If you pay attention to the news, you know that Governor Scott Walker is being attacked. One of the attacks is that he is not “educated” enough to be president; as he does not believe in evolution (the General Theory of Evolution).

So that is how significant this topic is. The topic of evolution has entered the presidential debate. Church leadership for the most part is not doing anything to equip parishioners to defend the Bible when it comes to this issue; or even give the parishioners any guidance as to how they should think about this issue.

But what would Jesus do? Would He address this issue? Or would He just keep telling people that they need to believe in Him. He did tell people that they need to believe in Him. Read through the Gospel according to John and that is very clear. He says it a number of times, in a number of ways, to different people. But would He deal with the topic of evolution? Yes! How do I know this? We have His word.

My normal routine before going to work is to get up early to ride the exercise bicycle. Having a young son in the house, I have found this to be my best opportunity for this activity. While riding the exercise bicycle, I watch Bill Federer on Faith in History.   It comes on The Church Channel (TCT) at 05:30 CT. This is a show that everyone should watch.

On one episode, Bill was comparing the Sadducees with the Pharisees. We are familiar with both of these groups from the New Testament. Jesus had encounters with both groups. In Acts 23, Luke describes Paul being brought before the Sadducees and Pharisees. Paul played on their differences to divide them. Bill gave the historical background of the two groups.

The Pharisees were the ones who studied the scriptures. They can trace their roots back to Ezra with the return from the Babylonian captivity. After the return from the Babylonian captivity, the Jews were conquered by the Greeks and then the Romans, who followed Greek thought.

A group of Jews wanted to get along with their conquerors and adopted this Greek thought; rather than stay true to the scriptures. They were the Sadducees. They did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, or angels or spirits. That is why they were sad, you see? Today they would be the materialists or secular humanists.

Materialists believe that matter and energy are all that exist. In other words, there is no God and certainly no life after death. Secular humanists believe that man is the measure of all things. These two ideas go hand in hand. If there is no God, then it is up to man to decide right and wrong – that is if you can even say that there is such a thing as right and wrong. Whereas, if you believe in God, you believe that God is the ultimate judge of what is right and wrong. The General Theory of Evolution is actually materialistic philosophy. It is an attempt, along with the big bang theory, to explain things without God.

When Jesus addressed each of these groups, he addressed them differently. In the Gospel according to John, 5:39-40, Jesus stated to the Pharisees, “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life.” – NLT. He was talking to people that professed belief in the scriptures (our Old Testament). He was imploring these Pharisees to see that the scriptures pointed to Him.

The Gospel according to Luke, Chapter 20, describes an encounter Jesus had with the Sadducees. They tell of a woman who was married to each of seven brothers that died. Then finally the woman died. They asked whose wife would she be in the next life. Jesus not only answered that question, He answered their real question, which was about the resurrection. He stated in verses 37-38, “But now, as to whether the dead will be raised—even Moses proved this when he wrote about the burning bush. Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, he referred to the Lord as ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’  So he is the God of the living, not the dead, for they are all alive to Him.” – NLT.

Jesus actually answered people in a number of ways. He confronted the woman at the well with her sin. He told the rich young ruler to sell all that he had, give it to the poor and follow Him. He told another man the parable of the Good Samaritan. So whatever was keeping people from Jesus, Jesus would address. It only makes sense that Jesus would do this. Jesus is described in the Gospel according to John and in Paul’s letter to the Colossians as the Creator. So being our creator, Jesus understands that we are thinking, reasoning beings. He made us that way. So it is entirely consistent with His character to answer people’s questions and address the barriers that people have. We should do the same.

Terry Read