MY ANSWER TO THE LIE – PART 2
Sakkie Parsons
In my previous message on this topic, I ended with the following:
They also experienced His ascension. They stood there, watching how the Father, as it were, wrapped His arm around His Son and took Him up into Heaven.
Acts 1:9 (AMP)
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!
Now I want to go further and share with you what I consider the greatest—but also the weakest—lie of all time.
Remember?
There he stands—the very same man who, not long ago, cowardly denied Jesus. So afraid for his own life, he cursed and lied to a servant girl, just to convince her he wasn’t one of Jesus’ followers. And next to him stands another former coward—perhaps even the one who ran off naked in fear that night.
As I said before—
There they are now, the same men, standing boldly before the rulers, elders, and scribes—the leaders of the people.
Acts 4:18–20
18 So they sent for them and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John replied to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you and obey you rather than God, you must judge [for yourselves];
20 for we [on our part] cannot stop telling [people] about what we have seen and heard.”
Just think about this for a moment:
Why did those who wanted to silence Jesus’ disciples go through so much trouble to shut them up—yet never played their trump card by proving that Jesus didn’t rise from the dead?
Let’s suppose these ordinary men—mostly simple fishermen—were busy deceiving the world with a grand hoax. Why didn’t these highly educated leaders just expose the fraud and save themselves the trouble?
After all, you and I are living proof that they failed miserably in their attempt to silence the Gospel.
Why didn’t they just display Jesus’ crucified, mutilated body to the public?
They had taken such great care to ensure that His body couldn’t be stolen by the disciples.
Matthew 27:62–66
62 On the next day, that is, the day after the day of preparation [for the Sabbath], the chief priests and the Pharisees assembled before Pilate,
63 and said, “Sir, we have remembered that when He was still alive, that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise [from the dead].’
64 Therefore, give orders to have the tomb made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.”
65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard [of soldiers; go with them], make the tomb as secure as you know how.”
66 So they went and made the tomb secure [by sealing the stone and] setting a guard [of soldiers on watch].
The only big lie being told back then wasn’t told by Jesus’ disciples—it came from those so-called wise leaders of the time. They couldn’t produce the body of the risen Jesus, so they resorted to a lie that was as effective as trying to travel around the world in a soap bubble because you couldn’t get a hot air balloon.
Anyone who knows anything about Roman soldiers and their iron discipline would immediately recognize how utterly ridiculous the lie was that these leaders spread.
An angel rolled the stone away from the tomb. The guards were so terrified, they were frozen in fear. Eventually, when they were able to move, they went and reported what happened. And then we read this:
Matthew 28:11–14
11 While they were on their way [into the city], some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened.
12 And when the chief priests had gathered with the elders and had consulted together [and devised a plan], they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers,
13 and said, “You say this, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we were sleeping.’
14 And if the governor (Pilate) hears about it, we will calm him down and keep you out of trouble.”
Honestly, we could almost laugh at how pathetic and absurd their actions were.
In the end, they spread the exact same story they had originally tried to prevent. And what’s more, they even paid a large sum of money to promote this lie!
That very lie they wanted to stop—they ended up spreading themselves. And yes, it’s still being repeated today.
But should we be surprised? Scripture said this would happen.
Matthew 28:15
So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this fabricated story was spread among the Jews to this present day.
Did you catch that?
“…to this present day.” (v.15)
This great, life-giving truth—the Gospel of Jesus Christ—has withstood over 2,000 years of attacks and scrutiny from the devil and his followers. And every time, it has triumphed.
You’d think it unthinkable that people today, with all the evidence before them, could still reject this truth. But then I remember what our Lord said in His Word:
1 Corinthians 1:18–25
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness [absurd and illogical] to those who are perishing and spiritually dead, but to us who are being saved it is [the manifestation of] the power of God.
19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise [the philosophy of the philosophers], and the cleverness of the clever [who do not know Me] I will nullify.”
20 Where is the wise man (philosopher)? Where is the scribe (scholar)? Where is the debater (logician, orator) of this age? Has God not exposed the foolishness of this world’s wisdom?
21 For since the world through [all its earthly] wisdom failed to recognize God, God in His wisdom was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached [regarding salvation] to save those who believe [in Christ and welcome Him as Savior].
22 For Jews demand signs (attesting miracles), and Greeks pursue [worldly] wisdom and philosophy,
23 but we preach Christ crucified, a message which is to Jews a stumbling block [that provokes their opposition], and to Gentiles foolishness [just utter nonsense],
24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks (Gentiles), Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25 [This is] because the foolishness of God is wiser than men [far beyond human comprehension], and the weakness of God is stronger than men [far beyond the limits of human effort].
Someone may say:
“That’s all well and good, but what about me? I wasn’t at Jesus’ fish braai (barbecue), and I didn’t get to touch the marks in His hands like Thomas did.”
You might think Jesus held them in high regard—and He did. But let me show you something even greater. If you have accepted Jesus as your God, Savior, and Redeemer—He holds you in even higher esteem than them.
Remember, even John—the beloved disciple—was present when Jesus said the following:
John 20:27–29
27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and put out your hand and place it in My side. Do not be unbelieving, but stop doubting and believe.”
28 Thomas answered Him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, do you now believe? Blessed [happy, spiritually secure, and favored by God] are they who did not see [Me] and yet believed [in Me].”
1 John 5:7
For there are three witnesses in heaven: the Father, the Word, (the Word, namely Jesus, who is God, read John 1:1) and the Holy Spirit, and these three are One.
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].
So, let’s bring joy to our Lord Jesus’s heart—by bringing more people to Him, people He can also call blessed.
How do we do this?
The answer is clear. As Scripture tells us:
Romans 10:17
So faith comes from hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the preaching of the message concerning Christ.
So, dear fellow Christian, let’s be His witnesses. Let’s proclaim this eternal, life-giving truth to a world overwhelmed by lies.
Let our words—but especially our lives—be the answer to the question Scripture presents to us:
Romans 10:14
But how will people call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how will they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher (messenger)?
The most powerful way to do this is through your life.
Let others see Jesus in you.
In other words—
Let us live out daily what we speak about when we share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Greetings,
Sakkie