Before beginning, it's necessary to establish the historical accuracy
and reliability of the Gospel accounts as found in the New Testament.
This reliability is based on several facts:
1. We have more than 4000 manuscripts or parts of the New Testament
which have
survived to our time. The earliest among these manuscripts is
dated 130 A.D.
2. We have writings of secular historians who verify the writings
of the Gospels (ex. Flavius Josephus).
3. The books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are all books written
by men who were eyewitnesses to the events (i.e. Apostles or close
associates of the Apostles).
4. Finally, in textually dating the time of the writing of the
Gospels, we arrive at dates prior to 70 A.D. That is within the
time period when the contemporaries of Jesus Christ were still
living. If they (the Gospels) weren't accurate historical accounts,
they could have been refuted at that time.
For more information on this subject, please visit the library
and read the article entitled The Historical
Reliability Of The New Testament.
After reading the historical fact, read and consider the arising
question(s) concerning that fact. Finally, choose which of the
logical conclusions you will choose as an answer to the question.
For each answer you choose, you must then be able to present an
answer to its accompanying question(s).
Jesus claimed to be the Son of God (Mark 14:61,62, pg. 860).
Who really is Jesus Christ?
1. JESUS CHRIST IS A LEGEND
If Jesus never historically existed, how do you account for the
fact of A.D. and B.C. as historical standards for labeling dates?
How do you account for other historians who wrote during the same
time period about this historical person of Jesus Christ?
2. JESUS CHRIST WAS A LIAR
If Jesus knowingly lied about who He was, what motive does a man
then have for dying for a known lie? Were any of His other teachings
characteristic of a liar?
3. JESUS CHRIST REALLY BELIEVED HE WAS THE SON OF GOD
If Jesus honestly believed that he was the Son of God (and he
wasn't), that would make him a mentally unbalanced person. Why
didn't he act mentally unbalanced in any other area of His life?
Why didn't he fall apart under the terrific tension of His trial?
If we accept this conclusion, we must search for other supporting
indications of "mental instability."
4. JESUS CHRIST REALLY IS THE SON OF GOD
What will you do about what He said regarding eternal life and
forgiveness of sin?
After being in the grave for two days, the body of Jesus was found missing on the third day (John 20:1-10, pg. 917)
What happened to the body of Jesus?
1. NON-CHRISTIANS (JEWISH OR ROMAN LEADERS) TOOK THE BODY
If non-Christians took the body, why would they help by contributing
to the belief that Jesus rose from the dead? If they had taken
the body, why didn't they show the body in order to squelch the
"rumor" of His resurrection?
2. JESUS NEVER REALLY DIED
How could Jesus survive six hours on the cross, live through the
stab of a Roman spear, then convince Pilate and his soldiers that
He was dead, endure the pain of crucifixion with the coldness
of a tomb for three days, and then remove the boulder at the mouth
of the tomb, elude the guards posted at the grave, convince His
disciples He had a resurrection body, and finally disappear and
die a secret death?
3. CHRISTIANS (THE DISCIPLES) TOOK THE BODY
Why would the disciples be then willing later to die for something
they knew was a hoax?
4. JESUS CHRIST ROSE FROM THE DEAD
What will you do about what He says regarding eternal life and
forgiveness of sins?
Jesus says:
Why not by prayer actively trust Jesus to do all that He promised?
1. If you personally place your trust in Jesus to provide eternal
life and forgiveness of sin,
you can know that you are going to heaven when you die (I John
5:13, pg. 1030).
2. If you don't personally place your trust in what Jesus has
done for you, the following verse
applies: