Can the Gospels be Trusted?

The New Testament begins with the books of Matthew, Luke, Mark and John.  Of these four writers, two were direct disciples of Jesus; Matthew and John.  Mark, also identified as John Mark, became the writer/recorder for Peter following Jesus’ Ascension forty days after His resurrection.  He is credited for writing the Gospel of Mark.  It is plausible that Peter may have been illiterate (unable to read and/or write) since he was a fisherman.  We have to realize in ancient times very few people were formerly educated to a point of literacy.  Therefore education, learning, worship, teaching and other such activities were done by word of mouth. For this reason, most Jews were well acquainted with the Old Testament scriptures and commentary about them (Talmud) as given in the synagogues they attended.

Luke , the beloved physician, wrote the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts, which details the forming of the Church and primarily records the missionary journeys and life of Paul the Apostle.  Documentary of the Gospels being written by their authors was attested to by a historian known as Papias in 125 A.D.  He specifically affirmed that Mark had carefully and accurately recorded Peter’s eyewitness observations during his time with Jesus.  Moreover, he also said Matthew had preserved the teachings of Jesus as well. (1) These facts were corroborated by Iranaeus in 180 A.D., one of the early church fathers who wrote the following….

“Matthew published his own Gospel among the Hebrews in their own tongue, when Peter and Paul were preaching the Gospel in Rome and founding the church there.  After their departure, Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, himself handed down to us in writing the substance of Peter’s preaching.  Luke , the follower of Paul, set down in a book the Gospel preached by his teacher (which is Paul).  Then John, the disciple of the Lord, who also leaned on his breast, himself produced his Gospel while he was living at Ephesus in Asia”. (2)

Can Archeological Sites be Proven Valid?

Since the rebirth of Israel, multitudes of archeologists and researchers have flocked to Israel and other Middle Eastern countries to determine the validity of the biblical sites.  The late archeologist Dr. John McRay and one time professor of New Testament and Archeology at Wheaton College, was asked if there were any archeological discoveries that contradicted a New Testament reference. Dr. McCray’s response was…

“Archaeology has not produced anything that is unequivocally a contradiction to the Bible.  On the contrary, as we’ve seen, there have been many opinions of skeptical scholars that have become codified into “fact” over the years but that archaeology has shown to be wrong. (3)

Are New Testament Writers Telling the Truth?

On surface level, for a person who wasn’t raised and taught as a Jew with the expectation of a coming Messiah, the message conveyed by Jesus seems like a magical concept, like believing in Santa Claus.  Maybe as a child we could believe a God-man comes to earth with promises of eternal life in an abode called heaven, also described as “Paradise” where life is bliss and a mansion awaits each of us.  However, the story becomes even more difficult to accept when we are told we are to believe this God-man is the one and only son of God who came to forgive us of our sins.  The story becomes most difficult when we are told that not believing in Jesus will place the wrath of God upon us and assign us to eternal banishment in that abode called Hell.

Because this concept seems so beyond believability and almost mythological, how then can we trust those who have written about Jesus to be truthful in their writings?  There are three significant proofs that attest to the validity of Jesus’ statements.  Number One: Old Testament scriptures that prophesy the coming of Jesus.  Hence, the Jews were given foreknowledge of Jesus’ first coming.  Number Two: Jesus claimed, as attested by Old Testament scriptures that He would be crucified unto death and on the third day He would be resurrected to life again.  Number Three: Besides the proof of the Old Testament scriptures, scriptures of the New Testament state that His disciples had not only been with Him before His death, but that they saw Him and even touched Him after His death.  And 1 Cor. 15: 6 states, “After that He (Jesus) was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep (which means have died)” following His resurrection.

Yet, how can we be assured all these eyewitnesses are telling the truth?  Certainly one answer is by the sheer number of them.  However, a very foundational basis is the truthful character.  One of the ten commandments given to Moses for the Jews (and actually all of humanity) is, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor”, which in its most elemental form means lying.  Therefore, is there any evidence of dishonesty or immorality that might taint the eyewitnesses account?  Dr. Craig Bloomberg, professor of New Testament at Denver Seminary and considered one of the country’s foremost authorities on the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John states,  “We simple do not have any reasonable evidence to suggest they were anything but people of great integrity.  We see them reporting words and action of a man who called them to as exacting a level of integrity as any religion has ever known.  They were willing to live out their beliefs even to the point of ten of the eleven remaining disciples being put to grisly deaths, which shows great character.  In terms of honesty, in terms of truthfulness, in terms of virtue and morality, these people had a track record that should be envied. (4)

Aren’t Discrepancies in the Gospels Proof of Fraud?

