The Case for Jesus as the Son of
God
Why do you believe the Bible?
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Because your parents told you to?
Because your friend said so?
Because some pastor said so?
Because the Bible is true?
What is the proper basis for
your belief in the Bible ?
What is the proper basis for
ANY belief ?
Evidence !!!
Jury duty and Christian Faith
• Deciding whether the claim that “the
Bible is true” is very much like
deciding if someone is guilty of a
crime
• A jury must hear all evidence and
decide if the evidence are trustworthy
or not
Case: Is Jesus the Son of God ?
• The sign that confirm Jesus is the Son of God
is:
– Jesus’ resurrection from the death
– Nobody (not even prophets) has done this
• Matt 16:4 “A wicked and adulterous generation
seeks after a sign. And there shall no sign be given
to it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah.”
• 1Co 15:14 And if Christ has not been raised, then
our proclamation is worthless, and your faith is
also worthless.
Types of evidence in a trial
• Eyewitness testimony
– Is the eyewitness reliable ? Biased ?
• Supporting testimony
– Can you find a neutral party to confirm
some part of the testimony ?
• Material evidence
– Any clues that say it really happen that
way?
Evidence for Jesus is God
• The Eyewitness testimonies:
– Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
– Are they reliable eyewitnesses ?
• The Supporting testimonies:
– Jewish and Roman historians confirm
many details about events in the Bible
• The Material evidence:
– Archaeological evidence
Eyewitness Testimonies to Jesus
• The 4 Gospels:
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Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
• Why should you believe any of these
gospels ?
Why believe: accounts are reliable
• Memories fade
• People who witnessed the event die
• The 4 gospels were written very early after
Jesus’ death and resurrection:
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Mark: around 70 A.D.
Matthew: around 80 A.D.
Luke: around 80 A.D.
John: around 90 A.D.
An even earlier date for Luke
• A case can be made to date the Gospel of Luke
before 60 AD (30 yrs after Jesus’ death)
• Gospel of Luke written AFTER Acts
• Acts ENDS without telling us about Paul’s death
in 66 AD
• Act probably written BEFORE Paul’s death in 66
AD
• Gospel of Luke would then be written around
60 AD !
Even earlier testimonies to Jesus
• Gospels were all written after Paul's letters !!!
• Paul's conversion occurred around 32-35 A.D
• Paul's first meeting with the apostles in
Jerusalem occurred around 35-38 A.D
• Paul's ministry probably began in the late 40's
AD
• Paul's letter probably written in the 50's A.D.
(20 yrs after Jesus’ death)
The importance of Time of writing
Jesus’ death
and resurrection
Mark’s
gospel
30-33 A.D.
70 A.D.
40 years
• There are still people ALIVE in 70 A.D. who were
alive in 30-33 A.D.
• If Mark was lying, he would be corrected for sure
(compare to John Kerry’s Purple Heart fairy tale and
the Speedboat Veterans’ objection)
Writing Bible vs Julius Caesar’s bio
Jesus died
Tacitus
Caesar died
Earliest
Surviving
Copy Mark
Mark
44 B.C.
30 A.D. 70 A.D.
60 A.D.
40 yrs
100 yrs
350 A.D.
Earliest 950 AD
Surviving
Copy Tacitus
Writing Bible vs Alexander’s bio
Jesus died
323 BC
Alex died
Plutarch
Earliest
Surviving
Copy Mark
Mark
30 AD 70 AD
60 AD
40 yrs
400 yrs !!!
350 AD
Earliest 950 AD
Surviving
Copy Plutarch
Why believe the Bible: reliable
• We have documented proof that the Bible is
more reliable than historical documents on
kings (Alexander, Julius Caesar):
– Bible records what has happened after a shorter
period time (memory fades)
– Bible preserves the record for posterity better
(that is important because if you lose the writing,
the record will not get passed down)
• In fact: The Bible is the most reliable ancient
document that we have today !!!
Why believe the Bible: authorship
• Suppose… Just suppose you were to invent
Christianity as a new religion…from your own
fantasy…
• Who would you want as writers of the Gospels?
– Have the most prominent disciples of Jesus write
the gospels
– Peter, Thomas
• Well…What do you see in reality ?
Believing the Bible: authorship
• Matthew: one of Jesus’ disciples who was a
tax collector (a traitor to Jews !)
• Mark: follower of Peter – he is not even a
disciple of Jesus !
• Luke: follower of Paul – he is not even a Jew
(Greek) !!!
• John: one of Jesus’ disciples – the youngest
(inexperienced) disciple of Jesus
Believing the Bible: authorship
• If you want to invent a fake religion, you might
as well make it look very good by having
prominent disciples (like Peter or Thomas) to
write the gospels
• Great news: there are gospels that are called:
– Gospel of Thomas
– Gospel of Peter
• Bad news: these books have been removed
from the Bible…
“Gospel” of Thomas (150 AD)
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Note the late date of writing (less reliable) !!!
