Would You Believe?

So far, I’ve described Jesus as a humble, sincere, and friendly man that could be trusted. This last trait is inestimably important because of the good news Jesus discovered he had to share. First, there is a God. This was likely not an earth-shaking disclosure to his contemporaries because many of them had probably never even questioned the issue. But the revolutionary revelation of the Christ is that we humans are invited to be in relationship—in communion, if you will—with our Creator. Jesus felt the intimacy of this relationship so profoundly that he referred to God as Abba, as Daddy. This is a quantum spiritual leap from the unknowable Yahweh that was revealed to the prophets in only indirect ways (e.g. Moses’ burning bush), an understanding which has persisted to the present day in deistic, pantheistic theologies. Equally radical was Jesus’ proclamation that God’s reign on Earth is imminent. Today is the day that the Lord has made, and so our relationship with God is not to be found in the past or future but rather to be experienced in the existential now. Even when it is a humble, sincere, friendly person that is presenting us with such an incredible concept, our initial reaction is not to trust it. It’s not what we’ve been taught. It’s not what we believe. And so, while you’re really a nice guy and all, Jesus, we need some proof that we can trust what you are telling us.