Critical scholars of the Gospels have highlighted significant discrepancies between the four Gospels which they believe are significant enough to invalidate them.  One notable example is the linage as given in Matthew’s account compared to the one given in Luke. As one compares these accounts directly, it would appear so.  However, closer examination reveals that the linage given in Matthew’s Gospel originates from Joseph’s (husband of Mary, mother of Jesus) side while Luke’s account comes from Mary’s side.  

Another example where critics of the Gospels point an obvious contradiction is with the healing of the centurion’s servant as given in Matthew 8: 5-10.  Specifically, Matt. 8: 5 states that the centurion came to Jesus pleading with Jesus to heal his ailing servant.  Yet in Luke 7:2-10 it states the centurion sent Jewish elders to make of his request to Jesus, not the centurion himself as stated in Matthew.  Dr. Craig Blomberg whom we have quoted previously concludes, “Think about it this way: in our world today, we may hear a news report that says, ‘the President today announced that….’ When in fact the speech was written by a speechwriter and delivered by the press secretary – and with a little luck, the President may have glanced at it somewhere in between.  Yet nobody accuses that the broadcast of being in error.  In a similar way, in the ancient world it was perfectly understood and accepted that actions were often attributed to people when in fact they occurred through their subordinates or emissaries – in this case through the elders of the Jewish people.” (5).

Through time, research and deeper investigation have resolved numerous discrepancies which were particularly emphasized by those of critical bent to disprove the Bible.  On the other hand, the differences and those that may appear as “discrepancies” is what actually gives validity to the Gospels and the whole of the Bible.   We find that the diversity and unique manner of multiple witnesses help to prove the scriptures, not refute them.  For if the written accounts of the Bible were too identical, the accusation of copying, contextual plagiarism and even outright collusion could be made, insinuating that only one author fabricated/concocted such a fable.

In conclusion, Simon Greenleaf of Harvard Law School, one of histories greatest legal and evidential experts concluded, “There is enough of a discrepancy to show that there could have been no previous concert among them (writers of the Gospels); and at the same time such substantial agreementas to show that they all were independent narrators of the same great transaction.” (6)

Are the New Testament Manuscripts Accurate and Reliable?

All the original manuscripts of the New Testament are gone.  What we do have are thousands  upon thousands of copies.  But do we know the copies are accurate and reliable? To date, there are about 24,000 manuscripts which were written prior 1,000 A.D. The earliest known is the Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus which date around 350 A.D.  Their total number are around three hundred. Then you have an additional 2,856 “Greek miniscule (cursive)” manuscripts and 2,403 Greek Lectionaries, all written before 1,000 A.D.  Then, if we add the 8,000 to 10,000 Latin Vulgate and 8,000 Ethiopic, Slavic and Armenian manuscripts, we total around 24,000 manuscripts in existence.6-pg.81. When these manuscripts, all coming from very diverse locations (Egypt, Ethopia, Greece, Italy, Armenia, etc.) are compared, we find they are 99.5% pure as concluded by scholars Norman Geisler and William Nix. This indicates the New Testament is more accurate and there pure than any other book from antiquity. (7).

As put forth by Dr. Benjamin Warfield, who holds four doctorates and taught systematic theology until his death:

“If we compare the present state of the New Testament text with that of any other ancient writing, we must…declare it to be marvelously correct.  Such has been the care with which the New Testament has been copied – a care which has doubtless grown out of true reverence for  its holy words….The New Testament [is] unrivaled among ancient writings in the purity of its text as transmitted and kept in use.” (8)

Is There Historical-Corroborating Proof for Jesus?

Besides the eyewitness accounts of the Disciples and other writers of the New Testament (Paul, Jude, James), do we have additional and supporting evidence to further solidfy verify Jesus existed?  Yes we do.  Dr. Yamnuchi of Miami University in Ohio states that world class historian Tacitus wrote in 115 A.D. the reasons why emperor Nero persecuted Christians. He blamed them for have started the devastating fire that consumed Rome in 64 A.D.  Here are Tacitus’s own words describing this event…

“Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations [believing in Jesus and the Christian creed], called Christians by the populace.  Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hand of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilate, and a most mischievous superstition [no doubt Jesus stating He was the Messiah and His resurrection from the dead], thus checked for the moment, again broke no only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome….Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind [most likely referring to the lifestyle of sin].” (9)

Another noted historian who wrote about Jesus was Josephus, a Jewish priest of the order of the Pharisees.  His most noted work was The Antiquities, a history of the Jewish people from Creation until his time, written around 93 A.D.  In his book, The Antiquities, Josephus provides the first example of corroboration for Jesus outside the Gospels.  He wrote how Ananias, high priest who is mentioned in the Gospels as being one of the council members of the Sanhedrin, was responsible for charging Jesus with blasphemy. Additionally, in his writing, Josephus states Ananias was also responsible for having James, the brother of Jesus, executed.  Josephus writes…

