Let Me Share What I Believe

[Soldier4Christ]

Revised and translated to English in 2002



Let Me Share What I Believe by  Do Le (Paul) Minh


Foreword

Before I became a Christian, I thought that Christianity was just a religion teaching people to live morally. Although I respected attempts to raise human morality, I didn’t pay attention to Christianity because many other philosophies had unsuccessfully tried to do the same. Furthermore, I was a Buddhist then and Christianity, if it only taught people to live moral lives, was no different than Buddhism or any other religion. I agreed with the common Vietnamese perspective that “all religions are good.”

Another reason I didn’t pay attention to Christianity was that I had lost faith in organized religion. Like many other people, I equated “believing in Christ” with “joining a Christian organization,” in the same manner as “believing in Buddha” meant “joining a Buddhist organization.” I presumed that, like all other religions, Christianity had a hierarchy, and the higher you climbed up the ladder, the more “enlightened” you would be. Yet after observing the behavior and attitude of some religious leaders, I was disappointed because, for the most part, they were no different than anyone else.

As I result, I doubted the value of religion. Would joining Christianity or any other religion offer me anything other than a goal of reaching the top of a manmade hierarchy? Perhaps the criteria for advancement in religious institutions are different from those of the world. In the secular world, one needs intelligence and resourcefulness; in religion, one needs morality and obedience. But at the core, the two are the same. One must exhibit certain characteristics. The result must be recognized, by which the reward such as a title is given. Furthermore, compared to looking at external behavior, it is much harder to see the hidden side of human beings, to expose tainted thoughts camouflaged beneath sweet talk. Even if we could see this hidden side of people and reward them accordingly, how does the reward of religion compare to that of the world? Are religions simply human products that subtly replace the hierarchy of the world?

I began to realize that my view of religion was harsh. I recognized that any religion has unscrupulous members and that their activities draw more attention than the good activities of sincere members. Nevertheless, religion still did not attract me.

I wanted to see religion guide people to transcend the fate of mere humanity and become god-like. To me, the ideal religion was simply a means to support, encourage, and lead people down this path. In this religion, everybody should reach this goal solely by his or her own effort and ability.

Yet with our limited abilities, how can we attain such a lofty goal? On the other hand, if we set our sights low, seeking worldly goals (such as titles in religious organizations as we discussed above), then they are not even worth trying.

For example, suppose we are taught that our good deeds are steps in a ladder leading to heaven. If heaven is really a glorious place without tears or suffering, then who can say that he has done enough good to reach it? How much is sufficient? Do we need to give a few million dollars to charity or do we only need to give some old clothes to the poor? I am afraid that if we look at our own behavior, we would doubt whether we are really worthy of living in this very world.

If you add up the good deeds, then you should subtract the bad ones. Our immoral activities are like termites eating the steps of our ladder leading to heaven, and our dirty thoughts form the quicksand beneath it. Religion that aims at lofty goals but relies on our limited abilities ultimately can only make us frustrated and bitter.

In spite of my long-held cynical view of Christianity and of religion in general, I am now writing this book, because when I learned more about Christianity, I discovered that it doesn’t teach you to live a moral life. Neither is Christianity a religious institution or a teacher showing us a way along which we must travel by our own ability. I discovered that entering Christianity is entering into a love affair, or more precisely, renewing a once-broken love affair.

[Soldier4Christ]

CHAPTER 1
JESUS WAS NOT A GREAT MAN

Christians can now renew this once-broken love affair not because time healed the wounds, but because of a person in history who reconciled the two sides. This person, who came into the world 2000 years ago, was called Jesus.

Because of ample historical evidence recording his activities and teachings, nobody denies that Jesus was a historical figure. The most important documents are the four books written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Matthew and John were two of the original twelve disciples of Jesus, Mark was a student of another disciple named Peter, Luke was a doctor. These four books are an important part of the New Testament, collectively known as the Gospels. We will study these four books to find out more about Jesus.

Nobody in history had as many unique characteristics as Jesus. One was the way in which he talked about himself. Every religious leader must define himself, letting others know from where he derives his authority. Some leaders consider themselves pioneers. Others consider themselves fortunate enough to have received a special revelation from God. Jesus said: “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”1 “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”2 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”3

When we read these sentences, it is hard for us to think of Jesus as a humble man. Note that he did not say that he was a teacher showing us to the source of life, but he said that he was the source of life. For other religious leaders, the matter of their identity is only important in so far as it gives them authority. Once their authority is established, their identity bears no relationship with what they teach. The same concept exists in education. On the first day of class, the professor says, “I am Dr. X, and thus I have authority to teach you this subject.” After that, his identity has no influence on the content of the course. He has authority to lead us to the truth, but he is not the truth. Professor Jesus, on the other hand, said, “I will teach you about myself because I am the truth.”

His statement was unusual but not unreasonable. Let us look more closely at what Jesus said about himself.

Jesus, the son of a poor carpenter in Nazareth, claimed that he was the Son of God.

The fact that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God was no small matter. It would not be surprising for a person who has no respect for God to consider himself a “little God.” But to Jesus as well as to the Jews at that time, God was the Almighty and the Creator whose glory was beyond their imagination. By claiming to be God, not only did Jesus imply that he was more “spiritual” than others, but he also elevated himself from the limited to the unlimited, from the mortal created to the immortal creator, from the ever-changing to the immutable, and from the finite to the omniscient and omnipresent.

According to the Jews, Jesus committed the grave sin of blasphemy by claiming to be the Son of God. At that time, it was not uncommon to stone blasphemers to death. John tells us that after Jesus said, “My Father and I are one,” the Jewish leaders in fact did try to stone him. He asked, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” They replied, “We are not stoning you for any of these, but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”4 On another occasion, when the Jewish leaders objected to his healing of the sick on the Sabbath, Jesus responded to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him, not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but also was he calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.5

In a society where even the name Jehovah of God was avoided out of extreme reverence, Jesus demanded that people worship him as God. He said, “He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.”6

According to Jesus, to know him is to know God, to see him is to see God, to believe in him is to believe in God. He was the Son of God, and God revealed himself through him.

Not only did he explicitly claim to be the Son of God, Jesus also said that he had the ability to do things that only God could do. For example, he forgave the sins of others. Mark narrates the following story: “Some men brought their paralytic friend to Jesus to be healed, as he was teaching inside a house. Not being able to get through the crowd, they made an opening in the roof and lowered their friend through it, in front of him. Seeing their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’ Some of the teachers of the law thought to themselves, ‘Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming. Who can forgive sins but God alone?’”7

These teachers were right. We can forgive those who sin against us, but no third party besides God can forgive a conflict between two other persons. Furthermore, if the weightiest sin that a person can commit is against God, then who can forgive such a sin but God?

Jesus also said that he has the ability to give life. Life is something that we receive from God and only God can bestow. Yet Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”8 He compares himself to a “spring of water welling up to eternal life.”9 He considers himself a good shepherd. His sheep hear his voice. He knows them and they follow him. “I give them eternal life, they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.”10

He warned us that he would judge the world. “The Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the son.”11 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people from one another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.”12

Not only did Jesus say that he would judge the world, but he made clear that the criteria he used to judge people would not be the way that they treated each other, but their attitude towards him. Those who publicly acknowledged him in this world, he would acknowledge. Those who denied him, he would deny.13 He said, “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesize in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”14 This implies that Jesus professed to know everything and he would judge people according to their real attitude towards him, rather than their outward actions.

He also claimed to be able to satisfy the highest need of humans, a need that money cannot fulfill. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”15

The fact that Jesus made these statements cannot be denied. Furthermore, these statements are not isolated, but play an integral role in his teaching. Therefore we cannot dismiss these claims as being insignificant. If we want to understand him, we must study these claims further.

Many people regard Jesus as a great man, but not as the Son of God. I am afraid that after studying Jesus’ claim of being the Son of God, the two views would violently conflict. In considering his identity, we cannot have such a neutral attitude. His claims must be either true or false. If he truly is the Son of God, then we are obliged to worship him, regardless of his promises to reward us. On the other hand, if his claims are false, Jesus cannot be a great man, but he can only be a liar or a lunatic. We can either worship him or despise him (and prepare to accept the consequences of our path), but we cannot simply regard him as a great man.

To reach a more informed conclusion, let us study other aspects of his life.

