Have you ever wondered if there might be a little truth in the stories about Jesus?
Adjacent is really ordinary photograph, showing nothing.
However this is the spot from which a company grew to be active right across all of New Zealand. This photo is looking to the spot where forty years our construction site office was located. Just two weeks ago on a visit to New Zealand, I just had to go back and see this site of origin.
The stories I could tell about this are etched in my memory and in many ways are treasured. I could relate intricate detail, but frankly it would be of little interest to most. This suggests that even eye witness accounts do not necessarily create wide interest.
Yes stories must be accurate but they also have to capture interest to gain lasting legs.
I believe the Gospels to be authentic for not only are they factual but the initial interest in Jesus was fanned to incredible proportions and the vitality of the Message has mightily lasted until today.
From my perspective it is sad that the interest in Jesus and His story has not touched all. Those with a disinterest in Jesus have even been known, because of indifference, to challenge the veracity and historicity of the Message of Jesus.
Even outside of the Bible, there is much proof of the existence of the One called the Christ. Rather than dwell on that I wish to pass on a little of my excitement surrounding the way in which the various writers of the Bible support the true story of Jesus.
I find it remarkable that one of the early biblical writings was by Paul, a man who was probably converted some two years after Christ’s death, and had never physically met Jesus. Shortly after Christ’s death we know that the apostle Paul (then Saul) was actively persecuting Christians in a deadly way. On the road to Damascus, and remember Jesus was already crucified, we read this in Acts chapter 9.
:4 He (Paul) fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
:5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied.
:6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
Saul does as instructed and meets up with Ananias. Study their interchange. Yes! Jesus appeared also to Ananias.
AC 9:17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord–Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here–has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
So the record tells us that in those early days Jesus himself was visiting key people in the Church. Paul certainly had more than jus the initial encounter with Jesus as described above.
For Paul, there were times of reclusion and direct revelation.
One of these is recorded in 1 Corinthians chapter 11 in relation to Communion.
1CO 11:23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,
Paul was not in the upper room when Jesus inaugurated Communion and he probably wrote about this before those who were actually present in that Upper Room experience.
Then Paul, in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 Paul passes on a brilliant creed, one he received as a revelation and describes the Gospel this way.
1CO 15:1 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
:3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
This letter to the church at Corinth seems to have been written just before 60 AD.
Many scholars indicate that the Gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John actually wrote their records after Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians.
- Matthew who was a disciple and Mark (who relied on detail from Peter) and Luke, (a close associate of Paul), all closely agree in the Gospels which carry their names.
- John in His much later account was a very close associate of Jesus, he writes a wider range of material but the agreement with the others remains.
- Paul, an early writer had Divine revelation and the Gospel he preached, as seen in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, strongly correlates with the later written eye witness accounts.
- Substantially what is said in Scripture was enthusiastically taken up by the early believers, many of whom knew Jesus directly.
The take up of the Gospel, the concurrence of a number of writers from differing backgrounds and writing at differing times with varied backgrounds supports the fact that Jesus is real. His influence, directly and through others continued even after death. He not only historically lived but has the continuing power to succeed death.
So you are not interested in my opening story about New Zealand! Well I have to say that this does not alter the facts I have in my memory but who really cares?
To deny the existence of Christ and His claims, is vastly different. The Gospel is substantiated and taken up by many and it has a Message of eternal consequence for us all.
We all need to realise that this empty illustration of Christ’s empty tomb speaks of the possibility of real life.
If you are having trouble finding your way through the maize to find the truth, remember that a simple request as follows, can move your quest forward.
Psalm 119:169 May my cry come before you, O LORD; give me understanding according to your word.
Thanks for the post. Excellent apologetic overview.