A few months ago, there was a television show on the historical figure of Jesus. Supposedly, it was an objective journalistic review of the facts of Jesus' existence. The show was entitled "The Search for Jesus" and in it's own words, was "a journalist’s exploration of the historical figure of Jesus. The two-hour documentary will provide extensive insights into the 2,000-year-old story of Christianity and the man whose life continues to inspire devotion and debate." This would have been a fascinating documentary had it centered on the historical and archaeological evidences of the life of Jesus. Unfortunately, the makers of this program seemed to spend the entire program attempting to prove conclusions they had made before examining the evidence. These conclusions are basically the same as those of a group known as the "Jesus Seminar". In summary, they conclude that Jesus was a political leader using a spiritual hook as a means to lead a rebellion against Rome who ultimately was killed for political insurgency. Also, he was merely a man, performed no miracles, did not rise from the dead, and was not the Son of God

Whole studies can be done on the errors of this group as their conclusions are in opposition to a wide array of scriptural, historical, and archeological evidence on the person of Jesus Christ. However, these ideas are very popular in the secular world as they remove the righteousness and power from both the gospel and from God. How can the "claims" of the primacy of God and therefore Jesus found in the Bible be true if we are to accept and embrace Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, and all of the other religions of the world? Ultimately, these ideas are humanist at best and atheist at their worst. And so, it is difficult for the Christian to study the arguments of this group. We simply do not speak the same language. Christians speak with the language of faith while they speak with the language of the world. They do not believe Jesus was the son of God nor that the Bible is God's immutable word.

I often wonder how people believe the sort of conclusions that this group is making. I need look no further than scripture to find the answer. God said that they would and not only did He say that they would, but that He would make sure they believed it with all their hearts:

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, ²not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. ³Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, ⁴who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
⁵Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? ⁶And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. ⁷For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. ⁸And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. ⁹The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, ¹⁰and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. ¹¹And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, ¹²that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

The next logical question therefore is how can we tell the truth from the lies? Again, the answer is plain in God's word:

John 8:23-32

23And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. ²⁴Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."
²⁵Then they said to Him, "Who are You?" And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning. ²⁶I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him."
²⁷They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.
²⁸Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. ²⁹And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him." ³⁰As He spoke these words, many believed in Him. ³¹ Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. ³²And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

Unfortunately, it is often the case that the sort of person who believes in the conclusions made by this group (and aired by this show) state that the Bible is just another good book. What makes it good? They would say that there are many morality lessons to be learned and wonderful stories of courage and history to be found there. Man can say anything he wants but for faithful Christians, God's word is revealed in the Bible through the inspired writings of men. And in these times of total subjectivity where everything is acceptable and no action has consequences, it needs to be said that some things are true whether they are believed or not or accepted or not. Scripture states the case very clearly:

Romans 3:3-4

3For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? ⁴Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: "That You may be justified in Your words, And may overcome when You are judged."

God's word is true no matter what any person can say to the contrary. I am thankful for shows like this, and for groups like this, if only that they strengthen my conviction that Jesus is who He said He was. One need search no further than the holy scripture, the sacred writ authored by God and written by men through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It describes exactly who Jesus is, was, and evermore shall be from the beginning (Genesis 3:15) to the end (Revelation 22:20). We need search no further for the truth.

Hebrews 12:1-2

1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ²looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.