78. NOT DOUBTINGGod affirmed Jesus’ identity on the mountain and said that we should listen to him.
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Would it surprise you to learn that the source of some of your greatest fears is doubt? We all want to know that someone loves us, what happens after death, what will happen in the future, and who we really are. It is because we have doubts about these things that we search for answers to life’s biggest questions.
In this lesson, we will look more closely at the inner struggle of human doubt and see that God has gone to great lengths to remove all doubt from our minds. He wants us to be clear about who He is, what He loves and hates, how He has helped mankind, and what will happen in the future. God’s main purpose in removing doubt is to remove fear, which happens to be the greatest obstacle to love. In previous lessons, we have seen that He removes fear through prophecy, acts of nature, miracles, angels, and even speaking. Before we read the Biblical account, let’s look at how our country's founder tried to remove the doubts of a new country’s citizens.
In 1923, Mustafa Kemal had the weight of the world on his shoulders. He had just pulled the Turkish people out of the ashes of destruction and placed in their laps a new country and identity. To some, the ght was over and the work was nished. But Ataturk knew it had just begun. To him it was painfully obvious that the bright future of this new Republic, and most importantly it’s people, could only be secured through sound principles of government in the areas of peace, diplomacy, education, and equality; all of which he wanted the Turkish people to be sure of. So he toured the country giving speeches, wrote letters, and recorded his personal thoughts
in memoirs. His life work was to remove doubt from the Turkish people’s minds about their place in the world’s history and future.
Let’s review some of his most famous quotes by starting with a comment about war:
Unless a nation's life faces peril, war is murder.
Ataturk was speaking to farmers in Adana when he made this statement. It was very important because it reflected his belief that war was to be avoided at all costs. A philosophy that kept Turkey out of World War II and can easily be seen in his famous quote about world peace:
Peace at home, peace in the world.
After World War II, the Cold War was just another example of how cold the human heart really was. But a lot has changed in the last 20 years. We now live at a time when all countries depend upon each other. A byproduct of this symbiosis is the renewed hope for world peace. Our world has literally become a “global village”. We eat food, wear clothes, and use equipment produced all over the world. We can watch live programs from around the world with a single push of a button. We can take a trip on the “information highway” and use a computer made of resources from several different countries to read about a university student’s life in Venezuela. We literally depend on one another. Ataturk left no doubt that if Turkey worked to solve inner problems through peaceful, democratic means it would be able to help other countries do the same. Ataturk said,
Mankind is a single body and each nation a part of that body. We must never say "What does it matter to me if some part of the world is ailing?" If there is such an illness, we must concern ourselves with it as though we were having that illness.
In Ataturk’s mind, the nations of the earth had a responsibility to work together and Turkey would not be excluded. For this reason, Turkey was a founding member of the United Nations and has been in NATO since 1952. Yes, Ataturk left no doubt that Turkey would be a part of the global family; a family concerned about both sexes, male and female.
Human kind is made up of two sexes, women and men. Is it possible that a mass is improved by the improvement of only one part and the other part is ignored? Is it possible that half of a mass can be tied to earth with chains while the other half is soaring into the skies?71
There is no doubt that Ataturk believed in gender equality. A person should have a right to education, employment, and personal choice regardless of sex. This was a principle that he would not compromise on. A principle that can best be seen in all of our educational, government, and business institutions.
Perhaps you have never thought about it in this way, but simple observation and research shows that Ataturk wanted to help eliminate doubt in Turkish people's minds. His many quotes about the greatness of Turkey’s history and people left no doubt about their importance in world events. His ideas about war, peace, and global unity left no doubts as to Turkey’s responsibility as a nation of many. Finally, his ideas and reforms to bring about gender equality left no doubt that Turkey had become a modern nation through the contributions of both its male and female citizens. If you have ever had any doubts about our place and value in the world, remember that it was Ataturk's goal to eradicate those doubts and build up our self-esteem as a people.
Now, let’s turn to the Bible and see how God removed doubt from the minds of three men.
Ever since Jesus had rst preached in the temple at 12 years of 195 age, people had been wondering who he was. It wasn’t until his baptism in the Jordan River that many people began to think that he was the Messiah. But in spite of the many miracles he performed,
the authority with which he taught, and the ful llment of multiple prophecies the doubts still remained!
“Could anything good come out of Nazareth?” they reasoned.
