TODAY IS…

a splendid day to understand that the truth cannot be locked away

“So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.”  Matthew 27:66 NIV

The Pharisees and leading priests remembered Jesus’ declaration that He would rise from the dead. They convinced Pilate to seal His body in a tomb after His death and post a number of guards to make sure that His disciples did not steal His body to make it appear that He really did rise from the dead.

Of course, we all know that no tomb and no number of guards were capable of locking away the truth. The truth cannot be denied, it cannot be hidden, and it cannot be denounced.

In today’s society, there are new attempts to “lock away” the truth. It becomes increasingly difficult to speak of God without offending someone. Objections are raised about “civil rights,” but if we recall, forces have always been at work to deny the truth.

Forces have always been at work to lock the truth away.

When Paul and Barnabas were trying to spread the Good News, certain Jews tried to deny the truth. First they spoke against Paul and Barnabas.

“Then the Jews stirred up the influential religious women and the leaders of the city, and they incited a mob against Paul and Barnabas and ran them out of town.” (Acts 13:50 NLT).

This did not stop them, of course, they simply moved on and preached elsewhere. Danger existed all around them as they traveled, but they never stopped preaching. They knew the truth and it was important to them that it be shared with others.

In Corinth, Paul said, “For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth.” (2 Corinthians 13:8 NASB).

Of course, Jesus knew that all of His disciples would have their moments of doubt. He knew that they would all be shaken terribly by the reality of His death, but He had told them, “…I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” (John 11:6 KJV).

He would have to rise from the dead and stand before them to finally get His message to register and take firm hold with the people who then began to show the world that you cannot lock away the truth. You cannot seal it away in a tomb and guard it to keep it from people.

Each and every one of us has a responsibility to the truth. How well we fulfill that obligation will be demonstrated in how we live each day that God gives us as a gift. The truth cannot – and must not – ever be locked away, for the truth is freedom.

“…and you will know the truth and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:32 NASB).

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson