Will God Judge Us Based on Our Deeds or on What We Believe About Jesus?

The Bible says we'll be judged "according to what we have done" (Revelations 20:13). And Jesus said the angels would separate the wicked from the righteous (Matthew 13:49) on the day of judgment. Does that mean we'll be judged based on our deeds rather than on what we believe about Jesus. Universalists want to see all people get into Heaven or, at least, all good people. And most universalists assume all people will suddenly "get it" or become good when they meet God after they die. They don't like the idea that one must know and believe in Jesus prior to death to be saved, because they consider most non-believers to be pretty good people who deserve to get into Heaven and be spared Hell.

However, though Scripture consistently puts emphasis on righteousness vs. wickedness and on good deeds vs. evil deeds (because it's important!), it is also exceedingly clear that salvation comes through no other name under heaven except that of Christ alone (John 3:18, 36, 14:6, Ephesians 2:8-9, Acts 4:12, Romans 3:21-25, 10:9-10). Scripture also makes it clear that rejecting Jesus IS a form of wickedness and, all by itself, is deserving of punishment.

"All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you" (II Thessalonians 1:5-10, emphasis added).

You can't have Jesus without JESUS! Although Christ's forgiveness and salvation is equally available to all humanity, there are vast groups of people whose hearts are so hard that they will NEVER turn to Him--regardless of anything He does to convince them of His love and grace (Genesis 6:5-6, Isaiah 42:18-20, Romans 2:5). That doesn't mean He condemned them in advance to Hell. That doesn't mean they didn't have ample opportunities during this life. That doesn't mean He ordained or designed them to be this hardhearted. Rather, God in His great love for us--even "while we were still sinners" (Romans 5:8)--took the penalty of our sin on His own shoulders, suffered and died in our place, spread His Good News to all mankind, and offered us a chance to spend eternity with Him. 

"Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God" (John 3:18). 

"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him" (John 3:36).

Would A Loving God Send People to Hell?

Universalist philosophy is largely built on the idea that a good and loving God wouldn't send anyone to Hell. I agree. He wouldn't, and He doesn't. In fact, Jesus says Hell was prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41). "Sending" people to Hell was never part of the plan, and still isn't. However, because we have free will, we certainly have the right to choose to go there.

Now, some might argue that no one would willingly and knowingly go to Hell. No one would be foolish enough to choose Hell over Heaven with Jesus. But though Jesus and the writers of Scripture do speak of a literal, post-death Hell (Matthew 25:31-46, Mark 9:43, II Thessalonians 1:8-10, Revelations 21:8, etc.), they also spoke of a possible hellish existence in this life (Matthew 5:22, 29-30, 10:28, 23:15, 43-45, James 3:6, etc.). Living in wickedness and sin and rejecting Christ and His way of love is hell.

Consider how people today live who are severely addicted to drugs or who involve themselves in sex-trafficking or who are exceedingly violent and greedy. Imagine the worst drug dens and sex rings. If you showed up and said, "Come with me. I can get you out of here. I can help you get clean and have a good and happy and pain-free life. Just leave all of this behind." How many of them would get up and accept your offer? I bet very, very few.

Jesus did exactly that--only He was God and even rose from the dead to prove it. How many people accepted His grace and forgiveness and healing? And how many people today are STILL rejecting Him and choosing their own hellish life? If they're doing it now, they'll do it after death, too. No second chance will help. And no one will end up in Hell who doesn't want to be there.

Can You Find Complete Freedom In Christ In This Life? (The Answer Might Surprise You....)

On October 14, 2012 I lost a very dear friend to cancer. The following January, I moved in to a new state and left my home of eleven years (and my entire support system). Needless to say, 2013 was a really sucky year. Everything made me cry. And I mean everything. Commercials. Songs on the radio. Silent moments. Small frustrations.

Now, as my regular readers know, I'm a Christian. I love Jesus. I don't just believe--I know--He is in control and that He is coming back and is going to kick some serious butt in the suffering department. He will wipe every tear away and show us something so awesome that nothing we have suffered will matter.

But that's then....

I have to live right now. In this time. In this place. In this mess.

And so do you.

Sometimes (okay, always) it's hard for me to try to explain my burdens and sorrows to other Christians because I’m afraid I’m going to get some kind of pat, "versish" answer, like, "Just cast all your cares on Him and He will set you free." Or, "You just have to trust in Jesus to get you through it." Or, my most favorite (NOT!), "Well, you know God will never give you more than you can handle."

(OK, that last one is not even in the Bible. Look it up. I don’t care if there’s a popular song by Group 1 Crew right on the Christian stations that say it. It’s still false. The Bible says He will not tempt you beyond what you can bear. (I Corinthians 10:12-13) It even says He can’t tempt anyone to sin. (James 1:13) And most suffering—unless it’s actually God disciplining us, which is rare—doesn’t and can’t come from God anyway, (Job 34:10-12) so that misquote is seriously messed up. So let’s all just stop saying it.)

The fact is, in this life we will suffer. (That’s actually in the Bible—John 16:33. Not surprisingly, it’s one of Jesus’s less quoted promises.) But, that fact is not what I really struggle with. I expect to suffer and I know Christ suffered, died, and rose again to conquer the cause of our suffering—to break sin’s hold on the world and our own allegiance to it. But the Christian can find a sort of eternal perspective for most bad things that happen. When my friend died, I knew I’d see her again in Heaven. It doesn’t make me not miss her now, but I can look forward to a time I will no longer miss her. And Christ can bring amazing healing in what seem like insurmountably bad experiences—broken marriages, abuse, neglect, addictions, etc. Granted. (But it’s still pretty awesome and amazing!)

…But I still have some burdens that I feel will never go away. What about all those people who do not know Jesus? What about all of my friends and family and the strangers in China or down the block who suffer needlessly because they either don’t know or have rejected Him? I have this incredible burden for the people who share this world with me, and yet I often feel so incredibly powerless to really help them. I have cried and prayed about this often lately. That even if I am being incredibly blessed (which I am), I yet constantly grieve for those around me—I wear my sorrow for them like a heavy blanket I can’t put down. This doesn’t feel like “freedom in Christ.” It feels like being burdened by Christ. How can I find joy in my salvation knowing so many don’t yet know Him and, maybe, will never know Him?

The other day, as I was again contemplating these things while driving home, I was suddenly struck by a thought.

Jesus, too, was deeply emotionally burdened for the lost and suffering people of the world.

Duh, right? I mean, it’s pretty simple. It’s not like this is new information. But, to me in that moment, it was like I was seeing it for the first time. When the Bible says we have “freedom in Christ,” it’s talking about having freedom from our own sinfulness (if we so choose to accept it), it does not mean some kind of blanket freedom that means we should always be happy or jumping for “joy in the Lord.”

Even Christ didn’t have that kind of freedom in Christ!

He was a seriously miserable guy a lot of the time. (He weeps: John 11:35, He loses His cool: Matt. 23:33, He really loses His cool: John 2:15, He is in so much anguish His sweat fills with blood: Luke 22:44.) And I believe He STILL feels that way—for every man, woman, and child who is suffering in this moment, who feels rejected, who is fighting cancer, who is being cruelly abused, who is blinded by sin or pride, who has lost someone they love… who has not recognized God’s saving grace through Jesus’s sacrifice.

