Do you believe Jesus was a real person?

This is how I arrive at my decision regarding Jesus - he is either a 1). Lunatic (eg. "gee whiz - who'd claim to be the son of God conceived by a virgin??") 2). Liar (i.e. perfectly sane but just big-noting himself for personal glory?), or 3). Lord.

There is physical evidence the man existed, and if they didn't embellish back then, the Bible should be believed, not just the bits taken selectively that don't confront our conscience. Many of the authors did not personally know, or know of, one another, yet the scriptures/letters they wrote align. The Apostle Paul (originally Roman Citizen Saul of Tarsus), had a position of great power, with the authority to dispose of anyone who professed to be a Christian (basically the same as a Nazi Officer in WW2 having the power to dispose of Jews). Hence, publicly professing to be a Christian in those days was akin to a self-imposed death sentence. ... Yet even Paul later did an about-turn, gave away everything, and professed his belief in Christ before then going on to be the most active apostle of them all. As I understand it, there is even more non-biblical historical evidence supporting Paul's existence and life than there is Jesus' (presumably because he was an important Roman, as opposed to the son of a common jewish carpenter), and it does not conflict with the Bible's account of his life.

So, there is overwhelming evidence that a man called Jesus physically existed, and no non-biblical evidence to categorically disprove he was who he claimed to be (only skepticism based on human kind's current understanding of physics). All that happened was foretold in prophecy hundreds and thousands of years before Jesus arrived and departed this earth. There is little or nothing to prove he was a lunatic (other than people's own opinion about the existence or not of a divine being). There is nothing to suggest he was a lunatic and certainly there is nothing to suggest he was a liar.

As unpopular and inconvenient as it may be in today to believe in Christ (and therefore comply with his teaching), I can only conclude that he existed. If he existed and was neither lunatic nor liar, then he must be the Son of God.

by kimp

There have been enough documentaries on the topic to convince me that he did exist outside of the claims of the bible.

by Shelley Murphy

Yes, I tend to agree.

Amen.

Yes I do believe.

A few years ago the 'Megiddo Prison in Israel' had some inmates do some work on the grounds of the prison.
They uncovered a most amazing 'mosaic'.
Hard evidence of the life of Jesus Christ....Besides this there are manuscripts, to prove the existence of Jesus and that He was seen by over 500 people, after his crucifixion.
In those days people only wrote what was happening during those times.
They did not embellish, they stated just the evidence.
Jesus is no fairytale.
It's not just about a 'heart feeling' about Him, evidence is there to been seen.
(The pic is of the inmates washing down the mosaic under the ground they found in Israel).

by jonaja

Wow, I'm going to have to look up this report.

I looked it up, and it is a beautiful mosaic, but it dates from the third century, and I wouldn't call a picture created 2 -300 years later hard evidence of Jesus' life. First hand accounts would be interesting if there were some.

I thought there was historical evidence that proved Jesus was a real person?

While I definitely believe he was real, I don't believe in any way that he was the son of god, or did all the miraculous things that are told about in the bible. I do believe he brought about great changes because he was an extraordinary man who spread lessons about love for fellow man, and was willing to sacrifice his life for others, but nothing more than that.

by Bryony Harrison

Yes as with most others including the Jewish people and the Romans.
I just wish he would return and bring with him the promised new heaven and the new earth

by kstew

When you look through history, there have been so many atrocities, wars, deaths, and sacrifices in the name of Jesus.
Where has it got us? Has it really made a difference?
It's like the old joke...a man dies and goes to heaven, he sees a huge wall and asks whats on the other side? He's told it's the Christians, because they like to think they are the only ones who get to go there.

The earth is the domain of Satan until the return of Christ
The evil you described is the result of his rule on earth and the ongoing sin of mankind.
Blaming God for Satans management of the earth is just a trick he uses to control you and steal your soul. I hope this has helped explain your question about why we have wars.

HE will come and soon.

Yes, I have listened to many informed opinions, and I do believe that there was a person Jesus. But, I also believe that there was a person on whom we base Father Christmas.
What I dont believe is the magical/supernatural side.
Son of 'God' the omnipresent almighty creator...No.
Good person, a wise and charismatic teacher who encouraged change for the better...Yes.
Should we have a religion devoted to him? Well that's another question.

by natal

Hi Natal.....
'Father XMAS' is based on St Nicholas, from what I've learnt.

Good question-probably! or should I say, possibly.

by Finy

I certainly believe that he was a real person.

by dwatk

Still is a real person.... :)

Most definitely!
There're many persons' going to get a surprise when they die, in having to stand before Him to give an account of their lives!

by donjo

Well, I'll stand with head held high and say I did the best I could.

Oh! Rice Paper, He wouldn't ask for anything more...............

Oh, that's sweet, donjo :-)

A B S O L U T E L Y!!!!

Possibly. There's really nothing much in the way of historical evidence for his existence. There have been and still are people around named Jesus, but maybe not the one you mean.

by Jennifer Muirhead

Having just read through the other responses, some of you might be interested in this book. But yeah, people certainly did embellish back then. There were, for example, Roman emperors who claimed to be living gods. Lot of that sort of thing going around in the ancient world.

http://acomfychair.com/nailed-ten-christian-myths-that-show-jesus-never-existed-at-all/