The issue of Jesus’ existence has been controversial since time immemorial. Different people have expressed the interest to get proofs on his existence, and they have sought answers about this question. Markedly, this is a challenging question to handle in the human environment, considering that this is an entirely different time. One cannot mention the name Jesus without thinking about the Christian religion. Christians are followers of Jesus Christ, and hence they derive their name from his name Christ. Markedly, Jesus is the foundation and basis of the Christian believes in both the traditional and modern environments. In the quest to answer this question, researchers have delved into the field of research to support and to disapprove of the assertions of His existence. Given the divided thoughts about His existence, Christians are left in a dilemma on what to believe and preach to the public with regards to the existence of Jesus Christ. Given this, there are different pieces of evidence that point towards the existence of Jesus Christ.
The Bible is the basis of all Christian beliefs. Both the Old and New Testament point towards the existence of Jesus Christ. For instance, from the Old Testament, different prophets talked about his existence. For instance, Isaiah highlighted about the Messiah, in this case, Jesus Christ. The authors of the Bible are believed to have existed during the ancient times when Jesus was on the earth, and as such, they were filled with the Holy Spirit to write about the old things as they occurred. Besides, the New Testament supports the evidence in the Old Testament as it documents the whole story about Jesus Christ and the fulfillment of the prophecies that were given before His coming (Bond, 2017). Similarly, the New Testament refers to Him as a Messiah and the King.
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Additionally, Jesus came in the form of a man. According to Josephus, Jesus grew in a priestly family. Josephus was a close associate of the family and interacted with them in different capacities. The fact that he gave some details about Jesus and referred to Him by His name Jesus means that He was talking about the same person. If another name would be used to refer to Him, then the arguments about His inexistence would prevail. His claims are in line with those of the Bible as He is viewed as spiritual and as a humble Messiah in both instances. Based on the meaning of His name, both the Bible and the earthly evidence depict that He existed and even exists today (Slade, 2016). His name means Messiah in Hebrew, and this was the term used in the Bible to refer to Him.
Furthermore, based on Josephus, Jesus had a brother by the name James. He gave information about Jesus and His ministry on earth. Considering their close relationship, James trusted Josephus with intimate details about Jesus Christ (Bond, 2017). Given the relation of James with Jesus, he was in a better position to offer first-hand information to the world, and as such, this depicts that Jesus existed.
Moreover, the story of His death and resurrection is confirmed by the existence of the tomb that He occupied during His life as a man. He is said to have lived, died, and resurrected after three days. The tomb is empty and is preserved for the sake of reference. Equally, He is believed to be in heaven, a place He rose to after his resurrection. Markedly, His empty tomb is evidence to support these elements (Slade, 2016). Therefore, based on this evidence, Jesus existed.
The sentiments of the Jewish leaders about Him depict that He existed. Some Leaders viewed Him as a threat, and they never supported His mission. They aired unfavorable opinions about Him while He was on earth as a man (Hannabuss, 2016). These leaders existed, and the fact that they rubbed shoulders with Jesus proves His existence.
One outstanding historical leader who interacted with Jesus was Pilate as he allowed for His crucifixion. Such an instance proofs that He lived and died on earth. Besides, the story of crucifixion His is in support of the Bible scriptures about His life, death, and eventual rise to the heavens. The instance of His crucifixion saw Him being treated as a criminal who was placed between two thieves (Bond, 2017). Historian Josephus and Tacitus document His death and crucifixion concerning Pilate, and this is similar to what the Bible states about the events and people behind His physical death.
Another element about His life on earth was the fact that He had twelve disciples. These people interacted with Him first hand, and as a result, they had fine details about His life. Even after His humiliating crucifixion and death, they went ahead to spread information about Him (Hannabuss, 2016). Accordingly, this proves His existence.
No doubt, the element of the existence of Jesus is attached to various pieces of evidence from His life and relations. Some pieces of evidence are credible, while others are not. However, the bottom line is that most evidence points towards his existence. Besides, Historians such as Josephus support His existence, and their details are in line with the once given in the Bible.
References
Bond, H. K. (2017). Jesus: A very brief history . SPCK.
Hannabuss, S. (2016). Jesus in History, Legend, Scripture, and Tradition: A World Encyclopedia. Reference Reviews .
Slade, D. M. (2016). The Jesus of History and the Christ of Faith: Religious Belief and the Appropriation of Historical Criticism.