“He [Ananias] convened a meeting of the Sanhedrin and brought before them a man named James, the brother of Jesus, who was called the Christ, and certain others.  He accused them of having transgressed the law and delivered them p to be stoned.” (10)

We also have mention of darkness that fell upon the earth during the last three hours of Jesus crucifixion from 12 to 3 p.m.  In 52 A.D., a mere seventeen years following the death of Jesus, a historian named Thallus wrote of this event, explaining it to be due to an eclipse.  However, Julius Africanus around 221 A.D. would later explain that the darkness was not due to an eclipse as determined by astronomical analysis.  In other words, astronomers at that time and as well as today can determine and forecast the day and hour of solar eclipses.  Therefore, the only conclusion based on this scientific analysis is that the darkness that came upon the earth during Jesus’ crucifixion was a supernatural event that only God could perform!

In summary, the corroborating evidence to assist in proving Jesus is replete and thorough.  Dr. Yamuchi’s personal conclusion is that we have better historical documentation for Jesus than any other founder of any other ancient religion to date. (11)

Does Archeology Support Proof For Jesus?

Before addressing this issue, we need to understand that many non-believing scholars could well have a bias to find proof which would disprove the truth of scripture and by default, Jesus. On the other hand, believers in Jesus and the Bible would be on the other side of the coin, so to speak, such as myself by the writings of this book.

A perfect example of this point is illustrated by the following example.  For years, scholars claimed that Luke, author of the Gospel by his name and the book of Acts (which constitutes nearly one quarter of the New Testament) was wrong on a number of points.  For example, Luke 3:1 refers to Lysanias being the tetrarch (Roman ruler of a given area) of Abilene in 27 A.D.  Previous scholarship claimed Luke didn’t know what he was talking about since Lysanias wasn’t a tetrarch but rather a ruler of Chalcis half a century earlier.  If Luke was wrong on this point, he could be wrong on others, including Jesus.  Yet this allegation was later cleared up when archeologists found an inscription that specified Lysanias as tetrarch of Abila near Damascus during the reign of Tiberius from 14 A.D. to 37 A.D.  Turns out there were two government officials named Lysanias! (12)

In depth research and recent discoveries have established Luke as an accurate historian.  One prominent archeologist has carefully examined Luke’s references to 32 countries, 54 cities and 9 islands, finding not a single mistake.  If such is the case, why would he not be accurate about matters relating to Jesus? (13).  As a primary expositor for the truth of Jesus, birthing of the church by the giving of the Holy Spirit and missionary journeys of Paul, would he not be under duress of telling the truth by Old Testament law and its fulfillment through Jesus that forbids lying?

However, Luke’s account certainly isn’t the only one which has been refuted by scholars.  John, one of the closest disciples to Jesus (John 13:23), has also been refuted.  Critical scholars of the Bible have claimed that due to the late authorship of John (said to be written between 90 -98 A.D.) his contribution couldn’t possibly be accurate.  Additionally, because certain places John wrote about were not known to exist, they claimed this was all a fabrication.  Yet, recent archeological digs have confirmed these locations; the pools of Bethesda (John 5: 1-15), Jacob’s Well (John 4:12) and the “Pavement” where Jesus was condemned by Pilate (John 19:13). (14)

In another example, atheist Frank Zindler wrote an article titled, “Where Jesus Never Walked”.  He claimed that Nazareth, the town Jesus grew up in, never existed.  His proof was based on historical records such as the Old Testament, the epistles of Paul the Apostle, books written by Josephus the Jewish historian and even the Jewish Talmud.  His claim was that no reference was given about Nazareth whatsoever.  Moreover, no ancient historians or geographers mention Nazareth until the fourth century.  Reading an article as this, as well as others like it, breeds great doubt regarding the truth of the scriptures and of course, Jesus.  One can only speculate the power of such articles, especially promoted in scholarly journals and news sources to the public.  However, Dr. Strange discovered records indicating that Nazareth existed when a priest from the Temple in Jerusalem was relocated there after the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem in 70 A.D.  Moreover, recent archeological digs has also confirmed the location of Nazareth.  Renowned archeologist Jack Finegan noted, “From the tombs [no doubt referring to the archeological work in Nazareth]….it can be concluded that Nazareth was a strongly Jewish settlement in the Roman period”. (15)

Finally, as an additional layer of confirmation that Nazareth actually exists, if you look at a map of modern Israel today, you’ll see a town listed west of Lake Galilee exactly by that name.

Fragment 4Q521 and Jesus

As I have already written in the examination and study of the thousands of Dead Sea Scroll (DSS) documents and the multitude of fragments associated with them, the greatest alluding of the coming of Messiah is noted by the Essenes in Qumran where they prophesied the coming of two Messiahs.  This is magnified by the declaration that there will also come a teacher of righteousness which in part was fulfilled by Jesus in His first coming.  Moreover, examination of over 300 Old Testament prophesies about the coming of the son of God confirms these Messianic writings from the Dead Sea Scrolls.  Enter Fragment 4Q521.  Dating this fragment establishes it thirty years before Jesus was born.  The connection is this.  

