The Life of Christ

Skeptics don’t want to hear Christians quote some Jewish or Christian writer stating that Jesus existed.

• Fortunately, there was a man named Cornelius Tacitus who was considered the premier Roman historian who lived through the reigns of 7 Roman Emperors.

• He has been called the greatest historian of ancient Rome and highly acknowledged among scholars for his professional integrity.

• His book, “The Annals and the Histories,” cover the period AD 14 to AD 68.

• In Anal 15, verse 44, he writes about how Nero blamed the Christians for the burning of Rome:

• “Hence to suppress the rumor, he (Nero) falsely charged with the guilt, and punished with the most exquisite tortures, the persons commonly called Christians, who were hated for their enormities.

• Christus, the founder of the name was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius.”

• So here we have a respected historical document, written by a non-Christian Roman writer, who makes historical note of a man named Christus, whose followers were tortured and accused for the burning of Rome. 3 The most important Jewish source for the historical Jesus is found in Josephus’ Jewish Antiquities , written sometime in the final decade of the first century. Josephus mentions Jesus twice in his writings: At the time there appeared Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he was a doer of amazing deeds, a teacher of persons who receive truth with pleasure. He won over many Jews and many Greeks. He was the Messiah. And when Pilate condemned him to the cross, the leading men among us having accused him, those who loved him from the first did not cease to do so. For he appeared to them the third day alive again, the divine prophets having spoken these things and a myriad of other marvels concerning him. And to the present the tribe of Christians, named after this person, has not disappeared ( Anti. 18:3.3, pp. 63-64). He (Ananus) convened the council of judges and brought before it the brother of Jesus — he one called “ Christ ”— whose name was James, and certain others. Accusing them of transgressing the law he delivered them up for stoning. But those of the city considered to be the most fair-minded and strict concerning the laws were offended at this and sent to the king secretly urging him to order Ananus to take such actions no longer ( Antiquities 20:9.1, pp. 200-201).

SECTION 2

Jn. 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

This is a key verse on the deity of Christ.

Verse 1 says the Word was God.

•

• John 1:14 says that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.

• By logical deduction, the Word is Jesus, and therefore Jesus is God.

In 320 AD a preacher named Arius challenged this interpretation and was later excommunicated.

3 Josh McDowell, The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict, 120-121.

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