Jesus Christ In History
Intro:
The history of Jesus Christ is like no other. No other person’s birth and life were defined so clearly. In “Christ in Prophecy,” you will find prophecies about Him and what He would do scattered over 2000 years of Biblical records.
Jesus stands out above all other men in history. He, without question, has changed the world more than anyone else.
Alexander, Caesar, and Napoleon were all recorded in history along with their accomplishments. They conquered millions with their armies and war machines.
However, Jesus of Nazareth, without an army, money, or weapons, conquered more millions than all three combined. He did this after He died on the cross and rose from the grave. Jesus is still conquering the hearts of people around the world.
Unlike other great historical characters, Jesus left us an empty tomb to remind us that life with Him is eternal.
Volumes were written about Jesus.
Scholars and historians have written many books about all four, however, those about Jesus are more numerous than all others. The Bible is still the most-read book on our planet. Individuals write more about Jesus and His teachings than any other person or subject.
The Encyclopedia Britannica recognized the phenomenal impact of Jesus Christ on our world. They devoted more space to Him than to any other person in history.
Even non-believers such as Kenneth Scott Latourette, a noted historian, comments, “As the centuries pass, the evidence is accumulating that, measured by His effect on history, Jesus is the most influential life ever lived on this planet.”
Jesus’ birth and life were planned from before Creation. The Old Testament is a record of what God did to prepare a people for His coming. God revealed through His Prophets the events that had to take place in Jesus’ life from birth to resurrection.
The History of Jesus starts in the Old Testament.
The 39 books of the Old Testament tell how God created man and how He chose a man named Abram to father a nation that He would call His people.
God loved all His creation, however, He made a covenant with Abraham to create a people. Through his descendants, God promised to send a Savior. That Savior is the One we call Jesus Christ.
As part of God’s preparation for the coming Savior, God gave the Prophet Moses the Law to govern His people. This Law was a guide to both the descendants of Abraham and all mankind.
The Old Testament tells how God would bring forth a Messiah to save all mankind from sin. It outlines where He is to be born, that His mother would be a virgin, what town He would be born in and hundreds of other facts about His life.
For a detailed explanation of many of these prophecies, you can read or listen to “Christ in Prophecy.”
Three main groups tell us the History of Jesus.
First, we have those who foretold His coming. over several thousand years, as found in “Christ in Prophecy.” Second are those who knew, lived with, and studied under Him. The third group is the Jewish and Roman historical writers.
You need to remember that Jesus only taught for about three years.
In those three short years of ministry, Jesus influenced moral changes that continue to affect lives for good. Even those who do not believe that He is the Son of God sent to die for our sins still benefit from His teachings.
Our country was established on the principles laid out in the Bible. When we drift away from God’s Law, our Nation gets into trouble. It is when men decide that their ideas are better than God’s that we see moral decline, lawlessness, and all kinds of wickedness.
History of Jesus by those who knew Him
We might ask who Jesus Christ was in history. The best answer to this question comes from those who knew Him and were taught by Him.
As we look at what these individuals tell us about Jesus, I thought we should look at what they called Him. They refer to Jesus as Prince of Peace, The Way, The Lord God, The Almighty, Savior, The Resurrection and the Life, Mighty God, Word of Life, Alpha and Omega, Light of the World, The Cornerstone, Messiah, and King of Kings.
This impressive array of titles tells us they saw Him as more than a man. They saw Him as the promised Messiah. Imagine what sort of person Jesus was to affect men in this way.
They believed because of what they saw; the blind could see, the lame walked, and all types of diseases were healed. They saw Him walk through a storm on the water, and they even saw the dead restored to life.
Matthew, Mark, and John walked with Him.
They recorded what they saw with their own eyes, as well as the actions of those around them.
It is worth noting that part of the proof of their records is that they openly reveal their weaknesses. They recorded those times when they did or said foolish things and when their faith failed. Their lack of faith and understanding was laid out by the authors for all the world to see.
The history of Jesus by Luke was different.
Luke wrote the history of Jesus from his contact with those who knew Jesus before He ascended. He was a traveling companion of Mark and spent time with both Peter and Paul.
Most scholars believe that the Gospel of Luke was written from information gained from Peter before he died in Rome. Luke later wrote the Acts of the Apostles.
Acts is very important because it tells of the events following Jesus’ death and resurrection. Those events tell how Jesus’ followers were willing to face death to proclaim Jesus as the Messiah sent by God.
It is also worth noting that Luke tells of Peter’s denying Jesus. Peter was open about his failures, knowing that many people would read the account and wonder how Peter could have ever denied Jesus.
Jewish Historians are our next historical source.
Let’s look first at what the Jews have to say about Jesus in the Talmud.
When you look at this historical narrative you must keep in mind that they considered Jesus and His followers as false teachers. They had caused the crucifixion of Jesus. The scribes and Pharisees did all they could to jail or kill all those who believed in Jesus.
Before Paul saw Jesus, he was sent out to arrest the early Christians wherever he found them and bring them back in chains.
They recognize Jesus as the son of Mary in two places and in two other places as a son or disciple who turned out badly. Jesus is mentioned as a sorcerer with disciples and in other places as one who practiced magic and turned to idolatry. However, they do mention Him as a teacher of the Torah also.
The Talmud also records His execution.
I mention these historical records from those who rejected Him as the Son of God. This is so you can see that even His enemies saw the works He did and recorded things about Him.
The Talmud even lists healing in Jesus’ name in five different sections. Yet they still did not believe He was Who He said He was, nor, later, that God raised Him from the grave.
Next, we have Josephus’s description in the Jewish Antiquities and Tacitus.
So, who was Josephus and why should we pay any attention to what he says about Jesus?
Josephus was a Jewish priest who lived in first-century Palestine. He was a commander of Jewish forces in Galilee. After he surrendered to Rome he was hauled back to Rome where he gained the support of three successive emperors.
Josephus remained faithful to Judaism and his writings extol its positive virtues. However, in his history, he mentions events related to Jesus, “who is called Christ.” There is no indication that he was a follower, but that the life of Jesus was important enough to include Him in the record.
He also records the killing of James, “not the brother of Jesus.”
Tacitus also mentions Jesus.
He was another Roman historian who mentioned Jesus and some events related to the early church.
Although neither of these famous historians claim to be Christians, they both felt that the life of Jesus and the growth of His Church was significant enough to include in their histories.
These three historical records of Jesus give us a mountain of proof that Jesus is who He says He is.
However, one of the greatest proofs I see is how He transformed my life and the lives of many others. We came to Him as atheists, drunkards, drug addicts, prostitutes, and many other types of sinners. Our earthly and eternal destiny was Hell.
We could see that our lives were worthless and yet He sent someone with the message of Salvation to us. My prayer is that you will confess your sins and put your trust in Jesus.
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. John 11:25 NKJV
God gives us this great promise in John 3:16 KJV. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
After reading or listening to these great witnesses I hope that it builds up your faith so you can say YES to God.
Conclusion:
Jesus Christ In History is part of a six-part series on the Life and works of Jesus the Son of God. I would encourage you to read and study all of them. Pay special attention to the many Scriptures I have referenced.
Note: The following articles will tell you more about Jesus Christ. Just click on the title you are interested in, Christ In Creation, Christ In Prophecy, Christ In Ministry, Christ In Sacrifice, Christ In History, and Christ In Revelation.