Gospel of Thomas is loved by “gnostics”
Gnostics emphasized the humanity of Jesus
A verse from gospel of Thomas:
– Simon Peter said to them, "Make Mary leave us,
for females don't deserve life"
Jesus said, "Look, I will guide her to make her
male.... For every female who makes herself
male will enter the kingdom of Heaven"
“Gospel” of Peter (120 AD)
• Some verses from this “gospel” (concerning
Jesus’ resurrection):
– ...they saw three men come out of the tomb,
two of them sustaining the other one, and a
cross following after them
– ... The head of the two they saw had heads
that reached up to heaven, but the head of him
that was led by them went beyond heaven
• The resurrected Jesus was HUGE
Why believe the Bible: content
• Suppose… Just suppose you were to invent
Christianity as a new religion…from your own
fantasy…
• How would you portrait Jesus’ disciples – the
founders of the new Christian faith ?
– As: pure, brave, friendly… like Saints !!!…
– All the usual good qualities ofcourse – who would
want to follow bad examples in life ?
• What do you see in reality ?
Why believe the Bible: content
• How are the disciples described in the Bible…
• Bickering and backstabbing
– Mat 20:21 And He said to her, What do you
desire? She said to Him, Grant that these my
two sons may sit in Your kingdom, the one on
Your right hand and the other on the left.
• Cowards
– Everyone ran away when Jesus was arrested
– Peter denied Jesus 3 times
• Unbelieving: Thomas !
Why believe the Bible: content
• Why are the disciples described in
the Bible in such a bad light ???…
• Because it was the truth
• (The naked truth is not always pretty
and clean !!!)
Why believe ? THE Evidence !!
EMPTY Tomb
Why believe: The Empty Tomb
• We have historical writing from nonChristians in the Jewish Talmud confirming
Jesus’ death by crucifixion on Passover:
– It is taught: On the eve of Passover they hung
Yeshu (Jesus)… in “Talmud Sanhedrin 43a”
• We have historical writings (many: Paul’s
letters, gospels, etc) confirming the apostle’s
teaching of Jesus’ resurrection – What can we
conclude ?
Why believe: The Empty Tomb
• Fact: “Jesus did die” (from non-Bible source)
• Jesus’ disciples were preaching He has resurrected
• So what’s the best way to make the apostles shut
up on their preaching of Jesus’ resurrection ?
– Show them the dead body of Jesus !!!
• What did the Jewish Leaders did instead:
– Matt 28:12-13 …they gave enough silver to the soldiers
(who were guarding the tomb), saying, “Say that His
disciples came by night and stole Him away while we
slept”.
• WHY couldn’t they do it ?  The Tomb was EMPTY !!!
Why believe the Bible: Testimonies
• “Put your money where you mouth is”:
– Talk is cheap (preaching the gospel is cheap)
– Are you willing to back up your message with
“money” ?
• Some men are willing to give up their life for
a false religion that they believe is true
• NO (sane) man is willing to give up his life
for a religion that he KNOWS is false !!!
• If Christian faith is a lie, WHO would know ?
Why believe the Bible: Testimonies
• If the Christian faith is a lie, then those who
started the Christian religion who know:
– Jesus’ 11 apostles (Peter, Matthew, John..)
– Saul of Tarsus (Paul)
– James (brother of Jesus) who was the head of the
Church in Jerusalem
• So if any one who knows whether the Christian
religion is a lie, it would be these people !!!
• Did they “put their money where their mouth
(faith) was” ???
Why believe the Bible: Testimonies
• No sane person will die for a religion that they
know is a lie:
– Peter was crucified (head down) in Rome.
– Paul was decapitated in Rome around 66 A.D.
– James (the brother of Jesus) was stoned to
death in Jerusalem
• What is even more amazing:
– Paul had once persecuted Christians (his own letters)
– Before Jesus’ resurrection, James did not believe
(John 7:5) (Try imagine if you were Jesus’ brother)
Why believe the Bible: Testimonies
• All the disciples, Paul and James needed to do to
escape death was to deny Jesus !!!
– Those who denied that they were or had been
Christians…these I thought should be discharged –
(A letter by Pliny – a Roman governor)
• Why didn’t they do it ?
– Matthew 10:33 “But whoever shall deny Me before
men, I will also deny him before My Father in
Heaven.”
– If Jesus has not resurrected, they would know !
– Do you think they believed that Jesus was still
dead ?
Evidence from Neutral Parties
Supporting Evidence from Non-Christians
• A testimony in a trial is strongest when the
witness has nothing to gain from the outcome
• Gospels are testimonies of Christians
• Luckily, we find plenty of supporting evidence
from non-Christian historians
• Note: these historians did not intend to write
about Jesus. They wrote about Jesus because
of the Christian movement spawn by Jesus’
resurrection
Some famous ancient historians
• Josephus: (37-100 AD), Jewish historian
– Antiquities: on the Jewish history
– War: on the Jewish-Roman war
• Tacitus: (~110 AD), Roman historian
– Annals: History of Rome from begin till 66 AD
• Suetonius: (~60 AD), Roman historian
– Lives of the Caesars: on Roman emperors
• Pliny: (~70-100 AD), Roman governor
– Wrote letters to his Emperor and friend
• BTW: we learn Roman history from writings by
Tacitus, Suetonius and Plutarch
Josephus on Jesus
• Jewish Historian Josephus (100 AD) on Jesus:
– Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise
man…He drew over to him both many of the Jews
and many of the Gentiles…. And when Pilate, at
the suggestion of the principal men amongst us,
had condemned him to the cross…
• A neutral party confirms:
– Jesus lived (as historical as George Washington !)
