We have documentation of Jesus' existence, death, and resurrection. And not just in the Bible, there are other accounts from other sources that support and offer more credibility to the life, death and divine nature of Jesus Christ.
Below are some of those accounts - I have highlighted some of my favorite key points.
source (and where you can read more): http://carm.org/non-biblical-accounts-new-testament-events-andor-people
- "Flavius Josephus (A.D. 37?-101?, a Jewish historian) mentions John the Baptist and Herod--Antiquities, Book 18, ch. 5, par. 2
- "Now some of the Jews thought that the destruction of Herod's army came from God, and that very justly, as a punishment of what he did against John, that was called the Baptist: for Herod slew him, who was a good man, and commanded the Jews to exercise virtue, both as to righteousness towards one another, and piety towards God, and so to come to baptism; for that the washing [with water] would be acceptable to him, if they made use of it, not in order to the putting away [or the remission] of some sins [only], but for the purification of the body; supposing still that the soul was thoroughly purified beforehand by righteousness."
- Flavius Josephus (A.D. 37?-101?) mentions Jesus--Antiquities, Book 18, ch. 3, par. 3.
- Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man,
if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful
works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew
over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was
[the] Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men
amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, (9) those that loved him at
the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the
third day; (10) as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten
thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of
Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.
- There is debate among scholars as to the authenticity of this quote since it is so favorable to Jesus. For more information on this, please see Regarding the quotes from the historian Josephus about Jesus
- Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man,
if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful
works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew
over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was
[the] Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men
amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, (9) those that loved him at
the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the
third day; (10) as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten
thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of
Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.
- Flavius Josephus (A.D. 37?-101?) mentions Ananias the High Priest who was mentioned in Acts 23:2
- Now as soon as Albinus was come to the city of Jerusalem, he used all his endeavors and care that the country might be kept in peace, and this by destroying many of the Sicarii. But as for the high priest, Ananias (25) he increased in glory every day, and this to a great degree, and had obtained the favor and esteem of the citizens in a signal manner; for he was a great hoarder up of money
- Acts 23:2, "And the high priest Ananias commanded those standing beside him to strike him [Paul] on the mouth."
- Pliny the Younger mentioned Christ. Pliny was governor of Bithynia in Asia Minor. Pliny wrote ten books. The tenth around AD 112.
- "They (the Christians)
were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was
light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ, as to a god,
and bound themselves by a solemn oath, not to any wicked deeds, but
never to commit any fraud, theft or adultery, never to falsify their
word, nor deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up;
after which it was their custom to separate, and then reassemble to
partake of food but food of an ordinary and innocent kind."
- Pliny, Letters, transl. by William Melmoth, rev. by W.M.L. Hutchinson (Cambridge: Harvard Univ. Press, 1935), vol. II, X:96 as cited in Habermas, Gary R., The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ, (Joplin, MO: College Press Publishing Company) 1996.
- "They (the Christians)
were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was
light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ, as to a god,
and bound themselves by a solemn oath, not to any wicked deeds, but
never to commit any fraud, theft or adultery, never to falsify their
word, nor deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up;
after which it was their custom to separate, and then reassemble to
partake of food but food of an ordinary and innocent kind."
- Lucian (circa 120-after 180) mentions Jesus. Greek writer and rhetorician.
- "The Christians, you know, worship a man to this day the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified
on that account. . . . You see, these misguided creatures start with
the general conviction that they are immortal for all time, which
explains the contempt of death and voluntary self-devotion which are so
common among them; and then it was impressed on them by their original
lawgiver that they are all brothers, from the moment that they are
converted, and deny the gods of Greece, and worship the crucified sage,
and live after his laws. All this they take quite on faith, with the
result that they despise all worldly goods alike, regarding them merely
as common property."
- Lucian, The Death of Peregrine, 1113, in The Works of Lucian of Samosata, transl. by H.W. Fowler and F.G. Fowler, 4 vols. (Oxford: Clarendon, 1949), vol. 4, as cited in Habermas, Gary R., The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ, (Joplin, MO: College Press Publishing Company) 1996.
- Though Lucian opposed Christianity, he acknowledges Jesus, that Jesus was crucified, that Christians worship him, and that this was done by faith"
- "The Christians, you know, worship a man to this day the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified
on that account. . . . You see, these misguided creatures start with
the general conviction that they are immortal for all time, which
explains the contempt of death and voluntary self-devotion which are so
common among them; and then it was impressed on them by their original
lawgiver that they are all brothers, from the moment that they are
converted, and deny the gods of Greece, and worship the crucified sage,
and live after his laws. All this they take quite on faith, with the
result that they despise all worldly goods alike, regarding them merely
as common property."
The Bible is a historical document packed with information that is helpful, applicable, and endlessly interesting. Once you take the first four words at face value "In the beginning God.." you can start to read the rest of it in the manner it was intended.
Christ's life, death, and resurrection are not mere bits of history for us to dismiss. They are vital pieces of truth that if we do not come to terms with we will wrestle with for the rest of our lives.
He died, so that we do not have to. His resurrection is the proof and justification of our faith. If we don't believe the words our brothers wrote so long ago - why do we push forward another day reading the words of other men and running them through our filters? Judging them with our faulty minds?
Friends, if we pay no heed to what they decided was so important that we all read - so important they all died for it - then what are you heeding? Who do you trust? People who will die telling you something you don't want to hear or people who will tell you anything to help themselves live?
And no matter what anyone says about Jesus, His actions speak as loud as His words. All the way to the cross. Yet His words were so hard hitting we still have them today.
God is not mocked.
"and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously" 1 Peter2:23
