Evidence?

Why do you believe that Jesus is who he says he is?  Who is Jesus?  Why did Jesus Die?  How Can I be sure?

Again and again on the Alpha course, we see people amazed at what they read in the Bible and the difference that it makes in people's lives.

³³ At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. ³⁴ And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" (which means "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?").

 ³⁵ When some of those standing near heard this, they said, "Listen, he's calling Elijah."

 ³⁶ Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down," he said.

 ³⁷ With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

 ³⁸ The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. ³⁹ And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!"

 ⁴⁰ Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph, and Salome. ⁴¹ In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.  Mark 15:33-47 [NIV]

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

For all time God has been three and yet one, the closest relationship that there is.

At this point Jesus takes on the sin of the whole world and he is separated from God the Father and the Holy Spirit, because anything that it less than 100% good cannot come close to God – and we see it in Jesus' cry of anguish.

"The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom."

 The temple curtain that was torn in two would have been a very heavy piece of cloth, perhaps more like a rug. This dramatic event underlines that Jesus' death on the cross means that everyone can know friendship with God.

And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!"

The centurion was used to crucifying people – it was part of his job. But he was amazed by what he saw. And his reaction was "Surely this man was the Son of God!". He saw evidence, and this is how he responded.

The cross has said it all - Click here to listen to a song, and spend time thanking God for what he has done in the cross as well as the way the evidence speaks to us of his love shown to us all in opening up a way of friendship.

Tim Norman

Read the Bible in a year: Psalm 32:1-11, Leviticus 23:1-24:23, Mark 15:33-47