Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, the only begotten son of Almighty God — the Creator of the heavens and earth — was born of the Virgin Mary, was both fully God and fully man, lived a sinless life, suffered and died to pay the penalty for our sins, was resurrected from the dead and now sits at the right hand of God the Father where he will reign forever and ever.
This is the central tenet of Christianity. The entire foundation of our faith rests on the historical fact that Jesus was, in fact, a human who was resurrected from the dead.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:14: “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”
You can see then how atheists are champing at the bit to try to discredit the notion that Jesus of Nazareth was a real person.
Today, the internet has pushed a bold question into the mainstream: Did Jesus really exist?
Some skeptics claim that Jesus was a myth borrowed from older pagan stories. Yet historians at major universities everywhere see things differently.
The existence of a Jewish teacher named Jesus who was executed by Pontius Pilate is not a matter of faith. It is a matter of historical fact. This view is shared by atheist, agnostic, and Christian scholars alike.
Still, proving the existence of someone who lived 2,000 years ago is not simple.
There are no photos, DNA reports, or written receipts. Instead, historians follow a paper trail of Roman records, Jewish writings, and archaeological evidence.
Let’s look at four key pieces of evidence that persuade even skeptical scholars that Jesus was a real historical figure.
Pillar 1: The Secular Historians (Roman and Jewish)
If I were to try to sell you a bill of goods, I would make up facts and figures that would support my case, but they would be unverifiable by other sources.
Likewise, if I wanted to deny the truth about something I find unpleasant or with which I’m at odds, I’m going to ignore mentioning it.
These are basic truths that existed back in Jesus’ day as well.
The Romans of the time, as well as the Jews who were at odds with Jesus, wanted to suppress his teachings and crush any kind of rebellion of his followers.
Because of this fact, it would be very easy for Roman or Jewish writers of the time to completely ignore the life of this man and try to blot him out from history.
Except, that’s not what happened.
Flavius Josephus (c. AD 93)
Josephus was a Jewish historian writing for Roman elites. In his work, Antiquities of the Jews, he mentions Jesus twice.
The most important reference appears in his account of events from AD 62. Josephus describes the execution of James and identifies him as “the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ.”
This passage is especially valuable. Jesus is mentioned only in passing to identify James. A later Christian editor would have had little reason to invent such a brief and ordinary reference.
Cornelius Tacitus (c. 116 AD)
Tacitus is considered one of Rome’s greatest historians. While describing the Great Fire of Rome and the reign of Emperor Nero, he refers to a group known as Christians.
He writes that their founder, “Christus,” was executed during the reign of Tiberius by the governor Pontius Pilate.
Why is this significant?
It matters because Tacitus openly disliked Christianity. He called it a “mischievous superstition.” He had no reason to support Christian claims. Yet his account confirms three key facts:
- The title used: “Christus.”
- The time period: the reign of Emperor Tiberius.
- The executioner: Pontius Pilate.
Pliny the Younger and Suetonius
Pliny the Younger was a lawyer, author, and magistrate of Ancient Rome. He wrote many letters to Emperor Trajan.
Among those letters he asked how to deal with Christians on trial, and noted that they sang hymns to Christ “as to a god.”
Suetonius was another Roman historian of the time. He mentions disturbances in Rome caused by someone called “Chrestus.”
These sources individually are not comprising a full biography of Jesus of Nazareth.
However, they offer written evidence outside the Bible to show that within a century of Jesus’ death, his movement had risen up the chain of command to the top of the Roman government.
That movement was centered on a real historical person.
Pillar 2: The Earliest Christian Records (The Eyewitness Connection)
If you were looking for information about a person, place or event, and there was no written documentation available to you, to whom would you turn first for details?
You’d probably seek out people who lived in close proximity, right? And probably those who could provide eyewitness accounts, too.
The same thing is true of historians looking to get details about Jesus.
The Gospels — Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John — provide the biographies of Jesus. But the letters written by the Apostle Paul also provide detailed accounts of Jesus and his time on earth.
And many of the books in the New Testament were dated within mere decades of the life of Jesus. This is actually a lot sooner for these books to be written than were many other books about historical figures.
The Timeline Advantage
For comparison, most biographies of Alexander the Great were written about 300-400 years after he died. Yet historians still consider them reliable.
Paul’s letters are very different. They were written while people who personally knew Jesus were still alive.
In Galatians 1:18-19, Paul refers to traveling to Jerusalem and meeting Cephas (Peter) and James, the brother of Jesus.
He writes: “Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days. I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother.”
Again, for the best source of information about a person, place or event, go to those in close proximity and with eyewitness accounts.
The “Brother” Argument
Why is Paul’s mentioning of James significant?
If I were to concoct a story about a fictional superhero and then tried to convince you that it was your long-lost brother, do you think you could go on lying to everybody in the face of public ridicule, persecution, and possible death?
No, probably not.
But what if it really was your brother? It’d be a lot easier for you to proudly proclaim his powers to the world, wouldn’t it? And if I were writing a book about him, you could probably give me quite a few details, couldn’t you?
Paul had two degrees of separation from the risen Lord.
Oral Tradition
Before events were written down, people of the past would pass down stories from generation to generation.
Skeptics will claim messages get lost orally similar to a game of telephone. But that’s a bad analogy. In the telephone game, a convoluted message gets passed quickly — usually one time through — from ear to ear in a whisper. And oftentimes, someone will intentionally change the message to make the final answer humorous.
But these oral traditions of the past were a lifestyle. People lived for these messages. They were imparting wisdom and treating the information sacred.
