“But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’”

— Luke 19:14

Have you ever played a part in this scenario: You’re having a rational discussion with someone when the subject of Christianity arises. All of a sudden, this person spouts nonsensical arguments in favor of rejecting Christ outright. Do you ever wonder why the subject of Christianity makes the most rational people irrational?

Why do so many reject Jesus Christ? Arguments against Christ seem to fly out of the human heart like bats out of a dark cave. Many people raise objections against Christ that seem absurd and ridiculous. The fallen human mind can produce an enormous amount of arguments to counter the truth of Christ despite clear evidence of His existence. This reflex rejection brings to mind Christ’s trial, when no rational accusation against Him came forth.

I believe that most objections do not come from intellectual causes but from moral ones. People reject Christ not because of unconvincing arguments but because of uncontrolled appetites. Most people prefer to pass themselves off as skeptics rather than sinners, as agnostics rather than reprobates, as doubters rather than debauchers or drunks. I once read about a man who claimed to be a Christian early in life but then rejected Christ because, despite his prayers, a loved one died from a disease. Later on, however, people discovered that this man was a womanizer with a “girl in every port.” His intellectual arguments didn’t fuel his rejection of Christ; his sin did.

Instead of allowing sin to determine our belief in Christ, we should have an attitude like that of the aging Queen Victoria. During a performance of Handel’s “Messiah,” as the choir sang “King of kings and Lord of lords,” she rose to her feet despite a great deal of pain. She later explained that she could not sit before the King of kings and Lord of lords. We, too, should proclaim His existence, in our arguments and our actions, striving to live right so that we might experience Him daily, leaving no room for doubt that He lives.

“All hail the power of Jesus’ name! Let angels prostrate fall.
Bring forth the royal diadem, to crown Him Lord of all!”
Edward Perronet