Jesus, the Reality Bringing Peace in a World of Fantasy

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Mark 4:39

And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

(ESV)

One of the benefits realized with the writing of the books of the Harry Potter series was it caused young people to read.  (1)  However, as a side benefit, adults also read the books as a means of escaping reality through fantasy.  (2)  However, we must insure fantasy does not become an alternate reality in our lives, preventing us from handling genuine issues in our lives that may be ugly and undesirable.  Daydreaming or fantasy are a means of engaging the imagination and serve to aid creativity but if they become compulsive, present a serious mental issue.  (3)  Christians find comfort from ugly realities of life through Jesus, the Bible, and spending time with fellow Christians.  However, is Jesus a fantasy of escape from reality or a genuine way of handling reality?

One of the dangers of post-modernism which is prevalent in academia and media today (4) (5) is its denial of any absolute truth.   This removal of truth from one’s life creates a vacuum and since nature abhors vacuums, a compulsive fantasy often fills the void.  (6)  Those equating Christianity with other mythical beliefs believe Christianity is a compulsive fantasy detaching Christians from reality.  This belief has some basis in truth as some Christians have adopted a faith based upon an alternate “Word of Faith” type of thinking believing that one can speak desired circumstances into existence.  (7)  However, abundant historical and archeological evidence exists proving Jesus existence, His death and resurrection, are truth and not fantasy.  (8)

It is a deception of Satan that tries to equate Christianity with myth and fantasy.  This is not a new strategy but one that began with Satan’s deception of Eve in the Garden (Genesis 3:1-7).  This deception continued during Jesus ministry with the Jewish leaders of His time failing to recognize Him as their promised Messiah, in fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 6:10.  Instead those that should have embraced Jesus as their savior, called for his crucifixion, ironically causing the High Priest to offer up the perfect sacrifice of the unblemished lamb of God whose blood once and for all cleanses people of their sins (2Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 9:11-28).  The purpose of Satan’s deception is preventing people from accepting Jesus as their savior by convincing them belief in Jesus as God and savior is just a myth believed by weak people, a hypothesis popular with Sigmund Freud.  (9)

In what some would cite as a statement of narcistic arrogance, Jesus claimed to be the way, truth, and life (John 14:6).  When Pilate asked Jesus if he were a king, Jesus response was that He came to bear witness to the truth (John18:37-38).  However, with His miraculous resurrection three days after His execution, his statements are a declaration of who He was and not narcissism.  Therefore, a belief in Jesus as Savior is not fantasy or myth but a belief in the greatest reality, a belief in a creator God who loved his creation so much, he became one of them and sacrificed Himself for their sins.  John 10:10 sums it up well for it exposes the strategy destruction and deception of Satan while telling us that Jesus came to cleanse us of our sins so we can have an abundant eternal life with Him in heaven (John 3:16).

If you are interested in finding reality in your life, I want to take this time to invite you to accept Jesus as your savior and enjoy the greatest reality possible.

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

Jesus is alive and real.  He has given us His word, the Bible so we can get to know him.  Ample historical and archaeological evidence exists proving His existence.  I invite you to get to know your savior by studying the Bible, finding a church teaching the Bible, and spending time with other believers who can give encouragement for you as you get to know your savior better.

May God bless everyone reading this.

1. Buzacott-Speer, Eliza. The 'Harry Potter effect': How seven books changed the face of children's publishing. www.abc.net.au. [Online] ABC, June 25, 2017. [Cited: October 14, 2017.] http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-26/harry-potter-effect-how-seven-books-changed-childrens-publishing/8630254.

2. Edwards, Anna. Does Harry Potter magic away the stresses of modern life? Adults seek refuge from reality in children's fantasy. www.dailymail.co.uk. [Online] Daily Mail, September 23, 2011. [Cited: October 14, 2017.] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2040705/Escaping-reality-How-stresses-modern-life-drive-adults-seek-refuge-childrens-books.html.

3. Glausiusz, Josie. Living in an Imaginary World. www.scientificamerican.com. [Online] Scientific American, January 1, 2014. [Cited: October 14, 2017.] https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/living-in-an-imaginary-world/.

4. Sanbonmatsu, John. POSTMODERNISM AND THE CORRUPTION OF ACADEMIC INTELLIGENTSIA. socialistregister.com. [Online] Socialist Register. [Cited: March 31, 2017.] http://socialistregister.com/index.php/srv/article/viewFile/5851/2747.

5. Saugstad, Andreas. Postmodernism and the Media. bolesblogs.com. [Online] November 20, 2000. [Cited: March 31, 2017.] https://bolesblogs.com/2000/11/20/postmodernism-the-media/.

6. Our Daily Bread. Nature Abhors A Vacuum. obd.org. [Online] Our Daily Bread. [Cited: October 30, 2016.] http://odb.org/2011/01/21/nature-abhors-a-vacuum/.

7. Rob. Reality or fantasy? faithmeetsworld.com. [Online] Faith Meets World, September 7, 2013. [Cited: October 14, 2017.] http://www.faithmeetsworld.com/reality-or-fantasy/.

8. Gathercole, Dr. Simon. What is the historical evidence that Jesus Christ lived and died? www.theguardian.com. [Online] The Guardian, April 14, 2017. [Cited: October 14, 2017.] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/14/what-is-the-historical-evidence-that-jesus-christ-lived-and-died.

9. Rodger, Daniel. Is Christianity a Psychological Crutch? www.bethinking.org. [Online] Bethinking. [Cited: October 14, 2017.] https://www.bethinking.org/is-christianity-true/is-christianity-a-psychological-crutch.