The question of who is Jesus is central to the Christian Faith. The way we respond to Jesus determines our status in regards to Eternal Life ( we either spend eternity with Jesus or Eternally seperated from him). As Christians we believe in him, but why? Do we believe in Jesus because our parents do/did? Do we treat him as "Fire Insurance"? Have we ever actually thought about exactly Who Jesus is? Where he Went?. How can we know the way?
( John 14:5-7 ) K.J.V.
5. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest: and how can we know the way?
6. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
7. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also:and from henceforth ye know him,
and have seen him.
He Existed
There are Non-Christian sources that confirm his existance:
- Jewish Historians
Josephus - Roman Historians
Tacitus Suetonius Pliny Thallus - Other Sources
Mara Bar-Serapion Justin Martyr
Evidence of the Accuracy of the New Testament
- They New Testament was written a very long time ago, so how do we know it is accurate, how do we know what we are reading is what the original authors wrote and how does it compare to other historical texts? To answer these questions Biblical Scholars use the science of Textual Criticism which in laymens terms means the more copies of the existing manuscripts and the smallest gap of time between the time the original was created and the first copies were made, the more the accuracy of the copy can be guarenteed. As you can see from the table below, compared to other accepted historical texts, The Bible is the most accurate of them all !!
Document/Author Year Written Earliest
ManuscriptsTime Span Number of Manuscripts
Caesar's Galic War 58 - 59 B.C. 850 A.D. 900 years 10
Histories of Tacitus 100 A.D. 9th Century 800 years 5
Annuals of Tacitus 100 A.D. 1,000 A.D. 900 years 10
Roman History of Livy 59 B.C. - 17 A.D. 4th Century 300 years 35
History of Thucydides 460 - 400 B.C. 900 A.D. 1,300 years 8
History of Herodotus 480-425 B.C. 900 A.D. 1,300 years 8
New Testament
Apostolic Fathers90-160 A.D 350 A.D. 200 years 3,000
Was Jesus Christ "fully" Human?
Traits of a human Body
- Jesus became wearied ( tired ) ( John 4:6 )
- Jesus became hungry ( Luke 4:2 , Mt 4:2 , Mark 11:12 )
- on the cross just before he died he said I thirst ( John 19:28 )
He showed human emotion
- Jesus wept ( John 11:35 )
- Jesus loved ( Mark 10:21 , John 11:15 , John 11:36 , John 15:12 , John 19:26 ....)
- Jesus was angry ( Mark 11:11-21 )
Was Jesus Christ "fully" God
Traits of "God"
- Jesus was born of a virgin birth ( Mt 18: 6 , 23 )
- After Jesus was baptized the Spirit of God descended as a dove upon him and a voice from Heaven Said "this is my son with whom I am well pleased" ( Mark 1:9 )
- Jesus performed miricles
- He raised Lazarus from the dead ( John 11:38-44 )
- feed 5,000 thousand from one persons meal ( Mark 6:30-44 ) Miricles are discussed in more detail in Evidence of Jesus's divinity These are not acts that are preformed by mere humans they truly show evidence that Jesus has the authority of God
- Jesus was resurrected from the dead. ( 1 Corinthians 20 - 24 )
His indirect claims that imply divinity
Jesus through his actions and statements showed that he considered himself to be in the same position as God.
- Authority to forgive sins (Mark 2:5 )
{"One part of the claim tends to slip past us unoticed because we have heard it so often that we no longer see what it amounts to. I mean the claim to forgive sins: any sins. Now unless the speaker is God, this is really so preposterous as to be comic. We can all understand how a man forgives offences against himself. You tread on my toe I forgive you, you steal my money I forgive you. But what should we make of a man, himself unrobbed and untrodden on, who announces that he forgave you for trodden on other men's toes and stealing other men's money? Asinine fatuity is the kindest description we should give of his conduct. Yet this is what Jesus did. He told people that their sins were forgiven, and never waited to consult all the other people whom their sins had undoubtedly injured. He unhesitatingly behaved as if he was the party chiefly concerned, the person chiefly offended in all offences. This makes sense only if he really was the God who's laws are broken and who's love is wounded in every sin. In the mouth of any speaker who is not God, these words would imply what I can only regard as a silliness and conceit unrivaled by any other character in history. C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity- Christ will judge the world.
- Christ will pass judgement on the nations.(Mathew 25:31-46, Acts 10:42 )
- Christ will seperate the sheep ( believers ) from the goats ( non-believers ) and will give eternal life or punishment (seperation from him ). He has the authority of the father. Christ is the judge and the criterion of judgement ( we will be judged on how we respond to Jesus' atonement ).
Email: fbelljr@hotmail.com
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