March 1, 2018 – Mark 15
Let this Christ come
down from the cross, that we may see and believe. Mark 15:32
Proof is not found in
demanding signs, but in recognizing truth --- seeing Jesus as Truth eliminates
the need for signs.
The proof is in the pudding.
It was an old line my grandparents used to say, but didn’t make much
sense. So I did a little research.
“The proof of the pudding is in the eating” is a very old
phrase, dating back to at least 1605. It
meant that tasting the result will decide if it was good or not. In other words, you can say all you want
about how good it looks and how great the recipe is, but everyone will be decided
at the point they eat it. Somewhere along the line we shortened the phrase: The Proof is in the Pudding.
Most people operate with a “proof in the pudding”
mentality. Today’s phrase is: Show me
the money! In Jesus’ day it was: Show me
a sign! People want to judge things by
the results. A CEO is considered great
only if the company grew. A President is
determined to be great if the nation was protected and gainfully employed. Parents are proved successful by their
children’s behavior. A movie is good
only if I liked how it affected me.
Bottom Line: It’s our mentality to judge a book by its cover. (Isn’t that the saying? J)
Jesus faced those attitudes all through His ministry, even
up to the cross. Everyone wanted proof,
no matter how many people he had healed, or how many thousands were fed. Last week’s results weren’t enough, they
wanted more. But Jesus chose not to
prove Himself by signs. He proved
Himself by Truth. If every words spoken
ended up true, that would be proof enough.
The miracles & signs were just icing on the cake.
Let’s face it, Resurrection was the ULTIMATE SIGN, and
people still don’t believe even based on that.
We still want God to prove Himself by giving us a better job, or
providing improved living conditions, or financing our dreams. The pudding of centuries may be all around
us, but we’re not eating out of that bowl.
We want proof that makes us happy, not just believe.
But --- if instead of looking at the pudding, we started
looking at the proof --- we might discover that Jesus IS the Proof. He doesn’t need to produce one more sign …
His Word was completely true. His
predictions all happened. He Rose from
the Dead! He is perfect Truth, and that
makes Him proof enough. Stop looking for
more pudding, and focus on the proof.
And furthermore, those of us trying to ‘prove ourselves’
might do better by simply living out the Truth instead of trying to tell
everyone. Truth needs no additional
backing – it’s successful on its own. So
don’t concoct a batch of pudding to prove yourself. Let your obedience and your lifestyle of
Truth be proof enough. In the long run,
your pudding will taste great!
So maybe we can change the old saying a little. Instead of the proof being in the pudding –
maybe we should start saying: The Proof is in the Person. J
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