If I asked you to recite the pledge of allegiance, you’d probably be able to do that. Likewise, if I asked anyone who actually sings the national anthem — instead of standing idly by and listening — to recite it, they could. And if I asked the avid music lover to sing a song from their favorite artist, they could.
Recitation breeds familiarity and accuracy.
When the people of Jesus day passed on stories, not just from generation to generation but from household to household, it left little room for error in accuracy and detail, and would be nearly impossible for a myth to be developed and distributed without dispute from those rabidly against the spread of Christianity.
Pillar 3: Archaeological Context (Real Places, Real People)
Have you ever read a good book with a setting so rich with vivid imagery that it made you get lost within the pages of the story?
But then you realized the town that you’re reading about is a fictitious place and it kind of lets you down about the story’s plot.
What if archaeologists discovered actual artifacts that proved the town in your book was a real place? Suddenly, your story doesn’t seem like a work of fiction anymore. It might actually be a history book.
One of the strongest arguments for the veracity of the Bible’s historical accounts is the truthfulness of the people and places described in the Gospels.
And we have archaeology to thank for that. There have been many archaeological discoveries that back up what we read in the Bible, especially as it relates to Jesus.
The “Villains” of the Story
Atheists, in their desperate attempts to dispute the truth of Jesus, have tried to claim there was no evidence of figures like Pontius Pilate or the high priest Caiaphas.
But two major discoveries undercut their arguments.
The Pilate Stone, discovered in 1961 by Italian archaeologist Maria Teresa Fortuna Canivet, revealed a Latin inscription naming “Pontius Pilate, Prefect of Judea.”
The Caiaphas Ossuary, uncovered in 1990, was found in a first-century family tomb in Jerusalem. Inside was an ornate bone box inscribed with the name “Joseph, son of Caiaphas.” Most scholars believe this was the burial box of the high priest who presided over Jesus’ trial.
The Map of the Ministry
Archaeologists have also uncovered key locations of Jesus’ ministry.
The Magdala Synagogue was one of two synagogues discovered in the present century, the first in 2009 and the second in 2021. It supports the Gospel picture of Jesus traveling from village to village and teaching in synagogues.
The Pool of Siloam was rediscovered in 2004 after a water pipe broke in Jerusalem. Excavations revealed the large stepped pool described in the Gospel of John, where Jesus healed a blind man. Before this discovery, many believed the pool was symbolic rather than real.
Physical Evidence of Crucifixion
Some skeptics once argued that the Gospel burial account was unrealistic. They claimed Romans always left crucifixion victims on the cross.
That view changed in 1968. Archaeologists uncovered the remains of a man named Jehohanan at Giv’at ha-Mivtar. He had been crucified in the first century. A seven-inch iron nail was still lodged in his heel bone. He had also been buried in a Jewish ossuary.
This discovery showed that crucifixion victims could receive proper burials. It also confirmed that the Gospel accounts fit the archaeological realities of the time.
Pillar 4: The “Criterion of Embarrassment”
Raise your hand if you’ve ever been guilty of this:
Either you — via a selfie — or somebody else has taken a picture of you and the first thing you’ve done is ask to see it.
You quickly pinch-and-zoom and study yourself to see if the picture is “acceptable.”
My hand is touching the ceiling right now.
It isn’t just about making sure you didn’t blink, is it?
Nah, of course not. You want to look good, don’t you? No double chins, no awkward smiles, no bad hairdos.
How about this:
Have you ever fluffed up your résumé or an online dating profile, including only flattering details and leaving out anything that makes you look less than perfect?
Again, my hand is up.
Why do we do this? Simply put: You want to avoid embarrassment.
The same thing is true of historical accounts.
There’s a type of analysis referred to as the Criterion of Embarrassment which states that an account is more likely to be true if the author writes something that would either be embarrassing to them or detrimental to their cause.
Using this criterion, there are many examples in the Bible that would seem to suggest the authors are telling the truth given how badly it makes themselves or others look.
The Scandal of the Cross
Crucifixion was more than just an excruciatingly painful method of execution given the prolonged torture endured in the process. It also was an ultimate symbol of social shame. Crucifixion was reserved for the worst of society to humiliate and dehumanize them.
It therefore seems unreasonable that if the story of Jesus were made up the authors of the New Testament would choose to portray him in a shameful, belittling way. How could they encourage followers to worship a “Messiah” of this low standard?
The Unreliable Witnesses
In the days of Jesus, and throughout the time the Bible was written, women were treated as second-class citizens whose opinions and testimony were not to be trusted and considered valid in court.
Therefore, when the Gospel accounts record that women were the first to find Jesus’ tomb empty after he had risen from the dead, it’s difficult to believe that the authors would include that detail if they were making up a story.
In their time, if they wanted the testimony of the empty tomb to be considered valid and reliable, they would not have chosen women.
The Flawed Apostles
Spend some time reading through the Gospels and it won’t take long for you to find unflattering comments about the apostles.
Some of the bad qualities mentioned of Jesus’ disciples include pride and anger, impulsiveness and greed, cowardice and intolerance, and skepticism and doubt.
Typically when you want to convey a strong and unified movement, you wouldn’t want to paint your leaders in such a negative light.
Unless it’s all true.
Conclusion: The Verdict of History
The question, “Did Jesus exist?” brings science, history, and archaeology to the same conclusion.
People will always disagree about who Jesus was. Some call him a prophet. Others see him as a teacher or the Son of God. But modern historians agree on one thing:
He was a real person.
Hostile Roman writers mention him. Archaeology confirms the officials involved in his death. Early records come from people who knew his family. Together, these sources place Jesus firmly in a real time and place.
History does not ask for faith. It asks us to examine the evidence. And the evidence shows that 2,000 years ago, a man named Jesus changed the course of the world forever.