[Soldier4Christ]

CHAPTER 2
HIS MINISTRY

Jesus once asked his disciples point-blank, “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”16 Perhaps Peter gave such an answer because he had no alternative. More than anyone else, he knew the life and wisdom of Jesus. Converting this knowledge into equations and solving for Jesus’ identity, he was convinced that Jesus could not be a lunatic or a liar.

Probably few people think that Jesus was a lunatic who just considered himself the Son of God, when he was in reality only a human being. In fact, people claiming to be great, powerful, or omnipotent are not scarce. Mental asylums are full of people claiming to be emperors, Napoleon, or even Jesus. They were confined because nobody believes in them, except perhaps patients in the same institution. People do not believe in them because their lives are not consistent with their claims.

On the other hand, in Jesus’ case, not only do many people believe in him, but he also had a more profound influence on the world than anyone else. He was born into a poor carpenter’s family, but he has conquered the world much more than Alexander the Great. He had no college degree, but his teachings have allowed people to see themselves and God more clearly than any other philosopher. He never traveled more than 200 miles from his birthplace, but his reputation has been spread all over the world. He never wrote a book, but books written about him are more abundant than books about anyone else. He never wrote a song, but songs praising him are sung throughout the world.

People believe in Jesus because all the other aspects in his life are consistent with his claim of divinity.

Now if Jesus were really the Son of God, he must have been sinless. This doesn’t simply mean that he was never convicted for doing harm to others, but entails much more. It means that he was above sinful human nature. It is true that, with our limited knowledge, we cannot prove that Jesus was absolutely sinless. But we can say that while many people have attacked him and his teaching, but they have not been able to prove his sinfulness. Once, he challenged his detractor, “Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?”17 Nobody answered.

Mark records that the Jews accused Jesus of four sins. The first was blasphemy, because he claimed to be the Son of God. The second was friendship with people of ill repute, such as tax collectors. (To his accusers, these people were scoundrels that needed to be avoided.) The third was ignoring religious traditions because he didn’t instruct his disciples to fast weekly. The fourth was healing and letting his disciples pick some heads of grain during the Sabbath, which according to the Old Testament was the day that everyone had to rest.18 Let us look at each of these accusations.

As for the first accusation, if Jesus were actually the Son of God, why would it be blasphemous to say so? Indeed, it would have been lying to deny it. The second accusation that it is sinful to be friends with sinners is equally absurd. As a Vietnamese proverb goes, God “can be in the mud without smelling muddy.” He doesn’t have to avoid people of ill repute in order to keep himself clean. Furthermore, according to Jesus, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”19 Considering the third accusation, if fasting is to express sorrow20, why would his disciples have had to fast when they were near him?21 And as for the last accusation, if the Sabbath was the day that God instituted for man, and if Jesus really was the Son of God, then why would he be restricted by it? He once stated, “The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”22 How profound!

During his last days, when he was arrested and brought before the Jewish Supreme Council, those who opposed him hired false witnesses to testify against him in an effort to discredit him. Unfortunately for them, these witnesses contradicted each other. So then the high priest asked Jesus point blank, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One.” When Jesus replied, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the mighty one and coming on the clouds of heaven,” the high priest tore his clothes, saying, “Why do we need any more witnesses. You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” The Council responded by condemning him as worthy of death.23 All of this was based on Jesus’ claim of being the Son of God.

At that time, the Jews were under the authority of the Roman Empire. Thus Jesus’ death sentence had to be approved by Pontius Pilate, the provincial governor. Not convinced by the arguments, Pontius Pilate many times tried to avoid the responsibility of sentencing Jesus. Finally, he acquiesced under strong pressure from the Jews and agreed to have Jesus executed. However, before doing so, he washed his hands in front of everybody and declared, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. It is your responsibility.”24 He asked, “What crime has he committed?”25

When we are around people of low moral standards, we do not feel as sinful as when we are near those of higher standards. When we are contrasted with perfect purity, we feel dirty; when we stand beside perfect beauty, we feel ugly. This was the perspective of the Jews: Although they may have looked down on others, none of them in their right mind claimed to be absolutely sinless, since they knew of the absolute righteousness of God. The Bible tells the story of the prophet Isaiah seeing God in heaven, sitting on a glorious throne. His immediate reaction was, “Woe to me. I am ruined, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips.”26

Yet, while Jesus proclaimed that he was with God, he did not feel sinful. “The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”27

If I say, “Einstein likes to talk to me because he thinks I’m very smart,” then people would view me either as crazy or as exceptionally smart. Likewise, if we put ourselves in the perspective of the Jews at that time, we would have had only two choices: Either Jesus was a shameless impostor or he was the Son of God, absolutely sinless and always doing what was pleasing to God.

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus always taught that people were sinful. Yet, there is no evidence that he considered himself sinful.

[Soldier4Christ]

Actually, if he had any secret sins, it would be hard for us to imagine that he could be the author of the many excellent sermons recorded in the Bible. Here are a few excerpts from the Sermon on the Mount.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.28

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.29

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.30

These sermons are not irrelevant teachings, but have authority. The Jewish leaders once asked each other, “How did this man get such learning without having studied?” Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.”31

Should we believe him, or did Jesus simply have a knack for boasting?

You might say, “Do not listen to what Jesus said, but look at what he did.” Let us do that.

According to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Jesus did many things that can only be regarded as miracles. He walked on water32, converted water into wine33, made five loaves of bread and two fish into food for five thousand people34, made the lame walk35, the mute speak36, and the blind see37. He held the hand of a child who was already dead, and the child stood up38. He laid his hands on the coffin, and the man inside sat up39. He called “Lazarus, come out,” and Lazarus came out of the tomb, although had been buried for three days.40

It is easy to be suspicious of these miracles and say that they were just figments of their authors’ imagination. Perhaps the following two arguments will diminish some of the doubt.

First, these miracles were normally performed before a crowd, not before some pre-selected group. The Gospels were written not very long after the recorded events, within one or two generations after the witnesses. If they were fabricated, surely someone would have disputed them. But for example, after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, Jesus’ enemies didn’t deny the miracle, but rather they gathered together, and said things like, “Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him. Then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”41

Jesus contemporaries, from his disciples to his enemies, all admitted that he could perform miracles. However, his enemies claimed that he was the devil, using the power of the prince of demons to drive out demons. To this accusation, he explained, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then, can his kingdom stand?”42

Secondly, if we suspect that these miracles were fabricated, we must consider the disciples’ motives for the miracle accounts. The disciples did not record these miraculous stories to prove that Jesus was the Son of God or to make anybody believe in him. Jesus often told those whom he healed not to tell anyone about the miracle. Whenever he was challenged to perform miracles to prove his abilities, he always declined. For example, at the beginning of his ministry, Satan tempted Jesus:

The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ “ Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ “ Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ “43

To Jesus, miracles were not clothes he wore to impress people. He even taught his disciples to be wary of those who did profess to perform miracles, because in the last days, “false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs to deceive even the elect, if that were possible.”44

Nevertheless, Jesus still performed miracles. If I were a medical doctor, I would not need to put on a white coat and wear a stethoscope around my neck so that people would recognize that I was doctor. I could warn other people not to be deceived by quacks. However, if I saw a sick man, I would try to heal him. If people asked how they could know that I was a doctor, I could tell them to look at my work.

That was Jesus’ attitude. His miracles were not performed to show off, but to glorify God and to help other people. They are performed with grace and love, bringing many valuable lessons to those who look for a God, and harmonized naturally with his character and his ministry. Yet, when John the Baptist questioned Jesus’ identity, he replied to the messenger, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard. The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.”45

Such was also the attitude of the disciples when they related Jesus’ miracles. They did not do so to make others believe. To them, Jesus’ performance of miracles was the same as a doctor healing, a professor teaching, or an athlete exercising. They were an integral part of his life, and therefore had to be reported.

The fact the he performed miracles without the intent of convincing people that he was the Son of God makes them more convincing. However, for those who still do not believe but want to know more about his miracles, then there remains his greatest miracle, the one that nobody else has ever performed. During the last 2000 years, many people have tried without success to discount this miracle in order to destroy Christianity. If this miracle never occurred, then the foundation of Christianity would collapse. If it is untrue, Paul wrote that of all the people in the world, Christians should be pitied the most.46

Let us analyze this greatest miracle.