– Pilate lived
– Jesus was crucified
Josephus on James and Jesus
• Antiquities, Book 20, Chapter 9
– Festus was now dead, and Albinus was but upon the road; so
he assembled the sanhedrin of judges, and brought before
them the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name
was James, and some others, [or, some of his companions];
and when he had formed an accusation against them as
breakers of the law, he delivered them to be stoned...
• Historical facts (confirms Bible):
– Jesus lived and had a brother named James
– Jesus was called “Christ” (Messiah) by His followers
Josephus confirms Pilate
• Antiquities, Book 18 , Chapter 3
– But now Pilate, the procurator of Judea,
removed the army from Cesarea to Jerusalem,
to take their winter quarters there, in order to
abolish the Jewish laws.
• Jewish Historian agrees with the Bible:
– Mat 27:2 And when they had bound Him,
they led Him away and delivered Him to
Pontius Pilate the governor.
Tacitus wrote about Jesus
• Annals, Book XV
– Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the
guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class
hated for their abominations, called Christians by the
populace. Christus, from whom the name (Christians) had
its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of
Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius
Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked
for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the
first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things
hideous and shameful from every part of the world find
their centre and become popular.
Tacitus on Christians
• Annals, Book XV
– Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who
pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an
immense multitude was convicted, not so much
of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred
against mankind. Mockery of every sort was
added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of
beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or
were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the
flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly
illumination, when daylight had expired.
Method of taking census confirmed
• Luke’s description on the census was criticized as
inaccurate in the past:
– Luk 2:1 And it happened in those days that a decree
went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world
should be taxed.
– Luk 2:3 And all went to be registered, each to his
own city.
• Critics said the way the census was taken was
absurd and therefore wrong
Method of taking census confirmed
• Archaeology proves Luke right !
• A papyrus dated around 104 A.D. by C.Vibius
Maximus, Prefect of Egypt:
– The enrollment by household being at hand, it is
necessary to notify all who for any cause soever are
outside their nomes (administrative divisions of
Egypt) to return to their domestic hearths, that they
may also accomplish the customary dispensation of
enrollment and continue steadfastly in the husbandry
that belongs to them.”
Extreme accuracy of Luke
• Luke mentioned minor details that was not
important in the story; which checks out:
– Acts 18:2--- There he became acquainted with a Jew
named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently
arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. They had
been expelled from Italy as a result of Claudius
Caesar's order to deport all Jews from Rome.
• Luke did not even care to tell us WHY they were
expelled from Rome… (clearly because it was not
important because everyone KNEW why !!!)
Suetonius corroborates Luke
• In “Life of Claudius” Suetonius wrote:
– As the Jews were making constant disturbances at
the instigation of Chrestus, he [Claudius] expelled
them from Rome.
• Even this small detail CHECKS OUT !!!
• If Luke was accurate in minor details, how
accurate do you think he is with the main story?
– Luke 1:3 “Therefore, since I myself have carefully
investigated everything from the beginning..”
Testimony of a former atheist
• William Ramsay in his book “St. Paul the
Traveler and the Roman Citizen”:
– I began with a mind unfavorable to it [Acts]
– More recently, I found myself often brought into
contact with the Book of Acts as an authority for
the topography, antiquities, and society of Asia
Minor.
– It was gradually borne in upon me that in various
details the narrative showed marvelous truth
Biblical facts confirmed by
Archeology
Biblical People found by Archaeology
Luke 3:1 And in the
fifteenth year of the
government of
Tiberius Caesar,
Pontius Pilate
being governor of
Judea, and Herod
being tetrarch…
TIBERIEUM
(PON)TIUS PILATUS
(PRAEF)ECTUS IUDA(EAE)
Biblical People found by Archaeology
Act 13:6-7 And when they
had gone through the
island to Paphos, they
found a certain conjurer,
a false prophet, a Jew
whose name was Barjesus; who was with the
proconsul of the
country, Sergius
Paulus, a prudent man.
In 1877, an inscription was found near
Paphos, bearing Sergius Paulus's name
and title of proconsul.
Stones confirming Biblical events
• That crucifixion
was used by
Romans in Jesus’
time to execute
criminals
Closing
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance
of things hoped for, the evidence of
things not seen.
1Peter 3:15 be ready always to give an
answer to everyone who asks you a
reason of the hope in you, with
meekness and fear
God did not ask us to have BLIND faith
You have just seen the overwhelming
evidence to know the Bible is factual !!!
For more information
• Good book:
– “The Case for Christ” by Lee Strobel
– Church library has a copy of the audio book
• My website:
– http://www.ichthus.info
– Contains the Powerpoint of this presentation