Still, it’s not easy to
keep authentic miracles under wraps. The word got around and Jesus began to
draw crowds. When He healed a man’s withered hand on the Sabbath, Jesus crossed
some sort of a line. “Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with
the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.” Mark 3:6
The Lord’s detractors
started a rumor campaign. “And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said,
‘He has Beelzebub,’ and, ‘By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.’”
Mark3:22
As the Lord’s following
grew, so did the coalition of people who wanted to put an end to Him. In
addition to the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians who hated Jesus from the
start, there were chief priests and elders of the temple who were annoyed over
the Lord’s tirade about the den of thieves they were operating.
Some tried to trip
Jesus up with trick questions. “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Cesar, or not?”
they asked. Mark 12:14
Engaging in wordplay
with the Lord is never a good idea. Jesus answered, “Render to Caesar the
things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Mark 12:17
The rumor campaign
hadn’t worked and the trick questions had all backfired. It took fake news and
a kangaroo court to get anywhere against Jesus.
“Now the chief priests
and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but
found none. For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did
not agree.” Mark 14: 55-57.
Jesus was prosecuted
and crucified on the basis of fake news. However, the fake news didn’t stop when
Jesus took His last breath. Even though guards were on duty by the tomb where
he was placed, He disappeared. A cover story was quickly concocted.
“Now while they were
going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief
priests all that had happened. When they had assembled with the elders and
consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, saying,
‘Tell them His disciples came at night and stole Him away.’” Matthew 28:11-13
Some folks will say
just about anything for money. That’s one of the reasons we have so much fake
news today. The real news, for those who believe, is that Jesus did rise from
the dead. He met up with His disciples and gave them a few final instructions.
“Go into all the world
and preach the Gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will
be saved.” Mark 16:15-16
Believing in Jesus and
being forgiven for all one’s sins may seem like fake news, too good to be true.
However, that’s exactly what happened for one of the criminals next to Jesus.
The guy, who was not named in any of the Gospel accounts, knew that he deserved
to be crucified. He also knew, somehow, that Jesus did not deserve to die and
that the Lord was going to reign in a kingdom that was not of this world.
This criminal didn’t
have long to live. Any pretensions of innocence were gone. He was a sinner, and
he knew it. There was nothing he would ever be able to do to redeem himself,
and he knew it. The Son of God - the way, the truth, and the life – was right
next to him, and, somehow, he knew it. Jesus was his only hope, and he knew it.
He asked the Lord to
remember him when He arrived in His kingdom. “And Jesus said to him,
‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’” Luke 23:43
The Lord’s assurance
may have sounded like fake news – much too good to be true. However, it was the
truth. And Jesus is as ready to forgive someone and to receive him or her into
His kingdom today as He was the day He and the criminals next to Him were
nailed to their crosses.
One of those criminals
made a good decision and the other did not. One met Jesus in Paradise, and the
other did not. That’s not fake news. It is the truth.
Note: Bible verses
quoted are from the New King James translation.
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