GOD’S WORD FOR  NOVEMBER 22

Our  book excerpt today, and ongoing,  is from “Chiseled by the Master’s Hand”  Lessons from the Life of Peter, by Erwin  Lutzer.  Dr. Lutzer is  Canadian-born and served as Senior Pastor of the Moody Church in Chicago for 36 years, until his retirement in 2016.   He now serves as Pastor Emeritus of Moody Church.  He’s written many books and has radio and internet teaching programs.

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John 6:60-71

TRUTH IS ROOTED IN EVIDENCE

Most philosophers would agree that if religious truth did exist, it would be consistent and universal.  But many would dispute the claim that such truth actually can be discovered.  The question is:  How do we know that Christ’s particular claims are true?  Peter added, “We….have come to know that You are the Holy One of God”  (John 6:69).  In the next chapter we shall see that Peter’s understanding of Christ was granted to him by the Holy Spirit.  Such a revelation is necessary because by nature our hearts are blinded, unwilling to see spiritual reality.  This is so in part because we intuitively know that, if Christ is who He claims to be, we will be exposed for what we are in His presence.  Another reason it is so is because we are basically dishonest when looking at evidence we don’t like to see.  As Christ taught, “No one can come to Me, unless it has been granted him from the Father.” (John 6:65).

Yet, quite apart from such a special work of God, the evidence for the authority of Christ, even taken by itself, is overwhelming.  Those who believe in Christ have excellent historical and logical reasons to do so.  True, we accept Christ by faith, but it is faith supported by evidence.

Why Christ?  Why is He unique, separate from all the others?  First of all, because of WHAT HE DID; His miracles were observable, they were not a product of magic or fakery.

When He turned the water into wine, it was a visible miracle known by all at the feast.  When He healed a nobleman’s son, the man discovered that the moment of recovery coincided with Christ’s healing word.  When Christ took five loaves and two fish and fed a multitude, everyone knew that this was not sleight of hand.

Eventually, He would die and be resurrected as further evidence that He was more than just the Son of a carpenter.   The historical evidence for Christ’s resurrection is so powerful that many skeptics have had to admit that the New Testament accounts are reliable.

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Matthew 16:21~ ~ From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.

John 11:25 ~ ~ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”

Luke 24:6 ~ ~  He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee,

Romans 8:34 ~ ~ Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

1 Corinthians 15:12 ~ ~ Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

Luke 24:25-26 ~ ~  Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!  Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?”

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