After fulfilling His ministry, John the Baptist was locked in prison by Herod in speaking against his adultery with his brother’s wife, Herodius.  One can only imagine John’s astonishment being in prison and wondering why Jesus, Who he had prophesied the coming of, had not yet come to bail him out of prison.  Probably due to his dismay, John need to know whether Jesus was the actual Messiah by sending his disciples out to ask if He was the coming One.  Jesus told John’s disciples to tell him, “The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cursed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the good news is preached to the poor”.  (Matt. 11:4-5)

Jesus’ response is an allusion to Isaiah 61.  However, for some reason Jesus included the phrase, “the dead are raised up” in Matt. 11:5 which is mysteriously absent from the Old Testament text.  What is so unique about Fragment 4Q521 is it contains the version of Isaiah 61 and adds the phrase “the dead are raised”!  This connection is unambiguous and profound.  This is noted best by scholar John McRay who stated…”It [Fragment 4Q521] refers to the wonders that the Messiah will do when he comes and when heaven and earth obey him.  So when Jesus gave his response to John the Baptist, he was not being ambiguous at all.  John would have instantly recognized his [Jesus’] words as a distinct claim [made by Isaiah] that Jesus was the Messiah. (16)

The “Jesus Seminar”

In the mid nineties, a group of liberal theologians converged to study the truth of Jesus as given in the New Testament and render a conclusion based on their study.  This group, who called themselves the “Jesus Seminar” concluded that Jesus did not say 82% of what the Gospels attribute to Him.  Most of the remaining 18% was considered somewhat doubtful, with only 2% of Jesus’ sayings determined to authentic. (17)

What is so significant about the Jesus Seminar was the extensive publicity given to their conclusions by the media.  With little or no scholarly rebuttal offered by the media, the public was led to believe their liberal interpretation.  What is so grevious about this pronounced “one-sided”  opinion is that an overwhelming number of Biblical experts, teachers, scholars and mainstream opinion were given no voice to refute these bogus claims.  Dr. Gregory Boyd, once professor of theology at Bethel College had this to say about the Jesus Seminar….”they represent an extremely small number of radical-fringe scholars who are on the far, far left wing of New Testament thinking.  It does not represent mainstream scholarship. (18)

So, what were the conclusions of the Jesus Seminar?  That Jesus was not a supernatural being. Yes, they agree He was an extraordinary man that greatly influenced the world, but far from the God-man that the Bible speaks of Him.  Yes, they agree Jesus was crucified, being unfortunate and untimely, but His purported resurrection was a concocted story to deal with the sad reality of death.  Because they concluded that only 2% of the Gospels are accurate, the other 98% has to be unreliable.  Hence, all the attestations of Jesus performing miracles such as healing the sick, walking on water, etc. just did not happen. (19)

The “Jesus Seminar” also employed their own concocted criteria to establish “scholarly” analysis.  One was called double dissimilarity.  It means that one can believe Jesus said something if it doesn’t resemble something the later church or Jewish teaching would advocate.  In other words, the “Jesus Seminar” concluded the Gospels were actually derivations from Christian and/or Jewish sources.  Mainstream biblical scholars respond that this is absurd as Jesus was Jewish, a rabbi (teacher) and founded the Christian church!

The other criterion the “Jesus Seminar” used was multiple attestation.  It means whatever Jesus said had to be found in another source.  Even the multiple Gospels, which would fulfill this requirement, are not allowed.  Yet, in a most hypocritical fashion they tout extra-biblical sources such as the Gospel of Thomas, Secret Mark and the Cross Gospel to create an alternative Jesus that borders on heresy.  For example, of these extra-biblical sources the Gospel of Thomas was given the most prominent position.  Yet, it is a false portrayal of Jesus as proven by the statement which quotes Jesus as saying, “Every woman who will make herself male will enter the kingdom of heaven”. (20)  This is not only absurd but completely heretical of the Jesus written about in the four Gospels.  Moreover, Paul the Apostle who wrote over half the New Testament gave stark warnings against sexual perversions of such kind as the Christian body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor. 6: 9-20)

The bottom line of the true identity of the “Jesus Seminar” is well stated by Dr. Gregory Boyd, “The ‘Jesus Seminar’ represents an extremely small number of radical fringe scholars who are on the far, far left wing of New Testament thinking.  It does not represent mainstream scholarship.” (21).  By making Jesus out only as a man devoid of any supernatural affiliation to and of God, you take away miracles and the Resurrection.  Most important, you take away the reason why Jesus came to earth – to offer His life so all mankind can be rescued from the wages of sin.  

