AboutBrenda Martin Expertise I love to study and have made a point of finding out all there is to know about Early Christianity,how it was founded, and why,what happened after it was established,where it all went wrong, and why Christianity is struggling today.Having been a protestant I can give you its history, and now being one of Jehovah`s witnesses I can give you its history also.
Experience I have been speaking to people about this for over 30 years so that has given me experience.
Question QUESTION: I was raised to believe in what my parents do as Christians; the Bible's not a lie, Jesus died but he'll be right back, accept him as your savior, and so on. I haven't questioned any of it until I opened up my judgement to what others of different beliefs have to say. Of course some of them I believe to just be ridiculous, taking bits from other religions and meshing them together to have people follow a false deal. But I still believe in a creator, but the Christ deal is growing more nonsenical in my mind.
Now I'm not questioning Jesus' existance, because if there is the possibility he did, then my impression could be as simple as that he was an ordinary guy whom people of his time made a big deal of. But if that's not true, then how can I be sure that he was the true savior of the world and all of humanity?
So here's my question: if Jesus was truly the Messiah, what evidence of his miracles is there to prove it?
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
~Mike
ANSWER: "JESUS AN ORDINARY GUY WHOM PEOPLE OF HIS TIME MADE A BIG DEAL OF ?"
He himself said that he had a prehuman existence, that he was the unique Son of God, that he was the Messiah, the one whose coming was foretold throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. Either he was what he said or he was a gross impostor, but neither option allows for the view that he was simply a good man.—John 3:13; 10:36; 4:25, 26; Luke 24:44-48.
The Bible itself is the principal evidence that Jesus Christ is a historical person. The record in the Gospels is not a vague narrative of events at some unspecified time and in an unnamed location. It clearly states time and place in great detail. For an example, see Luke 3:1, 2, 21-23.
The first-century Jewish historian Josephus referred to the stoning of “James, the brother of Jesus who was called the Christ.” (The Jewish Antiquities, Josephus, Book XX, sec. 200) A direct and very favourable reference to Jesus, found in Book XVIII, sections 63, 64
Tacitus, a Roman historian who lived during the latter part of the first century C.E., wrote: “Christus [Latin for “Christ”], from whom the name [Christian] had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus.”—The Complete Works of Tacitus (New York, 1942), “The Annals,” Book 15, par. 44.
With reference to early non-Christian historical references to Jesus, The New Encyclopædia Britannica states: “These independent accounts prove that in ancient times even the opponents of Christianity never doubted the historicity of Jesus, which was disputed for the first time and on inadequate grounds by several authors at the end of the 18th, during the 19th, and at the beginning of the 20th centuries.”—(1976), Macropædia, Vol. 10, p. 145.
“Is the life story of the founder of Christianity the product of human sorrow, imagination, and hope—a myth comparable to the legends of Krishna, Osiris, Attis, Adonis, Dionysus, and Mithras?” asks historian Will Durant. He answers that in the first century, to deny that Christ had ever existed “seems never to have occurred even to the bitterest gentile or Jewish opponents of nascent Christianity.”—The Story of Civilization,: Part III, “Caesar and Christ.”
The Roman historian Suetonius (c. 69-140 C.E.), in his history The Twelve Caesars, stated regarding the emperor Claudius: “Because the Jews at Rome caused continuous disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus [Christ], he expelled them from the city.” This occurred about the year 52 C.E. (Compare Acts 18:1, 2.) Note that Suetonius expresses no doubt about the existence of Christ. On this factual basis and in spite of life-endangering persecution, early Christians were very active proclaiming their faith. It is hardly likely that they would have risked their lives on the basis of a myth. Jesus’ death and resurrection had taken place in their lifetime, and some of them had been eyewitnesses to those events.
Historian Durant draws the conclusion: “That a few simple men should in one generation have invented so powerful and appealing a personality, so lofty an ethic and so inspiring a vision of human brotherhood, would be a miracle far more incredible than any recorded in the Gospels.”
"HOW CAN I BE SURE THAT HE WAS THE TRUE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD AND ALL OF HUMANITY?"