“He is a carpenter the son of Mary and Joseph. He didn’t even go to the rabbinical schools!”
“Some people say God spoke on the day he was baptized in the Jordan River. But I only heard thunder.”
One might reason that these doubts were legitimate. After all, Jesus had been making some outstanding claims that he was the Messiah/ the Son of Man/the Son of God. But Jesus wasn’t saying these things to draw attention to himself. Just as we saw in an earlier lesson, he was only doing what God had told him to do. He was simply repeating what God had already said.
It was in this context that Jesus handpicked three of his disciples to witness one of the most glorious moments in Bible history. Let’s start in Matthew chapter 17 verse 1:
1 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
Just six days earlier, Jesus had given the disciples the most solemn news. In the clearest words, he told them that he would go to Jerusalem, suffer, and be killed. The disciples were so shocked that they didn’t know how to react. They had never opposed Jesus or disbelieved what he had said. But Peter couldn’t stand to think that his teacher, master, and mentor would die, much less be murdered. So he spoke up,
“This can never happen to you!”
Jesus’ stern reply sent shivers down Peter’s spine. The man who Jesus had just recently praised was now being rebuked.
“Get behind me Satan! You are an offense to me.”72
Although Jesus’ answer seems harsh, we need to remember that his remark wasn’t aimed at Peter. Rather it was aimed at the one who had inspired Peter’s words. Jesus was already familiar with Satan’s tactics from his time in the desert and he knew Peter was being used by the devil. In spite of Peter being one of his best friends, he wasn’t about to succumb to any influence that would cause him to quit or turn back from what God had sent him to do.
As they climbed that mountain, Peter, James, and John thought about the words that Jesus had just spoken to them. They couldn’t understand how a man like Jesus, a prophet who worked miracles, could die in such a way. It just didn’t make sense. In their confusion, their minds were filled with doubt and they just continued walking without saying a word.
But Jesus didn’t intend to leave the disciples in doubt. He wanted them to have a greater understanding of who he was and what he needed to do. He knew that the months ahead would become more dangerous and that the disciples’ faith would need to be strengthened. So Jesus prayed that God would open their eyes and reveal to them in a greater way that what he was saying was true. Let’s read what happened next in verse 2:
2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.
As the disciples looked at Jesus he began to shine like the sun and his road-worn clothes became as white as snow. Just as Jesus had said in Matthew 16 verse 28,
28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
Peter, James, and John saw Jesus in all his glory. For a brief moment, the garb of humanity was lifted and Jesus the Messiah, the Son of man, was seen for who he really was! What was he? The Son of God who came down from heaven. But that wasn’t all they saw. Let’s continue with verses 3 and 4:
3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 And Peter said to Jesus, Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.
Moses and Elijah were two of the greatest prophets in the Old Testament. Moses had spoken with God on Mt. Sinai and received the 10 commandments. Elijah witnessed God’s power on Mt. Carmel, fought against the idolatry of Israel’s kings, and went to heaven without dying. These two men, who had powerful encounters with God on mountaintops, were now standing on another mountaintop as witnesses. Their appearance with Jesus was miraculous and significant because it showed the continuity in God’s plan. In essence, God was saying to the disciples,
“You are witnessing something that I have revealed on several occasions through the prophets. The “prophet from among you”73 has come, the seed who “will crush the head of the serpent”74 has appeared. The “wonderful counselor” and “prince of peace”75 is among you.”
The disciples were astonished at what they were seeing. The Bible account leaves no doubt that it was real. So real, that Peter wanted to set up tents for all three men to stay there. Just imagine the questions they could have asked! But God wasn’t finished. He wanted to remove all their doubts. He wanted to reassure them that what Jesus had said was true. Let’s see what happened in Matthew chapter 17 verses 5-6:
5 He (Peter) was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him. 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.
As if the whole event wasn’t mysterious enough, Jesus and the disciples were enveloped with a bright cloud. The area would have been just like the Most Holy Place when the High Priest entered into God’s presence on the Day of Atonement. Then a loud, clear voice spoke,
“This is my beloved Son with whom I well pleased; listen to him.”
The disciples obviously knew they were in the presence of God. They didn’t even have time to think. Before God had finished speaking one word, the sound of His voice had driven them to their knees. Do you think you would have reacted differently?