How Could Jesus Be God and a Man at the Same Time?

Critical scholars have often taken quotes from Jesus that deny His deity.  One in particular is found in the Gospel of Mark: 10 where a young rich man addresses Jesus and asks, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”  Jesus responds and says, “Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.”  These scholars conclude that Jesus is denying His deity because of this statement.  However, some biblical scholars believe Jesus answered that question in the context of the young rich man addressing Jesus as a “good” nice man and not as God, hence diety.  Other scholars say the young rich man was trying to cozy up to Jesus so he could get a positive response.  What I believe Jesus was inferring is that although He is deity, in His human “man” state He was limited in this position until He victored in His mission on earth.  After paying the penalty for all mankind’s sin, His Father returned to Jesus His full divinity.  This is specifically noted when Jesus appears to His disciples in His resurrected state stating, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and earth.” (Matt 28: 18).  We have to also understand while on earth, Jesus only did what His Father allowed Him to do, whatever act that may have been (healing, forgiving, casting out demons, and other supernatural acts).  

Another aspect that helps support Jesus as being completely human is prior His ordination of being a minister by John the Baptist.  This fulfilled the Jewish law that a male could only begin ministry when he reached the age of 30.  Prior to this, Jesus was completely in pre-incarnate prior the anointing of the Father by the Holy Spirit (Matt 3: 14-17).  This is noted in the Gospels because there is no evidence that Jesus performed miracles or any other priestly duty.

Another aspect Jesus walked in and through was the emptying out of His life, ultimately unto death on the cross.  Here we see the extreme totality of both Jesus’ humanity as well as divinity expressed almost simultaneously.  His humanity was expressed in the sheer pain and agony He had to endure by one of the most heinous forms of execution known in its day, crucifixion.  Although He appealed to His Father that ‘this cup pass from Him’ (Matt 26:42), He still obeyed the will of the Father unto death.  Yet, on the other hand His divinity was exemplified in that He took upon Himself the sins of all humanity so each of us could be saved.  Can you see and understand the immensity of His love and care for each of us?  

Finally, because of Jesus’ obedience to His Father, the Father rewarded His one and only beloved Son back to His full divinity in the triune constitution of the Godhead; God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.  Proof of this is shown by the resurrection of Jesus, a supernatural act of the Father which is in store for each of us who will recognize Jesus as our beloved Savior. Indeed, what glory awaits us. 

Isn’t Hell a Contradiction to the Love of Jesus?

We have written much about the central theme of the Bible that God and His Son are all about love. This is echoed in one of the most displayed scriptures in the New Testament, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, the whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  This is further expounded by Paul the Apostle who says that believers in Jesus should exercise the greatest spiritual gift, which is love as Jesus loved (read 1 Cor. 13:1-8).  If this is true, isn’t hell a total contradiction to a loving God?  This question was pointedly asked by agnostic Charles Templeton: “How could a lovingly Heavenly Father create an ….endless hell and, over the centuries, consign millions of people to it because they do not or cannot or will not accept certain religious beliefs”? (22)

I must admit, even as a solid and firm believer of Jesus Christ, I have struggled with this question. I’ve also had a hard time wrapping my mind around such a severe penalty for the ultimate consequence of all who simply do not believe Jesus as the only way to God and the abode called heaven/paradise.  I do seriously consider the millions if not billions of people who may not have had a ready witness for Jesus or may overall be “good” people, at least in my estimation.

The Lord reminded me one day I was pondering this very question.  He brought to my attention two types of people.  The first group were those who simply do not believe in Him because in their mind they were not given a “ready witness” such atheists, agnostics, nones, etc.).  He referred me to Romans 1:20.  

For the other group (all who have been given a “ready witness”) He reminded me of the time of the Great Flood where only Noah and his family of eight survived.  As difficult as it may be to comprehend, but the inhabitants of the earth outside of Noah and his family had become so vile, evil and perverse that God executed His supreme justice of destroying all mankind besides Noah and his family, considered a righteous man.  Herein lies the key to understanding for the existence of hell.  It is the consequence of sin committed by all, a place of execution of justice for crimes against both God and humanity.  An example illustrates this point candidly.  If a murderer is found guilty of killing someone, in most states that individual will be sentenced to capital punishment (death) or life imprisonment.  Since a majority of our laws are based on a Christian-Judean foundation, most would consider this a fair penalty.  To emphasize this point let’s use an example. Most family members whose mother or father were murdered in cold blood would heartily agree to a death sentence pronounced upon the murderer.  I’m quite sure that if God asked these family members if the murderer was deserving of going to heaven, they would vehemently disagree.  Wouldn’t you?  

