Sep 11
4
Why Trust Jesus?
Jesus claimed that he was the truth (John 14:6) and that everyone on the side of truth listens to him (John 18:37).
The big question is, “Why trust Jesus?” After all, anyone can claim they are telling the truth. The world is full of self-proclaimed “gurus.” What makes Jesus’ claims any more valid than other famous religious leaders?
It’s a good question that deserves a reasonable answer. Here’s one way to look at it:
Imagine for a moment that there were predictions about a specific man written hundreds, even thousands of years before he was born. Imagine these meticulously preserved documents predicted exactly where he would be born, how he would die, which ancestral lineage he would be from, things he would do, exact words he would speak?
What are the odds that someone would “accidentally” fulfill all those predictions? For a handful of the specific predictions to come true, maybe one in billion. But what if there were more than 400 specific predictions? Imagine the odds of all of them coming true in a single person.
Now stop imagining. The man is Jesus. We call the predictions prophecies. There are more than 400 prophecies about Jesus recorded on the sacred pages of the Old Testament, all fulfilled in Jesus.
The law of probability claims the odds of 400+ specific prophesies coming true in one person are so large that it is technically “impossible.” Unless you are God. With God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26), and again: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies” (John 11:25).
The Old Testament is filled with prophecies about Jesus, the coming Messiah. Read Psalm 22 and listen how King David describes Christ’s crucifixion in shocking detail, even though from his vantage point in history he had never seen a crucifixion (and they wouldn’t even be used for execution for another 700 years). Hear how Christ’s own words from the cross are foretold, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” See how David prophecies the crowd’s reaction (mocking), and the Roman guard’s gambling over Jesus’ last article of clothing. It sends shivers down the spine. It’s all in Psalm 22. Read it.
But there’s more. Scripture says Jesus would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), but be from Nazareth (Isaiah 9:1). It says he would come out of Egypt (Hosea 11:1). Remember Joseph and Mary took the young Jesus to Egypt when Herod started killing baby boys – all because the Scriptures had prophesied Messiah’s birth in Bethlehem and the visit of the magi convinced Herod it had happened. Scripture prophesied that Jesus would do miracles (Isaiah 29:18), that he would be rejected by the rulers (Psalm 118:22), that he would be betrayed with 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12). Most importantly, Scripture says he would return from the dead (Isaiah 53:8, 11).
Since Jesus fits all these prophesies (and 400+ other ones), wouldn’t it make sense to trust him? Remember, even though he could have “self-fulfilled” some of them, there are dozens of prophecies about him that he had no control over as a mere human (place of birth, lineage, what others would do to him, etc.)
You can trust Jesus because all the prophecies point to him.
That’s why even his boldest claims – like “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away (Matthew 24:35)” – continue coming true and changing people’s lives throughout history, even now in the quiet place you sit at home reading this.
Listen to Jesus and trust: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28), and in another place, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies” (John 11:25).
You can trust Jesus both in life and in death.
