In the previous post, we examined the figure of Jesus Christ, the claims that he made, the tests that a worldview must pass (intellectually credible and existentially satisfying), and the intellectual challenge posed by the figure of Christ. In the next few posts, we will explore the possible conclusions one could draw based on the facts. As a believer, I will show you why I believe the evidence inescapably points in one direction.
The facts
Here is the data we have. Given these five facts, we must arrive at a conclusion that adequately explains them if we are to live our lives with any intellectual integrity.
1. There was a man who walked this earth 2,000 years ago who claimed to be the Messiah, the Son of God, come to earth from heaven. He claimed to be bringing the kingdom of God to the world.
2. As this man went about with his message, the people who heard him speak saw him do things that appeared to be miracles. They saw him feed 5,000 people from what looked like a few loaves of bread and a few fish, they saw him walk on water, they saw him raise people from the dead, and they saw him heal people who were sick. We won’t even make the jump and say he performed actual miracles yet, but it is a fact that people saw him perform what they believed to be miracles. It created an incredible sensation in first century Israel and was the center of much controversy.
3. This man not only claimed to be God, but he was able to convince the people who were closest to him, the people who lived with him, that he actually was God. Keep in mind that the last people on earth who would believe that a human being could be God were first century Jews. It wouldn’t be that unusual for eastern religions to believe in God in human form since they believed God was a life force that was in everyone and everything. Romans and Greeks believed their gods could take the form of human beings, and even have children with human beings. Jews, on the other hand, believed God transcended the world and that nothing created, nothing of this world, should ever be worshipped. It was in the first commandment.
4. After this man died, hundreds of people attested to the fact that they saw him risen from the dead. These weren’t just one-on-one encounters, but dozens and hundreds of people claimed to have seen him at one time.
5. This experience transformed people’s lives so much that they went out and died for the belief that this man rose from the dead and was the Son of God.
How do you account for the facts? There are five options, and over the next several posts, I will address each option.
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