Bible Think
Jesus of Nazareth
Jesus of Nazareth is a unique person. He lived in the first part of the first century AD and was put to death around 30 AD. He founded no empires, led no revolutions and fought no battles. He hardly travelled outside the confines of Rural Galilee and Jerusalem. And yet in spite of this he has had a world-wide effect. Two thousand years later almost every human being on the earth over the age of ten has some idea of his work and importance.
The main accounts of Jesus appear in the Gospels, which tell the circumstances of his birth and give a very detailed account of his words and actions during the period of his main activity, a period known as his “Ministry”, and end with a description of his crucifixion and resurrection. The purpose of Jesus, and some of the details of his life and work, were predicted in the Old Testament, in books completed at least four centuries before the start of his ministry, and the letters of the Apostles also refer to him.
In addition to the references to Jesus in the Bible there are references in the writings of various Roman historians and even in the Jewish Talmud. The picture of Jesus Christ in the New Testament is as secure as it is possible for it to be.
The main issues concerning Jesus Christ are these:-
- Jesus in history: Jesus carried out his ministry in what, to Roman eyes, was a remote part of a minor province of their empire and a cultural backwater. There are correspondingly few records of his life outside the Bible. However, there are enough references in the works of Roman historians and philosophers for one to find the broad outline of the life of Jesus without opening the Bible. Of course, the New Testament tells us far more than these, and far more reliably.
- What is Special about Jesus: Jesus was very special. He was unlike any of the figures in the world of his day, either Greek, Roman or Jewish. While Jesus showed similarities to other teachers in the ancient world, the differences are highly significant. These important differences are enough to allow us to be certain that the person and teaching of Jesus was not invented by anyone in the world of Jesus’ time.
- The Claims of Jesus: Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, to be a spokesman for God and to be the Messiah, the king who would come at the end of human government to issue in the Kingdom of God. These claims need investigating. They seem to be impossible, but in fact there is very strong evidence to support them.
- The Resurrection of Jesus: It is well known that the disciples of Jesus turned the ancient world upside down in their efforts to proclaim the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In doing this they founded congregations throughout the Roman Empire, and suffered extreme persecution. It was their belief in the resurrection which led them to do this. The evidence for the resurrection is compelling and deserves to be seen.
- The Accuracy of the Record: The acts and teaching of Jesus are presented in the Gospels, and to a lesser extent throughout the letters and the Old Testament. The historical credentials of these records has come into question but the evidence is that they are extremely accurate descriptions of Jesus words and deeds.
Jesus is not merely an obscure teacher from long ago. He is the person who will judge your life when you meet him. He is certainly worth investigating.
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Jesus of Nazareth