I just finished watching the Discovery Channel's Docu-drama, The Lost Tomb of Jesus. Trust me, it was a lot more drama than documentary.
It frustrates me as a Christian Educator that people will watch this, and because so many Christians do not know how to think, they will open the door to doubt what they believe.
I don't think it's wrong to ask questions about our faith. God did not expect our brains to turn to mush when we gave our lives to Him. On the contrary, we are to have the mind of Christ. I believe our minds are to be keen with wisdom as well as with knowledge. Jesus taught with authority. We need to walk, talk and believe that way, too. But we can only do that if we really know what the Bible has to say. All Christians should become Bible scholars. All Christians should be teaching their children the history of Israel (The Old Testament) and how to discern apostacy from the true words of the New Testament.
There are plenty of logical reasons why this docu-drama, The Lost Tomb of Jesus, stands on wobbly legs. While it was a compelling piece, it was not a very scientific one. It was compelling to me, because I enjoy archaeology and it fascinates me that there are ancient tombs underneath apartment complexes in Israel. It would be exciting to discover an ancient tomb full of questions and unseen things beneath a thin slab of concrete in a courtyard. Imagine living in a place such as Jerusalem! There would be mysteries around every corner, and I love a good mystery.
But that's just what this "discovery" is -- an intriguing mystery. It is not conclusive evidence that our Savior was put to rest there. It is not conclusive evidence that his family was buried there, either. But it is a mysterious group of ossuaries, and a mysterious tomb indeed, with the chevron and circle carved above its entrance. (I have my own theories about that, but I won't share them here.)
The science they used to "prove" this was the tomb of Jesus' family did not prove anything of the sort. It is just another symptom of our culture's inability to discern things logically. Yes, it is fascinating that the names in the tomb were the same of friends and family of Jesus -- but the fact is, a lot of people in bible times had those names. The DNA testing that they had held up as proof that this is Jesus' tomb proved nothing of the sort. It only proved that the bones in the ossuary marked "Mariamne" were of no relation to the bones in the ossuary marked "Jesus son of Joseph." While the film makers would like us to think that proves that this Jesus and Mariamne were married, the truth is, there is no DNA test that can prove a marriage between two people!
Also, the patina they tested from the James ossuary did not match exactly to the ossuaries found in the tomb in question, yet they took statements of scientists out of context and made it sound as if the two ossuaries came from the same tomb. This is junk science. Junk science takes a hypothesis and when there is a coincidence in the data, jumps to conclusions that fit the hypothesis. The hypothesis usually supports a political or group view. (Can we say "global warming"?) I would love to sit down with the men who made this docu-drama and ask them what their motives were in making it.
After the film was a question-answer session that I found rather humurous. It truly revealed the biblical ignorance of the producers of the film, as well as so-called "theologians," who find themselves mired in philosophy and traditions of men rather than the pure unadulterated Word of God.
If you are a fundamentalist like me, then you will interpret the Bible literally. I believe that the Bible means what it says. When it says that Jesus rose bodily from the dead, I believe it means that his body, his bones, and his flesh rose from the dead:
"And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them."
Luke 24:38:43
Luke 24:38:43
Spirits do not eat physical, earthly food. Therefore, bones left in an ossuary marked "Jesus son of Joseph" could not be those of Christ's. They could be the bones of another Jesus (a common name in New Testament times) the son of another Joseph (again a common name of New Testament times), but not the bones of my Messiah.
If you believe that the Bible is the infallible word of God, then you will believe that Jesus' entire body -- not just His spirit -- ascended into heaven and sat at the right hand of the Father. The theory that He only rose in spirit is brought forth by the producers of the film. What they fail to understand is our unhsakable faith in the eye witness accounts of Christ's ascension. They also fail to realize that we expect Jesus to return to us in this same bodily form. And further, if Jesus only ascended as a Spirit -- why would He tell his disciples to remain together in Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit to come to them? Besides, there's nothing in the Word that tells us that Christ's body was left behind when He ascended into heaven.
"And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."
Acts 1:4-11
And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."
Acts 1:4-11
If you have faith in the Word of God, and know that God is not a liar, you will believe that Thomas touched Jesus' literal side and hands when he saw Him after the resurrection:
"And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."
Acts 20:26-29
While we do need to use logic in discerning what to believe, we must never forget the importance of faith. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God:
"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
Blind faith? No. God has given us His Word to guide us in what to believe. But if we can't read it, and can't discern its meaning, we will be easily deceived. Many of us did not grow up being trained in the Word of God. I'm thankful that I was able to attend Sunday School even though I attended public school. Because of Sunday School, I at least had some foundational knowledge of the basic truths of God's Word. But as an adult home school Mom, I grew even more in that Word. I am grateful that my kids know far more about the Word of God than I did at their age!
Sometimes we can get so caught up in the academics that we fail to emphasise the real reason to Christian home school. Don't get me wrong -- I think academics are very important. I think teaching things such as logic, Latin, Greek, algebra and even chess will help our children learn to be good thinkers. But we must not neglect God's Word in our day to day teaching because it has power to rightly divide the word of Truth!
But even more, teach them to have faith. For blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe!
Sometimes we can get so caught up in the academics that we fail to emphasise the real reason to Christian home school. Don't get me wrong -- I think academics are very important. I think teaching things such as logic, Latin, Greek, algebra and even chess will help our children learn to be good thinkers. But we must not neglect God's Word in our day to day teaching because it has power to rightly divide the word of Truth!
"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
Hebrews 4:12 (Emphasis mine.)
We are to teach our children continually about His precepts (Deut. 6:7). And I really believe that reading God's Word helps us to have the mind of Christ, which is a mind of discernment and wisdom. Teach your children how to think. It will bless them.Hebrews 4:12 (Emphasis mine.)
But even more, teach them to have faith. For blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe!
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