“We modern people think of miracles as the suspension of the natural order, but Jesus meant them to be the restoration of the natural order. The Bible tells us that God did not originally make the world to have disease, hunger, and death in it. Jesus has come to redeem where it is wrong and heal the world where it is broken. His miracles are not just proofs that he has power but also wonderful foretastes of what he is going to do with that power. Jesus’ miracles are not just a challenge to our minds, but a promise to our hearts, that the world we all want is coming.”― Timothy Keller, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism
As a Christian, you will encounter skepticism about whether the biblical stories should be taken literally. Really, feeding 5,000 people with two fish and five loaves? Should I take Adam and Eve and Noah’s Ark as fact? Can my questions help me overcome skepticism, or will my doubts derail my faith?
If you are a writer, you will soon learn to appreciate your copy editor. Often, that last set of professional eyes catches errors the writer may have missed. Because no matter how good a writer you are, frequently embarrassingly glaring mistakes somehow slip through. The Old Testament contains approximately 300 prophecies, is the work of multiple contributors, and spans more than 1,500 years. And yet, not a word of it is contradictory. The New Testament then shows Jesus fulfilling every one of those Old Testament prophecies. No writer(s) could pull off such a feat, no matter how gifted. Only God could give us this perfect book. So, we meet our skepticism with facts. Our faith is based on the assurance that the Bible is God’s inspired Word.
Skepticism is not new. History is replete with skeptics. Take the story of Nicodemus: In John 3, we read about an exciting yet confusing encounter between Nicodemus and Jesus. Nicodemus represents the privileged leadership in the Jewish community. He is most likely educated, devout, and used to being listened to and obeyed. He is an insider, an elite. Yet, Jesus has stirred something powerful enough to draw him in. He and others are fascinated by the signs Jesus has done. So he goes to Jesus under the cover of darkness; Nicodemus has questions for Jesus. He senses something special about Jesus, and in his skepticism, he asks many questions. He struggled to understand and asked more. He left that conversation still a skeptic, with much to consider. Something deep inside began to change. Maybe he wrestled some more, watching Jesus from the sidelines.
Maybe he processed with a trusted friend, journaled, or prayed. But he leaned into his belief that God was a God he could trust and ended up one of the few standing in plain view before Jesus on the cross, one of the few who had tried to defend Him.
Discussion Questions:
- Sometimes, we already believe in Jesus Christ as God. Do you remember a time when you were skeptical about Jesus?
- Sometimes, we are still on a faith journey. In what ways does this story of Nicodemus reveal that it’s pretty normal to doubt or ask questions?
- Do you see yourself in Nicodemus’ story? In what ways can it show us we can be encouraged “wherever we are” in our faith journey?