Freedom in Christ is not complete freedom from any and all feelings of despair or sorrow or longing. Christ mourned for the lost (John 11:35), He felt deep sorrow and anger at the lack of faith of His own disciples (Matt. 16:33), He longed for our salvation so desperately that He was willing to die a horrific death to make it possible (John 3:16-17).  

Some sufferings in this life we get over, we heal, we see beyond. Some we don’t. Sometimes we have to wait and trust and hope even as we go through it. And that’s okay. God wants us to be burdened by the sufferings of those around us (Col. 3:12-13 & a boat-load more). He wants us to empathize and sympathize with those who need help, a leg up, a word of encouragement, a second chance….

So I can now pray, “Lord, break my heart for what breaks Yours,” and know that I’m not giving up my joy in the Lord. I’m just sacrificing some of my temporary happiness so I will be motivated to share that lasting joy with as many people as I can, while I can.

Would a Good God Send People to Hell? (Logic Flow Chart)

Names, Titles and Descriptions of Jesus

A Nazarene (Matt. 2:23; Mark 14:67)
All (Col. 3:11)
Alpha and Omega (Rev. 1:8)
Anointed One (Actsw 4:26, Ps. 2:2)
Apostle and high priest (Heb. 3:1)
Author and perfecter of our faith (Heb. 12:2)
Author of life (Acts 3:15)
Author of their salvation (Heb. 2:10)
Branch of the LORD (Isa. 4:2)
Bread of God (John 6:33)
Bread of life (John 6:48)
Bridegroom (Luke 5:34-35)
Chief cornerstone (Eph. 2:20)
Chosen and precious cornerstone (2 Pet. 2:6)
Christ Jesus my Lord (Phil. 3:8)
Christ Jesus our hope (I Tim. 1:1)
Christ of God (Luke 9:20)
Consolation of Israel (Luke 2:25)
Crown of splendor (Isa. 62:3)
Eternal life (1 John 5:20)
Faithful and True (Rev. 19:11)
Faithful and true witness (Rev. 3:14)
First to rise from the dead (Acts 26:23)
Firstborn from among the dead (Col. 1:18)
Firstborn over all creation (Col. 1:15)
Firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep (1 Cor. 15:20)
Fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Eph. 5:2)
Friend of tax collectors and "sinners" (Matt. 11:19)
God over all (Rom. 9:5)
God's Son (John 11:4)
Great high priest (Heb. 13:20)
Great light (Matt. 4:16)
Great Shepherd of the sheep (Heb. 13:20)
Guarantee of a better covenant (Heb. 7:22)
He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world (John 6:33)
He who searches hearts and minds (Rev. 2:23)
Head of every man (1 Cor. 11:3)
Head of the body, the church (Col. 1:18)
Head over every power and authority (Col. 2:10)
Heir of all things (Heb. 1:2)
Him ... who died and came to life again (Rev. 2:8)
Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins (Rev. 1:5)
His one and only Son (1 John 4:9)
Holy and Righteous One (Acts 3:14)
Holy One of God (John 6:69)
Holy servant Jesus (Acts 4:27, 30)
Hope of Israel (Jer. 17:13)
Horn of salvation (Luke 1:69)
Image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15)
Immanuel (God with us; Matt. 1:23)
Indescribable gift (2 Cor. 9:15)
Jesus (Matt. 1:21)
Jesus Christ (John 1:17)
Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 1:4; 5:21)
Jesus Christ our Savior (Titus 3:6)
Jesus of Nazareth (Mark 1:24; Matt. 26:71)
Judge of the living and the dead (Acts 10:42)
KING OF KINGS (Rev. 19:16)
King of the ages (Rev. 15:3)
Lamb of God (John 1:29; 1:36)
Light for revelation to the Gentiles (Luke 2:32)
Light of men (John 1:4)
Light of the world (John 8:12)
Living bread that came down from heaven (John 6:51)
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:18)
Lord (Kurios; Josh. 3:11, 13)
Lord of glory (1 Cor. 2:8)
LORD OF LORDS (Rev. 19:16)
Lord of peace (2 Thess. 3:16)
Lord of the harvest (Matt. 9:38)
Lord of the Sabbath (Matt. 12:8)
Lord (Rabboni; John 20:16)
Man accredited by God (Acts 2:22)
Man of sorrows (Isa. 53:3)
Master (Luke 8:24; 9:33; Col. 4:1)
Mediator of a new covenant (Heb. 9:15; 12:24)
Merciful and faithful high priest (Heb. 2:17)
Messenger of the covenant (Mal. 3:1)
Messiah (John 1:41)
Morning star (Rev. 2:28)
My friend (Jer. 3:4)
My intercessor (Job 16:20)
One who makes men holy (Heb. 2:11)
One who speaks to the Father in our defense (1 John 2:1)
One who will arise to rule over the nations (Rom. 15:12)
Our glorious Lord Jesus Christ (Jas. 2:1)
Our God and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 1:1)
Our only Sovereign and Lord (Jude 1:4)
Our Passover lamb (1 Cor. 1:30)
Our peace (Eph. 2:14)
Our righteousness, holiness and redemption (1 Cor. 1:30)
Physician (Luke 4:23)
Prince and Savior (Isa. 9:6)
Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6)
Prince of princes (Dan. 8:25)
Prince of the hosts (Dan. 8:11)
Ransom for all men (1 Tim. 2:6)
Refiner and purifier (Mal. 3:3)
Resurrection and the life (John 11:25)
Righteous Judge (2 Tim. 4:8)
Righteous One (Acts 3:14; 7:52)
Rock eternal (rock of ages; Isa. 26:4)
Ruler of God's creation (Rev. 3:14)
Ruler of the kings of the earth (Rev. 1:5)
Savior of the world (John 4:42)
Second man (1 Cor. 15:47)
Shepherd and Overseer of your souls (1 Pet. 2: 25)
Son of Man (John 3:13-14; 5:27; 6:27)
Son of the Blessed One (Mark 14:61)
Son of the living God (Matt. 16:16)
Son of the Most High God (Luke 8:28)
Source of eternal salvation (Heb. 5:9)
Sure foundation (Isa. 33:6)
Teacher (Matt. 23:10)
The Amen (2 Cor. 1:20)
The Beginning and the End (Rev. 21:6)
The bright Morning Star (Rev. 22:16)
The exact repreentation of His (God's) being (Heb. 1:13)
The First and the Last (Rev. 1:17)
The gate (door; John 10:7, 9)
The good shepherd (John 10:11)
The Head (Eph. 4:15; Col. 2:19)
The last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45)
The life (John 14:6)
The Living One (Rev. 1:18)
The living Stone (1 Pet. 2:4)
The LORD Our Righteousness (Jer. 23:6)
The man from heaven (1 Cor. 15:49)
The man Christ Jesus (1 Tim. 2:5)
The most holy (Dan. 9:24)
The One and Only (John 1:14, 18)
The only God our Savior (Jude 1:25)
The radiance of God's glory (Heb. 1:3)
The rising of the sun (Isa. 59:19)
The stone the builders rejected (1 Pet. 2:7)
The testimony given in its proper time (1 Tim. 2:6)
The true light (John 1:9)
The true vine (John 15:1)
The truth (John 14:6)
The way (John 14:6)
The Word (logos; John 1:1)
True bread from heaven (John 6:32)
Wisdom from God (1 Cor. 1:30)
Wonderful Counselor (Isa. 9:6)
Word of God (Rev. 19:13)
Word of life (1 John 1:1)
Your life (Col. 3:3)
Your salvation (Isa. 30:15; Eph. 1:13)

Laminin: Jesus Holds Us Together

I once watched the YouTube video where Louie Giglio discusses the importance of laminin--a cell adhesion protein. To watch this clip, click here. Basically, laminin is the protein that holds all of our cells together. It keeps us functioning normally and protects us from degenerative diseases such as muscular dystrophy or progeria. Laminin is also made up of three parts--three in one, just like our triune God (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.)