When God said, “listen to him”, He was endorsing all that Jesus had said and would say. In essence, God was saying,
“Don’t have any doubts about what Jesus says. His words are truth and directly from me! If it were not so, I wouldn’t have allowed it. I am pleased with who he is and what he says. You should be too!”
As soon as God was done speaking, the scene returned to normal. But the disciples didn’t notice because they were still on the ground with their heads between their arms, shaking in fear. Let’s continue reading in Matthew chapter 17 verses 7 and 8:
7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, Rise, and have no fear. 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
Whatever doubts the disciples had going up the mountain were now gone. They knew who Jesus was and with whose authority he spoke.
But there was one more surprise. Let’s finish with verses 9-13:
9 And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead. 10 And the disciples asked him, Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?11 He answered, Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. 12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands. 13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
Jesus didn’t want them to tell anyone what they had witnessed. It was a secret that would remain between them. They most certainly didn’t understand how, why, or when all these things would take place. But after hearing God speak, they knew not to doubt!
On December 26, 1944 a Japanese intelligence officer named Hiroo Onoda was sent to the Philippine island of Lubang. He was ordered to do all that he could to hamper enemy attacks on the island, including destroying the airstrip and the pier at the harbor. His orders also stated that under no circumstances was he to surrender or take his own life.
Shortly after arriving, on February 28, 1945, Allied forces overtook the island. Everyone except Onoda and three other soldiers had either died or surrendered. Onoda, wanting to follow his orders unto death, ordered the other men to hide in the mountains.
On three different occasions, leaflets were dropped from the sky or left behind so that Onada and his men would surrender. They read the first leaflet in October 1945:
"The war ended on August 15. Come down from the mountains!”
But Onada and his men didn’t believe the leaflet and thought it was just Allied propaganda.
The second leaflet was dropped at the end of 1945. They had been hiding for over one year at this time. Although General Tomoyuki Yamashita of the Fourteenth Area Army wrote the leaflet and ordered Onada and his men to surrender, Onada, after thoroughly examining it, decided that it too was a hoax.
Seven years later, Onada found letters and family pictures scattered throughout the forest. Apparently they had been dropped from the sky, urging him to surrender and come home. But Onada still had his doubts. He was told to never surrender and all of these
leaflets had to be fake. So he decided to stay. By 1972, Onada was the only soldier left out of the original four.
Two years later, a Japanese man named Norio Suzuki made contact with Onada. In spite of becoming friends and Suzuki’s request for him to go home, Onada refused to leave the island unless a superior officer personally ordered him to do so.
Suzuki returned to Japan with photographs of himself and Onoda as proof of their encounter. After hearing his story, the Japanese government located Onoda's commanding officer, Major Taniguchi, who had become a bookseller. On March 9, 1974, he flew to Lubang, met with Onoda, and fulfilled the promise made in 1944:
"Whatever happens, we'll come back for you." His orders were as follows:
Units and individuals under the command of Special 201 Squadron are to cease military activities and operations immediately and place themselves under the command of the nearest superior officer. When no officer can be found, they are to communicate with the American or Philippine forces and follow their directives.
Thus, Onoda was relieved from duty without ever surrendering. He turned over his sword, Arisaka Type 99 rifle still in operating condition, 500 rounds of ammunition, and several hand grenades, as well as the dagger his mother gave him in 1944 for protection.76
For almost 30 years, he hid in the mountains because he doubted that the war was over. He had read all the leaflets, seen the Allied forces, and heard all the rumors. And yet his doubt remained. It wasn’t until he received the order from his commander that he finally believed that the war had ended.
You reader have also received a command. Just as God told the disciples to listen to Jesus, He is telling you to also listen. But you have a choice. Will you continue to doubt even though all the signs, witnesses, and holy writings proclaim the truth of Jesus’ identity? Or will you obey God’s command to step out of the jungle of confusion, to listen to Jesus and obey his words, and to follow him all the days of your life? Don’t let doubt control you. Take control of your fate and be changed!
