Over time, it’s easy for historical figures to be seen as caricatures. We’re not so concerned with the details of their lives so much as what we think they stood for. As a result, we can treat them as mascots for our cause, rather than hearing them on their own terms. That seems to have happened with Jesus in a number of different ways. Some people believe in Jesus, the moral teacher. Others esteem Jesus as a prophet. Some see Jesus as a champion of social justice. And still others see Him as an ally for conservative politics. What Jesus do you believe in? And more importantly, who do the Scriptures reveal Him to be?
“A Tale of Two Cities” is Charles Dickens’ most famous work and possibly the best-selling novel of all time. Set against the backdrop of the French Revolution and dealing with the class struggle of eighteenth-century France, at its heart is a beautiful love story. An English legal aide named Sydney Carton is in love with Lucie Manette. Her heart, however, is given to a man descended from the French aristocracy, named Charles Darnay. Darnay marries Manette and they begin a happy life together in England until he makes a return trip to Paris. There, he is swept up in the arrests of the French Revolution and thrown in prison. Shortly before his execution though, Carton manages to slip into the prison, drug Darnay, exchange clothes with him and has him sent out of the prison with his own identification papers. It’s an incredible act of self-sacrifice because, with Darnay out of the way, he might have been able to renew his love for Lucie. Knowing, however, that she loved Darnay, he gave his life in love and set another free. The novel ends with the death of Carton by guillotine. This story pictures for me, perhaps better than any other, the incredible message of the Bible.
We all have things we know we should think about but keep putting off. Some of them don’t matter much in the long run, but others have lasting consequences. What if the thing you’re avoiding now is the most important of all?
A visit to a Japanese home taught me something surprising about heaven. Just as a host sets the rules for entering their house, God sets the terms for entering His kingdom. Jesus’ parable of the wedding feast reveals what keeps people out.
When tragedy strikes, we ask tough questions: Does God care? Why does suffering exist? The story of Adam and Eve in Genesis provides deep answers, revealing God's love, the deception of sin, and His ultimate plan to restore what was lost.
