A Pastor’s Perspective

“Trick or Truth?” by Mike Hill, pastor of Calvary Chapel Aberdeen (mjhill@ida.net)

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 “How in the world did he do that?”  I blurted out in bewilderment.  After removing several swords from a small enclosure, the magician opened the top and jumped in.  When he stepped out, his teenaged son followed him out!  Astonishingly, his younger son also exited the enclosure unscathed.  “How did they fit in there?  Why didn’t the swords pierce them?”  It was as if his sons were brought back to life, but it was just a trick.  The magician is fond of saying, “What I do are tricks and illusion, only God can work miracles.  I agree.

The sword that pierced Jesus’ side did not kill Him.  He was already dead.  The blood and water that gushed from the open wound indicated that His body was no longer alive (John 19:34).  Medical experts suspect that hypovolemic shock caused fluid to gather in the sack around His heart and lungs called pericardial effusion and pleural effusion, respectively. This is why blood and water poured out after a Roman soldier pierced His side.  Three days later, Jesus was alive.  The tomb was empty.  How did He do that?  Was it smoke and mirrors?  It was a miracle of God.

God’s Word, the Bible, teaches that all humanity is born spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1-3).  This is why Jesus said, “Ye must be born again” (John 3:7b).  He was not referring to physical birth.  Jesus was talking about a spiritual birth.  Have you been born again?  It’s not a trick.  It’s the truth.  And the only way it happens is if God performs a miracle within your life.  The second birth occurs when you allow the sword of God’s living word to pierce your own heart and trust Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior (Hebrews 4:12; John 1:12; 3:16; Romans 10:9-10).