news that we don’t want to hear or accept.  It doesn't change the facts,

but it makes us feel better in trying to pretend that they aren’t

true.  However, denial almost always crumbles under the weight of

reality over time.  Eventually, virtually everyone has to face the facts

that what they don’t want to be true is in fact true.  For many people,

this is the battle lines in their lives with God.  They are fighting

against the facts.  Those facts may be scientific, relational, or even

just spiritual facts (the ones we know for sure in our soul).  We’ll see

in this story that the religious leaders are fighting hard against what

is plain to both them and all those around. And we’ll ask ourselves the

question of whether or not we are willing to accept the fact – and we

are willing to let the facts speak for themselves.