Another aspect the Lord spoke to my heart about was the His desire for fellowship with His creation.  Because God created the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, they were created as glorified beings in ‘His image’ to be in communion with the living God.  However, when they fell into sin they brought death and a curse upon them.  There was a price to be paid for their disobedience in the sin of eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  We need to keep in mind that God gave Adam and Eve a habitat that was nearly identical to heaven in its goodness, had eternal life and were able to enjoy the total fruit of this habitat except for only one thing; not partaking in eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge and evil. How sad!  

Over time, man multiplied on the earth until a fullness of evil existed during the time of Noah.  God saw that Noah was a just man, perfect in all his generations and he walked with God (Exodus 6:9).  Hence, Noah and his family (wife, three sons and their wives) were spared in the flood.  After the great Flood, God established a covenant with him and his descendants (Exodus 9:9).  From this, humanity experienced a second rebirth in the spirit of God’s goodness much like He began with Adam and Eve.  The Lord wanted to bless and prosper Noah, his family and his descendants after him. 

What the Lord pointed out that again the descendants of Noah turned their hearts away from Him which in time brought forth disbelief. Sadly, again, His chosen people rebelled against Him to such a degree that they became more reprobate and evil than the surrounding nations! (Jeremiah 16:10-13).  The point of this whole matter is how quickly and easily humanity can fall into the realm of apostasy, disbelief and lawlessness.  As Dr. Donald Carson so well point out…..

“All the things we call ‘social pathologies’ – war, rape, bitterness, nurtured envies, secret jealousies, pride, inferiority complexes – are bound up in the first instance with the fact that we’re not related to God.  The consequence is that people got hurt.  From God’s perspective, that is shockingly disgusting.  So what should God do about it?  If He says, ‘I don’t give a rip,’  He’s saying that evil doesn’t matter to him.  It’s a bit like saying, “Oh yeah, the Holocaust – I don’t care.”  Wouldn’t we be shocked if we thought God didn’t have moral judgments on such matters? (23)

Lastly, because God created us so we could be in intimate fellowship with Him, He provided the most expedient ways for this to occur until sin came to separate us from Him.  Over the course of time, He provided the greatest bridge of eternal separation from Him by giving us His only begotten Son, Jesus.  By receiving the atonement of our sins by accepting the remission of them by the washing of blood of Jesus, we can be rightly brought back into full fellowship with the Almighty God.  And the transformation of our beings from a sin laden way of life can be dramatic.  Lee Strobel experienced this first hand with this testimony…

“A year ago I knew a businessman who was a rabid racist with a superior and condenscending attitude toward anyone of another color.  He hardly made any effort to conceal his contempt for African-Americans, letting his bigoted bile frequently spill out in crude jokes and caustic remarks.  No amount of arguments could dissuade him from his disgusting opinions.

Then he became a follower of Jesus.  As I watched in amazement, his attitudes, his perspective, and his values changed over time as his heart was renewed by God…….He’ll tell you that God changed him from the inside out – decisively, completely, permanently.  That’s one of the many examples I’ve seenof the power of the Gospel that (Dr.) Carson was talking about – the power to change vengeful haters into humanitarians, hardhearted hoarders into softhearted givers, power-mongers into selfless servants, and people who exploit others – through slavery or some other form of oppression – into people who embrace all.” (24)

Was Jesus’ Resurrection Faked?

Many theories have been advanced in the last 2,000 years contending that Jesus never died on the cross by crucifixion and therefore was never resurrected.  If true, this would topple the entire structure and doctrine of Christianity and most important, destroy the hope of eternal life in Jesus Christ. For example, Ahmadiya Muslims contend that Jesus actually fled to India and died in Srinagar, Kashmir.  In the early nineteeth century, Karl Bahrdt, Karl Venturini and others explained that Jesus only fainted from exhaustion on the cross or had been given a drug that made Him appear to die, only later to recover by the cool damp air of the tomb.

Other naysayers to the truth of the resurrection have advanced the “swoon theory” which in basic form states Jesus was given some kind of knock-out agent on the sponge while on the cross (Mark 15:36) giving reason why Pilate seemed so surprised how quickly Jesus “died” (Mark 15:44). Consequently these swoon theorists state Jesus was resuscitated, not resurrected hence being able to claim it as a fraud. (25).

Rebuttal to theories such as the “swoon theory” or variations to it can be scientifically challenged by analysis of medical evidence as to the cause of Jesus’ death, if such had actually occurred.  This is the reason autopsies are done, to determine if death occurred by a medical condition or other pertinent cause, such as murder.

Dr. Alexander Metherell, M.D. and Ph.D in engineering from the University of Bristol, England is considered one of the top experts in the forensic details of death by crucifixion.  I had the opportunity to hear Dr. Metherell speak in a presentation he gave on TBN.  In this presentation, he detailed the specifics of how Jesus died on the cross.