Amazing, isn't it? Laminin--called the "basement membrane" without which we would literally fall apart--is in the exact shape of the cross.

The Bible says: "For by him [Jesus] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." (Colossians 1:16-17)

How Do I Accept Jesus?

So, you've discovered Jesus's offer of forgiveness! You've realized He is the most amazing person who ever lived! You believe He was Who He said He was (God), died in your place, and came back to life, and now you're ready to ask Him to extend that payment over your life and take the lead!

How do you go about that? You tell Him that you commit your heart, your life, and your trust to Him. Basically, you do this the same way you would enter a marriage. You fall in love, you declare your love, and you commit yourself and your future to the One you love--in this case, Jesus.

The Bible says, "...if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9)

Remember, you can talk to God at any time and in any way. He, being all-knowing, can hear your most secret thoughts. You don't have to say anything aloud or stand on your roof and shout. He hears you. In fact, He can read your heart even when you can't come up with the words. In this case, however, it's important that you make a conscious decision and tell Him that you are accepting Him into your heart and your life. Remember, this isn't a magical formula. Your conversation and relationship with God is a private, intimate communication between the two of you, and if you really want Him to be your Savior, Lord, and Friend, you're not going to botch it by saying the wrong thing. If, however, you aren't sure how to start or what to say, I have written a prayer below:

Dearest Lord Jesus,

Thank you so much for loving me and coming to die on the cross for my sins. I know I have sinned and that my sin has separated me from having an intimate relationship with You. I no longer want to face my future alone. Please come into my heart and into my life. I accept Your sacrifice and Your forgiveness from this moment forward. Please teach me to know You, love You, trust You, and follow You. Draw me into a close love relationship with You. I love you, Jesus, and I thank you.

Amen

Welcome to God's family! If you entered into a relationship with Jesus today, I would certainly LOVE to hear from you! I would love to celebrate with you and encourage you and answer any questions you might have.

In the meantime, here are some verses to encourage you in your new life in Christ Jesus:

John 3:16-17 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (See Context.)

John 1:12-13 “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” (See Context.)

Ephesians 1:13-14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Psalm 118:6 “The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

Jeremiah 31:3 "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness."

Psalm 55:22 "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall."

Isaiah 43:1b "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine."

The Problem With Works-Based Religion

Every religious belief system, other than Christianity, is a works-based religion by design, and Christianity can easily become one if we aren't careful. Here is why that is bad:

Works-based, monotheistic religions (the belief in only one God) teach: I must do something to make myself good enough for God to accept me. Most of these religions teach that God is perfectly good. Now, if God is good and I, quite obviously, am not, how could I ever hope to make myself good enough to be with Him? Evil, as we all know, contaminates good. The two cannot co-exist without the evil eventually overtaking the good--hence the need for me to make myself good enough... except that this is impossible. I've already sinned, and since I don't have the power to reverse time and undo what I've already done, I'm pretty much doomed before I even start thinking about such things. Then, once I do start thinking about them, I still struggle with impurity. Even my thoughts would have to be completely holy at all times for me to measure up. --Whoops! There they go again! Now what? So, the result of all this is work, work, work--trying to please a god who will never accept me anyway--and die still wondering if I was good enough to tip the scale that has perfection on one end and me on the other.

Works-based, polytheistic religions (the belief in multiple gods) teach: I must do something to please the gods in order that they will bless me instead of curse me. This belief system exists almost entirely on fear. (Actually, so do the others, now that I think of it.) There is absolutely no eternal security. The most I can hope for is to please as many of the gods as possible and not tick off too many of them so I have a good life on earth. Then, if I am really, really good, I might actually become a god later to stalk around instilling fear in everyone left on earth. Of course, it's far more likely I will tick off a god or two (there being so many of them and none of them completely good nor very understanding), and I might be cursed to a miserable life on earth and maybe even be forced to come back as a flea or a slug. Another problem with this belief system is that it is appealing mainly because so many people follow it. Try to find some hard, factual evidence to support it.

Works-based, pantheistic religions (the belief that god is abstract and/or present in everything) teach: I must make myself as enlightened as possible, melding myself with the "god" or "goddess" in everything. Ah! If only we could all be gods someday! Hey, maybe we are already! --That is pretty much where this kind of belief system leads. Evil becomes very relative when no one god defines what "good" is. I could be a murdering child molester, but--hey!--if I'm a god, who's to say I'm doing anything wrong? And, if god is in everything, isn't god also in me? Of course, if you're a little more grounded, as most people are, there is the fear of what happens after you die. In this system there is little chance that your psyche--your spirit, what makes you "you"--continues to exist once you're gone. You either get reincarnated and forget everything--until some guru charms you into remembering bits and pieces as if it was some dream of long ago (how many Pocahontases could there have been, anyway?)--or, you join the mass consciousness of all the other spirits who have gone before you, becoming just a single, indistinguishable drop in the sea. Again, try to find some hard evidence for any this.

Other: I am likely leaving out several other sub-categories by this generalized approach. However, before dropping me a note to complain, do me the favor of thinking it through first. You may be surprised at how cleverly disguised some of these belief systems can be.

Why Christianity is Different:
You may recall that I said even Christianity can become a works-based religion. It certainly can; however, it is not designed as such. When Jesus died on the cross as a payment for our sin, He made a bridge for us to cross over into God's presence. By accepting this payment on our behalf, we take on Jesus's righteousness as our own. It was something God chose to do because we could never have paid that price. (Well, that's not true. We could pay that price, only the penalty is death and separation from God. Not exactly an option I want to take.) What do we have to do? Nothing. Only believe and accept His payment on our behalf. That is not something you do. It's something you become--a new creation, created originally by God and re-made by Him.

The Bible tells us: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:9 (NIV)

How are we saved? By grace.
What is required? Faith. (Which is also given by God, by the way.)
What is it? A gift of God.
Who does it? God.
Who doesn't do it? Us.
What doesn't work? Works. (Doing stuff to please God, make ourselves good enough for Him or make Him love us more.)
Why not? So that no one cannot boast.

And, finally, why is it so important that we cannot boast? Because God went to all the trouble to love us despite our ugliness and filth, come to earth, die a horrible death for us and, thereby, make the way for us to be with Him. And, if we keep trying to earn what is given as a gift, we are not only spinning our wheels, we are slapping Him in the face and saying, "No, God. I think I would do a better job than You when it comes to making myself good enough for You--even though I am starting off from a sinful place, am not nearly so intelligent or wise as You, have no clue what the future brings, and don't even know myself as well as You do, since I didn't create myself."

When I reject God's grace and try to work my way into Heaven, I take the focus off of Him and put it on myself. I suddenly become my own god. And that is not only the most arrogant thing I could do, but also the most foolish.

Evidence For the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

How important is the resurrection of Christ to the Christian faith?

I Corinthians 15:14 states, "And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith."

