People who twist the truth often do it to gain some advantage or hold on to their positions of power or control. Yet it is not new. In Jesus’ day, the religious leaders and the public twisted truth to justify their actions. Jesus had threatened their positions and condemned their wicked behavior. So they used distortion of truth to demonize Him so they could claim He was a fake, not the Messiah. We read this in Mark Ch 15, “Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!” In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” . . . “but he can’t save himself! Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who crucified Jesus used various ways to justify crucifying him. The chief tactic was to twist the truth of who He really is to make themselves look good, so they could keep their positions of power. Today, we have to be very careful lest those seeking to gain power, or to protect their position, mislead us by twisting the truth that comes from God.
Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr.
Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr. is the founder and chairman of UMI (Urban Ministries, Inc.). Under his direction, UMI has grown to be a leading publisher of Christian education resources for churches in the African American community. Read More
