Questioning Christ And Christianity

INTRO.- ILL.- It is said that when Herbert Hoover ran for election as President of the United States at the height of the prosperity boom in 1928, one of his campaign promises, expressed as a campaign slogan of the Republican party, was “A chicken in every pot, a car in every garage.”

The following year, in 1929, came the Wall Street crash and the Great Depression, and one of the popular comments of the day was to wonder what had happened to “A chicken in every pot.”

It’s no wonder why the people of the depression era were critical and skeptical. Some skepticism is good.

ILL.- There was an email being sent around a few years ago that said something to the effect that if you would forward the email you would get so much money. In fact, here is how one of them (yes, there was more than one) read: Hello everybody, my name is Bill Gates. I have just written up an e-mail tracing program that traces everyone to whom this message is forwarded. I am experimenting with this and I need your help. Forward this to everyone you know and if it reaches 1000 people everyone on the list will receive $1000 at my expense. Enjoy. Your friend, Bill Gates

That email was not true. Nor are all the other give-away hoaxes. In some cases, it pays to be somewhat skeptical. Free money is not free.

Matthew 10:16 Jesus said to His disciples, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” (or be wise as snakes)

When it comes to the world and it’s schemes, etc. we need to be wise. There is always something going on in this world to deceive people. We need wisdom to be smart and selective.

Some skepticism may be good but some may not be so good.

ILL.- Once an atheist asked a Christian lady if she believed the Bible was true. “Yes,” said the lady. “Then.” Said the atheist, “tell me how a whale swallowed Jonah, since a whale’s stomach is no bigger than a man’s head.”

“I don’t know,” said the lady: “but when I get to Heaven I will ask him.” “What if Jonah is not there?” said the atheist. “Then you can ask him,” said the lady.

ILL.- During the French Revolution, men were determined to abolish Christianity. One clear night an atheist was loudly proclaiming his wicked doctrine to a poor countryman. “Everything,” he said, “will be abolished—churches, Bibles, clergymen; yes, even the word ‘God’ itself. We shall remove everything which speaks of religion!”

The countryman gave a quiet chuckle. “Why do you laugh?” said the atheist. The peasant pointed to the stars and replied, “I was just wondering how you and your crew would manage to get those down!”

PROP.- In our text, we see three different questions: one from the Sadducees, one from the Pharisees and one from Jesus. One is strange, one is straight and one is pure truth.

1- the marriage question

2- the resurrection question

3- the law question

I. THE MARRIAGE QUESTION

Matt. 22:23-29 “That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. "Teacher," they said, "Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and have children for him. Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. Finally, the woman died. Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?" Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.”

This is the strange question about marriage. A woman had been married 7 times. They asked, “In the next life, whose wife would she should be?” Strange question.

People of every age have marriage questions. Who doesn’t? Marriage is something of a puzzle, yet to be figured out.

ILL.- Preacher: “Do you take this man for better or worse?”

Mandy: “He can’t be no worse, and they is no hopes of his gettin’ any better, so I takes him ‘as is.’ ”

We must remember the Sadducees were asking this question about marriage and they did not even believe in the resurrection or a future life beyond the grave. It was a dumb question. And today people ask similar questions.

- “How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?”

- “Where did God come from?”

- “If Jesus is God’s son why did He bother to come to earth?”