Jesus?Whois this

Who is this Jesus? History

Jesus … “a mythical figure who never existed” a communist Russian dictionary Our purpose … to examine the historical evidence Who is this Jesus?

“Since the Jews constantly made disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus, he [Claudius] expelled them from Rome” Suetonius, Life of Claudius, 69 CE CE “ … 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 had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a deadly superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but also in the City, where all things shameful from every part of the world meet and become popular …” Tacitus, Annals, 55 CE CE Who is this Jesus? Evidence from historical writings

“There was, about this time, Jesus, a wise man (if it be lawful to call him a man) for he was a doer of wonderful works - a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was the Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets foretold this and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians so named after him, are not extinct at this day.” Flavius Josephus (? 37CE - 101CE) Who is this Jesus? Evidence from historical writings

How can we know that what was written down in the Bible has not been changed over the years? Who is this Jesus? Evidence from the Bible

WorkWritten Earliest Copy Time span Number of copies Herodotus BCE 900 CE13008 Thcydides BCE 1100 CE13008 Tacitus100 CE900 CE Caesar ’ s Gallic War BCE 900 CE9509 or 10 Livy ’ s Roman History 59 BCE - 17 CE 900 CE90020 New Testament CE 130 CE (parts) 350 CE (whole) < >5000 Greek Latin Who is this Jesus? Evidence from the Bible

“In the variety and fullness of the evidence on which it rests, the text of the New Testament stands absolutely and unapproachably alone among ancient prose writings” F.J.A. Hort Who is this Jesus? Evidence from the Bible

“The interval then between the dates of original composition and the earliest extant evidence becomes so small as to be in fact negligible, and the last foundation for any doubt that the Scriptures have come down to us substantially as they were written has now been removed. Both the authenticity and the general integrity of the books of the New Testament may be regarded as finally established” Sir Frederick Kenyon Who is this Jesus? Evidence from the Bible

Qumran: where the “Dead Sea Scrolls” were found Who is this Jesus? Evidence from the Bible

Who is this Jesus? The Shrine of the Book, Jerusalem Evidence from the Bible

Who is this Jesus? Historical conclusion Jesus of Nazareth, a Jewish teacher, lived in Israel in the first century he was executed by the Romans in around 30 AD the records of his life in the New Testament are historically well attested

But was Jesus only human? “ I can’t believe in Christianity, but I think Jesus was a wonderful man” Billy Connolly Who is this Jesus?

Freud: “People are hungry for love” Jung: “People are hungry for security” Adler: “People are hungry for significance” Jesus: “I am the bread of life” What Jesus claimed: Who is this Jesus?

“I am the bread of life” “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will live, even though they die …” “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” Jesus also said that to receive him was to receive God; to welcome him was to welcome God; to have seen him was to have seen God Who is this Jesus? What Jesus claimed:

Jesus also  claimed that he could forgive sins  said that he would judge the world  said that he himself would be the criterion by which the world would be judged  when asked if he was the Christ, said “I am”  when addressed by Thomas as “My Lord and my God”, accepted this as true Who is this Jesus? What Jesus claimed:

Who is this Jesus? What Jesus claimed: Jesus said that his miracles were evidence that “the Father is in me, and I in the Father” He turned water into wine He multiplied a picnic He had control over the elements He carried out remarkable healings He was motivated by an extraordinary love

Logical explanations for Jesus’ claims: 1.They were in fact untrue, but he was deluded and thought that they were 2.He knew they were untrue, and was a con-man 3.The stories are a fictional embellishment of the life of a good but ordinary man 4.They were true Who is this Jesus?

What the Bible writers claim:  more than 300 prophecies made about Jesus, written in Bible books over 500 years before he was born  29 just on the day he died  many outside his control

Who is this Jesus? What the critics say: the greatest teaching to have come from human lips the foundation of civilisation on the West

Who is this Jesus? What the critics say: Bernard Levin: “Is not the nature of Christ, in the words of the New Testament, enough to pierce to the soul anyone with a soul to be pierced? … he still looms over the world, his message still clear, his pity still infinite, his consolation still effective, his words still full of glory, wisdom and love” Lord Hailsham: “… irresistably attractive as a man”

The Garden Tomb, Jerusalem Who is this Jesus? The crunch question:

The Garden Tomb, Jerusalem Who is this Jesus? The crunch question:

Inside the tomb The crunch question: Who is this Jesus?

Inside the tomb The crunch question: Who is this Jesus?