I know today it’s easy to discredit Jesus: he was just a man, a historical figure maybe, but not God. And everyone has a different opinion about God anyway, who knows if Jesus is God? He’s just one of many ways to heaven. And besides, there’s no historical evidence for the Biblical Jesus, right?
But underneath the surface, if you look just a little bit harder, there are several major reasons to believe in Jesus. Compelling evidence is out there, if only we would take the time to investigate.
Now, in my opinion, this is not definitive proof. But rather, this is compelling evidence that leads me to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the living Son of God. Here are the four major reasons that Jesus is God:
The fulfilled prophecies
The number of ancient manuscripts of the New Testament
The archaeological evidence
The changed lives
In each section, there will be three or four examples from each reason to show from various sources to show the validity of those reasons. This is by no means a definitive list, but rather the examples that I found to be interesting or compelling. Additional reading will be provided after each reason.
The Fulfilled Prophecies
The Bible is separated into two sections: the Old Testament, written primarily in Hebrew, and the New Testament, written primarily in Greek. The Old Testament was written before the time of Jesus, about the history of Ancient Israel, a people who looked forward to a coming Messiah. The New Testament is about Jesus and his followers, stating clearly that Jesus is the prophesied Messiah, the Son of God. The writers of the New Testament would refer to what we now call the Old Testament as “The Law and the Prophets,” “The Scriptures,” and “the writings of the prophets.” While they did not have chapter and verse like we do, they clearly knew their scriptures well.
Note: Two of the examples below include some errors that the New Testament authors may have made in quoting the Old Testament scriptures. I make note of this because the New Testament writers, just like us, are human. They are not perfect. They might not use the exact words that the Old Testament was using or say a passage is from one book when the passage was from another. To me, this shows the authenticity because the core of the passage is fulfilled, while parts of it (the references, the wording) may have changed a little, because as humans we make mistakes.
There are over 360 prophecies that the New Testament states are fulfilled through Jesus Christ. If you want to read every single prophecy and how they are fulfilled in Jesus, you can read the “According to Scriptures” link and the “About Jesus” link. But here are four highlights below:
While all four gospels reference some prophecies, Matthew was written specifically to show how Jesus was the promised Messiah in the Old Testament.
Matthew states:
“This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.” Matt 1:18-19.
Down in Matthew. 1:22, he adds,
“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”[g] (which means ‘God with us’).”
This specific prophecy was taken from Isaiah 7:4: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you[a] a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
The second example is concerning Jesus’ parables. All of the gospels include short stories called parables, each a lesson about God and his kingdom. Matthew gives this statement about Jesus using parables:
“Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. 35 So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”
This is a reference to Psalm 78, written by Asaph. He states in 78:2:
I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old—”
(Yes, is it true that the words are different in the last part of the quote “since the creation of the world” in Matthew 13:35 versus “from of old” in Psalm 78:2, but do they mean the same thing? Do the words from Matthew and Psalm 78:2 directly contradict each other? They do not; the core of the words remains the same.
Third example: shortly before Jesus was put to death, the religious leaders of Jesus’s day arrested him and brought him before their court for blasphemy (that is, claiming to be God - if a man claimed to be God, he was to be put to death):
“The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
“You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Matthew 26:63-64.
Jesus is stating not only that He is the Messiah, 26:64a, but also that he is the fulfillment of two passages:
The Lord says to my lord:
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet.”
Psalm 110:1
“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”
Daniel 7:13-14:
Do you see? Jesus is stating explicitly that he is the fulfilled Messiah. He will sit at the right hand of God the Father, as prophesied in Psalm 110:1, and He will come on the clouds of heaven, as prophesied in Daniel 7:13-14. It’s not just that details about Jesus were prophesied from long ago; Jesus himself states that He is the fulfillment of all those prophecies!
Finally, the details surrounding one of the most famous betrayals in all of scripture were foretold in the Old Testament. Judas Iscarot, one of Jesus’s disciples, betrayed Jesus to the chief priests in exchange for 30 pieces of silver. Read what happens next:
When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 4 “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”
“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”
So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”
Matthew 27:3-10
Note: Matthew misquotes that the prophecy is from Jeremiah. The quote is actually from Zechariah. There’s a link here speculating as to why: Why does Matthew 27:9 attribute the prophecy to Jeremiah when it is from Zechariah? | GotQuestions.org. I could have shied away from this discrepancy, but I decided to state it outright that I found this in my research. It
Here is the scripture of prophecy from Zechariah and Jeremiah:
“I told them, “If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.” So they paid me thirty pieces of silver.
