July 12T he Facts You Need

Luke 20:1-8 One day as he was teaching the people in the temple courts and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him. 2 “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they said. “Who gave you this authority?” 3 He replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me, 4 John’s baptism – was it from heaven, or from men?” 5 They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet.” 7 So they answered, “We don’t know where it was from.” 8 Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
 
YEARS ago, in the police television series Dragnet, the lead detective character steadfastly requested crime witnesses tell him, “Just the facts, ma’am. Just the facts.” Opinions or presumptions were not relevant. Only a factual eyewitness testimony mattered.
    Here is Jesus teaching the good news facts. But the authorities seemed to be as a detective. On the surface, it is appropriate to ask, “By what authority are you doing these things?” We must protect the church from false testimony.
    But the authorities’ motive was to trap Jesus with his divine claims as in John 8:18 “I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.” Such words would be the Pharisees’ eyewitness to “criminal facts” to condemn Jesus with the capital offense of blasphemy.
    In a familiar pattern, though, Jesus became the questioner. To negate John’s prophetic call would have been to deny God’s testimony. Then they, not Jesus, would face blasphemy charges and possibly stoned. The defeated questioners went away quietly while they could. Jesus had turned their self-focused question back to their faithless hearts.
    But their facts dilemma did not end here. After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, many of these same authorities faced the same question about Jesus. Was Jesus of Nazareth truly of God? If not, how were people healed in Jesus’ name? How, too, could the unlearned Peter and John powerfully defend and preach the gospel? (See Acts 3-4). And if Jesus were from God, why did they refuse to believe him?
    Such are the false questions of the culture throughout time. Unbelievers will always try to trap Jesus with meaningless questions. Sadly, they walk away, refusing the facts of God’s miraculous gospel.
    Do you believe the gospel’s facts? Then thank God that Scripture is your eyewitness to speak “just the facts” of God. Our Lord is always constant and true. His Word never changes. You can trust the apostles’ Spirit-inspired witness. You can believe with all your mind, heart and soul that your Lord has graciously given to you the facts you need to know him and be saved.  
 
Prayer: Holy Spirit, open the eyes and minds of those who are yet to believe. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.