Was Jesus a Historical Figure?

Eyewitnesses of Jesus

What about Jesus? Was he an authentic historical figure? Eyewitnesses Matthew, John, Peter, Paul, James , and Jude say he was. These men claim they knew Jesus. They weren't just casual acquaintances either. Peter, John, and Matthew lived with him for several years, right up to the day he died.

Day in, day out, they traveled with him; talked with him; ate with him; heard his teachings; saw his miracles; and at least in the case of John, saw his execution. Two of these disciples wrote extensive works detailing the events in the life of Christ and frequently quoted his words. Two others, James and Jude, were very likely brothers of Jesus.

Paul, who wrote almost half of the New Testament epistles, said he met the resurrected Jesus. The profound effect this had on Paul, "the road to Damascus experience," has become the byword for a dramatic turnaround in anyone's life. Paul, then known as Saul, had been the leader of Christian persecution. He quickly became the most influential Christian evangelist of the first century. A more radical change is hard to imagine. Paul credits it to his personal encounter with Jesus.

Secondhand Witnesses

In addition to the eyewitnesses, two prominent secondhand witnesses also wrote accounts of Jesus. Mark recorded the apostle Peter's reminiscences of Christ. Luke, traveling companion of Paul, informs us that he conducted a thorough investigation of all the witnesses and evidence available to him before he wrote his detailed account of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Firsthand eyewitness reports are by far the most valuable and reliable evidence - ask any historian or lawyer. But a proliferation of secondhand information also confirms Jesus' existence. Church leaders such as: Polycarp, Eusebius, Irenaeus, Ignatius, and Origen wrote about him.

Christians, in fact, gave the most compelling evidence. During the first three centuries A.D., an untold number of Jesus' followers were burned, crucified, or thrown to wild animals when they refused to deny their faith. Who would willing die for someone who did not even exist?

Outside of Christianity, we find that friend and foe alike knew Jesus as a historical figure. In his book, A Ready Defense, Josh McDowell lists among others: three historians, one governor, one satirist, a prisoner, and several hostile Jews, all from antiquity, mentioning Jesus.

Other Historical Evidence of Jesus

Historians

Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian born A.D. 37, wrote his Antiquities in the early part of the second century. He gives us a very favorable report on Jesus calling him a wise man, a doer of good deeds, and a teacher of truth.

A Roman historian by the name of Cornelius Tacitus lived about A.D. 52-117. He wrote Annals, a portion of which dealt with the life and times of Emperor Nero. In an attempt to allay suspicion, Tacitus writes, Nero falsely accused Christians with starting the fire in Rome. He punished them with "exquisite tortures." "Christus," the historian reminds us, "the founder of the name, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius."

What Tacitus calls "the pernicious superstition" was repressed for a time, but broke out again and spread across Judea and on to Rome. Consequently, this unsympathetic historian confirms both the life and death of Jesus and the rapid spread of Christianity despite persecution. Tacitus also refers to Christianity in his Histories when he discussed the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in A.D. 70.

Another early Roman historian, Suetonius, served as a court official under Emperor Hadrian. In A.D. 120, Suetonius wrote The Life of Claudius. Therein he says: "As the Jews were making constant disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus (Christ), he expelled them from Rome." And in a second reference, Suetonius confirms Tacitus' report on Nero: "Punishment by Nero was inflicted on the Christians, a class of men given to a new and mischievous superstition."

Governor of Bithynia

Plinus Secundus, better known as Pliny the Younger, was governor of Bithynia in Asia Minor. In A.D. 112, he wrote Emperor Trajan requesting the emperor's policy on Christians. Pliny wanted advice on whether he should execute all Christians or only certain ones.

Pliny's letter provides us with several bits of information about the early Christians living in his district. They believed Jesus Christ was (is) God, and they assembled one morning each week to worship him. Part of their service included a pledge to refrain from "wicked deeds." Specifically, they vowed to never commit fraud, theft, adultery, falsify their word, or deny a trust.

Satirist

Three historians, a governor, and a satirist all offer written evidence that Jesus was a historical character. The satirist was Lucian of Samosata. He was considered one of the greatest writers of revised Greek literature in the Roman empire. This second century Syrian born author took a decisively dim view of both Christ and Christians.

In his manuscript The Passing Peregrinus, he identifies Jesus as ". . . the man who was crucified in Palestine because he introduced this new cult into the world." As for Christians, "They deny the Greek gods and worship that crucified sophist himself and live under his laws." Lucian also mentions Christians several times in his work Alexander the False Prophet.

Acts of Pontius Pilate

What about Pilate? Do you suppose he ever produced a report on Jesus' trial and crucifixion? Apparently, he did. Justin Martyr, a philosopher and early Christian apologist, wrote to Emperor Antoninus Pius about A.D. 150. He made a reference to Pilate's report which he assumed must still be available to the current governor.

Justin told Antoninus Pius: "They pierced my hands and feet are a description of the nails driven into his hands and feet on the cross; and after he was crucified, those who crucified him cast lots for his garments, and divided them among themselves. These things are recorded in the Acts of Pontius Pilate."

Prisoner

And then there is Mara Bar-Serapion. This Syrian born prisoner wrote a letter about A.D. 73 to his son. In his letter, Mara observes that those who persecute wise men pay for their actions. He illustrates his point with the deaths of Socrates, Pythagoras, and Christ. "What advantage did the Jews gain from executing their wise King? It was just after that, that their kingdom was abolished. The Jews, ruined and driven from their land, live in complete dispersion." But Mara notes, the teachings of their wise king live on.

Jewish Talmud

Jews did not completely ignore Jesus either. References to him are scattered among several sections of the Jewish Talmud. Between A.D. 70 and 200, Jews developed a code of religious jurisprudence called the Mishnah. The Gemaras, a separate body of commentaries on the Mishnah, was composed during and after the same period. Together both works are called the Talmud.

In these writings Jesus is variously called: Ben Padera or Ben Pantere, or Jeshu ben Pandera or Yeshu of Nazareth. The Talmud offers this explanation for Jesus' crucifixion. "Yeshu of Nazareth . . . hath practiced sorcery and beguiled and led astray Israel. Let everyone knowing aught in his defense come and plead for him. But they found naught in his defense and hanged him on the eve of Passover." Another passage calls Jesus "a bastard of an adulteress." Still other accounts allude to his disciples.

Obviously, these Jews are no friends of Jesus. But his historic reality is not questioned. In fact, it is taken for granted.

The evidence is overwhelming and conclusive. Firsthand eyewitnesses, apostles, disciples, apologists, martyrs, several ancient historians, plus a governor, a satirist, a prisoner, and a number of unbelieving Jews all put it in writing. Jesus was a real man. He lived and died. Modern scholars and historians agree.