[Soldier4Christ]

CHAPTER 3
HIS RESURRECTION

Governor Pontius Pilate, having washed his hands in front of the crowd refusing to accept responsibility for sentencing Jesus to death, ordered him to be flogged. In addition to this severe beating, Jesus was also ridiculed by the Roman soldiers. They put a scarlet robe on his body, and a crown woven of thorns on his head. Next, they struck him on the head with a stick, spat on his face, and knelt before him, mocking him by saying, “Hail, King of the Jews.” After that, they took the robe off his back and put back on his own clothes. Couldn’t the soldiers possibly sense his suffering when they unclothed and clothed his bloodied body?

Then they led him to a hill called Golgotha to crucify Him.

Of all the execution methods used at the time, crucifixion was probably the cruelest. The condemned suffered immeasurable pain. Along their outstretched arms, broken blood vessels and crushed nerves transmitted waves of excruciating and maddening pain to the whole body. Having to support the full weight of the body, the wounded flesh and skin were torn away slowly, intensifying the pain. Furthermore, the condemned grew more and more thirsty; their throats burned of thirst; their heads felt as if they were in a vice; their vision was totally disoriented. Yet the physical pain was not strong enough to immediately knock them out or kill them. While they would have welcomed a swifter death to spare them from pain and shame, death came slowly, as if trying to roll up centuries of suffering into a few short hours on the cross.

On that historic Friday morning, which was the day before Passover, Jesus was crucified on the cross between two robbers. Above his body, Pilate had a sign posted saying “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” From twelve noon to three o’clock, darkness came over all the land, as if the sun refused to witness this heart-rending scene. At three o’clock, Jesus said, “It is finished,” and then bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Since the following day was the Passover, a very important festival, the Jews could not leave any dead body on the cross. So they asked Pilate to have the legs of the crucified broken to hasten their death. After breaking the robbers’ legs, the soldiers came to Jesus and found him already dead, so they did not break his legs. Instead, one soldier pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, causing an outflow of blood and water.

A man named Joseph, who was a member of the Jewish Council and a longtime secret follower of Jesus, came to ask Pilate for Jesus’ body for burial. With Pilate’s permission, Joseph and a man named Nicodemus wrapped Jesus’ body in strips of linen with a mixture of myrrh and aloes, in accordance with Jewish customs. They then placed his body temporarily in a tomb of rock, cut out of the hillside near the site of the crucifixion. They rolled a big stone against the tomb entrance. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus followed and witnessed the event.

Having buried Jesus, they went home before dark to prepare for the Sabbath, in obedience to Old Testament laws.

Very early on Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James brought spices to the place where Joseph had temporarily laid Jesus’ body to anoint it. On the way, they wondered whom they could ask to roll the stone away from the tomb entrance. They were not prepared for what they saw when they arrived: An unknown force had rolled the stone rolled away from the entrance, and when they entered the tomb, they did not find Jesus’ body. Astonished, they hurried back to Jerusalem to tell his disciples. One of them, Peter, ran to the tomb, entered it and found only the strips of linen but did not find Jesus’ body anywhere!

Neither the women nor the disciples or anyone else to this day has been able to find any part of Jesus’ body. Those who believe Jesus to be the Son of God have an explanation for this phenomenon. Unbelievers also have their own explanations. Let us first examine some of the theories advanced by the unbelievers.

The first explanation of the disappearance of Jesus’ body came from the Jewish chief priests. Matthew recorded that while the women hurried away to tell the disciples, some of the guards also went into the city and reported everything that had happened to the chief priests. The priests discussed with the elders and devised a plan in which they gave the guards a large sum of money, instructing them to accuse the disciples of stealing the body during the night while they were asleep. If the news got to the Governor, they assured the soldiers that they would explain it away to keep the soldiers out of trouble. So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed.47

It is worth mentioning that, according to the request of the chief priests, soldiers were assigned by Pontius Pilate to guard Jesus’ tomb. On the day after Jesus’ death, they went to Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day, otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.” “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” So they put a seal on the stone and posted a guard.”48

Although it is not known whether the guard was of the Roman army or the Jewish Civilian Defence Corp responsible for guarding the temples, we do know that both groups had strict penalties for soldiers who fell asleep while on duty. For the Roman soldiers, the punishment for this offense was death! Facing such a penalty, no guard would admit to falling asleep. A guard would admit this only with the approval of his superiors, who knew quite well that it was just a concocted story.

Bear in mind that, when Jesus was arrested, the disciples became bewildered and lost faith in him. They never expected to see their Lord so powerless to the extent of being executed in such a disgraceful manner. In the night immediately after Jesus’ arrest, three times people recognized Peter as Jesus’ disciple, and three times Peter denied Him! How would these timid disciples find courage to evade the watchful eyes of the professional guards?

Just as the disciples had failed to grasp the meaning and the significance of Jesus’ death on the cross, they also failed then to recognize the meaning and the significance of the disappearance of his body. They had neither the ability nor the motivation to steal Jesus’ body.

After Jesus appeared to the disciples and explained everything to them, they became new men. They were transformed from a group of frightened and timid men who confined themselves in a locked room into enthusiastic and courageous people. Despite beatings, threats, imprisonments, and ridicules, their new personalities remained. Ever since, they have transformed the whole world. How could a group of people completely change their lives for the better on the account of a story that they invented to deceive the public? Later, all but one disciple, John, died as martyrs. One may be prepared to die for what he believes to be true, although such belief may be wrong; but no one will die for what he knows to be wrong.

Two other details worth relating to the stone blocking the tomb entrance and the linen cloth used to wrap around Jesus’ body are worth noting. Assuming the disciples were attempting to steal Jesus’ body, how could they possibly roll away the large stone without waking up the guards? Also, if they did steal the body, why would they bother to remove the linen cloth and leave it behind? Note that the cloth was left intact, folded up flat by itself as if Jesus’ body had evaporated through it.49 How can such a phenomenon be explained if the disciples had stolen Jesus’ body?

[Soldier4Christ]

A more plausible theory might be that the Roman government or the Jewish elders had removed Jesus’ body. However, if they had placed guards in front of the tomb and had it securely sealed, why would either of them remove the body? Furthermore, after this event, the whole city of Jerusalem was in uproar over the rumor of the disappearance of Jesus’ body. Had the Roman government and the Jewish elders known its whereabouts, why didn’t they simply produce it to dispel the rumor of Jesus’ coming back to life? On the contrary, they could only have the disciples brought before them for questioning, “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name. Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”50 Although they were very furious and worried, no one could do anything to stop the disciples. Unable to find the body of Jesus, they resorted to arresting them, flogging them and ordering them not to speak in his name.

Others have put forward the theory that in the early morning the women had unknowingly gone to the wrong tomb. This theory is likewise unconvincing, since, again, the Roman government needed only to point out the real tomb of Jesus to rest their case. Besides, while the women might have possibly gone to another tomb, but could mean that the disciples and Joseph make exactly the same mistake? Note that the tomb was a private one and there was no other tomb nearby.

Another theory that has been advanced is that Jesus did not actually die on the cross. He merely fainted, then recovered and left the tomb. It is worth noting that this theory was not proposed until the eighteenth century. Before this time, no one disputed Jesus’ death.

However, the cross was a very effective instrument of death. Two outstretched arms caused the thorax to enlarge and the diaphragm to be pulled downward. Thus, crucified victims were able to inhale but not exhale, unless they used their legs to push themselves up. This was the reason Roman soldiers broke the legs of the condemned in order to hasten their death. Actually, it was very easy to determine whether the condemned were still breathing or not simply by looking at their abdomen and chest.

Jesus died on the cross much more quickly than others. When Joseph came to ask for his body, Pilate was surprised and summoned the centurion to verify his death. When the centurion confirmed Jesus’ death, Pilate then allowed Joseph to bury the body. These Roman solders were not inexperienced in recognizing death, and thus it is very unlikely that they could have been mistaken. Even if they had been mistaken, there were two other men, Joseph and Nicodemus, who took down his body for burial. How could they also have made the same mistake?

John recorded in noteworthy detail that when a soldier pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, blood and water flowed out.51 John recorded this detail before any medical knowledge on this issue. If Jesus had still been alive, and been stabbed in that manner, his blood would have gushed out in rhythm with his heart beats, rather than in a slow flow followed with water. Only much later was it discovered that there have been very few cases in which water would flow out after blood from the side of a dead body stabbed with a knife. One such case occurred when the condemned person suffered a cardiac arrest on the cross. Lacking this medical knowledge, John could not invent this fact to bolster his agenda for Jesus’ death and resurrection. He only related truthfully what he had witnessed.

