LifeDate Summer 2026 – God Said … And It Was So
by Rev. Dr. Aric Fenske
We’ve all heard the arguments. “Jesus didn’t say anything about abortion or homosexuality or (fill in the blank).” Of course, the idea behind these statements is that since Jesus didn’t come right out and condemn abortion, transgender surgeries, or same-sex marriage, He must have therefore accepted them. Now, I’ll admit, there’s not one mention of the word “abortion” in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. Nor does Jesus specifically address same-sex attraction or behavior. But does that mean that Jesus is silent on these matters, or that Jesus doesn’t care about them? Far from it! St. John began his Gospel account by saying:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:1-3).
With these statements, John reminds us of two important facts. First, that Jesus is the eternal Son of God. Even though the Son of God took on human flesh in time, there has never been a time when the Second Person of the Trinity (the Son) did not exist alongside the Father and the Holy Spirit. And second, this reminds us that when our Heavenly Father speaks, He speaks through His Son.
To begin with, this means that it was Christ Himself, alongside the Father and the Spirit, who first created man and woman (as the only two genders of mankind), instituted marriage as the one-flesh union of man and woman (Genesis 2:24), and instructed them to procreate and fill the earth with their children (Genesis 1:28). Even if Jesus never spoke another word about these topics, this alone would be enough to inform us of His attitudes regarding the unborn, human sexuality, marriage, etc.
But Jesus did in fact speak about these topics. Since Christ is the eternal Son of the Father and the incarnate Word of God, we must also acknowledge that every word which God spoke in the Old Testament is the word of the entire Godhead, including the Son. Therefore, when God addresses the murder of children in the womb in Exodus 21 or sexual immorality (including homosexual activity) in Leviticus 18, we understand that these are the words of Christ as well as of the Father.
Furthermore, we know from the Scriptures that God’s character and will are unchanging (Numbers 23:19; Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 6:17-18; James 1:17). And Jesus Himself states He is one with the Father (John 10:30) and that He has no desire to abolish the Law (Matthew 5:17). It is clear then that Jesus’ thoughts about the sanctity of the lives of the unborn and about marriage and sexuality are expressed clearly in the words of the Old Testament.
But we need not stop there. We also know that Jesus’ activity among us didn’t come to an end when He was raised from the dead and ascended to God’s right hand. Before Jesus sent out the apostles to make disciples of all nations, He promised them, “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me” (Luke 10:16). The apostles were sent out to be Jesus’ mouthpieces. As they shared the message of God’s Law and Gospel, they spoke the very words of Christ. This certainly also includes St. Paul, whom Jesus said, “is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15).
As the rest of the New Testament (Acts-Revelation) is comprised of the work of these apostles, chosen and sent by Christ Himself, we understand these books as nothing less than the words of Jesus. Therefore, when Paul and Peter and James and John address issues of ethics and Christian morality in their epistles, we are to accept these as the words of Jesus recorded through the pens of His servants. And it is clear from these epistles that our God is the Lord of life, who creates us as men and women; loves and redeems each person, including infants and the sick and dying; instituted marriage as the union of man and woman; and who abhors death, violence, and sexual immorality of every kind.
Yes, we can confidently say that Jesus does in fact address the life issues that we struggle with today, even though He may not mention them by name in the first four books of the New Testament. We can therefore be certain that when we work together to defend the lives of the unborn, the sick, the aged, and the dying, along with the biblical model of marriage and family, we do so standing firmly on the words of God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Let us continue this great work of upholding the sanctity of human life with tand comfort of knowing that this work is pleasing to God and that His Word never returns empty but will accomplish His purpose in all those who hear it (Isaiah 55:11).