Although the chapter titled “Shroud of Turin” provides us with a historic artifact that offers great proof for the crucifixion of Jesus, it does not establish medical forensic evidence that Jesus actually died from His wounds.  Let’s review Dr Metherell’s conclusions.

The death process begins early when Jesus went with His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray.  Since He knew the amount of suffering He would experience, great psychological stress came upon Him in the early hours which translates to extreme anxiety.  So great was the duties that Luke 22:44 states, “And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  The His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”  Previously, critics would have a heyday with the perceived absurdity of this statement.  However, such a condition exists and is titled hematidrosis.   Dr. Metherell claims that this conditions occurs when extreme anxiety causes the release of chemicals that break down the capillaries in the sweat glands.  As a result, there’s leakage of blood into the sweat glands causing this condition.  This sets up the skin to be very fragile and easily damaged by the flogging/scourging Jesus would have to endure later in the morning.

Another element that weakened Jesus physically and psychologically was the combined lack of sleep in combination with the abuse He endured by His accusers.  From the late evening hours and through the entire night, Jesus endured the psychological torment of His accusers.  Matt 26: 65-67 notes how the religious leaders accused Him of blasphemy (claiming He was God) while also physically hitting Him.  All this contributed to His demise.

Following Jesus’ early morning continued questioning, accusation and cross examination by the religious leaders before Pilate and King Herod, the sentence of death was issued by Pilate. Jesus was first led to be scourged and flogged by the Roman soldiers.  We recall in the Shroud of Turin chapter the specificity how this act was performed by the type of flogging/scourging committed by the two Roman soldiers. Dr. Metherell details the severity of this type of torture and it’s severity is beyond a whipping that we normally expect…..

“Roman floggings were known to be terribly brutal.  They usually consisted of 39 lashes but frequently were a lot more than that, depending on the mood of the soldier applying the blows.  The soldier would use a whip of braided leather thongs with metal balls woven into them.  When the whip would strike the flesh, these balls would cause deep bruises or contusions, which would break open with further blows.  And the whip had pieces of sharp bone as well, which would cut the flesh severely.

The back would be so shredded that part of the spine was sometimes exposed by the deep, deep cuts.  The whipping would have gone all the way from the shoulders down to the back, the buttocks and the back of the legs.  It was just terrible.

….We know that many people would die from this kind of beating even before they could be crucified.  At the least, the victim would experience tremendous pain and go into hypovolemic shock (extremely low blood pressure).” (26).  This in turn causes fainting, one of the reasons why Jesus must have fallen numerous times with the cross strapped around His shoulders (recall the Shroud detailed severe abrasions of the nose which occurred because the man of the Shroud could not break his fall.  It was for this reason Simon of Cyrene was chosen to carry the typical 100 lb. cross of Jesus. (Matt 27:32).

Another consequence of extremely low blood pressure is that the individual begins to experience kidney failure, only contributing to the death process.  Dr. Metherell’s conclusion to this component of Jesus’ suffering, “Because of the terrible effects of this beating, there’s no question that Jesus was already in serious to critical condition even before the nails were driven through His hands and feet.” (27)

Incredibly, Dr. Metherell was able to authenticate the accuracy of the Shroud by the placement of the spikes used to hang Jesus (and other crucifixion victims) on the cross.  The placement of these spikes were exactly at the ‘Space of Destot’ in the area of the wrist and the ‘Joint of Lisfranc’ between the first and third metatarsal bones of the feet.  Recall, spikes placed in the center of the palms of the hand would not support the weight of a man because his flesh would give way.

Another element of the crucifixion is the horrific pain the victim suffers due to the crushing of the nerves in the wrists and feet where the spike passes thru.  This is so horrible and intense that a new name was derived from it: excruciating.  “Ex” in latin means out of while “cruciate” means cross.  Hence, excruciate means “out of the cross”.

After the spikes were nailed in place, Jesus was lifted on the vertical shaft of the cross by the horizontal cross-beam, this arms would be immediately stretched and pulled to such a degree that His shoulders would be dislocated, only adding to the horrific pain.  The ultimate cause of death occurs by asphyxiation/suffocation.  This occurs when every ensuing breath, both inhalation and exhalation.  In the resting place of the body on the cross, the individual is in an inhaled state.  To exhale, the individual must push up on his feet, expiring unbearable pain as the spike tears thru more tissue and nerves.  Eventually, the tarsal bones of the feet lock up and now the individual attempts to continue breathing using his arms which are dislocated and the nerves and tissue of surrounding the wrists are subjected to tearing and extreme pressure. At this stage in the crucifixion, the individual succumbs to total exhaustion.  For hearty individuals who went past the typical time of death, their legs would be broken to cause immediate suffocation.  This was especially true for the two thieves next to Jesus whose legs were broken.  Because the next day, which by Jewish reckoning begins at sundown, was the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Jewish law prevented the exposition of dead bodies.