Discussion Questions
1. What are your biggest fears? Does doubt play a role in any of those fears?
2. How can you encourage someone who has doubts about the truth of the Bible?
3. Do you have any doubts about who Jesus is?
4. Do you have to understand every detail to believe something?
5. What is the role of faith in moments of doubt?
71 http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Mustafa_Kemal_Atatürk
72 Matthew 16:23
73 Deut. 18:15, 18
74 Genesis 3:15
75 Isaiah 9:6
76 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroo_Onoda
In this lesson, we will look more closely at the inner struggle of human doubt and see that God has gone to great lengths to remove all doubt from our minds. He wants us to be clear about who He is, what He loves and hates, how He has helped mankind, and what will happen in the future. God’s main purpose in removing doubt is to remove fear, which happens to be the greatest obstacle to love. In previous lessons, we have seen that He removes fear through prophecy, acts of nature, miracles, angels, and even speaking. Before we read the Biblical account, let’s look at how our country's founder tried to remove the doubts of a new country’s citizens.
In 1923, Mustafa Kemal had the weight of the world on his shoulders. He had just pulled the Turkish people out of the ashes of destruction and placed in their laps a new country and identity. To some, the ght was over and the work was nished. But Ataturk knew it had just begun. To him it was painfully obvious that the bright future of this new Republic, and most importantly it’s people, could only be secured through sound principles of government in the areas of peace, diplomacy, education, and equality; all of which he wanted the Turkish people to be sure of. So he toured the country giving speeches, wrote letters, and recorded his personal thoughts
in memoirs. His life work was to remove doubt from the Turkish people’s minds about their place in the world’s history and future.
Let’s review some of his most famous quotes by starting with a comment about war:
Unless a nation's life faces peril, war is murder.
Ataturk was speaking to farmers in Adana when he made this statement. It was very important because it reflected his belief that war was to be avoided at all costs. A philosophy that kept Turkey out of World War II and can easily be seen in his famous quote about world peace:
Peace at home, peace in the world.
After World War II, the Cold War was just another example of how cold the human heart really was. But a lot has changed in the last 20 years. We now live at a time when all countries depend upon each other. A byproduct of this symbiosis is the renewed hope for world peace. Our world has literally become a “global village”. We eat food, wear clothes, and use equipment produced all over the world. We can watch live programs from around the world with a single push of a button. We can take a trip on the “information highway” and use a computer made of resources from several different countries to read about a university student’s life in Venezuela. We literally depend on one another. Ataturk left no doubt that if Turkey worked to solve inner problems through peaceful, democratic means it would be able to help other countries do the same. Ataturk said,
Mankind is a single body and each nation a part of that body. We must never say "What does it matter to me if some part of the world is ailing?" If there is such an illness, we must concern ourselves with it as though we were having that illness.
In Ataturk’s mind, the nations of the earth had a responsibility to work together and Turkey would not be excluded. For this reason, Turkey was a founding member of the United Nations and has been in NATO since 1952. Yes, Ataturk left no doubt that Turkey would be a part of the global family; a family concerned about both sexes, male and female.
Human kind is made up of two sexes, women and men. Is it possible that a mass is improved by the improvement of only one part and the other part is ignored? Is it possible that half of a mass can be tied to earth with chains while the other half is soaring into the skies?71
There is no doubt that Ataturk believed in gender equality. A person should have a right to education, employment, and personal choice regardless of sex. This was a principle that he would not compromise on. A principle that can best be seen in all of our educational, government, and business institutions.
Perhaps you have never thought about it in this way, but simple observation and research shows that Ataturk wanted to help eliminate doubt in Turkish people's minds. His many quotes about the greatness of Turkey’s history and people left no doubt about their importance in world events. His ideas about war, peace, and global unity left no doubts as to Turkey’s responsibility as a nation of many. Finally, his ideas and reforms to bring about gender equality left no doubt that Turkey had become a modern nation through the contributions of both its male and female citizens. If you have ever had any doubts about our place and value in the world, remember that it was Ataturk's goal to eradicate those doubts and build up our self-esteem as a people.
Now, let’s turn to the Bible and see how God removed doubt from the minds of three men.
Ever since Jesus had rst preached in the temple at 12 years of 195 age, people had been wondering who he was. It wasn’t until his baptism in the Jordan River that many people began to think that he was the Messiah. But in spite of the many miracles he performed,
the authority with which he taught, and the ful llment of multiple prophecies the doubts still remained!
“Could anything good come out of Nazareth?” they reasoned.
“He is a carpenter the son of Mary and Joseph. He didn’t even go to the rabbinical schools!”
“Some people say God spoke on the day he was baptized in the Jordan River. But I only heard thunder.”
