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A Question That Divides History
More books have been written about Jesus than any person in history. He is worshiped by billions, dismissed by others, and debated by scholars on every continent. Yet one question remains at the center of every conversation:
Who was Jesus, really?
Some say He was a moral teacher. Others call Him a prophet. Some deny His divinity. Yet no serious historian denies His existence. Even critics who reject His message still acknowledge the man.
This matters because our faith is not built on myth or imagination—it is built on history. Christianity begins with real events, in real places, involving real people who saw, heard, and walked with Jesus of Nazareth.
The Historical Record: No Room for Denial
Even those who reject Christianity as a faith cannot erase the historical evidence for Jesus’ life.
- Roman sources mention Him explicitly.
- Tacitus, a Roman historian writing around AD 116, records that “Christus, from whom the name [Christian] had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of Pontius Pilate.”
- Pliny the Younger, a Roman governor, wrote to Emperor Trajan in AD 112 describing early Christians who gathered to worship Christ “as to a god.”
- Tacitus, a Roman historian writing around AD 116, records that “Christus, from whom the name [Christian] had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of Pontius Pilate.”
- Jewish sources confirm His existence.
- The historian Flavius Josephus, writing around AD 93, refers to “Jesus, a wise man… a doer of wonderful works… who was called the Christ.”
- The Babylonian Talmud, though written from a non-Christian perspective, references Jesus’ execution during Passover—further confirming the timing and nature of His death.
- The historian Flavius Josephus, writing around AD 93, refers to “Jesus, a wise man… a doer of wonderful works… who was called the Christ.”
- Early Christian writings are historically unique.
- The New Testament contains eyewitness accounts written within decades of Jesus’ death.
- The letters of Paul date to within 20 years of the crucifixion, quoting even earlier creeds that circulated among believers within months of the resurrection.
- The New Testament contains eyewitness accounts written within decades of Jesus’ death.
Historians use a principle called historicity—the closer a document is to the events it describes, the more reliable it is. By that measure, the records about Jesus are far stronger than those of Caesar, Alexander the Great, or Plato.
The evidence is overwhelming: Jesus of Nazareth lived, taught, performed miracles, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and was believed by His followers to have risen from the dead.
The Problem of Dismissing Miracles
Skeptics often accept the historical Jesus but reject the supernatural one. They believe in the man, but not the Messiah.
Yet this position is inconsistent. If the same reliable documents confirm His miracles and resurrection, why accept one part and discard the rest?
Rejecting the supernatural because it is supernatural is not history—it is bias.
Miracles are only impossible if we begin by assuming there is no God.
If there is a Creator who designed the laws of nature, it is perfectly logical that He can work within or beyond them.
When the Gospels describe Jesus healing the blind, walking on water, or rising from the grave, they are not describing violations of nature. They are describing the actions of the Author of nature.
The Eyewitness Testimony
The New Testament is not myth—it is testimony.
- Peter says, “We were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” (2 Peter 1:16)
- John writes, “What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also.” (1 John 1:3)
- Paul lists over 500 witnesses who saw the risen Christ, many of whom were still alive when he wrote his letters (1 Corinthians 15:3–8).
This is not the language of legend. Legends take generations to form. These accounts were written while those who could disprove them were still living.
If Jesus had not risen, His enemies could have produced the body. Instead, the world produced a movement that turned empires upside down.
The Transformation of His Followers
Perhaps the strongest proof of Jesus’ resurrection is the change in those who followed Him.
Before the crucifixion, His disciples fled in fear. After the resurrection, they stood boldly before kings, prisons, and death itself. Every one of them faced persecution, and most were executed for proclaiming that Jesus was alive.
People may die for a lie they believe to be true. No one dies for a lie they know to be false.
These men and women did not gain power or wealth. They gained scars and salvation. Their courage became the foundation of the Church and the testimony that continues today.
Jesus in the Present Tense
It is possible to study Jesus historically and still miss Him personally.
Many historians stop at the question, “Did Jesus exist?” But the more important question is, “Does He exist now?” The resurrection is not a symbolic story. It is the reason the Church exists at all. The tomb was empty then, and it is empty now.
Revelation 1:18 records the words of Jesus Himself: “I am the Living One. I was dead, and now look, I am alive forever and ever.”
That is why Christians speak of Jesus in the present tense. He is not a figure of the past. He is the living Lord of history and eternity.
The Philosophical Reality: Myth or Meaning?
Some try to reduce Jesus to myth because it makes Him easier to ignore. But myths do not rewrite calendars, conquer empires through compassion, or transform hearts across centuries.
If Jesus is a myth, then love, mercy, and forgiveness are myths too, because He is their perfect expression.
Philosopher C.S. Lewis once said, “You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon, or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher.”
The evidence leaves only two options:
Either Jesus is who He said He is, or He is not. History, logic, and faith all point to the same conclusion—He is.
Why It Matters Today
If Jesus lived, died, and rose again, then every word He spoke carries eternal weight. His teachings are not suggestions; they are truth. His promises are not metaphors; they are life.
The question, “Who was Jesus?” becomes “Who is Jesus to you?” He does not ask for admiration. He asks for surrender. He does not offer a religion. He offers a relationship.
He is the same today as He was two thousand years ago—alive, powerful, and waiting for every heart that calls on His name. If you are searching for truth, start where history and hope meet: with Jesus. Read the Gospels. Study the evidence. Then ask Him to reveal Himself to you. He promises that those who seek will find.
And when you find Him, you will not meet a legend—you will meet the living Lord.
