Investigating Christ

An Atheist Examines the Evidence for Jesus

For Lee, everything changed when his wife became Christian.

He had married his high-school sweetheart, Leslie, and became an award-winning investigative journalist for the Chicago Tribune. They both assumed that God was a fairy tale; they believed only in what they could see and experience. But his wife was introduced to Christianity by a friend, and one day she shared with Lee that she now believed in Jesus.

Lee felt like he was losing his wife.

She was becoming a different person. He worried she would no longer be the joyful, fun-loving woman he had married. He had not signed up to be married to a Christian! One of the things he most loved about her was how reasonable and logical she was. If he could demonstrate to her that Christianity is false, then perhaps she would leave it behind and everything could go back to how it was before.

He decided to approach Christianity like a crime investigation.

Without telling his wife what he was doing, Lee began to use his skills as an investigative journalist to explore the historical claims of Christianity. He began seeking out experts in fields such as history, archaeology, Scripture, psychology, and medicine. He interviewed them at length, raising the typical objections against Christianity.

For each of his questions, Lee discovered compelling evidence.

The facts indicated that the Gospels are reliable biographies of Jesus written by eyewitnesses, remarkably close to his lifetime. Jesus clearly understood himself to be divine, and it is this claim that led to his crucifixion. He did not have the attributes of a crazy person, nor did it make sense that he was a liar. He even fulfilled a great number of Old Testament prophecies about the Jewish Messiah.

Evidence for the Resurrection was especially persuasive.

Lee especially sought evidence to disprove the Resurrection of Jesus. But he found that the alternative theories, such as the idea that Jesus somehow survived crucifixion, simply did not hold up against the known facts. Jesus had truly died, and yet a great number of witnesses had seen him alive after his death. This is what caused thousands of Jewish people to abandon their traditional faith and begin to worship Jesus as God.

Instead of convincing his wife, Lee became convinced.

Although he did not want to believe, he was determined to follow the facts wherever they led, as in a courtroom. The evidence pointed to the verdict that Jesus was truly who he claimed to be. Lee eventually came to believe in him, joining his wife as a follower of Christ. Lee’s story has helped millions of people to explore the facts about Jesus and come to their own conclusion about him.

Lee Strobel shared his journey in the bestseller, The Case for Christ, recently made into a movie. The Case for Jesus, written by Dr. Brant Pitre, is another excellent book exploring the truth of the Gospels.

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“Who Do You Say That I Am?”

Jesus is Lord

Jesus asks the apostles who they say that he is.

As the apostles journeyed with Jesus through the countryside, he asked them, “Who do people say that I am?” They answered that some say that Jesus is John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the other prophets who has come back to life. Then he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:16)

This is the question we each must answer.

Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” By saying that Jesus is the Christ, Peter means that Jesus is the messiah, the savior for whom many Jewish people had long hoped. By saying that Jesus is the Son of the Living God, Peter affirms that Jesus is not an ordinary human being, but somehow God.

If Jesus is not a lunatic nor a liar, he is Lord.

The four Gospels are reliable biographies of Jesus of Nazareth. As we read the Gospels, we can slowly come to the same realization about the identity of Jesus. We perceive that he possesses great clarity of mind and that he is a man of truth. Looking at the evidence, it becomes clear that we cannot dismiss him as either a lunatic or a liar. The only logical option that remains is that Jesus is actually who he claimed to be: he is God.

This is the explanation that best fits all the evidence.

When we understand that Jesus is God, everything about the Gospels clicks into place. He spoke and acted as if he were God because, as unthinkable as it is, this was actually the case! Jesus could teach as no one else has ever taught, for he was our creator revealing himself to us. Jesus could work miracles, because he created the laws of nature. Jesus cared for the poor and those considered unimportant, because this is how God loves. On the cross we recognize God giving himself for his people in a perfect act of love, and on Easter morning we recognize God triumphing victoriously over death by rising from the dead.

This is why Jesus changed the course of history.

The apostles left everything and went throughout the world to share the good news of Jesus: he is risen, and he is Lord! For the last two thousand years, Jesus has captivated the minds and hearts of those who seek to know him. No single person has changed human history more than Jesus. It is because Jesus is not merely a wise teacher, but the God who created each of us and entered the world so that we may know him.

Who do you say that Jesus is?

If we are intellectually honest, we cannot be satisfied by simply saying about Jesus, “He was a great moral teacher.” Jesus did not leave this possibility open to us. If he was lying or was a fool, then he is not a great moral teacher. If he was telling the truth, then he is more than just a great teacher: he is our Lord and our God, and our lives can never be the same.

