Last week I watched a photography vlog on YouTube. The guy was talking about a photo and how the different parts worked together, or in this case, didn’t work. He was particularly concerned about the placement of a large rock in the foreground. It didn’t look right, so with the editing software, he just picked it up and moved it.

It was a neat trick and shows how far photo editing software has come, but it did raise a question; how do I know that what I’m looking at is real?

Over the last few years, the term ‘fake news’ has been one that we’ve all become familiar with. The internet has become an information hub, yet not all of it’s true. Some just pretends to be true but is actually false and misleading. An article about covid, a piece on war in Ukraine, a statement about our government; how do I know that what I’m looking at is real?

You might ask the same question about the Bible. At its heart there’s an incredible message about God stepping into this world in the person of his Son, and giving himself to die for us on the cross. But that’s the end. Jesus rose from the dead and invites all people everywhere to come and know him. But, how do I know that what I’m looking at is real?

Here are some reasons that I find compelling. First, the accounts of Jesus’ life, miracles, death and resurrection were written by eyewitnesses or those who spoke to people who were eyewitnesses.

Second, it’s rooted in historical events. The death and resurrection of Jesus would have been easy to disprove if they’d never happened, but it wasn’t.

Then third, and maybe you’ll think this sounds a bit weird, there’s the evidence of lives that have been changed by coming to know Jesus. Lives talked about in the Bible, lives that fill the pages of history, and lives that are being lived today. My own life has been changed by Jesus.

So, is it real? That’s a great question to ask in so many situations, and I’d encourage you to ask it about the message of the Bible. If it is, what difference would that make?

If you want to know more about Jesus and the difference the Bible says he could make in your life, please get in touch.