We have historic evidence that Jesus existed. We have the records of men like Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; we have the records of Paul and Peter, James and Jude.
These are men that lived back then, men that wrote about Jesus, and lived at the time He lived, and they say that the claims that He made are true. This is historical evidence. Some of these men had spent 3 and a half years with Him, theirs was first-hand information. These men died for their belief in Him. Now, one person might be crazy or fanatical and give their life, but many thousands over the years have given their lives, some in horrible ways rather than deny Jesus as the Son of God, knowing that He is who He claimed to be and that something better lay ahead for those who would follow Him.
The whole New Testament is historical evidence, and there is plenty of evidence that those books were written at that time.
But is there secular evidence that Jesus existed? Well there is more secular evidence that Jesus existed than there is that Julius Caesar existed, and no one seems to question whether Julius Caesar existed or not. Here are a couple of secular statements about Jesus.
"Christus, the founder of the name Christian had undergone the death penalty in the reign of Tiberius by sentence of the procurator Pontius Pilatus, and the pernicious superstition was checked for a moment, only to break out once more, not merely in Judaea, the home of the disease but in the capital itself, where all things horrible and shameful in the world collect and find a vogue. First, then the best members of the sect were arrested, next on their disclosure vast number were convicted not so much on the count of arson as for the as for the hatred of the human race." Tacitus Histories xv44; Translated by Clifford H. M., Vol. 4, p. 283-284
This statement is talking about the Christians back then, about the time of Nero. He blamed the Christians for burning the city of Rome, but it says that Jesus Christ existed, that the people followed Him - this is historical evidence.
Another person who is recognised as a great historian and lived back then, in 70 AD, was Josephus. People often quote him. In this quote he is talking about Pilate who was the governor of Judea from AD 26 -36. Josephus has this to say...
"And there arose about this time, Jesus a wise man, if indeed one should call him a man, for he was the performer of astonishing deeds, a teacher of those who are happy to receive the truth. He won over many Jews, and also many present Bible leading men among us. Pilate condemned Him to the cross, but those who loved Him at first did not give up. For he appeared to them on the third day alive again as the Holy Prophet had foretold, and had said many other wonderful things about Him, and still to this day the race of Christians named after him has not died out." Josephus - Antiquities of the Jews
That is historical evidence that Jesus Christ existed, and did the things claimed of Him in the Bible. If you travel to places like Bethlehem today, you can walk up and down the streets; you can go to the place where they maintain He was born, these places have been sacredly cared for, for centuries and centuries - the facts are still there.
You can go to Jerusalem and walk down its streets, and on almost every corner it speaks of Jesus. In fact the whole city of Jerusalem would not exist if it were not for Jesus.
As you walk around the Sea of Galilee, in place after place there is commemoration of Jesus and what he said and did at that place. These things are all historical evidence that Jesus Christ existed.
But is there any other evidence that Jesus is who He claimed to be?
Page 4 - The Evidence Of Prophecy
Scripture Verses
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