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A Man of Truth

Jesus Was Not a Liar

What if Jesus knew that he wasn’t God, but said so anyway?

In the Gospels, Jesus clearly claims to be divine. In the previous article, we examined the possibility that Jesus was insane or delusional. Another possibility is that Jesus did not actually believe this about himself. In other words, he was lying and intentionally deceiving his followers about his identity. Similar to the theory of insanity, such an explanation does not fit the evidence found in the Gospels.

Jesus was a man of truth and integrity.

Even non-believers recognize that Jesus was a good man and one of the greatest teachers in history. His teachings have resounded through the centuries because of their truth, goodness, and profound insight into the human heart. He did not change his message to make himself more popular or acceptable. He taught the truth, even when it caused him persecution from the religious leaders of his day, and even when it caused his followers to leave him.

If Jesus was lying, he was actually an evil person.

He would be the worst identity thief of all time, falsely persuading others that he is God. He would be a con artist, living a lie and preying on the gullibility of his followers. He would actually be one of the worst teachers in history, because he led his followers away from the true God and presented himself as the way to have eternal life.

Such a lie could only end in his death.

Israel was the last place someone would want to falsely claim to be God. Unlike their pagan neighbors, the Jewish people believed that there was only one God and that he was completely separate from his creation. They were not in any way expecting God to become a human being. To claim equality with God was the sin of blasphemy, punishable by death. It would have been much safer for Jesus to claim to be another human teacher sent by God, like Moses or Elijah, as had happened many times in Israel’s history.

A liar would have come clean at the end.

People are willing to die when they believe something is true, but not for something they know to be a lie. If Jesus had been lying all along, he would have changed his story when he was arrested and faced with death by crucifixion. Instead, he clearly reaffirms his divine identity before the religious authorities. (Mark 14:62) As he dies on the Cross, he maintains his divine identity to his last breath.

Jesus truly believed himself to be God.

As one reads the Gospels, seeing the beautiful way that Jesus lived and taught, it is very hard to conclude that he was a man living a lie. His ministry did not bring him money, power, or other worldly rewards, but only persecution and death on the Cross. The best explanation is that Jesus was truly the good and truthful person he seems to be. He was not a liar, but truly believed himself to be God.

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Out of His Mind?

Jesus Was No Lunatic

What if Jesus believed he was God, but he actually wasn’t?

As one reads the words and deeds of Jesus in the Gospels, one sees that he claims to be God. One possibility is that Jesus truly believed that this was the case, but he was mistaken. In other words, he was delusional or crazy, like someone today who believes himself to be from outer space. But such an explanation does not fit the evidence one finds in the Gospels.

Jesus displayed great mental clarity.

He does not exhibit typical signs of mental disorder. He does not act or speak irrationally, jumping to false conclusions or exhibiting paranoia. Jesus acts logically and with a clear sense of purpose. His teaching is clear, down-to-earth, and cuts right to the heart of his listeners. Men and women of all backgrounds are attracted by his message, both then and now. His words are not those of a madman.

Jesus was emotionally balanced and stable.

Those who are mentally disturbed are often unable to display emotion appropriately, but this is not the case with Jesus. He weeps when his friend Lazarus dies. (John 11:35) He displays appropriate anger when he sees God’s temple in Jerusalem being misused by merchants.
(Matthew 21:12) He demonstrates tremendous calm and self-control, even forgiving his executioners as he is dying. (Luke 23:34)

Jesus had healthy friendships and interactions with others.

Those who are disconnected from reality do not typically interact well with others or form healthy, long-lasting relationships. An insane person might deceive others for a short time, but those around him or her will soon perceive that something is off. Jesus interacts well with people of all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life. He has healthy friendships with men and women, and he has particularly strong and close friendships with the twelve apostles. If Jesus were crazy or mentally unbalanced, the apostles would never have stayed three years at his side.

Jesus backed up his spectacular claim with miracles.

If he were not actually divine, then his attempts at performing miracles would have failed. When he commanded the wind and the waves to be silent, the deadly storm would have continued unabated. (Mark 4:39) When Jesus told the paralyzed man to rise and walk, the crowd would have seen the man struggle unsuccessfully to stand. (Mark 2:11) But this is not what happens. Jesus calms the storm and restores health to the paralytic, along with countless other miracles. A delusional person cannot do such things.

Jesus cannot be dismissed as a lunatic.