One might reason that these doubts were legitimate. After all, Jesus had been making some outstanding claims that he was the Messiah/ the Son of Man/the Son of God. But Jesus wasn’t saying these things to draw attention to himself. Just as we saw in an earlier lesson, he was only doing what God had told him to do. He was simply repeating what God had already said.
It was in this context that Jesus handpicked three of his disciples to witness one of the most glorious moments in Bible history. Let’s start in Matthew chapter 17 verse 1:
1 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
Just six days earlier, Jesus had given the disciples the most solemn news. In the clearest words, he told them that he would go to Jerusalem, suffer, and be killed. The disciples were so shocked that they didn’t know how to react. They had never opposed Jesus or disbelieved what he had said. But Peter couldn’t stand to think that his teacher, master, and mentor would die, much less be murdered. So he spoke up,
“This can never happen to you!”
Jesus’ stern reply sent shivers down Peter’s spine. The man who Jesus had just recently praised was now being rebuked.
“Get behind me Satan! You are an offense to me.”72
Although Jesus’ answer seems harsh, we need to remember that his remark wasn’t aimed at Peter. Rather it was aimed at the one who had inspired Peter’s words. Jesus was already familiar with Satan’s tactics from his time in the desert and he knew Peter was being used by the devil. In spite of Peter being one of his best friends, he wasn’t about to succumb to any influence that would cause him to quit or turn back from what God had sent him to do.
As they climbed that mountain, Peter, James, and John thought about the words that Jesus had just spoken to them. They couldn’t understand how a man like Jesus, a prophet who worked miracles, could die in such a way. It just didn’t make sense. In their confusion, their minds were filled with doubt and they just continued walking without saying a word.
But Jesus didn’t intend to leave the disciples in doubt. He wanted them to have a greater understanding of who he was and what he needed to do. He knew that the months ahead would become more dangerous and that the disciples’ faith would need to be strengthened. So Jesus prayed that God would open their eyes and reveal to them in a greater way that what he was saying was true. Let’s read what happened next in verse 2:
2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.
As the disciples looked at Jesus he began to shine like the sun and his road-worn clothes became as white as snow. Just as Jesus had said in Matthew 16 verse 28,
28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
Peter, James, and John saw Jesus in all his glory. For a brief moment, the garb of humanity was lifted and Jesus the Messiah, the Son of man, was seen for who he really was! What was he? The Son of God who came down from heaven. But that wasn’t all they saw. Let’s continue with verses 3 and 4:
3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 And Peter said to Jesus, Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.
Moses and Elijah were two of the greatest prophets in the Old Testament. Moses had spoken with God on Mt. Sinai and received the 10 commandments. Elijah witnessed God’s power on Mt. Carmel, fought against the idolatry of Israel’s kings, and went to heaven without dying. These two men, who had powerful encounters with God on mountaintops, were now standing on another mountaintop as witnesses. Their appearance with Jesus was miraculous and significant because it showed the continuity in God’s plan. In essence, God was saying to the disciples,
“You are witnessing something that I have revealed on several occasions through the prophets. The “prophet from among you”73 has come, the seed who “will crush the head of the serpent”74 has appeared. The “wonderful counselor” and “prince of peace”75 is among you.”
The disciples were astonished at what they were seeing. The Bible account leaves no doubt that it was real. So real, that Peter wanted to set up tents for all three men to stay there. Just imagine the questions they could have asked! But God wasn’t finished. He wanted to remove all their doubts. He wanted to reassure them that what Jesus had said was true. Let’s see what happened in Matthew chapter 17 verses 5-6:
5 He (Peter) was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him. 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.
As if the whole event wasn’t mysterious enough, Jesus and the disciples were enveloped with a bright cloud. The area would have been just like the Most Holy Place when the High Priest entered into God’s presence on the Day of Atonement. Then a loud, clear voice spoke,
“This is my beloved Son with whom I well pleased; listen to him.”
The disciples obviously knew they were in the presence of God. They didn’t even have time to think. Before God had finished speaking one word, the sound of His voice had driven them to their knees. Do you think you would have reacted differently?
When God said, “listen to him”, He was endorsing all that Jesus had said and would say. In essence, God was saying,
“Don’t have any doubts about what Jesus says. His words are truth and directly from me! If it were not so, I wouldn’t have allowed it. I am pleased with who he is and what he says. You should be too!”
