Who is Jesus? The person of Jesus … one of the best kept secrets?

Who Who is is

Jesus?Jesus?

The person of Jesus … one of the

best kept secrets?

Who Who is is

Jesus?Jesus?

Who Who is is

Jesus?Jesus?

Faith is believing

something that you know

isn’t true!

Who Who is is

Jesus?Jesus?

A blind step of faith … or a step

of faith based on firm historical

evidence?

Who Who is is

Jesus?Jesus?

Faith: a decision to trust based on a careful examination of the evidence

Who Who is is

Jesus?Jesus?

Jesus … “a

mythical figure who never

existed”a communist Russian dictionary

Our purpose this evening … to examine the historical evidence

Who Who is is

Jesus?Jesus?

Who Who is is

Jesus?Jesus?

The The EvidenceEvidence

Who Who is is

Jesus?Jesus?The historical evidenceThe historical evidence (outside the (outside the

Bible)Bible)

“Since the Jews constantly made disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus, he [Claudius] expelled them from Rome” Suetonius, Life of Claudius, 69 CE - 140 CE

“ … Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a deadly superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but also in the City, where all things shameful from every part of the world meet and become popular …” Tacitus, Annals, 55 CE - 120 CE

Who Who is is

Jesus?Jesus?The historical evidenceThe historical evidence (outside the (outside the

Bible)Bible)“There was, about this time, Jesus, a wise man (if it be lawful to call him a man) for

he was a doer of wonderful works - a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both

many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was the Christ; and when

Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to

the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets foretold this and ten

thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of

Christians so named after him, are not extinct at this day.”

Flavius Jospehus (?

37CE - 101CE)

Who Who is is

Jesus?Jesus?The historical evidenceThe historical evidence (in the Bible)(in the Bible)

How can we know that what was

written down in the Bible has not been changed over the

years?

Who Who is is


WorkWork WrittenWritten Earliest CopyEarliest Copy Time Time spanspan

Number of Number of copiescopies

Herodotus 488-428 BCE

900 CE 1300 8

Thcydides 460-400 BCE

1100 CE 1300 8

Tacitus 100 CE 900 CE 1000 20

Caesar’s Gallic War

58 - 50 BCE

900 CE 950 9 or 10

Livy’s Roman History

59 BCE - 17 CE

900 CE 900 20

New Testament

40 - 100 CE

130 CE (parts) 350 CE (whole)

< 100 300

>5000 Greek 10000 Latin

Who Who is is


“In the variety and fullness of the evidence on which it rests, the text of the New

Testament stands absolutely and unapproachably alone among ancient prose

writings”F.J.A. Hort

Who Who is is


“The interval then between the dates of original composition and the earliest extant evidence becomes so small as to be in fact negligible, and the last foundation for any

doubt that the Scriptures have come down to us substantially as they were written has

now been removed. Both the authenticity and the general integrity of the books of

the New Testament may be regarded as finally established”

Sir Frederick Kenyon

Who Who is is


Qumran: where the “Dead Sea Scrolls” were

found

Who Who is is


Conclusions so far … Jesus did live on this earth

He was fully human

He had a human body, and was sometimes tired or hungry

He had human emotions - he was angry, loved, became sad

He had human experiences - he was tempted, he learned, he worked, he obeyed his parents

Who Who is is


But was Jesus only human?

“ I can’t believe in Christianity, but I think Jesus

was a wonderful man”

Billy Connolly

Who Who is is

Jesus?Jesus?What Jesus said about himselfWhat Jesus said about himself

Freud: “People are hungry for love”

Jung: “People are hungry for security”

Adler: “People are hungry for significance”

Jesus: “I am the bread of life”

Who Who is is


“I am the bread of life”

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life”

“I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will live, even though they die …”

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”

Jesus also said that to receive him was to receive God; to welcome him was to

welcome God; to have seen him was to have seen God

Who Who is is


Jesus also

claimed that he could forgive sins

said that he would judge the world

said that he himself would be the criterion by which the world would be judged

when asked if he was the Christ, said “I am”

when addressed by Thomas as “My Lord and my God”, accepted this as true

Who Who is is


Logical explanations for Jesus’ claims:Logical explanations for Jesus’ claims:

1. He knew they were untrue, and was an imposter

2. They were in fact untrue, but he was deluded and thought they were

3. They were true

Who Who is is

Jesus?Jesus?

What evidence is there for Jesus’ What evidence is there for Jesus’ claims?claims?

Evidence to assess the claims

of Jesus

Who Who is is

Jesus?Jesus?


His His teaching:teaching:

the greatest teaching to have come from human lips

the foundation of civilisation on the West

Who Who is is

Jesus?Jesus?


His works:His works:

Jesus said that his miracles were evidence that “the Father is in me, and I in the Father”

He turned water into wine

He multiplied a picnic

He had control over the elements

He carried out remarkable healings

He was motivated by an extraordinary love

Who Who is is

Jesus?Jesus?


His character:His character:

Bernard Levin: “Is not the nature of Christ, in the words of the New Testament, enough to pierce to the soul anyone with a soul to be pierced? … he still looms over the world, his message still clear, his pity still infinite, his consolation still effective, his words still full of glory, wisdom and love”

Lord Hailsham: “… irresistably attractive as a man”

Who Who is is

Jesus?Jesus?


Old Testament Prophecies about Old Testament Prophecies about himhim

more than 300 over 500 years

29 on the day he died

many outside his control

Who Who is is

Jesus?Jesus?


His resurrection:His resurrection:

Who Who is is

Jesus?Jesus?


His resurrection: His resurrection: possible possible explanationsexplanations

1. He didn’t die on the cross

2. The disciples stole the body

3. The authorities stole the body

4. He was raised from death

Who Who is is

Jesus?Jesus?


What about the What about the appearances to the appearances to the disciples?disciples?

Was this hallucination?

not to the highly strung or emotional!

to many people at various times - more than 500 on one occasion

Jesus ate and drank with the disciples after he was raised

Who Who is is

Jesus?Jesus?


The immediate impactThe immediate impact

the disciples transformed

the authorities impotent

the rapid spread of belief in the face of persecution

Who Who is is

Jesus?Jesus?


Christian experienceChristian experience

Countless millions have experienced the risen Christ

“In its favour as living truth there exists such overwhelming evidence, positive and negative, factual and circumstantial, that no intelligent jury in the world could fail to bring in a verdict that the resurrection story is true” Lord Darling (former chief justice of England)

Who Who is is

Jesus?Jesus?


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Who is Jesus? The person of Jesus … one of the best kept secrets?