The Story Is Enough

"There is no evidence for Jesus." Okay, I get it. For some people, perhaps, no amount of proofs would ever suffice. If He appeared and smacked them upside the head with a two-by-four, they would just say they were hallucinating. They are right, there is no evidence for Jesus. But then again, neither I nor any other person I have ever heard of throughout history, save perhaps the actual, historical characters of the stories, ever believed on Jesus Christ because of evidence. We only have the stories. What the cynics, critics, and skeptics might miss is that Jesus does not need to have ever existed as a human being for the stories to be true soteriologically.

The stories are all we have, and they save us. Our believing them, that is. For believing the stories demands the production of faith in our factory. The stories are true in the realm of what God is doing. Faith in the stories satisfactorily engages us. It does not matter one bit that a human Jesus ever walked the earth, as long as we believe the values of the heavenly one.

No evidence? No photos, no fingerprints, no signed affidavits? No problem. He, the heavenly, turns out to be real. Faith connects us, produces us as Him. That is evidence enough for me to live right before Him, enjoying His love and His care in His world. A thousand affidavits to the contrary would dissuade me not one bit. If this is hallucinating, so what, as long as it continues, as long as healings multiply, demons are cast out, and deliverance is wrought? THE ONLY THING THAT IS NECESSARY IS FOR GOD TO BELIEVE IT. IF HE ASSUMES IT IS TRUE AND REAL, IT IS.
IS!! FOR GOD'S WILL MUST BE BEING DONE.

No one has ever had anything to believe other than the stories. Believing them, we receive the reward. And then we DO have evidence--evidence we could drown in. The stories are true in HIS world. That is enough. When we find that truth true in this world, it turns out that the historic, human event has never really been necessary.