As soon as God was done speaking, the scene returned to normal. But the disciples didn’t notice because they were still on the ground with their heads between their arms, shaking in fear. Let’s continue reading in Matthew chapter 17 verses 7 and 8:
7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, Rise, and have no fear. 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
Whatever doubts the disciples had going up the mountain were now gone. They knew who Jesus was and with whose authority he spoke.
But there was one more surprise. Let’s finish with verses 9-13:
9 And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead. 10 And the disciples asked him, Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?11 He answered, Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. 12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands. 13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
Jesus didn’t want them to tell anyone what they had witnessed. It was a secret that would remain between them. They most certainly didn’t understand how, why, or when all these things would take place. But after hearing God speak, they knew not to doubt!
On December 26, 1944 a Japanese intelligence officer named Hiroo Onoda was sent to the Philippine island of Lubang. He was ordered to do all that he could to hamper enemy attacks on the island, including destroying the airstrip and the pier at the harbor. His orders also stated that under no circumstances was he to surrender or take his own life.
Shortly after arriving, on February 28, 1945, Allied forces overtook the island. Everyone except Onoda and three other soldiers had either died or surrendered. Onoda, wanting to follow his orders unto death, ordered the other men to hide in the mountains.
On three different occasions, leaflets were dropped from the sky or left behind so that Onada and his men would surrender. They read the first leaflet in October 1945:
"The war ended on August 15. Come down from the mountains!”
But Onada and his men didn’t believe the leaflet and thought it was just Allied propaganda.
The second leaflet was dropped at the end of 1945. They had been hiding for over one year at this time. Although General Tomoyuki Yamashita of the Fourteenth Area Army wrote the leaflet and ordered Onada and his men to surrender, Onada, after thoroughly examining it, decided that it too was a hoax.
Seven years later, Onada found letters and family pictures scattered throughout the forest. Apparently they had been dropped from the sky, urging him to surrender and come home. But Onada still had his doubts. He was told to never surrender and all of these
leaflets had to be fake. So he decided to stay. By 1972, Onada was the only soldier left out of the original four.
Two years later, a Japanese man named Norio Suzuki made contact with Onada. In spite of becoming friends and Suzuki’s request for him to go home, Onada refused to leave the island unless a superior officer personally ordered him to do so.
Suzuki returned to Japan with photographs of himself and Onoda as proof of their encounter. After hearing his story, the Japanese government located Onoda's commanding officer, Major Taniguchi, who had become a bookseller. On March 9, 1974, he flew to Lubang, met with Onoda, and fulfilled the promise made in 1944:
"Whatever happens, we'll come back for you." His orders were as follows:
- In accordance with the Imperial command, the Fourteenth Area Army has ceased all combat activity.
- In accordance with military Headquarters Command No. A-2003, the Special Squadron of Staff's Headquarters is relieved of all military duties.
Units and individuals under the command of Special 201 Squadron are to cease military activities and operations immediately and place themselves under the command of the nearest superior officer. When no officer can be found, they are to communicate with the American or Philippine forces and follow their directives.
Thus, Onoda was relieved from duty without ever surrendering. He turned over his sword, Arisaka Type 99 rifle still in operating condition, 500 rounds of ammunition, and several hand grenades, as well as the dagger his mother gave him in 1944 for protection.76
For almost 30 years, he hid in the mountains because he doubted that the war was over. He had read all the leaflets, seen the Allied forces, and heard all the rumors. And yet his doubt remained. It wasn’t until he received the order from his commander that he finally believed that the war had ended.
You reader have also received a command. Just as God told the disciples to listen to Jesus, He is telling you to also listen. But you have a choice. Will you continue to doubt even though all the signs, witnesses, and holy writings proclaim the truth of Jesus’ identity? Or will you obey God’s command to step out of the jungle of confusion, to listen to Jesus and obey his words, and to follow him all the days of your life? Don’t let doubt control you. Take control of your fate and be changed!
Discussion Questions
1. What are your biggest fears? Does doubt play a role in any of those fears?
2. How can you encourage someone who has doubts about the truth of the Bible?
3. Do you have any doubts about who Jesus is?
4. Do you have to understand every detail to believe something?
5. What is the role of faith in moments of doubt?
71 http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Mustafa_Kemal_Atatürk
72 Matthew 16:23
73 Deut. 18:15, 18
74 Genesis 3:15
75 Isaiah 9:6
76 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroo_Onoda