As one reads the Gospels, one does not find reasons to conclude that Jesus was delusional or insane. It is quite the opposite: one gets the impression that Jesus was one of the most well-balanced and mentally healthy individuals one could ever hope to meet.

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Not the Telephone Game

The Gospels Are Trustworthy

Many of us remember playing the telephone game as children.

As the message is whispered from child to child, it inevitably becomes changed beyond recognition. When considering Jesus as a historical figure, people may wonder whether something similar might have happened with the Gospels. How can we know that the accounts about his life are reliable, and not exaggerated or invented over time?

The four Gospels were written from first-hand testimony.

The telephone game doesn’t work as an image for the writing of the Gospels. Matthew and John were apostles who spent three years with Jesus, so their Gospels are written from personal memories. Mark and Luke were both writing down the testimony of those who saw and heard Jesus in person. The Gospels of Mark and Luke would be like a game of telephone with only two children, with the second child writing down the message as he hears it from the first child.

The good news about Jesus was shared right from the start.

It is not as if the first Christians believed that Jesus was just a great human teacher, and then a hundred years later, a legend began to develop that he is divine and rose miraculously from the dead. Right away, the apostles began to travel throughout the known world, boldly preaching that Jesus had been raised from the dead, and that he is truly God! This good news is also seen clearly in the letters of Saint Paul, one of the first Christian leaders.

People were around to correct the Gospels if they were false.

The Gospels were written within a few decades after the resurrection of Jesus, when eyewitnesses were still living who could have easily disproven the Gospel accounts if they were invented out of thin air. For example, the Gospels present Jesus as performing many miracles of healing. There were many people still living who witnessed his ministry, and it would be easy enough to find out whether or not Jesus was known for healing people.

Our Bibles today contain translations of the original Gospels.

The original Gospels were written in Greek and spread quickly throughout the Christian world. They were copied by hand with great care. Scholars have access to hundreds of manuscripts from quite early in Christian history, allowing them to be confident of the original Greek texts of the Gospels. They use these texts to create today’s translations into modern languages. Thus, when we read the Bible today, we can be confident that our Gospels correspond to the originals authored by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

The Gospels give us an accurate image of the historical Jesus.

They are historical documents, similar to other ancient biographies. Their authors sought to give readers a true account of the words and actions of Jesus of Nazareth. This means that the Gospels cannot be dismissed as legends or folk tales. Jesus is a historical figure, and if we are to take him seriously, we must also consider carefully his claim to be divine.

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The Four Gospels

Historical Biographies of Jesus

The four Gospels were written like other ancient biographies.

In the time of the Roman Empire, biographies were often written about the lives of great political leaders or military heroes. It is these biographies that the four Gospels most closely resemble, rather than the poetry or myths of that day. The Gospels were composed as historical biographies of Jesus of Nazareth.

By today’s standards, the Gospels are relatively short.

Due to the limitations of writing on a papyrus scroll, ancient biographies tended to be between 10,000-20,000 words. This is the length of a modern short story or two. Mark is the shortest Gospel; with about 11,000 words, it can be read in an afternoon. John is the longest, with about 19,000 words.

The Gospels focus on the essentials of the life of Jesus.

Perhaps due to the space constraints, ancient biographies typically focused on the birth, public life, and death of their subject. They did not usually include details that we would expect today, such as descriptions of physical appearance, personality, or childhood. The four Gospels are very light on such personal details about Jesus, but they focus on his birth, public ministry, and the events surrounding his death. His hair color is not mentioned, for example, but his crucifixion and resurrection are treated at great length, since these are at the heart of the Christian message.

The Gospels are concerned with historical truth.

Ancient biographers saw it as their responsibility to accurately convey the words and deeds of the subject, so that the reader can grasp the essence of the person. They saw themselves as reporting history. The Gospel authors took this approach to their writing, seeking to convey the words and deeds of Jesus as they actually happened. Luke, for example, writes at the start of his Gospel that he is writing a narrative based on eyewitness accounts, so that the reader may know the facts concerning Christ. (Luke 1:1-4)

The Gospels are like four portraits of Jesus.

Each was written for a different audience, and each emphasizes different aspects of Jesus. For example, Matthew wrote his Gospel for Jewish readers, so he included many quotations from Scripture to show that Jesus is the long-awaited Savior. Just like we can come to a richer understanding of a modern figure by reading biographies from several different authors, the four Gospels each give us unique insights into the mystery of Jesus.

Jesus is the “Good News” the Gospels writers proclaim.

The word Gospel comes from the Greek word meaning “Good News.” The four Gospels share the amazing news that God has entered the world as a human being. This is what sets them apart from all other biographies, past or present. They are not describing the words and actions of an ordinary man, but God in our midst.

