the only reasonable and logical conclusion to draw. On the other side of the same coin, to believe Jesus is not the Christ is unreasonable and illogical. But isn’t God Good? God gave the prophets of old over 300 specific prophecies about the coming Messiah all published before the Birth of Jesus and fulfilled in one person - Jesus. God’s great love and compassion for even the skeptic provides positive identification of His Son – quadrillions and quadrillions of times over.
The facts include that Buddha, Krishna, Confucius, Mohammed, Joseph Smith and all other self-proclaimed prophet’s arrivals were never foretold. They were simply born, lived, taught, died and were never seen again. The facts are that Christianity is so far removed from all other faiths in that Jesus’ coming was foretold, combined with the fact that, subsequent to his death and burial, He rose from the dead and resumed His teaching.
Join us this week, as we’re outlining the case for Christ and what we need to do now that the verdict is in. But, for today, let’s just know the facts.
Faith in the Incarnate Son of God
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 1 John 5:1 NIV
