God’s Proof Is In The Cross

Today’s reading: Exodus 4:1-9

When I’m talking to people about God, I often have the same trouble Moses asks about in today’s reading:

Then Moses answered, “But suppose they do not believe me or listen to me, but say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you.'” (Verse 1)

And, like so many others who report being uncomfortable with “witnessing,” I used to pray for some sort of physical proof of God, like that He provided Moses.  And, I’ll confess, I have sometimes asked for that evidence as much for myself as for others.

But, as I say, that’s what I used to do.  I haven’t returned to that prayer in years.

Instead, these days I just always keep handy, for myself or others, the story of Jesus and The Cross. My proof of God comes with four questions that arise from all that:

Did Jesus commit any sin worth being tortured and killed for? Was he abandoned by friends and crucified anyway? Is his spirit still alive 2,000 years later? Do billions of people still marvel at him every day?

The answers to those questions —  no, yes, yes, yes — are undeniable,  even to every atheist I’ve ever met.

Ever since the news of Jesus’s resurrection sparked The Pentecost, God has spared himself the burden of proving himself further to mankind. He no longer makes big shows out of turning staffs into snakes and such. (He now just leaves that sort of thing to magicians — for entertainment purposes only.)  As far as I know, He doesn’t even physically talk to people anymore either.

God’s proof just rests, eternally,  upon the ultimate miracle of The Cross.

I don’t understand how anyone could answer  “yes, no, no, no” to the questions of  The Cross. But I suppose there are a few who might.  (Just as there were many people who abandoned Moses despite the proof God gave him.)

That’s okay. The Truth is infinitely stronger than insanity. They’ll come around eventually.

Thanks be to God for the eternal, undeniable spirit of Christ. May I (and we) always follow it with joy.