Did Jesus Exist?
| Did Jesus Exist? Every Christian is sure to encounter at some point in their walk of faith, the skeptics that not only deny the person of Jesus as savior, but deny the fact that He even existed. They claim He is a myth, a “fairy tale”, a story book character. Many people today still deny the very existence of Jesus of Nazareth. There is more historical evidence supporting the life of Christ than many other ancient figures through out history. The life and events of Alexander the great occurred three and one half centuries before that of Jesus and we do not hear of disputes denying his existence. Only unreasonable minds of shallow intellect can possibly overlook the recorded facts and documentations. Secular Evidence There is overwhelming, irrefutable evidence documented by secular historians. One extraordinary fact that can not be overlooked is that first century historians, the Roman government and the Jewish authorities did not argue nor deny the existence of Jesus. Cornelius Tacitus is one of the most reliable first century historians of Rome. In AD 64 Tacitus documented the fire of Rome that occurred during the reign of Nero. Evidence seemed to support the possibility of Nero being responsible for the fires in order to make room for his building projects. Nero was quick to shift blame to the Christians. Tacitus was careful to record a detailed account of who the Christians were as well as an account of Christ, the founder, and of His execution under the reign of Tiberius by procurator Pontius Pilate (Annals 15:44). It should be noted that Cornelius Tacitus was neither a Christian nor a sympathizer to their cause. As an official in the Roman senate Tacitus despised Christians as a “disease”. Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus was a prominent Roman historian and biographer who recorded events during the first century, best known for his works Lives of the Caesar’s and Life of Claudius. He makes reference to Jesus and His followers. Pliny the Younger, a Roman governor, mentions the Christians eight times in a letter to Emperor Trajan asking advice about the “wretched cult… who met on a fixed day to chant verses in honor of Christ as if to a God”. Pliny was a friend of the historian Tacitus and employed Suetonius in his staff. Pliny’s career in the Roman legal system is also the best documented example of this time period. In AD 73, Mara Bar Serapion wrote a letter to his son while he was in prison and also makes reference to Jesus. Evidence from the Jewish Source The arrest of Jesus is documented in the Mishnah, the earliest collection of documents in the Talmud. The Talmud is rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethnics and history. The first century historian Flavius Josephus mentions Jesus in Antiquities of the Jews 18 3:63. Josephus also mentions the martyr of Jesus’ half brother James (20:200). Evidence from the Early Church The early persecuted church is evidence in itself. Many of the early church fathers had close relations with the apostles as their students. The apostle John became the bishop of the church of Ephesus and his student Poly Carp became the bishop of Smyrna. Irenaeus of Lyons studied under Poly Carp. All of them centered their writings and teachings on Jesus as the Messiah. Biblical View of the Evidence Knowing and understanding the Bible for what it truly is only serves to reveal the evidence in greater proportion in light of this discovery. The New Testament is twenty – seven separate documents that were brought together and form a cohesive whole. Twenty - one of these documents are actually epistles (or letters) written in the early first century to churches, Christians and followers of Christ instructing them concerning the Christian life as well as the life of Christ and His teachings. The four gospels are four separate accounts of the life of Jesus by four different authors. The events and facts were recorded by eyewitnesses giving first hand testimony to the accounts of Jesus’ life and their personal involvement of what they had seen and heard. Historical records also document the persecution and execution of many of the apostles and Christians of the first century. Had Jesus not lived and been resurrected they certainly would not have died for a mythical character. Those claiming Christ as a mythical figure are ignorant of facts possessing the shallowest of intellect and certainly not historians by any account. Had Jesus not existed the first century historians and ruling government would have been aggressive in exposing and crushing the matter with vehemence. |
| Now 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 amongst 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 had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day |
| That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. (1 John 1:1-4) |
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |