Luke 1:1-4 —
Two contradictory things coexist in our culture. A 2017 Barna report found that 93% of Americans believe Jesus was real, while a different Barna survey reported that 52% of Americans believe “Jesus was human and committed sins like other people.” A strange scenario presents itself to us – people believe enough evidence exists to prove Jesus’ existence, yet they reject the implicit and explicit claims that evidence makes about his identity.
The tension between our society’s beliefs about Jesus reveals a pair of insights. First, Jesus polarizes people today just as he did during his lifetime. Second, Jesus still attracts people despite the disputes surrounding his identity. It should not surprise us then that God places Jesus at the center of His purposes in the world – God centers His Bible on Jesus (cf. Luke 24:25-27, 44-48; John 5:39-40), He reveals Himself and His will through Jesus (1 Corinthians 2:6-16), and He forms His apologetic around Jesus (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:1-11). This lesson reinforces our confidence in our beliefs by considering the firm foundation God has provided us in Jesus.