And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord.”
Zechariah 11:12-13
Now, to be clear, there is a quote from Jeremiah about buying the potter’s field:
And Jeremiah said, “The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 7 ‘Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle will come to you, saying, “Buy my field which is in Anathoth, for the right of redemption is yours to buy it.” ’ 8 Then Hanamel my uncle’s son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the Lord, and said to me, ‘Please buy my field that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin; for the right of inheritance is yours, and the redemption yours; buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord. 9 So I bought the field from Hanamel, the son of my uncle who was in Anathoth, and weighed out to him the money—seventeen shekels of silver.
Jeremiah 36:6-9
The act of throwing the money is present in both the account from Zachariah and in Matthew, where Judas throws the money in the temple. Matthew recognized the significance of the prophecy from Zechariah and included it here to show even the smallest details, like the 30 pieces of silver, were predicted centuries ago. And even though the quote is from Zechariah, not Jeremiah, the quote itself was accurate. All that to say, yes, the origin of the prophecy was misquoted in Matthew, but it still came true.
These are just four of the over 350 prophecies of Jesus, and so many of them are specifically referenced by Matthew and other writers of the New Testament, it’s definitely a compelling argument.
If you want to read every single prophecy and how they are fulfilled in Jesus, you can read the links below, and then search the Bible yourself if you’re unconvinced.
List of Old Testament prophecies fulfilled by Jesus
AccordingtotheScriptures.org :: 356 Prophecies Fulfilled in Jesus Christ
Jesus’ Fulfillment of Prophecy in Matthew - A Clay Jar
Second Reason: The Number of Manuscripts
If the entire Bible were based only on one ancient manuscript, it would be easy to say, “Well, it’s just some legend that someone thought up” - however, that is not the case. I need to be clear, this is not a comparison with other texts, but of the Biblical texts themselves.
Several places cite the ancient Greek, the writing at the time of Jesus, and later used to copy the texts throughout the next several centuries, resulting in over 5,700 copies (1, Scroll down to “Greek Manuscripts”, 2). All of which contain some part of the New Testament writings and testify to Jesus Christ as Savior. That in itself is quite an amazing number.
But that’s not all. The Bible was translated in to Vulgate Latin, which numbers over 10,000, plus Armenian, ove0r 6,000, Slavic, over 4,000, plus Coptic, over 900, Ethiopian, over 600, Syriac, over 300, plus a handful of other translations under 100 copies (1, scroll past the chart “A Comparison of Ancient Works with the New Testament”). All of these ancient manuscripts testify to various languages testify to the truth of Jesus Christ and the gospels.
How old are these ancient manuscripts: to be clear, most of the dating varies from the third to the eleventh century AD, or CE. However, some fragments of the Greek have been dated as early as 130 AD or even earlier (1, “Greek Manuscripts”).
How many variations are in the manuscripts? There are variations of course, but let’s put this out of the way: first, 75% of the variations are spellings, and a further 24% are either viable but not meaningful, or meaningful but not viable, meaning, by looking at all manuscripts, we can see the variant and understand it, but know that a viable change isn’t meaningful, or alternately, a meaningful change was found to be not viable. However, if a change was found to be both meaningful and viable, then that is something to take note of, and that accounts for less than 1% of variants recorded in the New Testament (3). And it’s important to note that of those one 1% of those meaningful and viable variations, none of them jeopardize essential beliefs, that is, that Jesus died and rose as the Son of God. All of them testify that Jesus is the Messiah, the risen Christ, the Son of God.
Does this “prove” that Jesus was the son of God - no, but it does provide another compelling piece of evidence that points to the authenticity of the word of God.
Further Reading:
The Bibliographical Test Updated - Christian Research Institute
Biblical Manuscripts | Houston Christian University
An Interview with Daniel B. Wallace on the New Testament Manuscripts
Textual Variants: It’s the Nature, Not the Number, That Matters
Codex Sinaiticus - Home (One of the earliest complete Bibles, dated to the 4th Century BC)
Third Reason: The Archaeological Evidence
Another compelling reason is the archaeology found about Jesus Himself or about the time period he lived in. We’re not talking Indiana Jones - this isn’t about some mythical cup Jesus Christ drank - these are real items and locations that experts have deemed points of evidence of Jesus Christ and the Jewish nation he lived in.