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Did George Washington Exist?

Jesus as a Historical Figure

We know with certainty that George Washington existed.

Even though we were not alive over two hundred years ago to see him with our own eyes, there is no doubt that Washington is a historical figure. We can read his writings, view his portraits, and visit his estate at Mount Vernon. But even if he had not left behind such items, we could still know of his existence due to the testimony of his contemporaries and by his impact on history.

Similarly, we know with certainty that Jesus existed.

We were not alive two thousand years ago to experience his ministry or hear his preaching, but there is no doubt that Jesus is a historical figure. Unlike our first president, Jesus did not leave behind letters or a number of personal belongings. But we can still be certain of his existence, thanks to the testimony of his contemporaries and his tremendous impact on history.

Those who knew Jesus recorded their memories of him.

Matthew and John were both apostles, men who had spent three years with Jesus and observed every aspect of his ministry. Mark is believed to have written his Gospel in Rome, recording the memories of the apostle Peter. Luke wrote his Gospel from eyewitness accounts. Thanks to the four Gospel writers, we have four portraits of the life, words, and actions of Jesus, all written within the lifetime of those who knew him personally.

In Paul’s letters, we have very early testimony about Jesus.

Paul was a Jewish leader who persecuted the first Christians. After having a conversion experience, he became convinced that Jesus truly was God and became a Christian himself. Although he never met Jesus during his ministry, he personally knew many of the apostles and other eyewitnesses. Many of his letters are preserved as part of the New Testament. These are some of the earliest writings about Jesus, beginning about twenty years after his death and resurrection.

Even without Christian writings, we’d know much about Jesus.

The Jewish historian Josephus and the Roman historian Tacitus both make important references to Jesus in their works, written in the late first century and early second century respectively. From such non-Christian sources alone, we could identify key aspects of his life: Jesus was a Jewish teacher with a large following; many considered him to be the messiah; he was crucified by Pontius Pilate at the instigation of Jewish leaders; worship of him began to spread quickly throughout the Roman Empire.

There can be no doubt that Jesus truly existed.

His life is not vaguely placed, as in a children’s tale, “a long time ago in a land far away.” He lived in first-century Israel, every bit as real as George Washington. His brief life caused a great number of people to leave behind their traditional religious beliefs and start to live as Christians, even in the face of persecution and martyrdom.

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An Unexpected Path

Exploring the Identity of Jesus

Lucy makes a claim so wild, her siblings don’t believe her.

In the first Narnia book, young Lucy tells her older siblings that while she was hiding in an old wardrobe, she had been transported to a strange new world. Her older brother and sister scold her for telling such an outrageous lie. When she sticks to her story, a wise professor reminds the brother and sister that there are only three possibilities: either Lucy is crazy, or she is telling lies, or she is telling the truth. Since they know Lucy to be mentally sound and a truthful person, it is logical to consider that she might be telling the truth, however incredible it might seem.

Jesus made an astounding claim, too: that he is divine.

In our last message series, we explored the words and actions of Jesus in the Gospels. His Jewish listeners often recognized that he was claiming equality with God, like the times he claimed authority to forgive sins. He was not put to death for merely teaching people to love one another. If we are to take Jesus seriously, we must also take seriously his claim to be God.

The Gospels give us an accurate image of the historical Jesus.

In upcoming messages, we will explore how the Gospels are historical documents, similar to other ancient biographies. As men of faith, the authors seek to give readers a true account of the words and actions of Jesus of Nazareth. The Gospels are based on the direct testimony of those who knew Jesus personally, and they are written soon after the original events, while eyewitnesses were still living.

Is Jesus a lunatic?

As in the example with Lucy, there are only three options available to us once we establish the historical truth about Jesus. It is possible that Jesus thinks that he is God, but he is not. In other words, he is crazy. But as one reads the Gospels, one finds a man who is very clear-headed and emotionally balanced, the sanest person in any room. Jesus does not appear to be crazy.

Is Jesus a liar?

Another possibility is that Jesus knows that he is not God; he is purposefully deceiving the crowds and his disciples. But as one reads the Gospels, one finds someone whose actions and words are full of integrity. He speaks truth even when it leads to his rejection, torture, and crucifixion. Jesus does not appear to be a liar.

Who, then, is Jesus?

This is the crucial question that we will explore in this series. If the Jesus of history claimed to be God and was neither a lunatic nor a liar, then only one option remains: he is truly who he claims to be.

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