My Brother ' S Shadows

In our current day and age, removed from the accounts in the Bible, some would still argue the divinity of Jesus. But this is not a new argument, the Disciples and even Jesus himself faced the animosity of doubters. The Gospel of Matthew describes some of these arguments and proves the undeniable truth that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah whom the Jewish Nation waited, and the Savior of the world.

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him…” (Lewis 52). In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis goes in to detail and discusses very controversial topic. He answers one of the most disputed questions of all time: Who was Jesus? While many believe in His existence, and the fact that He was who He said He was, some believe that he was just a great prophet and teacher or that he never in fact existed. Lewis gives evidence of Christ being who He said he was, and is today, by exposing flaws found in beliefs and theories contrary to the Bible.

Many people ridicule Christians for believing in a man who resurrected from the dead. They laugh at Christians and criticize them for basing their faith on an event that lack proof and evidence. However, the evidence that skeptics use to challenge the Christian faith, in actuality, support the claims that Jesus truly was the God that he claimed to be. The evidence that affirms Jesus’ claims to be true include his lifestyle and teachings, the prophecies that he fulfilled, historical facts, and the dramatic transformation of the lives of his disciples. Many may ask Christians how they can believe in a Savior without proof of his divinity; but, in reality, God has given us an abundance of signs. He is still providing us with compelling evidence

Over the course of history, the historical information regarding Jesus Christ has been interpreted by many different individuals and has led to different beliefs and views regarding the existence of Jesus Christ as a real man. Today I will be interpreting this evidence and i will be attempting to answer the question “Was Jesus Christ a real man?”. The evidence I will be looking at to answer this question will be information regarding the context of Jesus Christ, the historical accounts of non-Christian authors as well as the evidence for the Bible which is the main source regarding the life of Jesus Christ.

Jesus, a name known by billions throughout the world. To each, this name means something different; savior, friend, philosopher, prophet, teacher, fraud, fake, liar. Some even believe that He is just an imaginary character from the minds of those who wrote about Him. The Westminster Dictionary of Theology describes apologetics as, "Defense, by argument, of Christian belief against external criticism or against other worldly views" (Apologetics 31-32). Though there are still many mysteries that surround the ongoing debate about Christianity, evidence can now prove some of what Christians took by faith before. Now, more than ever, there is information to prove the existence of this man that walked

Prior to the twentieth century, theologians limited their discussion of Christ to the views set forth in their respective denominational or confessional traditions.” But, doubt that Christ in tradition was different from the actual Christ created a shift from metaphysical to historical Christology. This sparked the search for the historical Jesus in which two approaches, “Christology from Above” and “Christology from Below arose.

Here are a few of the challenges Christians face about this topic. The first is some claim that the only document he is written in is the New Testament. This is false as he is included in several other writings including Suetonius and Tacitus. It is much easier for people to question his existence 2,000 years after his death because he is not here to prove them wrong, but he was there to prove them wrong 2,000 years ago. Not once was the question ever brought up if Jesus existed 2,000 years ago. This is because they were there with him with proof in front of them. Another reason to support the claim he did exist is the way the Jews described Jesus in the Gospels. He was depicted as weak and as infamous to the Jews by being hung on the cross. Jews wouldn’t logically depict their God this

There is a lot of evidence which point to the truth of Christianity. If the resurrection of Jesus truly occurred, then Jesus is God the son. If the resurrection did not occur, then he is not God the son.

With that being said I believe the most powerful piece of evidence is when Jesus was crucified, buried in a tomb and three days later rose from the dead. In Luke 24:36-43 “While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?  Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have. ”When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.” This is convincing evidence that shows proof Jesus

This discussion begins by placing its roots in their proper foundation, historic Christian orthodoxy. The reality of the incarnation informs and is informed by all of the core doctrines of the Christian faith. Without an orthodox understanding of any of these aspects, one cannot see the robust, beautiful and awe inspiring truth of the Gospel. Thus, the question surfaces, why have we in the modern church all but completely abandoned the discussion and teaching of the doctrine of the incarnation? The book delves into each of these areas of orthodoxy mentioned thus far, pulling out the intricacies that are brought to fullness in light of the incarnation of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is real because the information that scholars found and because he taught religion to us. A quote by Jeffery L. Sheler in the article,

At the onset of the Christian faith, its followers faced a difficult period in which they had to deal with many internal and external forces of confusion about their new faith. With Christianity being a rather close subdivision of Judaism, the followers of Christianity are faced with the task of supporting their beliefs and practices deeming why they are justifiable. In this apologetic period, these Jewish Christians embark on the task of defending their church and the religion itself in order to establish its credibility and existence.

The quest for the knowledge on the historical Jesus started as a protest against the traditional dogma of Christianity, but when the neutral historians joined the movement, all they saw was Jesus without features. Even when these scholars decided that other biblical figures such as John the evangelist, John the Baptist, Paul, and others were at home in a symbolic and richly storied world. Jesus himself

Throughout the history of mankind, there have been many great men who have left an impact on today’s world. Some of these men may have changed a certain system was run or established a better community for other people. While doing these things is certainly commendable, there is one man who stands above the rest. This man is unique in every way from His conception to His death. In addition, this man made astonishing claims and performed many great miracles. While there were many that embraced this man, there were many that called him foolish and a sinner. This man was Jesus Christ. Through the use of Old Testament prophets, various New Testament testimonies, and certain divine attributes, it is proven that Jesus Christ is unique in that He and God are one.

This paper will provide an understanding the theories of theology of the history of the church, the celebration of the atonement; Jesus Christ being the vicarious substitutionary lamb slain for the sins of mankind.