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Aug 23, 2023 18:30pm

The Truth is Here

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Yesterday, I interviewed a college biology professor. She spoke of her home in Korea, her move to America and the journey that led her to teach. She stated, “I love science, so I want facts. I want the truth. Whatever the truth is, I accept that.”

This was how her faith began. She was drawn to a creator through science and all the worldly systems and so-called religions could not account for the intricate details of human life and vastness of our galaxy. Every religion was man-made and rested in what man could do and not what God has done.

Except one.

She learned about Jesus and sought out the facts about who He was, what He did and how He came to save her.

And she rests in that truth.

“Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John (the Baptist) was risen from the dead; And of some, that Elias (Elijah) had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again. And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him.”
Luke 9:7-9

Herod was a Roman ruler appointed to be over the area of Galilee and Perea. The back story is that this man had an illegal marriage to his brother’s wife, Herodias. One man was brave enough to call him out for his sinfulness and that was John the Baptist. Herod had him imprisoned, but the more he talked with John, the more interested he became in the message of John. However, his wife Herodias was furious about John’s public humiliation of her and she derived a conniving plan and Herod had John beheaded.

In this passage in Luke, Herod hears about Jesus and immediately his guilt returns about the murder of John and he thinks maybe Jesus is John risen from the dead. Others said he was Elijah who had come back from the dead or even another old prophet. Herod wanted the truth. But what were they willing to do with the truth when they learned it? Would they accept that Jesus was the Son of God and the Messiah? Or would they reject Him?

This story was a turning point in my life in 2010.

I was sitting in Sunday School class at Herman Baptist church. The first Sunday School class I had been in since being a kid. Robbie Cline was teaching and I heard the words, “John the Baptist was beheaded”.

Shock ran through me.

I looked around but no one else seemed to notice that statement or really think too much about it.

“Beheaded?!” I thought. “John the Baptist was beheaded? How did I not know this? What else do I not know?”

That moment began a quest for me to search out the truth for myself. No more listening to what everyone else said. No more excuses about the Bible being too hard to understand or I don’t have time; I wanted to know more and I wanted the truth.

I signed up for Faith Bible Institute, a college course at my church, to learn more about the Bible. If the doors were open at the church, I was there and soaking it in. I took notes, I went home and looked up the passages myself, and I began to learn how to study the Bible. And I’m still learning today.

The truth is there. But it’s our choice what we will do with it.

Many today still have trouble accepting the truth about Jesus. They deny His existence. Or they believe He was simply a prophet or good person, but not the Only Son of God. Just like Herod, they want the truth, but they aren’t willing to accept it when they hear it.

Will you?