Faith Made Reasonable (Part III)
A Defense of God, Christ, and the Bible in a Doubting World
The Historical Jesus — The God Who Walked Among Us
Not a Myth, Not a Legend, Not a Man Alone
The existence of Jesus of Nazareth is one of the best-attested facts of ancient history. Yet He remains the most controversial figure to ever live. No one has provoked more devotion, inspired more art, changed more lives, or caused more division than this man from a backwater province of the Roman Empire. The question is no longer “Did Jesus exist?”, but “Who was He really?”
Unlike other religious leaders or mythological figures, Jesus entered real history. He taught, healed, was arrested, crucified, and—Christians claim—rose again. If true, that resurrection changes everything. But even before we get to the empty tomb, we must first establish that Jesus was real, that He made astonishing claims about Himself, and that those claims demand a response.
Historical Evidence for the Man Jesus
Skeptics often claim that the Jesus of the Bible is a legendary figure invented long after His death. But even secular historians do not take this seriously. The evidence for the historical Jesus is vast:
1. Early and Abundant Sources
The New Testament contains 27 separate documents written within the first century by multiple authors, many of whom were eyewitnesses or close associates of eyewitnesses. These documents:
- Are independently attested in multiple traditions
- Circulated during the lifetime of hostile witnesses
- Describe specific times, places, people, and events
- Include embarrassing details (which makes fabrication unlikely)
Even outside of Christian texts, we find independent, non-Christian sources that confirm Jesus’ existence, crucifixion, and the movement that followed:
2. Non-Christian Testimony
- Tacitus (Roman historian): Confirms Jesus was executed under Pontius Pilate during Tiberius’s reign.
- Josephus (Jewish historian): Refers to Jesus as a wise teacher and miracle-worker who was crucified and reported to have risen.
- Pliny the Younger, Lucian of Samosata, and the Babylonian Talmud also mention Him, often with contempt, yet they confirm His existence and influence.
Jesus’ Claims About Himself
What separates Jesus from every other founder of a major religion is what He said about Himself. He did not merely point to God; He claimed to be God, and not in vague terms.
- “Before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:58)—A direct claim to divinity, invoking God’s name from Exodus 3:14.
- “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30)
- “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9)
He also claimed:
- To forgive sins (Mark 2:5–7)
- To be Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28)
- To judge the world (Matthew 25:31–46)
- To give eternal life (John 10:28)
No sane prophet would dare say such things unless he was either divine or deluded.
Liar, Lunatic, or Lord?
C.S. Lewis famously laid out the trilemma:
“A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said wouldn’t be a great moral teacher. He’d either be a lunatic… or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God—or else a madman or something worse.”
This argument cuts through the modern tendency to reduce Jesus to a tame spiritual teacher. The idea that Jesus was a “good man” or “wise moral guide” is not intellectually honest. He claimed to be far more, and if He wasn’t, He wasn’t good.
Objections and Responses
Objection: “The Gospels are biased.”
Response: All historical sources are written from a perspective. What matters is whether they are reliable. The Gospel writers included verifiable names, dates, places, and embarrassing details, features not typical of legendary writing. Their motivation was not wealth or comfort (they were persecuted), but truth.
Objection: “Jesus was just a moral reformer.”
Response: Then why was He crucified? Rome didn’t execute people for being nice teachers. His claim to kingship and divine authority threatened both religious and political powers. His followers didn’t die for moral fables; they died because they believed He rose again.
Objection: “Religions always evolve myths about their founders.”
Response: Myths take time—centuries. But the earliest Christian creeds and confessions (e.g., 1 Corinthians 15:3–7) date to within a few years of Jesus’ death. Legends do not form that fast in the presence of eyewitnesses. Christianity exploded too early and too boldly to be myth.
Why It Matters
You cannot explain Jesus away. He did not leave us that option. He was either deluded, deceptive, or divine. And the evidence—historical, rational, and prophetic—points to the third. Jesus Christ is not a fable invented by desperate fishermen. He is God in the flesh, the incarnate Word, the one who entered space and time to redeem what was lost.
In the next section, we will explore the resurrection, the cornerstone of Christianity and the greatest miracle in history. If Christ has not been raised, our faith is in vain (1 Corinthians 15:14). But if He has, then every other biblical truth finds its center in Him.
The Resurrection as the Pinnacle — The God Who Conquered Death
The Central Claim of Christianity
Christianity does not stand or fall on abstract philosophy. It hinges on a historical event: the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. Without it, Christianity crumbles. As the Apostle Paul bluntly wrote:
“If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” (1 Corinthians 15:14)
The resurrection is not a metaphor, myth, or moral fable; it is the bold claim that a man brutally executed under Roman authority returned to life in a glorified body, never to die again. If that claim is true, it validates everything Jesus said about Himself. If it’s false, Christianity is worse than a lie—it is a cruel hoax.