Even if had Jesus not died on the cross, he would not have been able to survive the cold tomb, without fresh air, medical care and treatment following his severe beatings and hanging. How could he subsequently free himself from the burial cloth around his body, roll away the large stone at the entrance, evade the guards, and walk miles to meet the disciples and others in this condition?

Yes, not only the disciples but also many others have given testimonies to the fact that Jesus appeared before them in flesh and blood!

He did not appear just once, but over forty days he appeared at least ten times before those Peter referred to as “witnesses whom God had already chosen.”52 He appeared before Mary of Magdalene53, before the women who visited the tomb that Sunday morning54, before Peter55, before two disciples on the road to Emmaus56, before ten disciples in a locked room without Thomas57, before eleven disciples including Thomas58, before more than five hundred people at the same time59, before James60, before the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias61, before a crowd prior to his ascending to heaven62, and before Paul on his way to Damascus63.

Even if one agreed with some of the theories concerning the disappearance of Jesus’ body, his physical appearances would still have to be explained. If we doubt the sincerity of the witnesses, or do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God, then there is only one rational explanation: All of these appearances were hallucinations created by some psychological effects on the witnesses.

Modern psychology, however, shows that such a hypothesis has no validity. In order to experience a hallucination, one has to be sentimental, imaginative, and in a vulnerable state of mind. Among the crowd of more than five hundred people who witnessed one appearance of Jesus, there were not only sensitive women such as Mary Magdalene but also rugged and experienced disciples such as the fisherman Peter and the tax collector Matthew.

Hallucination differs from person to person. It originates from the subconsciousness and is heavily dependent on the individual’s past. It is very rare that even two individuals experience the same vision at the same time. But Jesus not only appeared before a few individuals, but also before a crowd of hundreds.

Hallucination occurs when both time and place are conducive. In this case, Jesus appeared at different times and at different places: at times to one person, other times to a crowd; at one time in a garden near the tomb, at another time in a locked room; on one occasion on the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus, on another at Galilee.

Lastly, hallucination is often the result of unfulfilled longings. If someone is longing terribly for something, he may see it in a hallucination. Jesus’ disciples did not have such a longing. That Sunday, when the women went to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body, none of the disciples expected his body to be missing. When Jesus appeared before Mary Magdalene, she thought he was the gardener. Not until he spoke to her did she recognize him. Initially, the disciples did not believe her story, and when he appeared to them the first time, they thought he was a ghost! That time, Thomas was not there. When told of the incident, Thomas did not believe, saying, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”64 Later, Jesus appeared again before the disciples, including Thomas, and he told Thomas to examine his hands and his side. Thomas then said, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”65

Since Thomas there have been billions of people who have believed that Jesus is the Son of God. In his own words, these people are the most blessed, because their faith is not “static” but “dynamic.” Their faith is not the end but the beginning of a spiritual journey promising a great deal of unexpected discoveries, and transforming their lives to a state of peace and to assured hope of finding themselves one day in heaven.

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CHAPTER 4
SIN

We have examined evidence supporting that Jesus is the Son of God. If you accept this, you should not stop your spiritual journey. The next logical question would be why the Almighty God would become man and end his life on the cross.

Now if I had to answer this question succinctly, I would say that He did this for you and me to save us from eternal damnation and to bring us to Heaven. However, this answer is far too short. So let us develop our understanding of this concept together.

If God came into this world to save mankind, then let us first look at ourselves objectively. In order to understand God’s mysterious works, we first must understand ourselves clearly. First we must accept that we are all sinners deserving punishment before we are willing to try God’s medicine, which is His blood on the cross.

Nobody wants to talk about sin or admit one’s sins. In the nineteenth century there was a popular theory that all people are inherently good, but sinned just because of their circumstances. It was maintained that with widely available educational opportunities and effective social support, men would not tear each other apart, and the world would become heaven on earth. Communism is based on this belief.

However, reality tends to disprove this. In modern industrialized countries, education is no longer just a privilege of the rich but a right for all citizens. Yet, social problems are abundant in these countries, even more so than anywhere else. Furthermore, most of the devious crimes are committed by educated people.

All around is evidence proving humans’ sinful nature. Laws are made because people we cannot live together peacefully and resolve their disagreements satisfactorily. Even so, laws alone are not enough; as a society we need police and armies to enforce these laws. When these enforcers are not around, men reveal their true, sinful nature. No longer do we trust anyone. A verbal promise alone is insufficient; a written contract is needed before work commences. We must lock our doors and prefer to protect our homes with security systems.

We can probably agree that human beings are generally sinful. What we find hard to accept is that all of us are. We like to think of ourselves as the flowers bringing a nice fragrance to life whereas others are the troublemakers.

We have such a view because we tend to be tolerant towards ourselves. From a legal perspective, we are sinful only if we are convicted by a court that has examined the evidence and listened to defense arguments. The logical extension is that if I have never appeared in court, I cannot be sinful. This is clearly far too lenient, for there are many crimes that remain unsolved or unknown. These are also sins and their perpetrators are sinners.

To God, things are not that simple. His laws are not human laws, and his criteria are not human criteria.

First, His laws are absolute. While we try to distinguish between a severe and a lesser crime, to God, sins are sins. Furthermore, He sees all and understands all. Not only does He look at our external behavior but also at our innermost thoughts. Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.”66 He also said: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”67

According to the Bible, we sin not only because we do the wrong things, but also because we do not do the right things. The apostle James wrote, “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.”68

Thus far we have only talked about the sins committed against each other. We also need to talk about the sins we commit against God.

While there are many types of sin against God, perhaps the most common is ignoring Him. The Vietnamese have high respect for their parents and disrespecting them is considered to be a sin. If we disrespect God, we commit a sin a million times worse than disrespecting our ancestors, because we disrespect someone who not only gave life to our ancestors but also created the whole universe.

When I was a young boy, my mother was hospitalized in a distant city. When my family went to visit her, her first question to me was whether I missed her. She didn’t worry about whether I behaved nicely toward my friends, but she kept asking me whether I missed her and wanted to hear that I did. So it is with God. He pays attention to us and wants us to pay attention to Him and put Him above everything else in our lives.

Unfortunately, when we honestly look at ourselves, we must admit that we have forgotten Him. Although we no longer worship mountain gods or fire gods as primitive people did, today we worship the gods of pleasure, money and fame. Some people put sports above all; some value love for another person, even to the extent of committing suicide when it is not reciprocated. However nobody, except Jesus, instinctively puts God as the top priority in his life.

Now money, houses, and families, by themselves, are not inherently bad. They only become a source of sin when we put them above God, and push Him away from our lives.

Someone asked Jesus, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” He replied “The most important one is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”69 These two commands define all that God wants from us, but as simple as they are, nobody can fully obey them.

The Bible does not sugarcoat this matter. It does not look at us through rose colored lenses. It does not lifting us up into the sky, just to laugh at us in the Day of Judgment when we are sent to Hell. Instead, it looks at us as God does, helping us to realize that we are seriously ill and in need of medicine. Psalm 14 in the Old Testament says:

The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men

to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.

All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt;

there is no one who does good, not even one.70

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Isaiah concurs: “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way.”71 He describes his people, saying, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”72 In a letter to the Romans, the apostle Paul emphasizes: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”73 Apostle John also writes: “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”74

Throughout human history, only Jesus was sinless. All the rest of us are sinful, towards other human begins and towards God. Jesus put God above all, then other human beings, and lastly himself. But for us, our priorities are reversed. We put ourselves first, then others, and lastly, perhaps, God.

Being tolerant of sin, we tend to underestimate the resulting consequence. We simply consider these consequences as a price we have to pay to live in this world.

Our selfishness and pride actually have a profound impact on our lives. We cannot live in harmony with each other. We must compare and compete. We look up to some people and look down at others. We do everything to keep up with our neighbors. We carry within ourselves so much inferiority or superiority that they become like lashes whipping our backs in self-enslavement.

There are so many broken families in this world. Most result from the pride of those who do not admit their mistakes. We like to talk about our own goodness and others’ bad attributes. We prefer to hear our own voice rather than listening to others.