Here are just some examples of the verification of the gospel accounts of Jesus. First, Jesus visited many Synagogs in his day (Synagogs were places of worship and gathering in each city, like a church is today). Later excavations found at least 10 from various cities dating to the exact time that Jesus lived (including Capernaum, where Jesus was specifically mentioned teaching) (1, scroll down #9).
In Jerusalem, there is the temple, where Jews would sacrifice animals to atone for their sins. Josephus, a Jewish historian dating from 70 A.D., recorded that an inscription barring “Gentiles” (non-Jews) and unclean people from the inner court of the temple. In 1871, a limestone Greek slab with this exact inscription was unearthed (1, scroll down to #6).
And finally, in the Biblical description of Jesus’ crucifixion, Jesus was described as having nails in his hands and feet. In 1968, the burial tomb of a man named Johanan was dated to AD. 6-77. He had a foot with a nail in his foot, consistent with the Jesus crucifixion. A popular theory was that (even though the Biblical text clearly states Joseph of Arametha offered his tomb) Jesus was thrown in a mass grave for criminals, but Johanan’s discovered body shows other crucified men were given a proper burial (1, scroll down to #3).
Other interesting archaeological evidence I’ll touch on briefly: Jesus visited the Pool of Shalom - that pool was later discovered (2, #9. Pontius Pilate was the Roman ruling prefect at the time - an inscription with Pontius’s name on it was discovered in 1961 (2, #3). The Church of the Holy Sepulchre - one of three places thought to be the burial tomb of Jesus - holds the most evidence of being the most likely place that Jesus was buried (for example, this church is place outside the walls of Jersualm that existed at the time of Jesus - consistent with the text that stated he was buried outside the city walls) (1, #2). An ossuary or burial bone box contained the name of the High Priest that was serving in Jerusalem at the time - Caiaphus (the exact inscription reads, “Joseph son of Caiaphus”) (2, #7).
It’s very interesting that archaeological evidence is consistent with the Bible, isn’t it? The historical details unearthed by archaeologists don’t contradict the Biblical narrative - they are consistent with the Bible. That, to me, is another compelling piece of evidence that Jesus is the Son of God.
On a related note, there are multiple outside historical accounts of Jesus and the early church dating from AD 55 to AD 175. Read all about these historical accounts here, if you want to know more: Top Ten Historical References to Jesus Outside of the Bible – Bible Archaeology Report
Further Reading:
Top Ten Discoveries Related to Jesus – Bible Archaeology Report
Top Ten Discoveries in Biblical Archaeology Relating to the New Testament – Bible Archaeology Report
7 Key Pieces of Evidence Supporting the Existence of Jesus Christ
Videos:
The Bible Gets It Right: Jesus' Crucifixion Matches History
Is this where Jesus was tried by Pontius Pilate?
Archaeology and the Resurrection of Lazarus
Jesus' Tomb Explained--the evidence & the story!
The Last Supper and Pentecost...HERE!
Where Jesus Was Crucified: The archaeological evidence!
Fourth Reason: The Changed Lives
After reading all of this, you might say, “Well, all of that is great, but how does that help me today? How does that have any impact on my daily life? Jesus may very well be the Son of God, but He certainly isn’t working in my life, and if you believe it and it makes you feel better, great, but to me, I don’t see how Jesus or any god is working in this world right now.”
