October 30 - Hebrews 1:1-14 - Oh, Yes He Is!

During the Cold War in 1950, Richard Patterson, Jr., United States ambassador to Guatemala, accused the Jacobo Guzmán government of being Communist. Patterson explained his reasoning as follows:

“Suppose you see a bird walking around in a farm yard. This bird has no label that says 'duck'. But the bird certainly looks like a duck. Also, he goes to the pond and you notice that he swims like a duck. Then he opens his beak and quacks like a duck. Well, by this time you have probably reached the conclusion that the bird is a duck, whether he's wearing a label or not."

This has come to be known as the “Duck Test.” One way of explaining this approach would be… rather than doubt that things are as they appear to be until proven so, accept things as they appear to be until proven not so. If it looks, swims and quacks like a duck, accept that it’s a duck! Or prove that it is an impostor.

The author of the book of Hebrews describes Jesus, and the description is of God. Look what it says about Him: the universe was made through Him (v. 2); He is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of God’s being; He sustains all things by the power of His Word (v. 3); He laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of His hands (v. 10); the angels worship Him (v. 6); He is called “God” (v. 8) and “Lord” (v. 10) and He and His throne will last forever and ever (vss. 8,11,12).

Jesus looks like God, swims like God and quacks like God. So, I’m not going to worry myself over those who challenge me to prove that Jesus is God. I’m going to accept that He IS God and let others try to prove that He is not. 

Some folks point to the fact that Jesus never explicitly says that He is God. That’s like Patterson’s statement that the bird has no label that says ‘duck.’ It doesn’t have to have a label for us to see clearly that it’s a duck. Jesus doesn’t have to have a nametag that reads, “Hello, my name is God” for us to know that He is God. But read the gospels carefully. Study the New Testament in light of its Old Testament antecedents. Jesus did indeed declare His divinity in the language and context of His culture. 

So then, if Jesus is one who claims to be God when He knows that He is not – he's a liar, or if He truly believes He is God when He isn’t – he's a lunatic,  but if He is who He says He is – he's the Lord God Almighty. Some solve this ‘trilemma’ with the proposal that Jesus’ followers make Him out to be God when He isn’t – he's a legend. But that also causes the claim to fall into the category of ‘lie’. All this calls the question, “Can a myth, a madman, or a misrepresentation transform the lives of millions over two millennia?”

That looks, swims and quacks like divinity to me.

Pray: Jesus, if you are who you say you are, then you are a living God with power to speak today, to move today, and to transform lives from the inside out. I have seen that. I have experienced that. I am convinced. Continue to show yourself worthy of faith and worship. Thank you that you are alive and living in me. Use me as an instrument of revelation. May others see You in me.