John the Disciple reports in John 19:31-36 that although the legs of the two thieves were broken, Jesus’ legs were  not because He was already dead.  Interestingly, Exodus 12:46 states that the Passover lamb is not to have its legs broken.  Therefore, Jesus is symbolized as being a representation of the Passover lamb, fulfilled His mission as He uttered His last words, “It is finished” (John 19:30).

To confirm Jesus was indeed dead, one of the soldiers took his spear, called a lancea, and drove it into His chest.  Incredibly, the man on the Shroud, as written about previously, shows an exact wound of this nature on the right side of the body.  This wound is exemplified by the effusion of water (plasma) and blood on the Shroud.  Dr. Metherell states that one of the consequences of hypovolemic shock is a sustained rapid heart rate causing both pericardial (means around the heart) and pleural (cavity occupied by the heart and lungs) effusion.  This explains the initial emergence of the cellular components of blood, followed by the watery component known as plasma.

If we consider all the medical evidence at play, there is no possible way Jesus could have fake His death as the “swoon theory” suggests.  Besides Dr. Metherell, other medical experts have concluded the same.  Among them is Dr. William Edwards who wrote in the American Medical Journal…..

“Clearly, the weight of the historical and medical evidence indicates that Jesus was dead before the wound to his side was inflicted…..Accordingly, interpretations based on the assumption that Jesus did not die on the cross appear to be at odds with modern medical knowledge.” (28).

Another great mind that came to the same conclusion as many others have, but on a legal assessment, is Sir Lionel Luckhoo.  A brilliant and savvy attorney, Sir Luckhoo won 245 consecutive murder acquittals which earned him a place in the The Guiness Book of World Records as the world’s most successful lawyer.  Knighted twice by Queen Elizabeth, this former justice and diplomat subjected the historical facts about the Resurrection to his own rigorous analysis for several years before declaring, “I say unequivocally that the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ is so overwhelming that it compels acceptance by proof which leaves absolutely no room for doubt.” (29)

Therefore, we find that the Resurrection is the ultimate proof for the deity of Jesus.  In the scriptures, Jesus stated to not only His Disciples, but all who read the Bible, that He would be taken up to go back to the Father and be seated at His right hand.  Jesus also claimed that after victoriously finishing His mission on earth, “All authority would be given to Him over heaven and earth” as stated in Matt 28: 18.  As it is written, Jesus has full deity over heaven and earth.  He is Lord.

Taking the Final Step

In his book, The Case For Christ, author Lee Strobel interviews Dr. J. P. Moreland in detailing the proof for the resurrection.  As he concludes his interview, Dr. Moreland asked Lee a question.  Let’s tune in what transpired….

“There’s one other category of evidence you haven’t asked about.”, Dr. Moreland posed Lee as the interview ended.  As Lee pondered this point, he answered, “I give up, what is it?”

“In 1968 I was a cynical chemistry major at the University of Missouri, when I was confronted with the fact that if I examined the claims of Jesus Christ critically but with an open mind, there was more than enough evidence for me to believe it.

“So I took a step of faith in the same direction the evidence was pointing, by receiving Jesus as my forgiver and leader, and I began to relate to him – to the resurrected Christ – in a very real and ongoing way.  In three decades, I’ve had hundreds of specific answers to prayers, I’ve had things happen that simply cannot be explained by natural explanations, and I have experienced a changed life beyond anything I could have imagined.”

But I (Lee) protested, people experience life change in other religions whose tenets contradict Christianity.  “Isn’t it dangerous to base a decision on subjective experiences?” I asked.

“Let me make two things clear,” he said.  “First, I’m not saying, ‘Just trust your experience.’ I’m saying, ‘Use your mind calmly and weigh the evidence, and then let experience be a confirming piece of evidence,’ Second, if what this evidence points to is true – that is, if all these lines of evidence really do point to the resurrection of Jesus – the evidence itself begs for an experiential test.”

“Define that,” I (Lee) said.

“The experiential test is, ‘He’s still alive, and I can find out by relating to him.’ If you were on a jury and heard enough evidence to convince you of someone’s guilt, it wouldn’t make sense to stop short of the final step of convicting him.  And for people to accept the evidence of the resurrection of Jesus and not take the final step of testing it experientially would be to miss where the evidence is ultimately pointing.”

“So,” I (Lee) said, “if the evidence points strongly in this direction, it’s only rational and logical to follow it into the experiential realm.”  

He nodded in approval. “That’s precisely right,” he said.  “It’s the final confirmation of the evidence.  In fact, I’ll say this: the evidence screams out for the experiential test.” (30) (NEXT CHAPTER)