What Would It Take?

 

What would it take to believe in God?

I have heard and read at different times and from several different skeptics, agnostics, and atheists some variation of:

"If god exists, why does he hide himself?"

"If god wants us to believe in him, why doesn't he give us proof?"

"If god wants us to believe in him, why doesn't he just show himself?"

My question in response would be "Are you genuinely seeking truth?"

Truth sometimes comes with demands and/or sacrifices.  If they are legitimately looking for truth, are they willing to accept it and all it requires?   

Let's look at a time that God did show Himself:

Matthew chapter 26 recounts the following events:

• The Last Supper where Jesus spent His last night teaching them before His crucifixion.
• Jesus' time of prayer in the garden of Gethsemane.
• Jesus' betrayal by Judas to the Jewish elders, chief priests, temple guards, Roman soldiers, and "a large crowd".
• The disciples fleeing and abandoning Jesus.
• Jesus' presentation to the high priests, Caiaphas (who tore his clothing accusing Jesus as a blasphemer when He claimed to be "the Christ, the Son of God." [Matthew 26:63-65])
• Peter's infamous three denials of knowing Jesus.

Matthew chapter 27 recounts these following events:

• Judas' remorse of betraying an innocent man and his subsequent suicide.
• Jesus' presentation before Pontius Pilate (to whom Jesus told that His kingdom was not of this world [John 18:33-36]).
• Jesus mocked and beaten by the Roman soldiers in the Praetorium.
• Jesus crucified.
• Jesus's death  (His death confirmed upon Roman spearpoint [John 19:33-34])
• Jesus buried.

And then Matthew chapter 28 recounts these events:

• An angelic messenger at the unsealed and empty tomb stated Jesus had risen  (see: Luke 24:12 and John 20:3-9).
• Jesus met the group of women who the angel sent to tell the disciples the news and reminder of Jesus' command to meet Him in Galilee while they were still on their way to where the disciples were.

Now here's the point all of this points to:

Matthew 28:16-17 says "But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain Jesus had designated.  When they saw Him, they worshipped Him; but some were doubtful.

        English:    doubtful / doubted

        Greek:      distazo                        Definition:    to doubt, waiver

Although the eleven disciples are specified, the text does not automatically exclude other disciples from accompanying them.  Jesus had a large number of disciples including the women who went to the tomb.  Textually, it affirms that all eleven of Jesus' main disciples made the journey, and not one remained behind.

Jesus had already appeared to ten of His main disciples.  At that time Thomas was absent.  When told that Jesus had appeared to them, Thomas famously said he'd only believe if he could "see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side”.   

Jesus appeared again to His main disciples when Thomas was present.  Jesus invited Thomas to do what he had claimed would be acceptable evidence (seeing and touching Jesus' wounds) if that was what it took to believe.  Thomas didn't need to perform what he claimed.  He saw the risen Christ, believed, and proclaimed "My Lord and my God!"

So at the time of this meeting with Jesus in Galilee, the eleven main disciples and the women who had gone to the tomb were already believers in His resurrection as they had already seen Him.  It would stand to reason that disciples, other than the eleven and these women, had just days before observed the Passover Meal (now known in Christianity as The Lord's Supper), watched Him be arrested, watched Him be crucified, watched Him die, helped bury Him in a tomb, and now SAW Him in the flesh, resurrected from the dead, and still doubted.

The passage doesn't say that they marveled.  It doesn't say that they whispered among themselves in wonder.  It says they doubted.

What clearer way could He show Himself than to show Himself?

Thomas didn't didn't believe prior to his own face-to-face encounter with the risen Jesus.  But with some that were assembled in this passage of Matthew 28, even looking at the risen Christ face-to-face, it did not erase doubt.  

This shows that believing isn't exclusively an evidentiary issue.  It is most frequently a heart issue.  

There is only one ruler over one's life.  Either we reign over ourselves, or we submit to a ruler; there is no co-regency.  A co-regency will inevitably give rise to conflict in which only one position can win.  In that case, the first ruler remains or the second ruler dethrones the first.  This pattern is cyclical each time a conflict of desires arises.

Presented with the wisdom, the teachings, the miracles, the rebukes of Jesus,  and and even the empty tomb that had been guarded, Caiaphas and many others refused to accept Him.  They would not relinquish the power and rule over their own lives or what they exercised over others.

Here is an instance of God publicly showing Himself.  It may not have been on the skeptic's terms, but it was on God's.  This event is evidence that God can literally show Himself to man, and man can (and will) still balk and deny Him.

Did these disciples that doubted have their doubts relieved in a manner similar to Thomas?  We don't know.  Scripture is silent on it and doesn't address it further.

In summary, "Why doesn't he show himself?  Show me and I'll believe." is an invalid position.  It has been done.  

Some believed; some doubted.  

There is convincing evidence of God's existence through such positions as the cosmological argument (universal origin), the teleological argument (design and fine-tuning), the ontological argument (philosophical necessity), the moral argument (objective standards), and the life of Christ. 

Some believe; some doubt.

So, legitimately, what would it take?

Facing a living Jesus after a crucifixion, are you doubtful of Jesus' death at the hands of professional Roman soldiers skilled in dealing out death and in a region known for political unrest and uprisings against Roman rule?  Look at my article on A Crucifixion Examined.

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But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.”  Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”   Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy

  -  Matthew 26:63-65

But why would Caiaphas and the other priests think He was blaspheming?  Because of Jesus' continual referring to Himself as "the Son of Man" and this prophecy from Daniel:

I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him.  And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him.  His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.

  -  Daniel 7:13-14

Then what kingdom would the Son of Man rule? 

Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”  Jesus answered, “Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?”  Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?”  Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”

  -  John 18:33-36

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But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened.  

  -  Luke 24:12

So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb.  The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first;  and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in.  And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there,  and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself.  So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed.  For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.

  -  John 20:3-9

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