The Case for Jesus Christ
Read the evidence, then decide for yourself.
This comes in two parts: what we can say about Jesus from history alone, and what we can say once that history is met with faith and belief (there is much more to add to both of these parts, I am just putting what I think is most relevant for the case for Jesus).
What we can say from history alone:
Jesus of Nazareth was a real first-century Jewish man who lived, taught, and gathered followers in Galilee.
He was crucified under the Roman governor Pontius Pilate around AD 30 to 33, one of the most firmly established facts in all of ancient history.
Within a few years of his death his followers were publicly claiming they had seen him alive, and they accepted persecution rather than take it back.
The earliest sources appear within decades, not centuries, and some of what Paul records traces back to within a few years of the events.
Non-Christian writers, including the Roman historian Tacitus and the Jewish historian Josephus, refer to Jesus and his execution.
The movement spread fast across a hostile empire while offering its members no money, power, or earthly reward.
What we can say once faith is added:
Those appearances were not grief, legend, or hallucination, but the real thing: Jesus actually rose from the dead.
Jesus is who he claimed to be, God become man, not merely a wise teacher or a moral example.
His death on the cross was not a tragic execution but an atonement that settles our debt and reconciles us to God.
His resurrection is the defeat of death itself and the promise that ours can follow.
Forgiveness is offered as a free gift to anyone, no matter what they have done, received rather than earned.
This gives a meaning and a hope that holds up under suffering and does not stop at the grave.
That is my case, now for where I stand.
I believe that Jesus is God and did in fact rise from the dead to save us from sin, and gives us the opportunity to come into a relationship with him and enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
Which I know is quite a big claim, because if actually internalized and practiced with faith through action, your life will/must radically change.
I believe that change IS for the best. Not better, but best.
I challenge all of you who are reading this to start reading the Bible asap, not as a religious text at first, but as a historical text. Read it the way you’d read any historical document. Skeptical, but honest. Not because I said so, but because a claim this big deserves a first-hand look, not my summary or anyone else’s. Let it make its own case before you rule on it.
I encourage you all to start with the New Testament at the Book of Matthew. If you’re wondering what Bible to buy for the most accuracy to the original manuscripts, I recommend the NRSV (New Revised Standard Version) or the ESV (English Standard Version), but honestly most popular versions of the Bible are fine.
Read the evidence. Then decide for yourself.
Hopefully my case piques your curiosity and helps you come to know and love Jesus, and help others do the same.
Payton
P.S. Jesus loves you no matter what, and you can always come back to him no matter who you are or what you’ve done.
P.P.S. I encourage everyone to start going to church more consistently.