(5 minute read)
John 14:6 (NKJV)
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”
Jesus Christ did not merely claim to teach the truth. He claimed to be the truth. His birth, life, crucifixion, and the proclamation of His resurrection are rooted in real historical events, not simply abstract religious ideas.
1. His Birth — God Became Man
- Jesus of Nazareth was born during the reign of Herod the Great, who died around 4 BC. His birth is commonly dated between 6 and 4 BC, although the exact year is uncertain.
- He was born to Mary, a Jewish woman, and raised by Mary and Joseph. The Gospels identify Bethlehem as His birthplace and Nazareth as the town where He grew up.
- His virgin birth is recorded in Matthew 1:18–25 and Luke 1:26–35. This is a foundational Christian belief, although it cannot be independently verified through ordinary historical methods.
- His birth fulfilled Old Testament prophecy according to the New Testament, including Micah 5:2 concerning Bethlehem and Isaiah 7:14 concerning the virgin birth.
Biblical truth: Jesus is the eternal Son of God who became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1, 14).
2. His Death — The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ
- Jesus was a real historical person, a first-century Jewish teacher whose existence is accepted by the overwhelming majority of historians specializing in antiquity.
- He was crucified under the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, who governed Judea from AD 26 to 36.
- His crucifixion is commonly dated to AD 30 or AD 33, during the reign of the Roman emperor Tiberius.
- His execution is supported by Christian and non-Christian historical sources. The Roman historian Tacitus, writing around AD 116, records that Christus was executed under Pontius Pilate during Tiberius’s reign (Annals 15.44).
- All four Gospels record His crucifixion, death, and burial. The apostle Paul also preserves an early Christian proclamation that Christ died for our sins and was buried (1 Corinthians 15:3–4).
Biblical truth: Jesus, the sinless Lamb of God, willingly shed His blood and died as the substitutionary sacrifice for our sins (John 1:29; Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24).
3. His Resurrection — The Foundation of Christian Faith
- Jesus’ followers proclaimed that He rose bodily from the dead on the third day. This belief appears in the earliest surviving Christian writings, including Paul’s letters.
- The resurrection proclamation began very early. In 1 Corinthians 15:3–8, written around AD 53–55, Paul repeats a tradition many scholars believe originated within a few years of Jesus’ death.
- The earliest Christians reported appearances of the risen Jesus to Peter, the Twelve, more than 500 believers, James, and finally Paul (1 Corinthians 15:5–8).
- Paul, formerly a persecutor of Christians, became a leading apostle after an experience he understood to be an appearance of the risen Christ (Galatians 1:13–16).
- The empty tomb is recorded in all four Gospels. Historians debate the historical evidence for the empty tomb and how best to explain the reported resurrection appearances.
- The Christian movement spread rapidly despite persecution, with the bodily resurrection of Jesus at the center of its proclamation.
Biblical truth: Jesus physically rose from the dead, demonstrating His victory over sin and death and confirming His identity as the Son of God (Romans 1:4; 1 Corinthians 15:17–22).
Historical scholarship can establish the early existence and sincerity of resurrection belief. Whether God actually raised Jesus from the dead is a further historical, philosophical, and theological question on which scholars differ.
We as Christians believe the truth of Jesus by faith and the Holy Spirit confirms it in the heart of every genuine believer:
Romans 8:16 (NKJV)
“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”
The Holy Spirit confirms within the heart of a genuine believer that we belong to God and are His children. This assurance is part of the Holy Spirit’s work in those who have been born again through faith in Jesus Christ.
So those who are in Christ, know that they know that they know the truth, and those who are not in Christ do not know and cannot comprehend the truth.
One thing we can all agree on is that we are all going to die. We all do, except the prophets Enoch and Elijah) and it happens all around us every day.
“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this comes the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27 (NKJV)
And when we die, everyone will instantly know the truth.
For many it will be too late.
Death is the one appointment that none of us can escape. Regardless of what we believe or refuse to believe about God, Jesus Christ, heaven, hell, or eternity, death will ultimately settle every question. According to scripture, after death comes judgment, and every person will stand before God and know the absolute truth.
The question is not whether we will eventually know the truth, but whether we will believe and respond to it while we still have the opportunity.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32 NKJV)
