If evolution is true, then Jesus was either a liar or a lunatic. He was surely not Lord. What are human beings if evolutionary theory explains our existence? Are humans not merely mobile atom bags? Are we nothing more than talking animals? Is there anything to connect nature-made human beings to anything non-material if anything non-material even exists?
If evolutionary theory is true, then human beings truly exist as nothing more than mobile atom bags in the form of talking animals with no connection to anything non-material in the universe. To think otherwise is mere sophistry on the part of humans themselves. After all, as the only talking animals around conditioned by centuries of supposed superiority what, or who, can disagree? What, then, are we to make of one of these mobile atom bags who not only talked, but spoke of a connection to something non-material? And what is the reply to that mobile atom bag that not only talked like a non-material realm actually existed, but that something called “God” truly existed as well? And, what if this mobile atom bag used its ability to talk to speak of this “God” in the non-material realm as his father? If evolution is true, there is only one rational response to such a chattering mobile atom bag. He is either a liar or a lunatic. Would you listen to him? Would you admit that you know him? Would you follow him? Jesus often spoke of a non-material God as His father. If evolution is true, then Jesus was either lying to those around him, or he really believed it. And if he really believed it and it was not true, he was both a liar and a lunatic.
Once after Jesus said that no one comes to the Father except through him, one of his disciples asked to see the Father. Jesus replied to this disciple that anyone who has seen me (Jesus) has seen the Father. He continued to say that he (Jesus) is in the Father, and that the Father is in him. And he went further to say it is the Father living in him who is doing his (God’s) work.
Consider Jesus’ words for a moment in light of what the theory of evolution tells us is true about Jesus. If evolution is the true creation story for human beings Jesus is truly a lunatic. What he claimed of himself cannot possibly be true. In fact, the very notion that an evolved man, an animal that evolved from the one before it, which evolved from the one before it, and on and on down the line to the first purposeless bacterium, would presume to speak of a God at all, much less as his own Father, is pure nonsense.
If evolution is true, then Jesus is no more special or different than any other evolved thing, plant or animal, that came before him or after him. God is no more his Father than the tooth fairy is his mother, or the Easter bunny is his sister. His supposed father can be lumped together with every other imaginary concoction of human beings.
But there is another option. Maybe evolution is not the true creation story for human beings and Jesus is truly Lord for all the reasons supported in scripture. Maybe Jesus is the God-man, fully God and fully human, the promised Messiah who came to earth as God incarnate to save all who believe. And maybe a non-material God of the universe truly is his father.
Jesus told his disciple, “Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.” It’s all about belief. We can believe a story of creation that reduces ours, and Jesus’, existence to that of meaningless, purposeless matter in a cold, uncaring universe. If we adopt this belief, then we must believe that Jesus is a liar and a lunatic.
Alternatively, we can believe Jesus’ words, or believe on the evidence of his miracles. If we adopt this belief, then then we must believe that Jesus is Lord. It’s all about belief.
Choose your beliefs carefully.
Because Jesus’ true identity is not changed by your belief about him.
Think about it.