DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- ARE THESE THINGS SO?

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- ARE THESE THINGS SO?

"Then the high priest said, 'Are these things so?' And he said, 'Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of Glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran.' " (Acts 7:1-2)

Stephen began his defense by giving the Jewish leaders a refresher course of the history of the Jewish nation.

History is important as one of the foundation stones of our Christian faith. The Old Testament history is the basis for the New Testament. And the New Testament history is the basis for our Christian faith. Stephen understood this and patiently explained to these learned men, whom he called brothers and fathers, what the history meant and the undergirding of the coming of Christ.

But Stephen did not shy away from putting his finger on the problem. The Israelites in the Old Testament had the truth but they rejected it. Jesus had come and fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies, but he was rejected by these very men who were challenging Stephen. They were stiff-necked and uncircumcised in their hearts and ears. They resisted the truth just as previous generations had rejected the truth of the prophets. The prior generations of Jews had killed the prophets who foretold the coming of the Messiah -- the Just One! They murdered Jesus, their Messiah, just as they had killed the prophets (vss. 51-54).

The same is true today. The history of the Christian faith is well-documented, but many people choose to ignore or disbelieve it. Jesus' life, death, and resurrection are a part of our common history. The history is there, but it is resisted and rejected just as these Jewish leaders, who doubtless knew of Jesus and His ministry, resisted it.

This is illustrated by the fact that some people do not believe that the HoIocaust actually happened. They would rather dismiss it as a fable than to believe that such an unbelievable thing could have actually happened. But the facts don't lie.

People may not want to hear the truth. But the truth is the truth, whether people want to hear it or not. Unbelief will not change the facts of history. Just because society dismisses Jesus as a story does not change the reality.

Love, Dad