In this lesson you’ll learn that historically, there really was a man named Jesus. The disciples, eyewitnesses of Jesus, also help us to understand that Jesus was more than just a man. Some of this material is from “The Historical Christ — Fact or Fiction? by Kyle Butt (http://www.apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=10&article=187)

1. Jesus is Real
1 John 1.1-3, CB NT p. 419

4. But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded
ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper
with God's word, but by the open statement of the
truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's
conscience in the sight of God.
(2 Corinthians 4:2; CB NT p. 315)

5. For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when
we made known to you the power and coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of
his majesty.
(2 Peter 1:16; CB NT p. 415)

6. Roman historians mentioned Jesus...

7. “Thallus, in the third book of his histories, explains
away this darkness as an eclipse of the sun --
unreasonably, as it seems to me (unreasonably, of
course, because a solar eclipse could not take place
at the time of the full moon, and it was at the
season of the Paschal full moon that Christ died).”
Julius Africanus (221 AD)
Referencing Thallus (52 AD), a historian

8. “Nero fabricated scapegoats—and punished with
every refinement the notoriously depraved
Christians (as they were popularly called). Their
originator, Christ, had been executed in
Tiberius’ reign by the governor of Judea,
Pontius Pilatus. But in spite of this
temporary setback the deadly
superstition had broken out afresh, not
only in Judea (where the mischief had
started) but even in Rome .”
Tacitus (115 AD), Roman Historian

9. “As the Jews were making
constant disturbances at the
instigation of Chrestus, he
expelled them from Rome.”
Suetonius
in Life of Claudius 25. , 120 AD
4
(Chrestus is another spelling of Christus.)

10. “...the man who was crucified in
Palestine because he introduced
this new cult into the world. ...
Furthermore, their first lawgiver
persuaded them that they were all
brothers one of another after they
have transgressed once for all by
denying the Greek gods and by
worshipping that crucified sophist
himself and living under his laws.”
Lucian of Samosata
in “The Passing Peregrinus” c. 180 AD
,

11. Jewish historians mentioned Jesus...

12. “What advantage did the Jews gain
from executing their wise King? ...
Nor did the wise King die for good;
He lived on in the teaching which he
had given.”
Mara Ben-Serapion, c. 80 AD
(quoted by F.F. Bruce in “The New Testament
Documents: Are They Reliable? p. 114)
,

13. “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.”
Josephus, AD 94
in Antiquities of the Jews, 18.33

14. “He drew over to him both
many of the Jews, and many of
the Gentiles.”
Josephus, AD 94
in Antiquities of the Jews, 18.33

15. “He was the Christ,and when
Pilate, at the suggestion of the
principal men among us, had
condemned him to the cross,
those that loved him at the
first did not forsake him; ... “
Josephus, AD 94
in Antiquities of the Jews, 18.33

16. “for he appeared to them alive
again the third day; as the
divine prophets had foretold
these and the thousand other
wonderful things concerning
him.
Josephus, AD 94
in Antiquities of the Jews, 18.33

17. “And the tribe of Christians so
named from him are not
extinct at this day.”
Josephus, AD 94
in Antiquities of the Jews, 18.33

18. What the Bible teaches about Jesus...

19. John 1.1-5
Word

20. John 1.1-5
CB NT p. 161
Word
“in the beginning” ETERNAL

21. John 1.1-5
CB NT p. 161
Word
“in the beginning” ETERNAL
}
“with God”
DEITY
“was God”

22. John 1.1-5
CB NT p. 161
Word
“in the beginning” ETERNAL
}
“with God”
DEITY
“was God”
“all things made through him” CREATOR

23. John 1.1-5
CB NT p. 161
Word
“in the beginning” ETERNAL
}
“with God”
DEITY
“was God”
“all things made through him” CREATOR
“in him was life” LIFE

24. John 1.1-5
CB NT p. 161
Word
“in the beginning” ETERNAL
}
“with God”
DEITY
“was God”
“all things made through him” CREATOR
“in him was life” LIFE
“the life was the light of men” LIGHT

25. John 1.1-5
CB NT p. 161
Deity Word
“in the beginning” ETERNAL
}
“with God”
DEITY
“was God”
“all things made through him” CREATOR
“in him was life” LIFE
“the life was the light of men” LIGHT

26. John 1.1-5 John 1.14
CB NT p. 161
Deity Word
“in the beginning” ETERNAL
}
“with God”
DEITY
“was God”
“all things made through him” CREATOR
“in him was life” LIFE
“the life was the light of men” LIGHT

27. John 1.1-5 John 1.14
CB NT p. 161
Deity Word
“in the beginning”
“with God”
“was God”
“all things made through him” W
o
“in him was life” r
d
“the life was the light of men”

28. John 1.1-5 John 1.14
CB NT p. 161
Deity
“in the beginning”
“with God”
“became flesh”
“was God”
“all things made through him” W
o
“in him was life” r
d
“the life was the light of men”

29. John 1.1-5 John 1.14
CB NT p. 161
Deity
“in the beginning”
“with God”
“became flesh”
“was God”
“all things made through him” W
o “dwelt among us”
“in him was life” r
d
“the life was the light of men”