From family feuds to international conflicts, there is one common factor: human selfishness and pride. We put ourselves above everything else and put God in a dark corner of our lives.

Not only does sin pollute our environment, it also penetrates the inside of each person. Inferiority and superiority complexes do not bring joy and competitions only give ulcers. Externally, sinners seem to enjoy what they worldly possessions; but deep down inside they silently cry knowing that they have sinned. Their innocent smiles disappear from their lips. Not being able to confess their sins to anyone, they quietly bear the torment of their own conscience. Sin may give some people money, but it takes away inner peace.

Outside we face wars, competition and conflicts; inside, we are in constant torment because of sin. But these are just the consequences of sin. We have yet to talk about the penalty of sin. When a child plays in mud, becoming dirty is the consequence, but being disciplined by his parent is the penalty. In the case of sin, the penalty comes from the righteous God.

Most Vietnamese believe in a God, a Creator. However, to many, their God is either too small or too remote, having nothing to do with them. Some people pay no attention to their God most of the year; when Tet, the Vietnamese New Year, comes, they try to bribe their kitchen god so that he only reports good things to the creator God. Some people are more practical, using God as a lifesaver, putting Him away and talking to him only in time of need.

When they are told that God is a loving Father or a true friend, they accept Him readily. But when they are told that He is a righteous Judge who does not tolerate and therefore must punish sin, they do not want to listen anymore.

But the Bible does not tell us what we want to hear, only the truth. It states that being righteous God must punish the sinners. The author of the book of Hebrews in the New Testament describes God as “the judge of all men,”75

The Bible talk not only about punishment, it also records historical punishing acts of God. He drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden after their disobedience.76 He sent the flood, killing all people except Noah’s family.77 He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because they tried to gratify their sinful desires.78 He inflicted disaster on the hardened Egyptians.79 He disciplined the Israelites for worshiping the golden calf80….

In addition to recounting God’s punishments as lessons for us, the Bible also explicitly gives us warnings. When we read the laws God gave to Moses, we cannot fail to see God as a judge, ready to pronounce sentences for the sinners. The prophecies in the Old Testament are not only attempts to forecast future events, but also calls on sinners to repent. The author of the book of Ecclesiastes concludes: “God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”81 Paul warns, “For he has set a day when he will judge the world.”82

God must punish sinners because He hates sin. “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil.”83 This is an important point we need to understand.

If God is worthy of our worship, He must be righteous. If He is blind or neutral to sin, He is no better than us. When a cheating father sees that his son lies, he laughs and commends the kid for being street smart. On the contrary, a father who puts honesty above all sees his son lie with profound sadness. God hates sin because He is absolutely righteous.

Being righteous implies being ready to punish sins. Please do not try to “bribe” Him. Please do not think that if you give God some of your material possessions, He will ignore our sins. This is absolutely ridiculous. God gave us our material possessions in the first place. How can I bribe my teacher by giving him back the points that he awarded to me? Furthermore, as the Bible says, “The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable--how much more so when brought with evil intent!”84

Being absolutely righteous and hating sins to the utmost, His sentence for us is clear: Death! We must die, both physically and spiritually, in an eternal death.

Our physical bodies die when our souls leave them. We all know this kind of death and we all wait until the day our bodies collapse. But how many of us realize that our bodies do not last because of God’s punishment of our sins? After Adam and Eve sinned, God said to Adam, “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”85

Our souls die when they are cut off from God, who is the source of life.

God created us in His image so that we can worship and glorify Him, and enjoy His fellowship. Not wanting to create machines, He gave us freedom. Unfortunately, we abused this freedom and sinned. Not being able to accept sin, He was forced to cut off His fellowship with us.

Without Him, people would have no meaning in their lives. They would live as if they had died, having absolutely no hope, no goal. Inside a corruptible body, the soul of a sinner becomes as dry as a desert and withers like an autumn leaf. All that is left inside the soul is an emptiness that nothing can fill up.

People look for exciting news, alcohol, drugs or money just to fill that emptiness, but all these are useless. Not only do they fail to bring satisfaction for our souls, they become cruel masters, turning us into slaves serving them until the day that our bodies return to dust.

But that is not the end of the story, because the Bible also talks about the Last Day, the Judgment Day, in which our souls die for the second time, in an eternal and ultimate death. “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”86

If there are days that we live according to our own sinful nature, there will also be days that we will see God’s authority. If there are days that people can escape human laws, there will also be days that they will pay according to God’s law. Please do not look only at what happens today and say that God is blind. Actually, His net is wide and nobody can escape His judgments.

In the Last Day, all sins will be exposed and “God will judge men’s secrets.”87 In that day, “every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.”88

No living person has experienced that day, and nobody can imagine how terrifying it will be. The Bible, using human language, describes it as “where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”89

Weeping and teeth gnashing are waiting for each of us, because we all have sinned; eternal damnation is what we will face because we all have trespassed. Do not ignore God and His warnings in the Bible, but take heed of what Jesus said, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”90

[Soldier4Christ]

CHAPTER 5
THE LOVE OF GOD

From the previous chapter’s observations, we can see that we are in a desperate situation. “I agree that these are objective observations,” you may say, “but why do we have to talk about them? Why do not we just pretend that they do not exist so that we can live on?” Yes, forgetting is what we should do if there is no solution; but fortunately, in this chapter, I want to share with you the “good news:” We do have a solution, a miraculous medicine capable of curing the disease of sin that is destroying us.

Sin inflates one’s ego until it explodes. Sin invites us to live as if today has no bearing on tomorrow. Sin whispers in our ears, suggesting that we should enjoy the present, regardless of the ensuing consequences. Sin elevates people to the clouds and then smashes them down to the pits.

The Bible, on the other hand, lets us know our true situation so that we can step higher. The Bible is a spiritual X-ray, allowing us to look through our outside appearance to show us the sickness within. According to the Bible, the source of the disease is sin; the symptoms are wars and conflicts. If it is not cured, we will all have to die and face eternal death in hell.

What then is the medicine? The Bible advises that this medicine is God’s love, available in concentrated form of the blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross. On the prescription, the Bible says very clearly that we only need to take this medicine once, because once is all that is needed.

Probably, the word that has been the most abused and distorted is “love.” A young man may learn the phrase “I love you” in many languages so that he can say it to girls from other countries, even if he has no feelings for them. Musicians may write love songs just to earn money.

People have become as weary of the term “love” as they are of a politician’s campaign promises. They want to see actions proving love before believing in the expressed love.

This is a practical attitude, and therefore to understand God’s love for us, let us try to understand what He has done for us. Only when the meaning of His sacrifice is understood will we understand the meaning of His love.

As we discussed previously, God is just, cannot accept sin, and therefore must punish us. However, God is also loving, and thus does not want to see us destroyed forever. Torn between His hatred of sin and love of people, God is in a very awkward situation: forgiveness or punishment. Or does He have any other satisfactory solutions?

Imagine that you are a very righteous judge, and that you have a law that convicted murderers should be either condemned to a life sentence or be fined one million dollars. One day, your son whom you love dearly is caught killing someone. What should you do? If you forgive him because he is your son, then you are not an impartial judge. On the other hand, if you throw your son into jail for the rest of his life, then although you may be just, it is hard to see your love for him.

There is one other thing that you can do, but it demands a sacrifice from you. You can fine your son one million dollars, and then you sell all your property in order to pay for it.

This is what God did for us. On the cross, the Father-God faced the Son-Human that he loved, but was full of sin. The sentence handed down pleased the law because if the “wages of sin is death”91, then death there should be. The sentence handed down also demonstrates love, because God did not let us die, but sent His son Jesus to the world to die for all of us.

The disciple John wrote, “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”92 In the letter sent to the church in Galatians, Paul wrote, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.”93

Jesus’ death, therefore, was not an accident, or an unfortunate incident, as many people believe. He died not to give us an example of someone who sacrificed for his ideals. He was not a reluctant victim of the circumstances, dying without yet achieving his mission. His death was not an obstacle preventing him from reaching his goal. Instead it was the goal of his life.

While he lived, Jesus often talked about his death, although nobody understood. After Peter called him “the anointed one,” “he then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.”94 At other times, he talked about his death as something prophesized in the Old Testament,95 and that it was necessary to reconcile humanity with God. He referred to it as the result of God’s commitment to human. “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.”96

There were people who, when dying, regretted that their lives were too short to achieve their goals. But Jesus, before his last breath, said, “It is finished.”97 Thirty years was sufficient for him, because, as he said, “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”98

Because Jesus was the only absolutely sinless man, only he could die for all our sins. If he were sinful, he would have to die for his own sin. Ironically, because he was absolutely sinless, his death brought him extreme pain beyond human imagination.