It would seem, from the passage above, that the doctrine of Christ's resurrection is the pinnacle on which the rest of the Christian faith rests. Interesting.... So, theoretically, if you can disprove the resurrection of Christ, you can disprove Christianity as a whole. Even we Christians would have no room to debate such a thing, seeing as how the Bible itself states how very important the resurrection is to the core of our belief.

Reading this passage, don't you think that many would try desperately to do just that? Finally! Once and for all to disprove that Christ rose from the dead! Once and for all to get all those Christians out there to shut up, for once! Once and for all to have the last word on a matter that has divided people across centuries!

Well, the truth is, many have tried. The problem with trying to disprove the resurrection is that the evidence in favor of it is incredibly overwhelming. There is better evidence for the resurrection of Jesus than there is for the existence of George Washington or Abraham Lincoln. In fact, many who have set out pumped to finally get Jesus out of the picture, have instead ended up falling in love with Him. How's that for irony?

I will outline for you a few of the evidences for the resurrection:

* The earliest manuscripts in our possession today that record these events were written and circulated before those who had witnessed the execution and been impressed by the resurrection had died. In other words, the event itself and the surrounding events were still in the memories of those living in Israel at that time. If such wild accounts had been false or easily disproven by someone just saying, "Nope. I remember it all and it didn't happen that way," the movement would have met a swift end. (Matthew--within 20 years, Mark--within 30 years, Luke--within 30 or 40 years, John--within 20-30 years.)

* Jesus was medically proven to have actually, physically died. (In other words, he wasn't just in a coma or something like that.) John 19:32-37 states, "The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and foudn that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: 'Not one of his bones will be broken,' and, as another scripture says, 'They will look on the one they have pierced.'" (See Context.)

* Jesus's body wasn't stolen by His followers. The religious and political leaders made sure of that by rolling a huge rock in front of Jesus's tomb, placing Pilate's seal on it and placing armed guards in front of it. (We're not sure how many guards were there. Estimates suggest between 20-100.) Matthew 27:57-66 has the full account of this. Some key verses are: "Joseph took the body, wraped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb.... The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 'Sir,' they said, 'we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.' So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.' 'Take a guard,' Pilate answered. 'Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.' So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on teh stone and posting the guard."

* There was a massive coverup--not by the disciples, but by the religious and political leaders who really goofed by "allowing" Jesus to, indeed, come back to life. Matthew 28:11-15 states, "...some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, 'You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.' If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.' So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed...." The trouble they spoke of was the death of any Roman soldier caught sleeping at his post. The Romans weren't exactly known for their forgiving spirit. So... if the disciples stole the body away while the soldiers slept, how did the soldiers know who had done it? Weren't they asleep? And, if they were really asleep, how did 20 or more trained guards sleep through all the noise the rolling away of that massive stone must have caused?

* Jesus's followers seemed to give up right after His death. They reacted as any one would if they believed that the one they had believed to be the Savior of the world, had suddenly met a very brutal end at the hands of the enemy. They went into hiding and with good reason, too. Now that the leader of thier revolt was dead, their lives were in danger from the relgious leaders who could kill them for being blasphemers--the same reason they used to crucify Jesus. Obviously, they weren't actively trying to fake anything or start a new religion. But then, suddenly,--upon seeing Jesus alive again and realizing that His triumph was over not only physical death, but the spiritual death of all mankind--they were so excited and zealous and outspoken that nobody could shut them up. John 20:19 states, "On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you!' After he had said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord." (See Context.)

* Most of the disciples of Jesus and many of His followers who came later were martyred. They died still confessing that Jesus was God, the Messiah, the Savior of mankind, and that He had, indeed, conquered death by coming back to life on the third day as He had predicted. Obviously, they believed. Here's a list:

Stephen, Protomartyr, was stoned and some 2,000 other Christians suffered at the time of Stephen's persecution, c. 35 A.D.
James the Great (Son of Zebedee) was beheaded in 44 A.D.
Philip the Apostle was crucified in 54 A.D.
Matthew killed by a halberd in 60 A.D.
James the Just, beaten to death by a club after being crucified and stoned.
Matthias was stoned and beheaded.
Andrew, St. Peter's brother, was crucified.
Mark was beaten to death.
Peter, crucified upside-down.
Apostle Paul, beheaded in Rome.
Jude was crucified.
Bartholomew was crucified.
Thomas the Apostle was killed by a spear.
Luke the Evangelist was hanged.
Simon the Zealot was crucified in 74 A.D.
(Note: John the Evangelist according to legend was cooked in boiling hot oil but survived. He was the only one of the original twelve Apostles who was not martyred).

For information on later Christian martyrs, see: http://www.innvista.com/culture/religion/earlmart.htm

* There were over 500 eye witnesses who saw Jesus alive after He had died on the cross. I Corinthians 15:6 states, "After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep." Again, if these people were still alive and if this was a lie, wouldn't somebody have said something?

* If Jesus hadn't risen from the dead and if the disciples had no chance at all to steal the body, why didn't the religious and political leaders simply produce the body? They had control over the tomb. They certainly had sufficient reason to want Jesus's followers squelched and producing a Jesus's body would have quickly disproved that He'd come back to life. Why not? Because there was no body to be found. It was gone. They didn't have it.

Well, these are only a few of the evidences, as I said. There are many more; these are just the ones I remembered off the top of my head. Still, all in all, it's very unlikely the resurrection will ever be disproven. "Well, that's okay," some say, "I don't believe in Jesus or God anyway." Well, my response to that would be this: It's very easy to say something or someone "doesn't exist". It takes absolutely no work at all. You just have to sit there and turn your mind off. Easy. The work comes in when you try to discover the truth. What does the evidence tell you? And, if the character, Jesus, did, indeed, come back to life, how and why did that happen? Who was He, anyway?

A couple of verses later in the same book, the Bible has something else to say, which we should all consider:I Corinthians 15:17 states, "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins."

That would certainly be a shame, would it not? To still be stuck in our sins while our lives are ebbing away?

Did Jesus Actually Exist?: The Jesus Puzzle Rebuttal

I was recently speaking with a gentleman who claimed not to believe Jesus existed at all--let alone did all that the Bible claims. Since most historians do not doubt Jesus' existance, even if the doubt His divinity, I found this man's point of view particularly interesting. I asked him why he held that belief and he pointed me to a website: The Jesus Puzzle. There are 12 pieces to this puzzle that, according to the site's author, add up to the conclusion that Jesus never actually existed. Here's what I thought about these claims:

Piece 1:

“The Gospel story, with its figure of Jesus of Nazareth, cannot be found before the Gospels. In Christian writings earlier than Mark, including almost all of the New Testament epistles, as well as in many writings from the second century, the object of Christian faith is never spoken of as a human man who had recently lived, taught, performed miracles, suffered and died at the hands of human authorities, or rose from a tomb outside Jerusalem. There is no sign in the epistles of Mary or Joseph, Judas or John the Baptist, no birth story, teaching or appointment of apostles by Jesus, no mention of holy places or sites of Jesus’ career, not even the hill of Calvary or the empty tomb. This silence is so pervasive and so perplexing that attempted explanations for it have proven inadequate.”