30. John 1.1-5 John 1.14
CB NT p. 161
Deity
“in the beginning”
“with God”
“became flesh”
“was God”
“all things made through him” W
o “dwelt among us”
“in him was life” r
d “seen His glory”
“the life was the light of men”

31. John 1.1-5 John 1.14
CB NT p. 161
Deity and Humanity
“in the beginning”
“with God”
“became flesh”
“was God”
“all things made through him” W
o “dwelt among us”
“in him was life” r
d “seen His glory”
“the life was the light of men”

32. John 1.1-5 John 1.14
CB NT p. 161
Deity and Humanity
1 John 1.1-3
CB NT p. 419
“in the beginning”
“with God”
“became flesh”
“was God”
“all things made through him” W
o “dwelt among us”
“in him was life” r
d “seen His glory”
“the life was the light of men”

33. John 1.1-5 John 1.14
CB NT p. 161
Deity and Humanity
1 John 1.1-3 heard
CB NT p. 419
“in the beginning”
“with God”
“became flesh”
“was God”
“all things made through him” W
o “dwelt among us”
“in him was life” r
d “seen His glory”
“the life was the light of men”

34. John 1.1-5 John 1.14
CB NT p. 161
Deity and Humanity
1 John 1.1-3 heard
CB NT p. 419 seen
“in the beginning”
“with God”
“became flesh”
“was God”
“all things made through him” W
o “dwelt among us”
“in him was life” r
d “seen His glory”
“the life was the light of men”

35. John 1.1-5 John 1.14
CB NT p. 161
Deity and Humanity
1 John 1.1-3 heard
CB NT p. 419 seen
“in the beginning” looked upon
“with God”
“became flesh”
“was God”
“all things made through him” W
o “dwelt among us”
“in him was life” r
d “seen His glory”
“the life was the light of men”

36. John 1.1-5 John 1.14
CB NT p. 161
Deity and Humanity
1 John 1.1-3 heard
CB NT p. 419 seen
“in the beginning” looked upon
touched
“with God”
“became flesh”
“was God”
“all things made through him” W
o “dwelt among us”
“in him was life” r
d “seen His glory”
“the life was the light of men”

37. John 1.1-5 John 1.14
CB NT p. 161
Deity and Humanity
1 John 1.1-3 heard manifest
CB NT p. 419 seen
“in the beginning” looked upon
touched
“with God”
“became flesh”
“was God”
“all things made through him” W
o “dwelt among us”
“in him was life” r
d “seen His glory”
“the life was the light of men”

38. John 1.1-5 John 1.14
CB NT p. 161
Deity and Humanity
1 John 1.1-3 heard manifest
CB NT p. 419 seen seen
“in the beginning” looked upon
touched
“with God”
“became flesh”
“was God”
“all things made through him” W
o “dwelt among us”
“in him was life” r
d “seen His glory”
“the life was the light of men”

39. John 1.1-5 John 1.14
CB NT p. 161
Deity and Humanity
1 John 1.1-3 heard manifest
CB NT p. 419 seen seen
“in the beginning” looked upon seen
touched
“with God”
“became flesh”
“was God”
“all things made through him” W
o “dwelt among us”
“in him was life” r
d “seen His glory”
“the life was the light of men”

40. John 1.1-5 John 1.14
CB NT p. 161
Deity and Humanity
1 John 1.1-3 heard manifest
CB NT p. 419 seen seen
“in the beginning” looked upon seen
touched heard
“with God”
“became flesh”
“was God”
“all things made through him” W
o “dwelt among us”
“in him was life” r
d “seen His glory”
“the life was the light of men”

41. Jesus is Real!

42. Jesus is Real!
This Jesus is the stone that was
rejected by you, the builders, which has
become the cornerstone. And there is
salvation in no one else, for there is no
other name under heaven given among
men by which we must be saved.”
(Acts 4:11-12)

43. Will today be the day
you decide
to go to
heaven?

44. Photo Credits: (All photos from istockphoto.com are copyright protected. Please do not use without permission.)
Superman: http://images.cdn.fotopedia.com/flickr-376591423-original.jpg; by photo by Xurble on Flickr
Jesus Silhouette: http://www.morguefile.com/archive/display/73955
Bible: iStock_000002689223
Eclipse: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/Eclipse_2008_Sar.JPG
Tacitus: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Gaius_Cornelius_Tacitus_mirror.jpg
Suetonius: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nuremberg_chronicles_f_111r_1.png
Mara Bar Serapion: http://www.jesus.ch/sites/default/files/media/cache/images/article/22641[0-1-93-93]-Mara-Bar-Serapion.jpg
Josephus: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Josephus.jpg
Sunrise cross: iStock_000011771501

45. Topic Compiled and Presented by:
Dave Stewart
Date
#00
www.churchofchristmiranda.com
Title
Reference
Synopsis:
Some of this material is from “The Historical Christ — Fact or Fiction? by Kyle Butt (http://www.apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?
category=10&article=187)
“Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway
Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”
“Let all that you do be done with love.”