And now we come to the final reason that supports the existence of Jesus Christ: the changed lives. For people who came to faith in Jesus, He transformed their lives. He didn’t just give them eternal life - though that is important - he turned their lives around in ways that could only be done through the transforming power of Jesus Christ, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit. As always, this does not “prove” that Jesus existed, but it does provide compelling evidence that He is working right now, today, in the lives of the people around us. Read on for a few testimonies of people transformed by accepting Jesus Christ as their savior:
John Newton is known today as the writer of “Amazing Grace,” arguably the most well-known Christian hymn of all time. But did you know that during John Newton’s early years, he was a slave trader? John served on the slave ship Pegasis and later the slave ship Greyhound. In 1748, the Grayhound was caught in a storm, and John Newton prayed to God for mercy, and the storm began to die down. This marked John’s journey of transformation. While he quickly began to avoid vices like profanity, gambling, and drinking, as he began to dedicate himself more to the Christian faith, he still sailed on slave ships from 1748 to 1754, until he had a stroke. The stroke forced him to give up seafaring, and he studied to be a priest. Finally, in 1787, he wrote against his former slave trade in a pamphlet, Thoughts Upon the Slave Trade, where he admitted the horrible conditions of the slaves and advocated strongly today for the eradication of the trade. He became an ally of William Wilburforce, who was the parliamentary leader advocating to end the Slave Trade. John Newton’s life is a testament to the slow but powerful transformation from slave trader to Abolitionist, firmly against his former line of work. Read more about John Newton: (1, 2, 3)
Nicky Cruz originally lived in Puerto Rico in one of the poorest neighborhoods. He was sent to New York City with his brother, but quickly ran away and later joined a New York City gang, the Mau Maus. Nicky rose to the rank of warlord and president. Soon after, David Wilkerson, a preacher who felt he had been called to minister to gang members in 1950s New York City, began ministering in the neighborhood where Nicky lived. When they met, Wilkinson told Nicky Jesus loved him and would never stop loving him. Nicky, at the time, threatened Wilkinson, and a second encounter led to the same threat. However, when Wilkinson organized an evangelistic outreach event, Nicky and other Mau Maus came. Nicky remembered feeling guilty for all the things he had done upon entering the area. Wilkinson asked for a collection, and surprisingly, Cruz did so and told other Mau Maus to do the same. Finally, Wilkinson gave an altar call, and Nicky Cruz and many of the gang members walked up to the altar. Cruz prayed with Wilkinson for God to forgive him. Later, Cruz and his gang members willingly walked into a local police station and gave up their handguns, knives, and bricks. Cruz studied the Bible, even going to Bible college, and later returned to his same neighborhood, and Cruz led to faith the current leader of the Mau Maus, Israel Narvaez, along with other gang members. Cruz’s life is a testament to the power of Jesus to transform a man of crime to a man of faith, giving his weapons to the police and becoming a minister of faith. Read more about Nicky Cruz: (1, 2, 3)
One of the most famous Christians of the 1900s, C.S. Lewis, was a staunch atheist from age 15 to 31. He believed, like many before or since, that God could not create a world “so frail and faulty.” He also fought in World War I and stated in a letter that the war and his mother’s death contributed to his pessimism and atheism. After the war, in the 1920s, he studied at Oxford University, studying Philosophy, Ancient History, and English, eventually becoming a Philosophy tutor and an English Literature Fellow and tutor. It was there he met J. R. R. Tolkien and Hugo Dyson and began reading several works, including those of George MacDonald and G.K. Chesterton. Intellectually, while his friends and brilliant writers presented to him the legitimacy of Christianity, he still resisted: “kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting his eyes in every direction for a chance to escape.” By 1929, he had come upon the truth that “God is God,” but it took him two more years; by 1931, he had completely converted to Christianity, following a long walk with Tolkien and Dyson. Lewis later penned some of the most famous Christian works, including The Chronicles of Narnia 7-book Fiction Series, The Screwtape Letters, Mere Christianity, and Miracles, among many others. C.S. Lewis was transformed both emotionally and intellectually by Jesus Christ and became an incredible influence on intellectual Christian thought throughout the world. (1, 2, 3)
These Christians are not people who became “super-perfect” after they became Christians, but they were transformed by faith in Christ and underwent radical transformations. John Newton went from working on a slave ship to condemning slavery, Nicky Cruz went from the leader of a gang to throwing away his weapons and becoming a minister, and C.S. Lewis went from condemning Christianity to becoming one of the most respected Christian authors and thinkers the world has ever known. These are just some of the amazing people whose lives have been transformed by Christ. Read on for more powerful stories of transformation as ordinary individuals made the decision to follow Jesus Christ:
9 Inspirational Christian Stories of People Who Turned Their Lives Around
Christian Testimonies – Lives Changed by Jesus Christ
Christian Stories of Changehttps://faithit.com/9-inspirational-christian-stories-turned-lives/d Lives from Around the World
Christian Testimonies--Out of Darkness and Into Light
Six ex-convicts who transformed their lives - Christians
While all of these certainly show compelling evidence of Jesus as God, what happens next is what you will do with this information. Jesus Christ came to save each and every person on the face of the planet, including you. It might be a just a step on your journey toward realizing Jesus is Lord, or it might be the final step. Or maybe it’s confirmation in what you already believed, and you were glad to find an essay like this that gave more pieces of evidence of Jesus as Lord. But regardless, I leave you with these words from Romans 10:9: "If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." I believe that Jesus is Lord, and the invitation is to every single person on the face of the planet to believe the same. If you liked this essay, you can read my first article, Did Jesus Claim to Be God? I hope this essay has given you much to think about, my friends. God bless you!
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