Piece 2:

The first clear non-Christian reference to Jesus as a human man in recent history is made by the Roman historian Tacitus around 115 CE, but he may simply be repeating newly-developed Christian belief in an historical Jesus in the Rome of his day. Several earlier Jewish and pagan writers are notably silent. The Antiquities of the Jews by the Jewish historian Josephus, published in the 90s, contains two famous references to Jesus, but these are inconclusive. The first passage, as it stands, is universally acknowledged to be a later Christian insertion, and attempts have failed to prove some form of authentic original; the second also shows signs of later Christian tampering. References to Jesus in the Jewish Talmud are garbled and come from traditions which were only recorded in the third century and later.

In pieces 1 & 2, they say that Jesus wasn’t mentioned very much in other sources other than the epistles. Basically, they were looking for confirmation of Jesus’ existence and activity in sources outside of the gospels and the writings of Christ’s followers. Their claim is that the lack of extra support of these writings is evidence that Jesus never existed. However, it would seem to me that the opposite is also true. What about the lack of writings denouncing Jesus’ existence? The writings of the New Testament were being circulated back and forth across the Roman Empire within the first generation after Jesus lived. In other words, there were many, many people still alive who had known Him, known His family and had heard first-hand accounts of His life. At the time right after His ministry and His death—if it was all a giant hoax—wouldn’t you expect to see writings to that effect? –Proclaiming that such a story was untrue because Joseph’s cousin knew he’d never had a son named Jesus or something like that? These people weren’t like we are today—focused on our own petty lives. They were in everybody’s business all of the time. Oral history was huge and so news traveled very quickly by word of mouth. It would be impossible for anyone at that time and in that region to start spreading a hoax that huge without someone taking notice. It’s particularly interesting that there was no denouncement of His existence from His enemies, such as the Roman government—people who would have quite a bit to gain if they could have persuaded people not to believe in Christ. So, in my opinion, pieces 1 & 2, reason against themselves.

Piece 3:

Paul and other early writers speak of the divine Son of their faith entirely in terms of a spiritual, heavenly figure; they never identify this entity called "Christ Jesus" (literally, "Anointed Savior" or "Savior Messiah") as a man who had lived and died in recent history. Instead, through the agency of the Holy Spirit, God has revealed the existence of his Son and the role he has played in the divine plan for salvation. These early writers talk of long-hidden secrets being disclosed for the first time to apostles like Paul, with no mention of an historical Jesus who played any part in revealing himself, thus leaving no room for a human man at the beginning of the Christian movement. Paul makes it clear that his knowledge and message about the Christ is derived from scripture under God’s inspiration.

I simply can’t fathom how the author can claim that the early writers of the NT didn’t speak of Jesus as if he had been a real, living person. That simply makes no sense at all to me, and here’s why: Paul did make references to Christ’s physical existence. Some of these can be found in I Corinthians 1:13, 1:23, 2:2, & 2:8, 1 Th. 4:14, and in several other places. All you have to do is look.

Here are a couple of good ones:

I Corinthians 11:23
“…The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’”

So, based on the above, is there night in this spiritual realm he speaks of? Do people betray each other? Do they eat and drink? Do they partake in ritual, religious observances so as not to forget God’s blessings? Obviously, he’s speaking of something that happened here on earth—the time Jesus ate the Passover meal with His disciples.

Here’s another one:
I Corinthians 15:3-7

“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.”

Again, here he speaking of Christ’s physical death—even that He was buried. Also, it speaks of all those to whom He appeared—notice how very many people there were who saw Jesus after He had been crucified. Perhaps the most interesting phrase here, though, is the one I highlighted—“…most of whom are still living…”. If you look at the time frame when this letter was written, there’s no way Paul could have gotten away with this kind of letter and this kind of claim if anyone had evidence to the contrary. It certainly would have come out long ago if there had been any doubt—even among Jesus’ enemies—that Jesus had, indeed, existed and done what the writers of the NT claim.

Piece 4:

Paul does not locate the death and resurrection of Christ on earth or in history. According to him, the crucifixion took place in the spiritual world, in a supernatural dimension above the earth, at the hands of the demon spirits (which many scholars agree is the meaning of "rulers of this age" in 1 Corinthians 2:8). The Epistle to the Hebrews locates Christ’s sacrifice in a heavenly sanctuary (ch. 8, 9). The Ascension of Isaiah, a composite Jewish-Christian work of the late first century, describes (9:13-15) Christ’s crucifixion by Satan and his demons in the firmament (the heavenly sphere between earth and moon). Knowledge of these events was derived from visionary experiences and from scripture, which was seen as a ‘window’ onto the higher spiritual world of God and his workings.

Again, it is very clear that Paul believed Christ to have existed in physical form—hence all the references to His death on the cross. They seem to be going against their argument in Piece 3 where they said, “they never identify this entity called "Christ Jesus" (literally, "Anointed Savior" or "Savior Messiah") as a man who had lived and died in recent history.” Obviously, if Paul did indeed discuss Christ’s crucifixion, as they now admit here, he did believe Jesus was physically crucified, and thus, physically existed. In I Cor. 2:8, the “rulers of this age” is in reference to the chief priests, Pilate and Herod Antipas, not to demonic forces as this person suggests. The passage must only be looked at in context. The Hebrews passage is talking about Jesus’ role as our High Priest and about the role of the New Covenant. It has nothing to do with the location of Christ’s sacrifice. The other passage he mentioned isn’t part of the Bible, nor has it gone through the vigorous verifications which the Bible has so long endured. Every single source he mentioned here has either been taken out of context, maligned, or is a very poor source, indeed.

Piece 5:

The activities of gods in the spiritual realm were part of ancient views (Greek and Jewish) of a multi-layered universe, which extended from the base world of matter where humans lived, through several spheres of heaven populated by various divine beings, angels and demons, to the highest level of pure spirit where the ultimate God dwelled. In Platonic philosophy (which influenced Jewish thought), the upper spiritual world was timeless and perfect, serving as a model for the imperfect and transient material world below; the former was the "genuine" reality, accessible to the intellect. Spiritual processes took place there, with their effects, including salvation, on humanity below. Certain "human characteristics" given to Christ (e.g., Romans 1:3) were aspects of his spirit world nature, higher counterparts to material world equivalents, and were often dependent on readings of scripture.

This argument is full of error. They need to reexamine true Jewish belief on this matter, because it is not adequately represented here. Neither is the understanding of the “spirit world nature” he describes (though poorly). Obviously, Jesus had human characteristics because He was human. These philosophic back-flips make no sense and would not be necessary if they would simply accept proven fact. Furthermore, this argument is based on acceptance of the earlier ones--all of which are obviously flawed.


Piece 6:

Christ’s features and myths are in many ways similar to those of the Greco-Roman salvation cults of the time known as "mystery religions", each having its own savior god or goddess. Most of these (e.g., Dionysos, Mithras, Attis, Isis, Osiris) were part of myths in which the deity had overcome death in some way, or performed some act which conferred benefits and salvation on their devotees. Such activities were viewed as taking place in the upper spirit realm, not on earth or in history. Most of these cults had sacred meals (like Paul’s Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 11:23f) and envisioned mystical relationships between the believer and the god similar to what Paul speaks of with Christ. Early Christianity was a Jewish sectarian version of this widespread type of belief system, though with its own strong Jewish features and background.

So, he’s saying that because there are similar events in mythical stories that the story of Jesus must also be a myth? This is not logical. Let’s say you write a true auto-biography in which you got hit by a car, you recover and then ended up getting divorced. I write a fictional story about someone who gets hit by a car, recovers and then ends up getting divorced. By this logic, because my story was fictional and had some of the same elements of your story, yours must also be fictional.

