Stand Strong – June 11, 2021

“I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable.”
Acts 26:25

Stand Strong

Some of the central teachings of Christianity are these: God became a human being in Jesus. He lived, died, and rose from the dead. And he promises to come back to resurrect our bodies and renew all of creation.

Such teachings seem illogical, unreasonable, even insane. The Almighty God shouldn’t be able to become human. Dead humans stay dead. And this world seems like it is headed towards decomposition, not renewal. These teachings make no sense to our human reason.

That’s what the Roman governor, Festus, thought as he listened to the apostle Paul explain Christianity. Paul testified that Jesus is the Messiah who suffered death and rose again to save all people, even the governor. The governor responded, “You are out of your mind, Paul! Your great learning is driving you insane” (Acts 26:24).

But Paul didn’t back down. He had met the resurrected Jesus on his way to Damascus. He had been changed by God’s grace and convinced that it was his life’s mission to preach this message to all people no matter who they were or how they responded.

Perhaps some of the things Christianity teaches seem strange or even insane to you. If so, you’re not alone. But what we think about those teachings does not make them any less true.

Jesus is true God. He really did rise from the dead, and he is coming back again. In his wisdom, Jesus made the unreasonable reasonable and the impossible possible. He did it so that he could make all things new, including you.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, give me faith to trust what your Word tells me. Amen.