Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.

I grew up with being told about Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy.  I was also sent off to Sunday School with my younger sister. I am guessing that my parents felt that we all needed a bit of “religion” in our lives.

I could understand the concept of Jesus when I was a kid, He fit in with the others my parents had told us about. Did you notice I said concept of Jesus?

As I grew up the truth came out. There was no real Santa Claus! The person called Santa was based on St. Nicholas a third century devout Christian who became the Bishop of Myra. He lived in an area that is now part of modern-day Turkey.  Nicholas became known for his generosity to those in need, his great love for children. Out of this the idea of Santa Claus grew to some one who, in North America at least, come to your home in a flying sleigh that is pulled by reindeer. He then comes down the chimney and leaves gift for all the good children.

The Easter Bunny grew out of German Folklore. A rabbit that brings Easter Eggs, candy for Children.  The Tooth Fairy also grew out of folklore.

But other than for Santa Claus having some form of factual base, all of it is fiction. Santa, the Easter Bunny and the tooth fairy don't exist. We build up an image and then tear it apart. We expect them to believe in a fictional character for a while, take the image away.

We also at the same time tell them about Jesus, after all He is the reason for Christmas, the time that Santa Claus comes down our chimney. We take away all but Jesus and expect our children to believe.

Is it any wonder there are so many unbelievers, so many who have difficulty believing in Who we have not seen?

Man has for centuries sold concepts of non-existent characters and have created Doubting Thomas'.

John 20:24-29

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called  Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.   So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

    After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus *came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”   Then He *said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.”   Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”   Jesus *said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”

Yes many of us have accepted the Biblical fact of Jesus. We have accepted the facts that; He was born, He taught us about the Father, healed the sick, raised the dead, gave sight to the blind, opened the ears of the deaf and more than any of us can imagine.

We have believed and not seen.  We haven't seen the wounds yet believe. We have heard the Word and believed.

Romans 10: 14 -17

How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?   How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who  bring good news of good things!”

   However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?”   So, faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

As this passage says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”  I have said in one of my previous messages that we must preach the truth.  The truth sets us free from the power of sin and death, it sets us free from the misconception that Satan has tried to fill the world with so that our eyes are taken off Jesus.

The truth sets us free, the truth is what will lead us to believe in what we have not seen. The truth will bring us to Jesus and Jesus to us. The truth, not folklore, not fiction but the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth!

John 8: 31-32

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;  and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

It has been said, preached and sung about, 'He who the Son sets free is free indeed.” But it takes the preaching of the Word, so that they may hear the truth, hear the Word and believe.

It is the spoken Word, that brought the universe into existence. It is the spoken Word that created the earth and everything that grows, walks, runs, flies, swims, crawls, slithers on the face of the earth. The were not in existence but now are.

Hebrews 11: 1-3

Now faith is the  assurance of things  hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.   For by it the men of old  gained approval.

   By faith we understand that the  worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

Faith comes from hearing, faith is the assurance, the evidence of things hoped for, the conviction or believe in things we don't see. The Word of God spoke into existence the world from things that did not exist, that were not visible, from things unseen.

We must preach the truth in all aspects of life. We are surrounded by a great amount of proof that God exists, and His Son exists. The beauty around us should speak to that.

The world is filled with fiction, T.V., the theatre, novels all go to prove this. The Book, which is 66 Books in one, is filled with truth, truth and proof of the existence of an unseen, all powerful, God who created the world out of nothing!

Even though we go through this world, the various trials and tribulations that we face daily. Even though we go through good days and day. Even through the storms of life, even though tested by fire, or on the threshing floor we have a God who loves us, cares for us and will see us through. He will never let us be challenged more than we can handle.

We are blessed because we believe in a real God, a real Son and a real Holy Spirit that we can not see. But we are led by them, we can hear them, and we can see the proof around us that they do exist. The Lord is alive and still works in the world today. Jesus Christ, as we are told in the Bible is the same as yesterday, today and forever, we only need to believe.

1 Peter 1: 6-9

 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,   so that the  proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;   and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,   obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

Our faith in Jesus Christ is more precious than anything on this earth. The old saying “you can't take it with you” is very true. Our pocessions her on this earth will perish, we will be have the gift of salvation that will not perish. If we only believe.

Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.

How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard?

Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.

Now

“Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled.”