Like God, Jesus, with his absolute lack of sin, despised sin. Just think of something that scares you the most, a stinky worm for example. Jesus’ hatred of sin must be a millions times greater than your feeling. Yet on the cross, not only did he have to face sin, but he died for us as a sinner, with all the sins of the world on his shoulders.

Imagine that you are confined with thousands of stinky worms in an small place and multiply your feelings millions upon millions of times. Then you may understand partially, only partially, the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

But that’s not all. Not only did Jesus have to carry all the sin he despised, God punished him by cutting off the relationship with him. In the previous chapter, we said that, because of our sin, God had to cut off his relationship with us, causing the lack of meaning in our lives and the death of our souls. In carrying our sin, Jesus had to suffer the same punishment. Not groaning because of the pain in his body, not complaining because of the sin he had to carry, but on the cross Jesus cried, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”99

Having lost our intimate fellowship with God long ago, it is hard for us to appreciate this cry. For the second generation Vietnamese who have grown up overseas, it is hard understand their parents’ saying that living outside of Vietnam is a sad experience. The more intimate our relationship with our country, the more we appreciate the sadness of having to live outside of it. The more we realize that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, having a ultimate relationship with Him even before the creation of the world and considering Him above everything else, the more we can have some hope of understanding partially, again only partially, the pain that Jesus had to suffer on the cross when his Father looked away from him.

If we only look at the physical pain, we can say that Jesus did not suffer the worst death possible. Some deaths can be more cruel and painful than his death on the cross. Only when we look beyond outward appearances, can we appreciate the painful death that Jesus suffered for us.

While the person who suffered was Jesus, we cannot overlook the suffering of the loving God. Is there any mother who punishes her son without a twinge of pain in her gut?

In the last days of the Vietnam War, I saw many painful scenes. One of these heart-breaking images showed a mother tearfully pushing her child to an airplane so that he could be taken away to freedom. I cried along with her and I felt her pain when I imagined this mother saying “Farewell” to her child, knowing that she would most likely never see her child again. What probably comforted her was her belief that her child’s future would be brighter than if he stayed back in Vietnam. If she did not have such hope, she would not have pushed her child onto that airplane.

Two thousand years ago, God said “Goodbye” to his Son. But unlike the unfortunate Vietnamese mother, He sent His son not for a brighter future, but to die painfully and in disgrace between two robbers, carrying the sins of the whole world. More than anyone else, He knew this, because that was His plan before He laid the foundations of the world. Yet He still sent His Son.

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 If we cannot understand the extent of the pain that both God and Jesus had to suffer, at least we must understand this: that Jesus volunteered to die for us. It doesn’t matter how much pain he suffered; if he was forced and reluctant, then he would not truly have loved us.

God, the creator, the Almighty, cannot be forced to do anything by anyone. “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.”100

As for Jesus, his will and his Father’s will were one. He said, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me… and I lay down my life for the sheep.”101 “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.”102

Both are of the same mind, the same determination to save the world. They came out of the love for humanity, an unbounded love, not only expressed by words.

Somebody once classified three types of love: if-love, because-love, and despite-love.

If-love is the kind of love we receive when we satisfy a certain condition. “If you graduate, then I will marry you.” “If you behave, then Daddy will love you.” This is the kind of love with conditions, the lowest kind of love, based entirely on the selfishness of the lover. When conditions are not satisfied, love disappears, and many times turns into hatred. When satisfied, this kind of love never stops demanding. If a girl says, “I won’t marry you until you graduate,” then in the future, she might demand a beautiful house before continuing in marriage.

The because-love is more practical, not based on future conditions, but on the present. “Because you are beautiful, I love you.” In this kind of love, the person being loved must satisfy a minimum requirement for love. Unfortunately, similarly to the if-love, the because-love is entirely selfish and fragile, like all materials in life. As Jesus taught, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them.”103 We all have because-love because we all are selfish.

The last kind of love is the despite-love. This is unselfish, most noble, absolutely unconditional, and independent of the person being loved. We hardly find this despite-love in this world. The previous two kinds of love that surround us leave us wishing for an opportunity to taste the despite-love just once. The tremendous message of the Bible is that we can find this kind of despite-love from God. The Bible doesn’t say, “God will love you if you live a moral life,” or “God loves you because you tithed to him.” In contrast, it says, “Despite the fact that we are sinful, rebelling against God, only deserving eternal death in hell, God loves us.” The Apostle Paul pens, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”104

This kind of love was not only expressed in words, but was proved in action that required the ultimate sacrifice. This is true love, and this is the Gospel, or the good news I want to bring to you. I can summarize it simply by quoting John. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”105

[Soldier4Christ]

CHAPTER 6
REPENTANCE AND BELIEF

We have studied the love of God for us through the death of his son. Hopefully, we have gained an understanding of the extent of God’s love. We cannot see its length and depth if we only observe things from outward appearances and measure things from the outside. So, I would like to ask you stop your spiritual journey here, to let your soul calm down and to think about your true position before God before you journey on.

On the way to search for freedom in the Promised Land, we use a little boat named Ego. Relying on our own ability, we put on the sail Good Work to start our journey. Now, we are in the dark, lonely inside the boat. The wave Materialism smashes the sides of the boat, causing us to lose our goals in life. Inside the boat, the food Philosophy has dried up, and the water Religious Rituals has become bitter. Moreover, underneath the boat, the crack Immorality is getting larger and larger, threatening to break the boat into two. On top of all this, according to the forecast station Bible, the storm Punishment is approaching, threatening to throw us all into the deep sea Hell that is waiting for us.

Suddenly we hear a voice. Looking up, we see a frigate Church. From its control center, the Cross, the captain Jesus throws the lifesaver Salvation to us. We hear the crewmembers Christians calling us. We rub our eyes, thinking that we are dreaming. Should we believe, we ask ourselves. Is it true, that we can be saved in such a miraculous way?

Do you agree that this is your current situation? Do you feel that life is empty, without meaning, cruising toward death? Do you hear the sweet calling of Jesus: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”106? If your answer is “No,” then I ask you to momentarily stop reading this book, to look into your heart one more time, and make sure that you haven’t hurried your response. On the other hand, if you feel that the word of God has truly spoken to your heart and mind, then thank God, we can continue our spiritual journey.

Recall the example of the judge having a son who committed murder. After the judge paid the fine for his son, a guard came to tell the son, now sitting in jail, “I have a good news for you. Your father has paid the fine for you. Now you are free. You may leave the jail.” The son can believe this news and walk out of jail, or disbelieve and continue to be there although the jail door is wide open. These are the two reactions that we can understand. However, imagine the following scenario. After hearing the guard, the son nods, saying, “I thank my father, he really loves me,” and then continues to sit inside the dark cell. Contradictory? Comedy? Unfortunately, that was also the reaction of many to the good news of salvation. They said that they believed, but their lives never changed.

That is the difference between those who are saved and those who will be punished. The saved ones believed and grasped the lifesaver of salvation; the unsaved ones may say that they believe, but they remain in the boat Ego.

You can think and study more about the good news of salvation, but please do not think that knowledge alone is sufficient. You could have a Ph.D. in Theology, memorize the entire Bible, be ordained as a pastor or bishop, but if your life has never been changed, then you should not look forward to the day that Jesus comes back to judge the world. He said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”107

So what does God want us to do to be saved? Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”108 Changing is a big event, a watershed in your life. It implies two types of action that always go together: repentance and belief. Repentance means giving up; belief means taking up. Repentance means turning your back away from sin; belief means turning towards God.

Repentance is more positive than regret. Repentance touches the mind, the heart, and the soul of a person. A person who repents recognizes that he was sinful, sincerely regrets, is prepared to compensate for the damage he caused, and more importantly, promises not to commit the same infraction again. Is there anything that you have done that you know has displeased God? This may be a jealousy, a way of entertainment, a means of obtaining money, a habit, or even a way of worship. Are you still in love with that wretched boat so much that you do not want to grasp the lifesaver? Jesus said, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”109

Repentance is giving up that broken boat Ego, and belief is grasping that lifesaver Salvation. If we do not grasp this lifesaver, we cannot leave this boat. Without abandoning the boat, it is useless to grasp this lifesaver.

