No legitimate scholar denies that a Jewish man named Jesus walked on this earth about 2,000 years ago. Born in Bethlehem in the Middle East, he grew up in a small town called Nazareth. When he was about thirty years old, he began traveling to other towns and cities in Israel to teach. He gathered a band of twelve close friends along with many other women and men who left work and homes to follow him. Most reputable historians agree that three years later, Jesus was executed on a Roman cross just outside Jerusalem. These, then, are the historical facts about Jesus. The crucial questions center on whether he was God incarnate, the Messiah who rose from the dead three days after His crucifixion.
Was he God? Jesus himself thought so. He told his friends, "I and the Father are one heart and mind." (John 10:30, MSG). This leaves us with three possibilities (as C.S. Lewis so aptly pointed out): Either he was lying, crazy, or telling the truth. A "good man" doesn't go around telling others that he's God if he's not. The teachings of this Jewish man have inspired leaders like William Wilberforce, Martin Luther King, and Mahatma Gandhi—could he be as articulate and wise if he were lying or not mentally sound?
Did he rise from the dead? After Jesus died, his close friends were terrified. They stayed in hiding, believing that their lives were in danger. Something significant must have taken place three days later. These cowering, uneducated common folk began teaching boldly that Jesus was the risen Messiah, in spite of immense persecution and condemnation. They claimed the Spirit of Jesus was alive and with them still, teaching and leading his followers.
Was it a conspiracy? It couldn't have been. All of them—every one of his eleven closest friends and others—affirmed the resurrection of Jesus even when enduring their own executions. Conspiracies don't have that strong a hold on so many marginalized people at once—only truth can survive such a determined plan of extinction by powerful, educated opponents.
Was he the Messiah? When asked this question, Jesus said, "I who am speaking to you am He." He fulfilled over 300 messianic prophecies written in the Old Testament scriptures (learn more on BibleProbe.com). With the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the reliability of the Septuagint version of the Old Testament, both of which have been proven to exist prior to the time Jesus walked on the earth, these prophecies were not "invented" after-the-fact. (See Why the Bible?) They were fulfilled by life, death, and resurrection of the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth.
Once again, Jesus didn't mince words about his identity: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6). Most people agree that Jesus was a "good man" of sound mind (read the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John to see why). How then could a good man make such an outrageous claim about himself? Ask yourself what the only logically consistent alternative must be.
Yes, Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, just as he said. Isn't it time you decided to follow him? If you want to give your life to Jesus, click here, or please contact us.
