David Pool

It would be hard to argue against the idea that Jesus of Nazareth is the most consequential person of history. There have been lots of influential people over the course of time, but I know of no other person for whom millions of people today, living some 2000 years after his death, would be willing to die. In spite of his impact on the entire world, there are some who are tripped up by the claim that Jesus never truly existed. If you search that on the web, inevitably you will find some blogger or opinion piece that claims the evidence for Jesus is scant, and that no one really knows if Jesus is just a built-up legend or a true historical figure. But is that an accurate claim?

It is not. Far from it. Historians and biblical scholars, both liberal and conservative, almost unanimously reject the notion that Jesus never existed. The reason? There is too much evidence to deny it.  Without a doubt, the earliest and best information that we have about Jesus is found in the New Testament. That Bible you likely have in your house documents his life and teaching with writings that are dated to within 70 years after the crucifixion (most can be dated prior to AD 70). These are some of the most scrutinized documents in history and they rest on a solid foundation of reliability and integrity. Furthermore, the record of Jesus’ life is attested to by multiple thousands of manuscripts. No other historical figure or writing even comes close to the manuscript evidence for Jesus’ life.

But occasionally the question is raised: Is there evidence for Jesus outside the Bible? There is. Scholars can show us at least a dozen references to Jesus Christ in non-Christian Jewish sources like Josephus and the Talmud. Josephus, who was not a Christian, calls Jesus a “wise man,” a “worker of amazing deeds,” a “teacher,” and “one accused by leading men among us who condemned him to the cross.” The Talmud (a collection of rabbinic traditions) refers to Jesus as one who “practiced magic and led Israel astray.” It’s pretty hard to “lead people astray” if you don’t exist.  

But there are also Greek and Roman writers who refer to Jesus. Lucian of Samosata and Mara bar Serapion mention Jesus. Roman historians Thallus, Tacitus, Pliny and Suetonius all refer to Jesus. For example, when Tacitus writes in the second century about Nero’s persecution of Christians, he says, “The founder of this name, Christ, had been executed in the reign of Tiberius by the procurator Pontius Pilate.”

The extra-biblical evidence for the life and work of Jesus Christ is extremely difficult to overturn. For that reason, New Testament scholar Craig Blomberg, in a chapter discussing much of this material, made this insightful statement:

“But even using only such non-Christian sources, there is ample evidence to confirm the main contours of the early Christian claims: Jesus was a Jew who lived in Israel during the first third of the first century; was born out of wedlock; intersected with the life and ministry of John the Baptist; attracted great crowds, especially because of his wondrous deeds; had a group of particularly close followers called disciples (five of whom are named); ran afoul of the Jewish religious authorities because of his controversial teachings sometimes deemed heretical or blasphemous; was crucified during the time of Pontius Pilate’s governorship in Judea (AD 26-36), and yet was believed by many of his followers to have been the Messiah, the anticipated liberator of Israel. This belief did not disappear despite Jesus’ death because a number of his supporters claimed to have seen him resurrected from the dead. His followers, therefore, continued consistently to grow in numbers, gathering together regularly for worship and instruction and even singing hymns to him as if he were a god (or God).”

That is impressive extra-biblical support for Jesus! But the best information about Jesus is found on the reliable pages of the New Testament. Have you read it lately? Have you taken an honest look at Jesus of Nazareth and his claims to be God, the lord of life? Perhaps in these days of insecurity and upheaval you should seek out the living water, the bread of life, the good shepherd. There’s lots of evidence that he’s real and that he cares about you.

(David Pool is pastor at Grace Point Church in Powell.)