Mysteries & Contradictions

S:
John 7:40-44 Many of the multitude therefore, when they heard these words, said, “This is truly the prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “What, does the Christ come out of Galilee? Hasn’t the Scripture said that the Christ comes of the offspring of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?”  So a division arose in the multitude because of him.

O:
We know the solution to this prophecy problem because we have the Gospels according to Matthew and Luke. Matthew 2:1-6 tells us that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, while Luke 2:1-7 explains why these Galileans were there in Bethlehem in the first place. 

But it’s interesting that John doesn’t tell us this part of the story. If we didn't have Matthew and Luke, we would have been left with a mystery or contradiction. It makes me wonder, how many of our mysteries and contradictions in scripture are because of such lack of information? Perhaps all of them.

A:
Given the overwhelming evidence that Jesus is trustworthy, in those cases where we have such mysteries and contradictions, we will have to exercise faith that we can trust Him that there’s an explanation, even if we don’t know what it is yet. It’s OK to say, “I don’t know yet.”

P: 

When You don’t move the mountains I’m needing You to move
When You don’t part the waters I wish I could walk through
When You don’t give the answers as I cry out to You
I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You

Truth is, You know what tomorrow brings
There’s not a day ahead You have not seen
So, in all things be my life and breath
I want what You want, Lord, and nothing less

You are my strength and comfort
You are my steady hand
You are my firm foundation; the rock on which I stand
Your ways are always higher
Your plans are always good
There’s not a place where I’ll go, You’ve not already stood

When You don’t move the mountains I’m needing You to move
When You don’t part the waters I wish I could walk through
When You don’t give the answers as I cry out to You
I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You