A question that we must all answer sometime in life is: Who is Jesus?
Depending on whom we ask, we will receive a variety of answers. Some would say a great teacher, a miracle worker, or a prophet. Others may scoff and say Jesus is only a myth, a mere imaginary friend to those looking for solace.
But Jesus is obviously someone who elicits dramatic responses from people – He is not a person we can easily dismiss. Consider the many individuals who express ultimate allegiance and devotion to Him. Christians say they follow His teachings, but also much more. They assert that He died on a cross and rose to life on the third day. Across the world, Christians worship Him as the Lord God.
How each of us answers the question about Jesus’ identity will impact our lives now and in the future. So, we cannot approach this issue casually or passively. Either He was a real, historical person or He was not. Either He is who He claimed to be, or He is not. We cannot merely acknowledge His existence without dealing with the historical records, facts, and eyewitness testimonies.
So, who is this Jesus that so many love, and even follow to the point of death? According to the testimony of the Bible and history, He was (and is) a real man and God.
Lots of people are quick to dismiss the Bible based on the assumption it is merely a book containing religious teachings. What lots of people misunderstand, though, is that the Bible is also a historical document that contains ancient writings. Scripture includes narrative, poetry, wisdom sayings, as well as epistles and eyewitness accounts. The original readers would have assumed that when they read accounts like Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt, David becoming King of Israel, or Daniel living as an exile in Babylon, they were reading real history. This is true of Jesus’ ministry as well.
For instance, the Gospel of Luke sought to convey the life and ministry of Jesus based on carefully investigated facts. This was not an author who intended to draft fabulous stories, but a disciplined historian. As he told Theophilus, the person to whom the Gospel is addressed, “Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:1-4, NIV).
Luke and the other Gospel writers testified to the truth that Jesus was a real man who lived in first-century Israel. They recorded His birth, baptism, ministry, death, and resurrection as verified events. Details of historical names and events provide further proof – such as Luke’s mention of Jesus being born during the time when Caesar Augustus ordered a census (Luke 2:1). Or the detail of Pilate as the Roman governor who agreed to have Jesus crucified, which each of the Gospels includes (Matthew 27:24-26; Mark 15:15; Luke 23:24-25; John 19:16).
Not only do we read about a man who lived in history. We discover a man who claims to be God. The chief priests recognized and understood Jesus’ claims to be God, which is why they charged Him with blasphemy (Matthew 26:63-64; see also John 10:33). People also regularly noticed that Jesus was much more than just a good rabbi. The disciples, who had spent the most time with Him, worshiped Him before and after His resurrection (Matthew 14:33; 28:17). A blind man who Jesus had healed also bowed in worship to Him (John 9:38). What could be clearer than Thomas’ statement after seeing and touching the resurrected Christ: “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28, NIV). In all these situations Jesus never rebuked or corrected people for worshiping Him.
And, of course, the existence of the Gospels and other New Testament books testify to the existence of Jesus as a real man, and God. John’s Gospel ends with his verification of being a witness to Christ (John 21:24), as does the opening of his first letter (1 John 1:2). In the book of Acts, Luke records how Peter and the other disciples were witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection (Acts 2:32; 5:29-32). The rest of the New Testament would be unneeded and nonsensical if Jesus had never existed, or if the writers did not believe that He is God – as He claimed.
The Bible might not be what most people turn to when examining the truth about Jesus. However, we should not overlook it so easily. The Bible is an ancient document that testifies to the life of the living Lord Jesus.
Sources outside the Bible also mention Jesus as a person in history. Although Scripture is completely reliable and a legitimate source, individuals will find that secular sources also affirm Jesus as real.
There are many we could consider, but three will be sufficient to show that non-Christian sources affirm that Jesus existed and that He was worshiped as God.
Flavius Josephus was a first-century Jewish historian and scholar, who personally witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. In book 18, chapter 3 of his Antiquities, Josephus included a reference to Jesus as a wise and good man, who was crucified, and that the disciples claimed He was alive. Although scholars recognize that Christians may have added to Josephus’ writings, such as the statement that Jesus was the Christ, the reference to the existence of Jesus is presented as a historical fact.
As a Roman historian, Tacitus wrote about events in the first century related to the empire. He mentioned his suspicions about Nero’s involvement with the Great Fire of Rome and how the emperor had made the Christians appear guilty of it. This provided an excuse for inflicting them with severe persecution.
In his statement in the Annals, Tacitus specifically refers to “Christus” who was crucified during the reign of Tiberius under Pontius Pilate. Such details provide evidence that Jesus existed as a historical person – and corroborates what we read about in Scripture (Luke 3:1). Even a secular source, completely unconnected to the church and Christians, mentions Christ’s existence and His crucifixion as facts.
In his satirical work, Lucian of Samosata presents Christians as simple people who are easily fooled by swindlers. Despite this unflattering view, he wrote about the Christians’ leader and lawgiver – a reference to Jesus – who they worshiped and followed. As is recorded in The Death of Peregrinus, “their first lawgiver persuaded them that they are all brothers of one another after they have transgressed once for all by denying the Greek gods and by worshipping that crucified sophist himself and living under his laws.”
Again, this is a historic non-Christian source that refers to Jesus as someone who lived, was crucified, and who His followers worshiped as God.
Both the Bible as well as the writings of individuals unaffiliated with the church mention Jesus as a real man who existed and who Christians followed as their Lord and God.
Another convincing evidence of Jesus’ identity is found in the lives of people. We have the stories of the disciples who gave up comfort, positions in society, and their very lives to testify to Jesus’ saving grace. Their examples provide a compelling argument that Jesus existed and that He is the resurrected Savior. They were witnesses to this truth.
The early disciples who walked and ate with Jesus and saw His miracles as eyewitnesses all willingly put themselves at risk for continuing to proclaim that Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead. James, a member of the inner circle, was put to death by the sword because he was a follower of Christ (Acts 12:2). Likewise, Peter, John, and the others were flogged and imprisoned because of their testimony of Jesus (Acts 5:40; 12:5). Even Paul, a former persecutor of Christians, became a staunch defender of the message that the Lord Jesus died and was resurrected to bring salvation. As he said, “ I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 21:13, NIV). And, in addition to the Apostles, more than five hundred people reported that they had seen Jesus after the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:6).
Today, there are also numerous Christians who, like the early disciples, face loss and harm to themselves for affirming that Jesus lived, died, and was resurrected. Such a willingness to endure persecution demonstrates their steadfast faith.
But the early disciples’ commitment to the reality of Jesus as a real person who they followed as Lord despite threats and punishment of death shows the sincerity of their firsthand account. People might counterargue and say the disciples conspired to propagate a myth. Yet, none of the original witnesses ever denounced Jesus. Such a testimony demands a response from us.
After all the research and data gathering, there comes a time when we must make a decision about what we believe about Jesus. Will we accept the historical record of the Bible and other sources that tell us that He existed as a man in first-century Israel, was killed on a cross, and was reported to be alive? We cannot deny that the earliest testimonies show that Christ was not only a founder of a following of people but was also revered as the resurrected Lord God.
The question that the Savior asked the disciples still applies to us today: “Who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:15, BSB).
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Boonyachoat