Furthermore, it is a well acknowledged fact that Jesus used the culture and the politics of His age when telling parables. Would it make more sense if He used stories that were completely foreign to his contemporaries? Of course, not. He was in a specific time, place, and culture and He spoke within it, to a large degree. What's important to note, though, is how he took ideas that were common and accepted (like hating the Samaritans and honoring the Jewish religious leaders) and flipped them on their heads (in the parable of the Good Samaritan, where the religious leaders were evil and the Samaritan was the good guy) to make a point that hit them right between the eyes.

Piece 7:

The Christian "Son" is also an expression of the overriding religious concept of the Hellenistic age, that the ultimate God is transcendent and can have no direct contact with the world of matter. He must reveal himself and deal with humanity through an intermediary force, such as the "Logos" of Platonic (Greek) philosophy or the figure of "personified Wisdom" of Jewish thinking; the latter is found in documents like Proverbs, Baruch and the Wisdom of Solomon. This force was viewed as an emanation of God, his outward image, an agency which had helped create and sustain the universe and now served as a channel of knowledge and communion between God and the world. All these features are part of the language used by early Christian writers about their spiritual "Christ Jesus", a heavenly figure who was a Jewish sectarian version of these prevailing myths and thought patterns.

If God really exists, has existed forever, created us and has been in communication with us, wouldn’t it follow that we would have some kind of understanding of His nature—even if we don’t come from the same place, culture or time? The interesting thing about Plato is that, in his discussions of “wisdom,” he was describing God’s character very closely. It’s as though in his searching, God had been revealing Himself to Plato, but Plato could never quite make that last jump to recognizing God for Who He was. Again, the vast similarities in thought and belief about God and His characteristics across the ages would seem more to serve the belief that God exists rather than refute it.

Piece 8:

All the Gospels derive their basic story of Jesus of Nazareth from a single source: whoever produced the first version of Mark. That Matthew and Luke are reworkings of Mark with extra, mostly teaching, material added is now an almost universal scholarly conclusion, while many also consider that John has drawn his framework for Jesus’ ministry and death from a Synoptic source as well. We thus have a Christian movement spanning half the empire and a full century which nevertheless has managed to produce only one version of the events that are supposed to lie at its inception. Acts, as an historical witness to Jesus and the beginnings of the Christian movement, cannot be relied upon, since it is a tendentious creation of the second century, dependent on the Gospels and designed to create a picture of Christian origins traceable to a unified body of apostles in Jerusalem who were followers of an historical Jesus. Many scholars now admit that much of Acts is sheer fabrication.

The author is basing this argument on the idea that Mark was written first. However, here are the most commonly accepted dates for the gospel manuscripts:
Matthew: early part of A.D. 50.
Mark: 50s or early 60s (some suggest as late as A.D. 70)
Luke: A.D. 59-63 or 70s or 80s
John: A.D. 85 or slightly later

So, who decided that Mark was written first? Based on the actually dating for these manuscripts, it’s very likely that it was written after Matthew and Luke. So, this argument falls apart right from the very beginning with his false assumptions. Still, let’s examine this idea a bit further.

I just love how this author claims backing for his ideas by citing "almost universal scholarly conclusion" without bothering to reference a single source. But who would know what happened back then better than the people who actually experienced it? Obviously, several people agreed on the events as they occurred and were told by Matthew, Mark and Luke—first-hand observers. The agreement between the gospels is further evidence that the events actually occurred, not evidence against it. All four of these people were there, witnessed the same events and wrote about them. Naturally, they’re telling basically the same story. A word about collaboration: Though there’s no conclusive proof that the writers of the gospel collaborated, let’s examine that for a moment just for argument’s sake. Let’s say you and I see someone riding by on a bicycle. We both sit down and write out a description of what we saw. I say, “A tall, African-American man with a thick mustache rode by on a ten-speed and nearly hit a dog.” You say, “A black man with a mustache, wearing a red shirt, rode by on a bike and nearly hit a dog.” If we put it together and wrote, “A tall, African-American man with a thick mustache and wearing a red shirt, rode by on a ten-speed bike and nearly hit a dog,” could either of us be accused of misrepresenting the event or of making anything up? No. We both saw it. By collaborating and reminding each other of particular details, the story had been made more detailed and accurate, not less so. Furthermore, the above statements about Acts are purely the opinion of the writer and cannot be validated nor proven.

Piece 9:

Not only do the Gospels contain basic and irreconcilable differences in their accounts of Jesus, they have been put together according to a traditional Jewish practice known as "midrash", which involved reworking and enlarging on scripture. This could entail the retelling of older biblical stories in new settings. Thus, Mark’s Jesus of Nazareth was portrayed as a new Moses, with features that paralleled the stories of Moses. Many details were fashioned out of specific passages in scripture. The Passion story itself is a pastiche of verses from the Psalms, Isaiah and other prophets, and as a whole it retells a common tale found throughout ancient Jewish writings, that of the Suffering and Vindication of the Innocent Righteous One. It is quite possible that Mark, at least, did not intend his Gospel to represent an historical figure or historical events, and designed it to provide liturgical readings for Christian services on the Jewish model. Liberal scholars now regard the Gospels as "faith documents" and not accurate historical accounts.

Can the author prove that this is how the Bible came together? No. There is no evidence to support such a wild theory. Actually, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls is evidence against it. The reason they have to attack the Bible in this way is because it’s true that there is no way Jesus could have fulfilled all of those prophesies if He were just a man. He would have to be God, and they simply can’t admit that. God’s divinity is so plain in the Bible and in how it was put together that they find it threatening, so they have to attack it—even with wild fabrications like this one. The reason there are parallels throughout Scripture is not because men re-worked it, but because God was using these repeated stories throughout history and in many different ways so that we would learn about Him and hear of His love for us and His plan for us. It’s the very evidence of God’s hand in it.

Piece 10:

In Galilean circles distinct from those of the evangelists (who were probably all located in Syria), a Jewish movement of the mid-first century preaching the coming of the Kingdom of God put together over time a collection of sayings, ethical and prophetic, now known as Q. The Q community eventually invented for itself a human founder figure who was regarded as the originator of the sayings. In ways not yet fully understood, this figure fed into the creation of the Gospel Jesus, and the sayings document was used by Matthew and Luke to flesh out their reworking of Mark’s Gospel. Some modern scholars believe they have located the "genuine" Jesus at the roots of Q, but Q’s details and pattern of evolution suggest that no Jesus was present in its earlier phases, and those roots point to a Greek style of teaching known as Cynicism, one unlikely to belong to any individual, let alone a Jewish preacher of the Kingdom.

Even the author admits that this “Q” phenomenon is not fully understood. Furthermore, if the parallels made between the “Q” documents and the Bible are as frail and faulty as those evidenced in his earlier points, they could hardly be considered reliable. Just because someone expresses doubt, doesn’t mean his doubt is based on fact or in logical reason. He also uses the word “suggest”—certainly not a term one should put much faith in. He makes other statements as if they are fact (i.e. “the sayings document was used by Matthew and Luke to flesh out their reworking of Mark’s Gospel.”), when this has not been proven in the slightest. It is merely the opinion of a small number of liberals—a severe minority of them, actually. It would take more faith to believe these fabrications than to believe the truth of God and Jesus’ existence.

