“Let’s see him come down from that cross and then we will believe in him.” (Mt 27: 42) Why do we challenge God to make us believe in Him? Would those who hurled that comment to Jesus really believe if He did come down?

“Presently, Simon Peter came along behind him and entered the tomb. He observed the wrappings on the ground and saw the piece of cloth which had covered the head not lying with the wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the disciple who had arrived first at the tomb went in. He saw and believed.” (Jn 20:6-8) John did not see Jesus, but he believed. He did not need to see a body alive and functioning to believe, rather it was knowing Jesus during His ministry, being in a close relationship with Him, that allowed John to believe after seeing the remains of the wrappings.

So how do you determine your belief in Jesus as the Son of God? As Bishop Robert Barron puts it, we need to decide for ourselves.  Is Jesus a liar, a lunatic or the Son of God? Logic can only take you so far. Do we, like John, journey with Jesus and see the miracles and hear the kingdom of God proclaimed? Do we get to know Him so that we recognize Him in the details, like the way Jesus left  the head covering cloth rolled up to the side? Are we open to allowing Him to prove He is God on His terms rather than ours?

To acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God is to open ourselves to change. We each have our own faith journey to make, with lots of bumps and rugged terrain along with way. A mustard seed of belief in Jesus is step one towards the heavenly destination. God never forces a belief in Him or for us to change more than we can. The more we believe in Him, the more we are open to His way, the more we are not merely changed, but transformed. Along the way we may find ourselves questioning why from time to time.  The answer is simple: because I believe.