I love Christmastime! The lights, music, decorations, nativity scenes, and opportunities to give to the needy are everywhere! Peace and goodwill abound, right? Well, not always.
Have you ever gotten a sideways glance or experienced the sudden awkward pause in conversation if you dare mention you believe Jesus’ birth, the virgin birth, as fact? People can lose their holiday cheer pretty fast if you mention your faith and the reason why you celebrate Christmas in the first place.
It’s the same at Easter. People excitedly tell their kids about the Easter bunny and spend ridiculous amounts of money on elaborate egg hunts and decorations. But if you’re enthusiastic about scripture and going to church to celebrate the reason for Easter—that Jesus rose from the dead—people look at you like you’re crazy. It’s been that way since the first Christmas and the first Easter. Jesus followers are always on trial for believing what the Bible proclaims.
Why is it that those who don’t believe fight so violently against those who do? They practice tolerance for everyone exceptChristians. Instead, believers are belittled and “found guilty” of delusional thinking, prejudice, and even hatred toward those who don’t believe.
After Jesus appeared and spoke to Paul on his way to persecute Christians, he became a believer himself. Paul later announced, “I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead” (Acts 23:6).
When his accusers brought him before King Agrippa, he took advantage of this opportunity: “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews…. it is because of my hope in what God has promised our ancestors that I am on trial today….. King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me. Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?” (Acts 26:1-8).
I can’t say I feel as fortunate as Paul did when I’m being attacked for my faith. But I should, because it’s an opportunity to share what God has done for me. I believe the accounts of Christmas, Easter, and everything else in the Bible is true for several reasons:
* My life has radically changed since I have believed and followed Jesus—from depression, hopelessness, and anger, to purpose, joy, and peace.
* I have seen God’s power at work in the lives of others—physical and emotional healing, freedom from addiction, and newfound joy in life and a desire to serve others.
* I have heard stories of hope and courage from people around the world who have, and continue to experience trauma, persecution, and homelessness, yet still have joy because of their hope in Jesus.
* Add to that the evidence in nature, history, and the eyewitness testimonies of all who have gone before us. (If you’d like to know more, check out Lee Strobel’s book or movie “Case for Christ.”)
Christians may be on trial now, but there will come a day when the truth about Jesus will be clear. Everyone will rise from the dead, but not everyone will go to heaven.
As Christians, we have hope because Jesus came to tell and demonstrate to us the magnitude of the Father’s love, and because He died to pay for our sins and rose again. He reigns now in heaven and will take all those who love Him to be with Him when He comes again.
Jesus promised: “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voiceand come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned” (John 5:24-29).
“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:26).
We cannot force others to believe, but we can share how Jesus has given us hope for both today and eternity. When they declare their “verdict” and choose what to believe about Jesus, they will either reap the rewards of faith, or the despair that will come to all who reject Jesus as Lord.
I hope and pray I will be faithful in every trial. I pray that those who listen will find their home in God their Creator—the One who has loved them from the beginning of time.
“Come Home” Tauren Wells