Piece 11:

The documentary record reveals an early Christian landscape dotted with a bewildering variety of communities and sects, rituals and beliefs about a Christ/Jesus entity, most of which show little common ground and no central authority. Also missing is any idea of apostolic tradition tracing back to a human man and his circle of disciples. Scholars like to style this situation as a multiplicity of different responses to the historical Jesus, but such a phenomenon is not only incredible, it is nowhere attested to in the evidence itself. Instead, all this diversity reflects independent expressions of the wider religious trends of the day, based on expectation of God’s Kingdom, and on belief in an intermediary divine force which provided knowledge of God and a path to salvation. Only with the Gospels, which began to appear probably toward the end of the first century, were many of these elements brought together to produce the composite figure of Jesus of Nazareth, set in a midrashic story about a life, ministry and death located in the time of Herod and Pontius Pilate.

Again, as in pieces 1 & 2, he’s using a “lack of evidence” as evidence. Naturally, before Jesus came and throughout the beginning of the Christian movement after His death and resurrection, there would have continued to be a multiplicity of Jewish beliefs within the area. These had been combined with Greek mythology, Canaanite mythology and a variety of others, no doubt. However, that multiplicity of belief within the area has absolutely no bearing on whether or not Jesus existed. There is a vast amount of multiplicity within our own culture, but we all know that just because we disagree, that doesn’t mean there’s no such thing as truth. Some of us are simply mistaken. Just because God provides the knowledge and the Way to salvation doesn’t mean everyone is going to accept it. In fact, one of the prophesies about Jesus and His ministry was that the Jews would reject Him—a prophesy that obviously came true.

Piece 12:

As the midrashic nature of the Gospels was lost sight of by later generations of gentile Christians, the second century saw the gradual adoption of the Gospel Jesus as an historical figure, motivated by political considerations in the struggle to establish orthodoxy and a central power amid the profusion of early Christian sects and beliefs. Only with Ignatius of Antioch, just after the start of the second century, do we see the first expression in Christian (non-Gospel) writings of a belief that Jesus had lived and died under Pilate, and only toward the middle of that century do we find any familiarity in the wider Christian world with written Gospels and their acceptance as historical accounts. Many Christian apologists, however, even in the latter part of the century, ignore the existence of a human founder in their picture and defense of the faith. By the year 200, a canon of authoritative documents had been formed, reinterpreted to apply to the Jesus of the Gospels, now regarded as a real historical man. Christianity entered a new future founded on a monumental misunderstanding of its own past.

This argument is based on the previous, flawed arguments. It is also basing much of its argument on a “lack of evidence” as “evidence” rational. Furthermore, can the following statement be validated? “Many Christian apologists, however, even in the latter part of the century, ignore the existence of a human founder in their picture and defense of the faith.” Or, did the author read their writings with the same disregard and lack of attention with which he read Paul’s writings?

He keeps saying "many scholars claim..." and "the experts say...." and, above, "many Christian apologists...." WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE? He clearly is unable or unwilling to provide a list of his sources. Instead, he throws in some nebulous, unfounded reference to "the powers that be" in order to validate his claims. Not exactly ground-shaking evidence.

In conclusion, I'd say that overall these arguments are poor, indeed. They are based on misunderstandings, misinterpretations, flimsy evidence, far-fetched ideas and out-right fabrications. The true scholars (such as my atheistic graduate school professors, the authors of world history and archaeology books, and religious studies professors, etc.), both Christian and non-Christian, accept the fact that not only did Jesus exist, but He begs a much closer look than what this author is willing to give Him.

The Cost of Following Jesus Christ

How much does it cost to be a Christian--a "follower of Jesus Christ"? Nothing and everything. The gift of God's forgiveness and acceptance is completely free, but also carries the highest price--your love and your trust.

This is a concept that is often misunderstood in non-Christian circles. Of course, it's not surprising, since they hear: "Jesus' love and forgiveness is a free gift", but then they see us going to church regularly, participating in all kinds of service projects, denying ourselves certain worldly pleasures and giving vast amounts of money to various Christian organizations. Sure seems like there's a price to me!

Here's an example, though, that might help clear this up a little:

We are like a baby bird in a nest. The nest is our comfort zone, where we can do whatever we like without having to believe in anything else or trust in anyone else (except for Mamma bird, but she just seems to show up at the right times and we don't know why--like our dependence on this beautiful world we live in).

However, eventually we must make a choice: leave the nest, get out on the branch where we're much less comfortable, or stay in the nest for the rest of our lives and stagnate. The choice is free to us and a relatively safe one. Yes, a great gust of wind could come up and knock us out of the tree, but while crawling out of the nest onto the branch, we're, at least, still on solid territory. This is like accepting Christ. It takes a step of faith, a risk. All we have to do, though, is to believe in Him--to accept His forgiveness for our sins, to trust in His promises to meet us where we are and to grow us in Him throughout the days, weeks and years to come--to never leave us. At that moment, sitting there on the branch, we're what Christians call "saved". All of the mysteries and promises and gifts of God are, at that moment, fully available to us. We are in His grace and in open communication with God. If we were to die at that moment, heaven would be ours, no matter what misdeeds we'd committed in the past.

But, let's say we don't die then--at the moment of belief. What happens next? Here's where the cost comes in. We're sitting on that branch, out of the nest, but very worried about what comes next. Well, then Mamma bird (God) comes up behind us and gives us a nudge. We fight back, not wanting to leave our safe perch, and we somehow manage to keep our talons securely on the branch. Being out of the nest is enough, right?

Mamma bird gives us another nudge. This time she's more insistent. We fight back and scoot farther down the branch away from her. What is she trying to do, anyway? Kill me? Hasn't she seen how far a drop it is? She must be nuts!

Again, though, here she comes! We brace ourselves, but this time she nudges us so hard that we loose our grip and start to fall. Is this why we got out of the nest? Just to fall? What a terrible trick! But then something happens that we didn't expect. We realize that we have wings. We open them and begin to fly. Suddenly, we realize that sitting in the nest and sitting on the branch were nothing compared to the miracle of flight! What glory! What exhilaration! So, this is what Mamma wanted for us all along!

Is there a cost? Certianly! It costs you everything! It costs your love, your trust and your utter dependence. What is there in life that has more value than these things? I can't think of a thing. This is what God demands from us--everything of value.

When we say that there's no cost, we mean that belief is a choice that you make. It doesn't cost you any money; it doesn't cost you good works; it doesn't cost you any time; it doesn't cost you any fixing up of yourself beforehand. The gift is free in this regards, because love and trust are not a commodities. God will accept you exactly how you are at that moment, no matter what you've done in the past or how you are choosing to live your life today. ...But He won't leave you how He finds you. He desires so much more for your life! He wants us to fly--no, soar! Can you trust Him to guide you one step at a time?

Just a Few of the Prophesies Concerning Jesus

Prophesies and Fulfillments of Jesus’ Life, Death and Resurrection
(Taken from Evidence That Demands A Verdict, by Josh McDowell)

In the Old Testament (written by many different men over a span of approximately 2,000 years) there are over 300 references to the Messiah (God’s promised Redeemer of mankind) that were fulfilled in Jesus. Here are a few. Notice the dates of the prophesies and keep in mind that those who recorded these fulfillments of the prophesies were all martyred (terrible deaths), still proclaiming their belief in Jesus Christ.

