He Gave Us Proof -- Believe!

Over the last 6000 years many religions have been practiced. Some have been founded by specific people, and others have evolved over the course of time. Some were written down and others came through oral tradition and mythology.

 

Perhaps the best known religious authors are Confucius (Confucianism), Lao-Tzu (Taoism), Gautama (Buddhism), Muhammad (Islam) and Zoroaster (Zoroastrianism).

 

These men defined rules for virtuous living, rules for family living and rules for public interaction.

 

Jesus: Religious Founder Above All Others

These religions defined how one should live today, or in some cases, live for today. It is true that some religions taught the existence of an afterlife, but also taught that the nature of the afterlife depended on how one lived one’s earthly life.

 

None of these religions offered proof of an afterlife or gave proof that a person would go there.

 

Today’s reading is John 20:19-29. Jesus lived a virtuous life, taught many to do the same, came into conflict with the religious and civil leaders and was crucified.

 

Jesus defined rules for living: Love your neighbor as yourself. He followed Gods desire that family should be the primary social entity for humans. He also taught there were times to follow secular rule and times to ignore secular rule.

 

If this was all he did, then he was no better than any of the others who founded a religion before him.

 

Jesus made promises about the afterlife and about our ability to conquer death. In today’s reading, he gave proof that what he said is true.

 

Jesus came back to life!

 

He spoke to his disciples. He commissioned them to continue his work. He gave them the Keys to Heaven.

 

But Thomas was not there. He did not believe the others’ testimony that Jesus was alive. Jesus gave Thomas more specific proof. He had Thomas put his finger through the nail holes in his hand and the spear hole in his side. Thomas saw and believed.

 

Jesus taught us that attaining heaven does not depend on how we live; it merely depends on our faith in him. We will get there. We can be sure what he says is true.

 

He gave us proof!

 

Believe!