Jesus himself taught that he was the unique Son of God (John 10:36; Matt. 16:15-17), the foretold Messiah (Mark 14:61, 62), that he had a prehuman existence in heaven (John 6:38; 8:23, 58), that he would be put to death and then would be raised to life on the third day and would thereafter return to the heavens. (Matt. 16:21; John 14:2, 3)
Were these claims true, and was he thus really different from all other true prophets of God and in sharp contrast to all self-styled religious leaders? The truth of the matter would be evident on the third day from his death. Did God then resurrect him from the dead, thus confirming that Jesus Christ had spoken the truth and was indeed God’s unique Son? (Rom. 1:3, 4)
Over 500 witnesses actually saw Jesus alive following his resurrection, and his faithful apostles were eyewitnesses as he began his ascent back to heaven and then disappeared from their view in a cloud. (1 Cor. 15:3-8; Acts 1:2, 3, 9) So thoroughly were they convinced that he had been raised from the dead that many of them risked their lives to tell others about it.—Acts 4:18-33.
"IF JESUS WAS TRULY THE MESSIAH, WHAT EVIDENCE OF HIS MIRACLES IS THERE TO PROVE IT?"
Long before Jesus was born, the Bible foretold the coming of the one whom God would send as the Messiah, or Christ. The titles “Messiah” (from a Hebrew word) and “Christ” (from a Greek word) both mean “Anointed One.” This promised One would be anointed, that is, appointed by God to a special position.
In the first century C.E., the disciples of Jesus of Nazareth were fully convinced that he was the foretold Messiah. (John 1:41) One of the disciples, a man named Simon Peter, openly said to Jesus: “You are the Christ.” (Matthew 16:16)
The prophets of God who lived before Jesus foretold many details (over 300 prophecies) about the Messiah. These details would help others to identify him.
We might illustrate things this way: Suppose you were asked to go to a busy bus depot or a train station or an airport to pick up someone you had never met before. Would it not help if someone gave you a few details about him? Similarly, by means of the Bible prophets, God gave a rather detailed description of what the Messiah would do and what he would experience. The fulfillment of these many prophecies would help faithful ones to identify him clearly.
Consider just two examples. First, over 700 years in advance, the prophet Micah foretold that the promised One would be born in Bethlehem, a small town in the land of Judah. (Micah 5:2) Where was Jesus actually born? Why, in that very town! (Matthew 2:1, 3-9)
Second, many centuries in advance, the prophecy recorded at Daniel 9:25 pointed to the very year when the Messiah was to appear—29 C.E. The fulfillment of these and other prophecies proves that Jesus was the promised Messiah.
The fulfillment of Bible prophecy and God’s own testimony plainly show that Jesus was the promised Messiah.
No one can deny that the Bible reports that God in bygone days at times stepped in to perform humanly impossible acts. Of him, we read: “You proceeded to bring forth your people Israel out of the land of Egypt, with signs and with miracles and with a strong hand and with a stretched-out arm and with great fearsomeness.” (Jeremiah 32:21) Imagine, the most powerful nation of the day brought to its knees by means of ten divinely sent plagues, including the death of its firstborn. Miracles indeed!—Exodus, chapters 7 to 14.
Centuries later, the four Gospel writers described some 35 miracles performed by Jesus. In fact, their words suggest that he performed even more supernatural feats than those they report. Are these reports fact or fiction?—Matthew 9:35; Luke 9:11.
If the Bible is what it claims to be—God’s Word of truth—then you have clear reason to believe in the miracles about which it speaks. The Bible is explicit in reporting that miracles occurred in bygone days—miraculous healings, resurrections, and the like—yet it is just as explicit in explaining that such miracles no longer take place.
Various kinds of miracles are mentioned in the Bible. (Exodus 7:19-21; 1 Kings 17:1-7; 18:22-38; 2 Kings 5:1-14; Matthew 8:24-27; Luke 17:11-19; John 2:1-11; 9:1-7) Many of these miracles served to identify Jesus as the Messiah, and they proved that he had God’s backing. Jesus’ early followers displayed miraculous gifts, such as speaking in tongues and discernment of inspired utterances. (Acts 2:5-12; 1 Corinthians 12:28-31) Such miraculous gifts were useful for the Christian congregation during its infancy. How so?
Well, copies of the Scriptures were few. Usually, only the rich possessed scrolls or books of any sort. In pagan lands, there was no knowledge of the Bible or of its Author, Jehovah. Christian teaching had to be conveyed by word of mouth. The miraculous gifts were useful in showing that God was using the Christian congregation.
