Q: How will we know who is the real Jesus and not an image of Satan?
A: You hear a knock at your front door and when you peek through the little peephole, you see a woman standing in the entry with a big smile on her face.
«What do you want?» you shout.
«Whadda ya mean, what do I want?» she calls back as if her feelings are hurt. «Don’t you know me? I’m your mother.»
«My mother?» you gasp. Then you notice she has the same hair color and style as your mom. She’s wearing a dress just like your mother wears—white collar, little green stripes. And she’s carrying an identical purse to the one you gave your mother on her last birthday.
«Open up,» the woman pleads with a warm giggle.»I forgot my keys. Silly me. I’ve got to start fixing supper. You know how your father hates it when supper’s not ready, and your brother Timothy will be home from his football practice soon.»
You don’t open the door. Why? Because that’s not your mother. No matter how much she knows about your family or how much she looks like the woman of the house, it’s not her. How can you tell? Because you know your real morn like you know yourself. You’re familiar with every detail of her face, the sound of her voice, the way she moves her head and hands.
The only way to recognize an impostor is to know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the real thing.