Of the two, belief is the more common word, yet its meaning is more vague. To many people, repentance is an action while belief is only a mental activity. But this is not the meaning used in the Bible. According to the Bible, believing in something is to accept that it is the truth. More importantly, believing means putting trust in this truth.

I hope that, through the Bible, by the witnesses of your Christian friends, and by this booklet, you have understood the good news of salvation. I also hope that you agree that this good news is reasonable. I now want to make clear that this is not enough. The apostle James said, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder.”110 The demons agree that there is God, but do not trust in him, and surely will be punished appropriately.

Suppose that, after you die, you come to the gate of Heaven and the angels ask you, “Why should I let you enter you into Heaven?” How would you answer? Do you trust on the Word of Jesus? “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”111 Would you answer without hesitation, “Because Jesus has died for me!” or would you mumble, “Because I lived a moral life”?

[Soldier4Christ]

If you consider the above definition of belief still somewhat vague, let me give you a few tests so that you know your standing before Jesus: Can you trust Him in this world? If you doubt that He will take care of you in this life, then you cannot trust that He will grant you eternal life later.

We all want to have financial security, and we all want to save money for rainy days. However, we may go too far, making us slaves to money. If you still work very hard to earn money, ignoring your family and God, then obviously you have not put your trust in God. Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”112

Or if you allow a certain misfortune ruin your life, then probably, you have not really trusted in God. Do you have loved ones stuck in Vietnam? He will keep them safe and comfort them. Have you just lost your spouse? He will take care of you more than that person. And if that person has already believed in Christ, then your prolonged sadness shows that you do not believe that you will meet that person again in Heaven.

If you are still single and feel lonely, do you want to marry someone whom you know would displease God? This demonstrates that you do not trust that God will lead you to a suitable life partner.

Repentance and belief are the two things necessary for salvation. However, if you feel that this is hard to do, then do not be discouraged. Saying, “I apologize, for I did not treat you well,” may seem to be easy, but in reality it demands a lot of effort from the person who says it. To return to God, we need to give up all our self-love, pride, and accept that we are powerless. Pride and selfishness is the very source of our sin.

On the sinking boat Ego, I saw the lifesaver Salvation in front of me. I believed that this was the truth and wholeheartedly wanted to grasp it. Unfortunately, I could not do this. For too long, lacking spiritual food from God, I survived solely on human philosophy. On the outside, I seemed to be well fed, but on the inside, I was powerless to do anything, even to stretch my hands to take hold of the lifesaver Salvation.

What could I do? Suddenly I remembered the thing that most Vietnamese refugees do on the high seas when they see a ship from afar: YELL! Nobody paid attention to any rules of communication. Everyone just yelled, trying to overcome the noise of the ocean. Yes, I can call on Jesus, I can ask him to give me strength to come back to him.

You do not need to know the formula for prayer. You do not need to know how other people call upon God. All you need to do now is to put down this book, find a quiet place, let your soul calm down, and then softly, sincerely, speak to God saying something like this:

Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I agree that I have sinned against you and others for too long. I sincerely repent for those sins. Please help me to give them up.

I accept that you are the Son of God, coming to the world to die for me. I thank you. Now, I open my heart to invite you to come in. Please be my Lord, helping me to live the rest of my life so that I can serve and glorify your name. Amen.

If you have done this, I congratulate you and welcome you into the extended family of those who are saved. Jesus promised, “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”113

From the old boat, you called upon him. Being the source of life, the faithful, he kept his word and gave you the Holy Spirit to nourish your soul so that you can repent and believe. If I do not have the privilege of meeting you in this world, I am sure that we will meet some day in Heaven.

[Soldier4Christ]

CHAPTER 7
BUT…

Frankly speaking, I am not optimistic enough to expect that everyone who finished the previous chapter prayed to receive Jesus Christ and was saved. Maybe you completely agree with all that we have discussed, but you still want to find out more before deciding. Maybe you have a few questions about salvation by the blood of Jesus Christ.

You may ask why salvation is so simple, “If our attempts to live morally do not get us anywhere, how can a simple prayer inviting Jesus Christ into our lives be sufficient?”

Yes, in this competitive world, we get what we pay for. If I am given something, I naturally suspect its value or the motivation of the giver. However, many times we are a bit too cynical. Some people look at a painting and see it as no better than a tablecloth. Yet, when they hear the amount of money that the owner paid for it, they suddenly find the painting quite exquisite and artistic.

Thankfully, God is not like us. Through the prophet Isaiah, He said, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”114 According to His plan, eternal life is a free gift. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”115 This gift comes not from human considerations, but from His grace. “For it is by grace you have been saved.”116

If He requires from us anything but faith, then I would say that He is as worldly as we are, favoring people who meet the material criteria. If He requires us to donate money to build temples, then He favors the rich. If He requires us to memorize the Bible, then He favors those capable of great memorization feats. No, He wants to save everybody, no matter who that person may be. Belief in Him is the only criterion.

Furthermore, if God’s criterion for salvation is not based on faith, then He gives people reason to be proud. If He says, “Whoever goes to church every Sunday will be saved,” then on the last day someone will boast, “Because I have been to church…” Isn’t this a vicious circle, since we have seen that being proud is sinful? “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast.” 117 After being rescued from drowning can anybody claim, “It was to my credit that I grabbed the lifesaver that saved me?”

Actually, although it looks simple, believing in Jesus Christ in faith has a profound effect on one’s life but it requires a lot from us. Jesus Christ never promised us wealth or even health but he warned, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”118 In this book, I do not promise you a rose garden to lure you into some religious institution. Instead, I want to emphasize repentance and trust.

We can try to enter into heaven by two methods. The first is to use brute force to break into the Gate of Heaven. The second is to use the cross-shaped key. While the first is absolutely useless and only hurts us, the second, simple as it is, surely will lead to success.

“But what about those who have never heard of Jesus Christ?” you may ask. “Should their destiny simply be hell?”

First, we must remember that there are many things that are beyond human ability to understand or that we have no right to know. What we do need to know and what we can understand, God has made known in the Bible. In a battle, a soldier cannot demand to understand the entire battlefield strategy before performing his duty.

However, we know this: God is just. He would not punish anyone simply because that person has not heard of Jesus Christ, and hence cannot believe in him. If they must face eternal damnation, it is because they have sinned against Him and others. Paul writes, “All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law… This will take place on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.”119

But it is important to note that you have heard the gospel of salvation. Instead of letting you be punished as others, God wants to save you by the blood of His Son. Suppose that you are in danger in a little boat in the high seas and there is a frigate that wants to save you. Should you tell them that, because there are so many other little boats that are perishing, you do not want to be saved? If you wonder about the people in Africa who lived two centuries ago and never heard of Jesus Christ, then I would ask you to leave it to God to judge them. However, if you wonder about your close friends or relatives, then this is even more the reason that you should come to Christ, because only when you have invited Jesus Christ into your heart can you bring the Gospel of salvation to them, so that they can be saved like you.

[Soldier4Christ]

Let me tell you something about Vietnamese national tradition. Many people have told me that they do not want to believe in Christ because doing so would be contrary to national tradition.

Actually, like language or science, national culture is not static, but it must change to survive. A person who contributes the most to his culture is not the one who follows what other persons do, but the one who embraces and spreads good ideas. In Vietnamese history, the closed-door policy of the previous centuries taught us a very expensive but dear lesson.

Let us take an honest look at the major religions in Vietnam. Did they start overseas? If everyone wanted to preserve the national tradition, then how could these religions enter Vietnam and become part of the national heritage? Similarly, many consider that Christianity is a western religion, but as you know, Jesus Christ was a Jew who came from the Middle East. People have this conception because in the past, many westerners accepted Christ and spread this truth to their own societies. If you feel that Christianity is the truth but will not apply to your own life and then spread it to your neighbors, then how will people be saved? I hope that in the future, Christianity will become part of the Vietnamese national heritage, so that even though we may be scattered throughout the world as we are today, we will eventually be gathered together in heaven.

