Evidence Means Nothing to People Who are Filled with Hatred
The human heart is the most vile of objects
In Matthew 26:63-65, at His trial before the high priest, Jesus was asked, “I put you under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!” When Jesus answered affirmatively, the high priest replied, “He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses?” So, Jesus was led to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, and executed.
The problem with the high priest and the Jewish leaders was, Jesus had been giving them evidence for about three years of who He was. He fulfilled Old Testament prophecy, His teaching was superior to any human’s, and most of all, He had done countless miracles that only God could have done, evidencing exactly Who He was. But that didn’t matter to these Jewish leaders at all. They didn’t care about the evidence. Their position of power was at stake, and Jesus wasn’t the kind of Messiah they wanted, i.e., the kind who would allow them to remain in their cushy positions of exaltation over the people. Plus, they didn’t especially like what He taught. He exposed their evil and hypocrisy, and that, indeed, is a problem even today. The world “hates Me,” Jesus said, “because I testify of it that its works are evil” (John 7:7). That is just as true today as it was when Jesus spoke those words. He condemns sin; people who want to sin aren’t going to like what He taught. So, they hate Him, and ignore all the evidence He provided of Who He really was.
When He was hanging on the cross, some of His detractors said, “If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.” (Matt. 27:42). That was a bald-faced lie. Again, He had given them plenty of evidence in the previous three years who He was; they weren’t going to believe in Him, regardless of what He did.
To those who are filled with blind hatred and prejudice, no amount of evidence will convince them of the truth. That is a truth that has never changed. And never will.