I recently attended a national conference. I listened to a conversation where a woman, who was a senior and a widow, said how happy she was to have met a man she liked. She related that the gentleman asked her out. “Let’s go out for some fast food.” She replied, “I am not that kind of woman. I require fine dining!” He agreed and they went to an upscale restaurant. The restaurant manager stopped them at the door and said, “I am sorry sir, a tie is required to dine here.” She asked her date, “Do you think you might have a tie in your car?” He said, “I don’t know. I will check.” He soon returned wearing a set of jumper cables. The cables were wrapped around his neck. He crossed them and wore them cascading down the front of his shirt with the clamps tucked inside of his shirt. The manager looked at jumper cables and exclaimed, “Okay, that will do. Just don’t start anything!”
I couldn’t stop laughing. I thought it was a hilarious story. The next day, I saw a friend who is also a good friend of the woman who told the story. I mentioned that I thought that story was very funny. My friend looked at me and exclaimed. “No, that is a real true story!”
I must admit. I am perplexed. I am not really sure if that story is true or not. It will probably remain that way. There is something that I am not perplexed about. The multiple proofs that God exists.
Birth of Jesus
There were over 300 prophecies concerning the coming Messiah in the Old Testament. Statistical mathematician, Peter Stoner figured the probability just to fulfill 48 of the prophecies was one chance in a trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion. Tough to comprehend the size of that probability-
yet Jesus fulfilled them.
Independent verification of the life of Jesus
Pontus Pilate. A corner stone was found in Galilee saying, “This building was built during time Pilate was governor.”
There are at least 11 independent historians writing about that period mentioning Jesus. There is more literature stating Jesus lived than Alexander the Great or Julius Caesar.
90% of early Christians were illiterate. Songs were used to tell the story of the resurrection. Independent documents found songs that were sung within 6 months after crucifixion.
Caiaphas was the chief priest. When excavating for a water park outside Jerusalem a few years ago- they broke through the ground and found the tomb labeled as “Caiaphas, High Priest.”
A tomb was found on Crete which read, “Lazarus, friend of Jesus”
Some stated a crucifixion as punishment was a hoax. Skeletons with nails in wrists have verified crucifixion existed.
Proof of a creation- intelligent design
The axis of rotation of the Earth is tilted at an angle of 23.5 degrees away from vertical. The tilt of the Earth's axis is important, in that it governs the warming strength of the sun's energy. If were slightly different- life could not exist.
One scientist stated that so many things had to go correctly at the creation of the universe that the odds of that happening accidently can be described as placing a postage stamp at one end of the universe and shooting one bullet at that stamp with a rifle from the other side of the universe.
Mystery of Life
The origin and complexity of DNA is unfathomable for the human mind to comprehend. There are almost three billion pairs of DNA to be copied in human cell replication and our cells makes perfect copies of themselves. Unbelievable!
A list of multiple proofs could fill several pages. The most amazing proof, though, is speaking with a Christian who will tell us what God has done in their life. To be the recipient of God’s love and blessings and to grow in a trusting relationship with God is remarkable and something to be sought after. Perplexing that God choose to do things this way? Perhaps. Nevertheless, it is still true.