1: Historical Evidence JOSEPHUS – JEWISH/ ANTI-CHRISTIAN “Now, there was about this time Jesus, a wise man—if it's 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.” Outside the New Testament

1: Historical Evidence Inside the New Testament The process 1. Someone saw or heard what happened and wrote it down. 2. Sometime later, other people copied what they had written 3. Later still, the copies were put together to make a book.

1: Historical Evidence Inside the New Testament 1. Someone saw or heard what happened and wrote it down. 2. Sometime later, other people copied what they had written 3. Later still, the copies were put together to make a book. The reliability tests The shorter the time here The larger the number of copies

1: Historical Evidence Inside the New Testament The reliability tests WORK WHEN WRITTENEARLIEST COPYTIME LAPSENUMBER OF COPIES Herodotus 488–428 BC AD 9001,300 years8 Thucydides c.460–400 BC AD 9001,300 years8 Tacitus AD 100 AD 1,1001,000 years20 Caesar’s Gallic War 58–50 BC AD years9–10 Livy’s Roman History 59 BC – AD 17 AD years20 New Testament AD 40–100 AD 130 (full manuscripts AD 350) 30–310 years 5,000+ Greek 10,000 Latin 9,300 others

1: Historical Evidence Table Discussions -Discuss the evidence so far -What do you think this tells you about who Jesus was? -Any new thoughts on this for you?

Jesus was fully human Jesus pointed to himself as the answer to people’s needs

Jesus’ teaching pointed to himself as the answer to people’s needs Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” And they answered, “Some say John the Baptist, other say Elijah and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Then Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon ….” Matthew 16: love: security: significance: despair: depression: anxiety: 

Jesus was fully human Jesus spoke of himself as God Jesus pointed to himself

‘A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on a level with a man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was and is, the Son of God; or else a mad man or something worse.’ C.S. Lewis

words|actions|character|prophecy|resurrection “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink … Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

words|actions|character|prophecy|resurrection “Seeing the impact on society of a generation that has rejected God and, as a result, Christian ethics. What is beyond doubt, is that the Gospels provide a system of ethics to which we must return if we are to avoid social disasters.” John Mortimer

words|actions|character|prophecy|resurrection `I’ve got such huge respect for Jesus because his life was so radical, it was so inconvenient. If Jesus had not existed, the church most certainly would not have invented him.’ Matthew Paris He transformed everything he touched:-

words|actions|character|prophecy|resurrection “Father, forgive them. They don't know what they're doing.”

words|actions|character|prophecy|resurrection Jesus fulfilled over 300 Old Testament prophecies spoken by different voices over hundreds of years, 29 of them in a single day. 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000.

words|actions|character|prophecy|resurrection 1. The tomb was empty 2. Many saw him alive 3. The effects, then and now.

words|actions|character|prophecy|resurrection Jesus did not actually die The disciples stole his body The authorities stole his body Thieves stole his body Resurrection

words|actions|character|prophecy|resurrection Jesus did not actually die The disciples stole his body The authorities stole his body Thieves stole his body Resurrection Many people saw Jesus alive The impact was incredible

words|actions|character|prophecy|resurrection Jesus did not actually die The disciples stole his body The authorities stole his body Thieves stole his body Resurrection Many people saw Jesus alive The impact was incredible words|actions|character|prophecy|resurrection

When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.’