MY ANSWER TO THE LIE – PART 1
Sakkie Parsons
This is my response to the lie being spread — the claim that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is false.
As far as my knowledge goes, every person who contributed to writing and first proclaiming this Gospel suffered intense hardship. Almost all of them, in the end, paid with their lives for what they preached.
And yet, they could have quietly faded into the background after Jesus’ crucifixion — and for a short time, out of human fear, they did exactly that — at least until after His resurrection.
To the best of my knowledge, one of the only people who died a natural death was John. Even he suffered greatly, especially during the time he was imprisoned on Patmos, where the Lord also gave him the Book of Revelation.
Now just think about this for a moment:
Would you, or any other reasonable person, go out of your way to be seen and heard, publicly sharing a lie — a lie you know could cost you your life — just days after witnessing your Leader being humiliated, tortured, and crucified?
Would you help spread such a lie if all it brought you was suffering, persecution, and poverty?
Would you persist in that lie even after being threatened with a brutal death unless you stop?
Would you hold on to that lie even while others are being executed, and knowing that one of your fellow “conspirators” might eventually break under pressure — and expose you as a false witness, making your cruel death completely pointless?
Well, that’s exactly the absurd nonsense those who claim the Gospel of Jesus Christ is false expect you and me — people with sound minds — to believe.
Because if the Gospel were truly a lie, all those things would have had to happen.
But how ridiculous that idea is! And yet, that’s what they want us to believe. Still, that’s not even the end of it.
Let’s take it a step further:
We are expected to believe that a whole group of men and women, the majority of whom were eventually killed for this faith, not only clung to this so-called “lie” to the bitter end — but also portrayed themselves as the “villains” of the story?
I mean, when they had the chance to stand by their Leader, they were cowards. They distanced themselves. Some even denied knowing Him.
Would you honestly keep proclaiming the truth of such a “lie,” all the way to a horrific death — including the part where you and your fellow “conspirators” were weak, faithless, and even fled in shame?
From my point of view, only someone who has no understanding of human nature could believe such a ridiculous story.
But because this is not a lie — because it is literally the divine truth — that’s exactly why His followers were willing to live it, die for it, and proclaim it to the world.
It didn’t just happen like this. Without the luxury of email or cellphones to keep in contact and support one another, these men and women were scattered across the world — many of them likely never seeing each other again. Yet despite this, every one of them told the same story until their dying breath, even under the most horrific tortures imaginable.
Because, you see — the simple truth is, there was no other story.
The disciples of Jesus shared with childlike honesty how, even after everything they saw and experienced, they still struggled with doubt.
They didn’t try to hide or sugarcoat their weakness. In fact, they told us plainly that they were so afraid that one of them even ran away naked to escape!
So, what changed these ordinary people — people like you and me — so radically and suddenly?
These men were so terrified of the Jews that they all ran away and hid like rats scurrying to their holes at the first sign of danger. Not one of them seemed to care — or even think — that their Leader’s body might be discarded like common criminals’ bodies were back then: dumped into a trash heap.
But thankfully — if I may put it that way — Jesus, who is also God, made provision for that. He moved the heart of Joseph of Arimathea, who made sure His earthly body was laid in a tomb until His resurrection.
We read in:
Mark 15:42–45
42 When evening had come, because it was the day of preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath,
43 Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God; and he courageously went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
44 Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether He was already dead.
45 And when he learned from the centurion [that Jesus was in fact dead], he gave the body to Joseph [for burial].
Let me ask again:
What happened that changed these fearful people so drastically?
Here’s how I see it:
You could almost say their new birth — like mine — began at the Cross.
There their Leader hung, nailed to the wood. And He said:
John 19:30
“It is finished!” And He bowed His head and voluntarily gave up His spirit.
They stood there — and because they didn’t yet understand what we know today — they looked at Him with shock and despair, seeing only a lifeless body.
Then, two days later, some of them came to the tomb. What did they find and experience?
Luke 24:2–7
2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,
3 but when they went in, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
4 While they were perplexed and wondering about this, suddenly, two men in dazzling clothing stood near them;
5 and as [the women] were terrified and were bowing their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why are you looking for the Living One among the dead?
6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how He told you while He was still in Galilee,
7 saying that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise from death.”
Later still, some of them stepped out of their boats and saw the One who had been nailed to the Cross — alive — having made a fire and preparing breakfast for them!
John 21:9–10
9 So when they got out on the beach, they saw a charcoal fire set up and fish on it, and bread.
10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.”
And then, even later, He stood before them and said:
Acts 1:8
“But you will receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be My witnesses [to tell people about Me] both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.”
And they witnessed His ascension. They saw the Father, so to speak, reach out His arm and welcome His Son back into Heaven.
Acts 1:9
And after He said these things, He was caught up as they looked on, and a cloud took Him up out of their sight.
Of course!
After that, nothing could stop them!
But since this writing would become too long, I’ll continue this in the next part — where I’ll also speak about what I believe is one of the greatest lies ever told, and at the same time, one of the weakest
Greetings,
Sakkie