Prophesy 1
Jesus would be born of a virgin.
“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call his name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14 (approx. 670 B.C.)

Fulfillment

“…Shall was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph… kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.” Matthew 1:18, 24, 25; Luke 1:26-35

Prophesy 2
Jesus would be called Immanuel
(Isaiah 7:14, above)

Fulfillment
“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, ‘God with us.’” (Matthew 1:23)

Prophesy 3
Jesus would be the Son of God
“I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, ‘Thou art My Son, Today I have begotten Thee.’” Psalms 2:7 (approx. 1000 B.C.) (see also I Chronicles 17:11-14; II Samuel 7:12-16)

Fulfillment
“…And behold, a voice out of the heavens, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.’” Matthew 3:17 (See also Matthew 16:16; Mark 9:7, Luke 9:35; 22:70; Acts 13: 30-33; John 1:34, 49)

Prophesy 4
Jesus would be of the Tribe of Judah
“The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.” Genesis 49:10 (approx. 1406 B.C.) (See also Micah 5:2)

Fulfillment

“Jesus…the son of Judah…”
Luke 3:23, 33 (See also Matthew 1:2; Hebrews 7:14)

Prophesy 5
Jesus would be of the house of David
“ ‘Behold, the days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘When I shall raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land.’”
Jeremiah 23:5 (approx. 580 B.C.)
(See also II Samuel 7:12-16; Psalms 132:11)

Fulfillment
“Jesus… the son of David…” Luke 3:23, 31 (See also Matthew 1:1; 9:27; 15:22; 20:30, 31; 21:9,15; 22:41-46; Mark 9:10; 10:47,48; Luke 18:38,39; Acts 13:22,23; Revelation 22:16)
(Jesus was a descendent of King David on both is mother’s and father’s side.)

Prophesy 6

Jesus would be born in Bethlehem
“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.” Micah 5:2 (750-686 B.C.)

Fulfillment

“…Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea…” Matthew 2:1 (See also John 7:42; Matthew 2:4-8; Luke 2:4-7)

Prophesy 7

Jesus would be presented with gifts
“Let the kings of Tarshish and of the islands bring presents; The kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.”Psalms 72:10 (approx. 1000 B.C.) (See also Isaiah 60:6)

Fulfillment

“…Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem…and they fell down and worshipped Him; and opening their treasures they presented to Him gifts…” Matthew 2:1,11

Prophesy 8

Herod would kill many children in an attempt to kill Jesus, believing that this child in whom so many prophesies were fulfilled, would try to take his throne.

“Thus says the Lord, ‘A voice is heard in Ramah, Lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; She refuses to be comforted for her children, Because they are no more.’” Jeremiah 31:15 (approx. 580 B.C.)

Fulfillment

“Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its environs, from two years old and under, according to the time which he has ascertained from the magi.” Matthew 2:16

Prophesy 9

Jesus would be preceded by a messenger

“A voice is calling, ‘Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.’” Isaiah 40:3 (approx. 670 B.C.) (See also Malachi 3:1)

Fulfillment

“…John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” Matthew 3:1,2 (See also Matthew 3:3; 11:10; John 1:23; Luke 1:17.)

Prophesy 10

Jesus’ zeal for the house of the Lord would overcome Him.

“For zeal for Thy house has consumed me, And the reproaches of those who reproach Thee have fallen on me.” Psalms 69:9 (approx 1000 B.C.)

Fulfillment

“And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple…and…He said, ‘Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a house of merchandise.’” John 2:15-17

Prophesy 11

Jesus would have a ministry of miracles

“Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb will shout for joy.” Isaiah 35:5,6a (approx. 670 B.C.) (See also Isaiah 32:3,4)

Fulfillment

“And Jesus was going about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.” Matthew 9:35 (See also Matthew 9:32,33; 11:4-6; Mark 7:33-35; John 5:5-9; 9:6-11; 11:43,44, 47.)

Prophesy 12

Jesus would enter Jerusalem on a donkey

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Zechariah 9:9 (approx. 480 B.C.)

Fulfillment

“And they brought it to Jesus, and they threw their garments on the colt, and put Jesus on it. And as He was going, they were spreading their garments in the road. And as He was now approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives…” Luke 19:35,36,37a (See also Matthew 21:6-11)

Prophesy 13

Jesus would be betrayed by a friend

“Even my close friend, in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.” Psalm 41:9 (approx. 1000 B.C.) (See also Psalms 55:12-14)

Fulfillment

“…Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him.” Matthew 10:4 (See also Matthew 26:49,50; John 13:21.)

Prophesy 14

Jesus would be sold out for 30 pieces of silver

“And I said to them, ‘If it is good in your sight, give me my wages; but if not, never mind!’ So they weighed out thirty shekels of silver as my wages.” Zechariah 11:12 (approx. 480 B.C.)

Fulfillment

“…'What are you willing to give me to deliver Him up to you?’ And they weighed out to him thirty pieces of silver.” Matthew 26:15 (See also Matthew 27:3)

Prophesy 15

The silver used to buy Potter’s Field

“…So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the Lord.” Zechariah 11:13b (approx. 480 B.C.)

Fulfillment

“And they [the chief priests] counseled together and with the money bought the Potter’s Field as a burial place for strangers.” Matthew 27:7

Prophesy 16

Jesus would be mocked

“All who see me sneer at me; They separate with the lip, they wag the head, saying, ‘Commit yourself to the Lord; let Him deliver him; Let Him rescue him, because he delights in him.’” Psalms 22:7,8 (approx. 1000 B.C.)

Fulfillment

“In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. ‘He saved others,’ they said, ‘but he can’t save himself! He’s the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” Matthew 27:41-43 (See also Matthew 27:31)

Prophesy 17

Jesus was wounded and bruised for us

“But He was pierced through for our trangresssions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5 (approx. 670 B.C.)

Fulfillment

“Then he released Barabbas for them; but Jesus he scourged and delivered over to be crucified.” Matthew 27:26

Prophesy 18

Jesus’ garments parted and lots cast

“They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots.” Psalm 22:18 (approx. 1000 B.C.)

Fulfillment

“The soldiers therefore, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. They said… ‘Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be…” John 19:23, 24

Prophesy 19

Gall and vinegar would be offered to him

“They also gave me gall for my food, And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” Psalms 69:21 (approx. 1000 B.C.)

Fulfillment

“They gave Him wine to drink mingled with gall; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink.” Matthew 27:34 (See also John 19:28,29)

Prophesy 20

Jesus’ bones were not broken

“He keeps all his bones; Not one of them is broken.” Psalms 34:20 (approx. 1000 B.C.)

Fulfillment

“…But coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.” John 19:33 (See also John 19:36)

Prophesy 21

Darkness at Jesus’ death would come

“ ‘And it will come about in that day,’ declares the Lord God, ‘That I shall make the sun go down at noon And make the earth dark in broad daylight.’” Amos 8:9 (approx. 750 B.C.)

Fulfillment

“Now from the sixth hour darkness feel upon all the land until the ninth hour.” Matthew 27:45

Prophesy 22

Jesus would not stay dead

“Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.” Psalm 16:9-10 (approx. 1000 B.C.) (See also Psalm30:3; 41:10; 118:17; Hosea 6:2)

Fulfillment

“The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’…” Matthew 28:5-7 (See also Mark 16:4-8; Luke 24:1-8; John 20:10-18)