“Some people say that believing in Christ means not respecting your ancestors.” People may say so, but the Bible never teaches that. To the contrary, the Bible teaches us to respect of our parents. One of the Ten Commandments is “Honor your father and your mother.”120 The Apostle Paul taught, “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.”121 The Bible also says that disobeying your parents, just like gossiping, slandering, God-hating, insolence, arrogance and boastfulness, greatly displeases God.122

Even amid the excruciating pain on the cross, Jesus Christ saw his mother and then said to one of his disciples, “Here is your mother,” bestowing her into his care. This disciple then took care of her.123

The reason that Christians are reputed to disrespect their parents is that they do not worship their dead ancestors. But to Christians, filial piety is not expressed in the food offered during their parents’ death anniversary, but it is realized in care and concern while their parents are still alive. If I believed that Friday the 13th is unlucky, then I would not leave my house on that day. If I did not believe so, then I would go to work as usual. This would not mean that I have no concern for my safety. Similarly, if I did believe that after their death my ancestors needed fruit offered by me to eat or paper cars burned by me to drive, then I would not make these offerings. This does not mean that I do not respect my ancestors.

Actually, if I really wanted to pay respect to my ancestors, then I would have to do so for all of them, not just a few generations before me. Furthermore, earlier generations should be respected more than recent ancestors. If my parents worshipped my grandparents, then I should respect my grandparents more than my parents. Using induction, we ultimately arrive at God, and we must respect him more than all our ancestors. It is God that Christians worship, in a manner described in the Bible. “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”124

Now you may say, “I know many Christians and I have discovered that they are not better than anyone else. I found them too hypocritical sometimes. How can I believe in God?”

I cannot deny this. As I confided with you in the foreword, I felt the same way. However, I want to say a few things here.

First, as I explained to you, many people go to church but have never invited Jesus Christ into their hearts so that their lives can be changed. They are Christians to other people, and they may even become pastors or bishops. However, to God, they still have to face eternal damnation. If these people commit unethical deeds, should you refuse to be saved just because of them?

Jesus Christ died for the sinners, but he rebuked the hypocrites in his time. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.”125

But even genuine Christians still commit sin. Remember that believers are not perfect, but are forgiven by God. Immediately after you believe in God, he considers you sinless, because Jesus has paid for your sin. In Biblical language, you are justified.126 However, although you may now despise sin, your life will not change overnight. Instead, you must live as a boat aiming north, striving to become Christ-like in a righteous direction. Nobody expects that after you believe, you will instantaneously become a “saint” in this world. (And also please do not wait until you become a “saint” before you believe.)

Even though there are hypocritical Christians, this does not mean that Christianity is wrong. Many years ago, the elite Vietnamese had a saying: “The Vietnamese language survives, the Vietnamese people survive.” Yet many of them preferred to converse with each other in French or English. This does not mean that Vietnamese language has no value.

Believing in God means looking at Jesus Christ, not at other people. Paul advises us to look to Jesus Christ as the “author and perfecter of our faith.”127 He was not hypocritical, and his life was consistent with his teachings. On the last day, when we are asked whether we believed in him, we cannot ask back, “But how come Mr. So-and-So is so hypocritical?”

Maybe the obstacles preventing you from coming to God are deeper. May be you do not believe that the Bible is the word of God and hence you do not believe that its teachings contained therein about heaven and hell are true. This is an important issue that we will examine together in the next chapter.

[Soldier4Christ]

CHAPTER 8
THE BIBLE

I can say without hesitation that the Bible is the most unique book ever written.

The Bible was written in three languages by more than forty authors over a period of over 1500 years. Its authors came from many walks of life, ranging from kings to fishermen, from doctors to prophets. It was written in many different genres, from prose to poetry, from legalese to letters. Part was written during war, part during peace. Sometimes its authors wrote with joy, other times with sadness.

Unlike many books written centuries before the invention of the printing press, the Bible miraculously survived. In 1948, a manuscript of the Old Testament written about 100 years before Christ was discovered by the Dead Sea. When this manuscript was compared to a version written 1000 years later, scholars admitted that with a few minor exceptions, the two versions were virtually identical.

Despite the many attempts of governments and dictators to forbid or destroy the Bible and the efforts of many scholars to discredit it, not only has the Bible continue to be published everywhere, but it also has been translated into more languages than any other book ever written. It is read by billions of people who consider it the ultimate guidance for their lives.

While the survival and the popularity of the Bible support the idea that it is the word of God, I want to present still more evidence. Hopefully, after you reviewing this evidence, you will be less suspicious about its value.

Let us look back at the development of this book to make sure that we didn’t use circular arguments. In the first chapter, when we discussed the behavior and teaching of Jesus Christ, we treated the Bible simply as a historical document. Actually, we could have used other documents, although they are not as complete. Later when we discussed about the disappearance of Jesus’ body, we used the explanations of the non-believers to conclude that they are not valid. When we have to choose among the three hypotheses that he either was a lunatic, a liar, or the Son of God, we arrived at the third conclusion.

Even without resorting to calling the Bible the Word of God, we saw Jesus Christ as his Son. Let us now examine what Jesus Christ had to say about the Bible.

As for the Old Testament, the part of the Bible written before long he was born, Jesus Christ definitely considered it as the Word of God. He quoted and obeyed the Old Testament in all of his actions. For example, when confronted by the religious leaders, he often began his responses with, “Haven’t you read this scripture…?”128 He criticized them, “You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men…. For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say…”129 And when people asked him, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” he replied, “What is written in the Law?”130

It is harder for us to see Jesus’ attitude towards the New Testament, the part of the Bible written after he died. However, the vast majority of the New Testament was written by his disciples or their disciples. Jesus did not pick his disciples haphazardly. Rather he “went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them.”131 He trained them and considered them as his official representatives. “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me.”132 They lived with him and witnessed all that he did. After he was resurrected, he appeared before them and taught them more. Now if we believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, then we should trust his judgment and believe what was written by his handpicked and personally trained disciples.

We can use a Vietnamese story about a woman named Nam Xuong to illustrate the role of the Bible. Nam Xuong’s husband had to leave to fight in a distant war for a long time. Back at home, her young son asked her about his father. Trying to find an answer for the child, she waited until evening came and then pointed into her shadow on the wall, saying, “That is your father.” When his father returned from the war, the son did not recognize him but innocently said, “My father only comes home at night.” Seeing that her husband misconstrued this comment to mean that she was unfaithful, she killed herself.

In this story, the son somehow knew that he had a father. Even without education or special instruction, people know that there is a creator, just by looking at the universe. Paul writes, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”133

Although, this knowledge of existence is desirable, it is not sufficient. Without a relationship with his father and lacking proper education, this knowledge only led the son to believe that his father was a shadow on the wall. Similarly, lacking fellowship with God, many people were misled to powerless idols made of wood or clay.

While the Vietnamese generally accuse Nam Xuong’s husband of cruelty, I maintain that he was just a victim of his circumstances. In his time, even though he wanted to, he could not keep in touch with his family while fighting the war. If he lived in our times, surely he would send pictures home so that his son would recognize him when they reunited. Fortunately, God is not as powerless as Nam Xuong’s husband. Although sin forces Him to cut his fellowship with us, He had a plan to bring us back to Him. In order that we are not mistaken, before that, He sent to us a picture of himself so that we could recognize His son.

A savior would be born in Bethlehem, the descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, in the tribe of Judah in the house of David. From Galilee, he would teach and perform miracles, using parables to illustrate his teachings. He would be betrayed and sold for thirty silver coins. His disciples would abandon him and people would give false witness against him. At his death, the sky would darken, his hands and his feet and his sides would be pierced, but his bones not to be broken. He would be thirsty, and they would give him vinegar to drink. He was to be buried in the tomb of a rich man.

Were the above written after Jesus died? No, they were the images scattered throughout the Old Testament, written at least 500 years before he his birth. Consider the following passage, written by Isaiah about 700 years before Jesus was born:

He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.

Like one from whom men hide their faces

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he took up our infirmities

and carried our sorrows,

yet we considered him stricken by God,

smitten by him, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,

and by his wounds we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,

each of us has turned to his own way;

and the LORD has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and afflicted,

yet he did not open his mouth;

he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,

and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,

so he did not open his mouth.

By oppression and judgment he was taken away.

And who can speak of his descendants?

For he was cut off from the land of the living;

for the transgression of my people he was stricken.

He was assigned a grave with the wicked,

and with the rich in his death,

though he had done no violence,

nor was any deceit in his mouth.134