But Paul explained that these gifts would pass away once they were no longer needed. “Whether there are gifts of prophesying, they will be done away with; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will be done away with. For we have partial knowledge and we prophesy partially; but when that which is complete arrives, that which is partial will be done away with.”—1 Corinthians 13:8-10.
Accurate knowledge of the scriptures is needed to be convinced of Jesus existence & God’s purpose in sending him (John 17; 3) If you would like to know WHY Jesus was sent & what it will mean for mankind, I will be happy to discuss it with you. (John 3;16)
All the best
Brenda
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QUESTION: I may have missed something vital, but I'm not sure if my question was answered.
I'm asking for solid historical evidence of Jesus' resurrection and miracles, not a timeline of the Bible's literary portrayal. I've read about what Jesus did; the miracles he did and his resurrection. I just want to know where the proof of his feats are and where the truth upon them lies.
Yes, Egypt might have fallen, but who ever confirmed it fell by the hands of God and not another more brutal or tactical civilization?
Word of mouth? Perhaps, but how religiously active were people of that age? How hard was it to believe in something spectacular when that age of civilization hasn't reached a time of discovery and knowledge of reality? How bent on research for questions they had were they?
I can't have faith if I don't know for sure if what I've read is true. I'd rather live with no purpose than wrap myself in lies and pretend that I never one. But what I want to come to realization is that what I was raised to believe was indeed the truth because I want my belief in a creator to be more deep than just "He made everything, now it's only a matter of time before he is revealed".
Now once again, I might've read something differently from your intention of telling me, but it seems you're giving me more scripture than historical evidence.
Answer SOLID HISTORICAL EVIDENCE OF JESUS' RESURRECTION AND MIRACLES?
How can we know, in this 20th century, whether back in Bible times God worked genuine miracles through his servants on earth or not? What kind of evidence would you expect for such things? Imagine a primitive tribesman who has been taken from his jungle home to visit a big city. When he returns, how can he describe to his people the wonders of civilization? He cannot explain how an automobile works or why music comes out of a portable radio. He cannot build a computer to prove that such a thing exists. All he can do is tell what he has seen.
We are in the same situation as that man’s fellow tribesmen. If God really has worked miracles, the only way we can learn about them is from eyewitnesses. The eyewitnesses cannot explain how the miracles happened, nor can they duplicate them. They can only tell us what they saw. Obviously, eyewitnesses can be duped. They can also easily exaggerate and misinform. If, then, we are to believe their testimony, we need to know that these eyewitnesses are truthful, are of high quality, and have proved that they have good motives.
The best-attested miracle in the Bible is the resurrection of Jesus Christ, so why not use this as a test case, so to speak, was Jesus resurrected, or is all this just a fabrication?
The greatest miracle of all, the resurrection of Jesus, profoundly changed the lives of his followers. Immediately after his death, these ones were discouraged, ready to go back to their former occupations. Then, after they had seen the resurrected Jesus and were enlightened by God’s spirit, they were willing to face the wrath of the Jewish priests and Roman rulers, boldly going to the boundaries of the Roman Empire and beyond, spreading the good news about him. (Acts 1:6-8; 4:8-13) Their courage is illustrated in Peter and John’s statement to the Jewish rulers: “But as for us, we cannot stop speaking about the things we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20) Would they have had such courage if they were lying when they said they had seen the resurrected Jesus?
Evidence outside the Bible;--About a century after Jesus’ death, Justin Martyr wrote a work called Dialogue With Trypho. In this, he said: “You [the Jews] have sent chosen and ordained men throughout all the world to proclaim that a godless and lawless heresy had sprung from one Jesus, a Galilæan deceiver, whom we crucified, but his disciples stole him by night from the tomb, where he was laid.”
Jesus’ miracles were performed openly before large crowds. The accounts of them were published while many who saw them were still alive. These records, many written by eyewitnesses, still exist, preserved in the Bible. Read them for yourself and see how these narratives have the ring of truth. Serious matters are decided every day in courts of law—even matters involving life and death—on far less evidence than exists to prove that Jesus really did perform miracles.
According to the most reasonable standards, both the Hebrew and the Greek Scriptures are GENUINE HISTORY, yet they both contain examples of prophecy and miracles. (2 Kings 4:42-44.) God was indeed behind the writing of the Bible, and it really is his word, not man’s.
So I suppose it comes down to having faith that the bible is true & accurate.