The Minimal Facts Approach
In recent decades, scholars like Gary Habermas and Michael Licona have developed what’s known as the Minimal Facts Argument for the resurrection. This approach focuses only on facts that are:
- Strongly evidenced
- Accepted by the majority of critical (even skeptical) scholars
These facts include:
- Jesus died by crucifixion.
- His disciples believed they saw Him alive after death.
- The tomb was found empty (by many accounts).
- The disciples were transformed, even unto death.
- Christianity exploded from Jerusalem almost immediately.
Let’s examine them more closely.
1. Jesus Died by Crucifixion
Virtually no scholar—Christian, Jewish, atheist, or agnostic—denies this. The crucifixion of Jesus is one of the most certain events of antiquity. It is recorded in all four Gospels, confirmed by Roman historians like Tacitus, and Jewish sources like the Talmud. The Romans were experts in death. Jesus did not survive it.
2. The Disciples Believed They Saw Him Alive
Something radically changed these men. They didn’t just claim Jesus lived on “in their hearts” or as a “spiritual truth.” They proclaimed bodily resurrection, often at great personal cost. Eleven of the twelve apostles, according to early tradition, were martyred. Liars don’t die for a story they know is fake.
3. The Tomb Was Found Empty
While not universally agreed upon by all scholars, the empty tomb is supported by:
- Early sources (Mark’s Gospel, pre-Gospel creed in 1 Corinthians 15)
- The fact that women were recorded as the first witnesses—embarrassing in a patriarchal society and unlikely to be fabricated
- Jewish and Roman authorities never produced the body, even though they had every reason to
If the body was still in the tomb, Christianity would have died in its cradle.
4. The Disciples Were Transformed
Before the resurrection, they were cowards—hiding, denying, and fleeing. Afterward, they were bold proclaimers of Christ, willing to be imprisoned, beaten, and killed. Something caused that shift. Hallucinations don’t explain group appearances or empty tombs. Lies don’t produce martyrs. Fearful men don’t become fearless missionaries without cause.
5. Christianity Began in Jerusalem
And not just anywhere; in the very city where Jesus was buried. If the resurrection was a hoax, it would have been immediately crushed by the production of a body or eyewitness refutation. Instead, it spread like wildfire. Thousands converted, including priests and skeptics.
Refuting Alternate Theories
The Swoon Theory (Jesus didn’t really die)
Refuted by the brutality of Roman execution and the spear thrust to His side. A half-dead man would not inspire worship; he would need a medic.
The Hallucination Theory
Hallucinations are private, not group events. Over 500 people saw Jesus at once (1 Corinthians 15:6). And hallucinations don’t eat fish, talk, or invite touching.
The Stolen Body Theory
Who stole it? The disciples? Why would they die for a lie? The Jewish leaders? Then why not reveal the body when Christianity spread?
The Legend Theory
There wasn’t time. The earliest accounts of the resurrection predate the Gospels, appearing just 3–5 years after the event. Legends don’t form that quickly.
Objections and Responses
Objection: “Miracles can’t happen, so the resurrection is automatically false.”
Response: That’s not an argument; it’s presupposition. If God exists, then miracles are not only possible; they’re expected. The question is not “Can this happen?” but “Did it?”
Objection: “Resurrection is scientifically impossible.”
Response: So is creating the universe from nothing. So is life from non-life. We already believe in events science can’t explain, because science describes natural laws, and the resurrection is a supernatural event.
Objection: “Maybe the disciples just really wanted to believe.”
Response: They didn’t. They were crushed, terrified, and scattered. Even Thomas demanded hard evidence. It was not wishful thinking; it was undeniable experience that turned skeptics into martyrs.
Why It Matters
If the resurrection is true, it confirms Jesus’ identity, vindicates His teachings, and proves that death is not the end. It is the greatest hope in history, and the greatest threat to every worldview that denies it.
C.S. Lewis once said:
“The New Testament writers speak as if Christ’s achievement in rising from the dead was the first event of its kind in the whole history of the universe. He is the ‘firstfruits,’ the pioneer of life. He has forced open a door that has been locked since the death of the first man.”
Christianity is not a religion of vague inspiration. It is a declaration of victory: that God has acted in history, broken the curse of sin, and shattered the power of death. In the next post, we turn to the foundation of this entire message: the Word of God itself—the Bible. Can we trust it? Has it been preserved? Is it really inspired?