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What we know about Jesus
HIS EXISTENCE: There are sources in addition to the Bible which verify the earthly life of Jesus, most notably the Jewish historian
Josephus.

The historian Josephus, born in AD37 writes: “Now there was about this time, Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for
he was a doer of wonderful works - a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the
Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was the Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principle men amongst us, had
condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as
the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians so named
after him, are not extinct to this day.” (Ref: Josephus, Antiquities, XV111 63f.)

HIS CHARACTER: ‘Here was a man who exemplified supreme unselfishness but never self-pity; humility but not weakness; joy but
never at another’s expense; kindness but not indulgence. He was a man in Whom even His enemies could find no fault and
where friends who knew Him well said He was without sin.’ (Gumbel, Questions of Life )

HIS HUMANITY: That He was a great human/religious teacher seems not to be questioned. According to the New Testament account
He suffered physical hunger and tiredness (John 4:6), emotions of sadness (John 11:32-36), compassion and righteous anger (Mark
11:15-17), underwent temptation (Mark 1:13), learnt as a child (Luke 2:46-52), was obedient as a child (Luke 2:51) and mastered the
trade of carpentry (Mark 6:3).
But was he more than ‘just a man’?

HIS DIVINITY:
We need to consider His reported works, His own claims and the Old Testament prophesies concerning Him and His resurrection
from the dead. His works include many healings: sight to the blind, speech to the mute, healing of paralysis even the raising of the
dead and the casting out of evil spirits. He claimed to be God (Matthew 10:40 and John 14:9) and to have the authority to forgive sins
(Mark 2: 5).

The Old Testament prophecies e.g. the place of His birth
(Micah 5:2); His virgin birth, (Isaiah 7:14); the massacre of
infants in an effort to kill Him, (Jeremiah 31:15);
His riding on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9);
the manner of His death (Isaiah 53);
and even the casting of lots for His robe (Psalm 22:18).
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What we know about Jesus ...
Evidence for His Resurrection Jesus has been believed to be ‘God in human form’ down the ages. The
creed which was written by early Church Fathers describes Him as ‘begotten from the Father before all
ages, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten not made, one in essence with the Father; through
him all things were made.’ (Nicene Creed 325AD)

The Gospel account describes His absence from the tomb, the grave clothes were undisturbed (John 20:
1-10) and there were many accounts of His presence with His followers. Also there were over 500
witnesses to one of His post resurrection appearances (See 1 Corinthians 15:6). It is hard to believe that
500 people could all be hallucinating. Also why would the Apostles allow themselves to suffer as they did for
the sake of a hoax? The majority were cruelly martyred.

The Apostle Peter’s confession is an apt conclusion to this discussion. In answer to the question from
Jesus, “Who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed
this to you, but My Father Who is in heaven”.

Garden of Gethsemane,
Jerusalem

What we know about Jesus ...
Our Decision:
"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm
ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.' That is the one
thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a
great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg
- or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of
God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill
Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any
patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not
intend to." – C. S. Lewis. Mere Christianity, pages 40-41.

(C S Lewis began his academic career as an undergraduate student at Oxford, where he won a triple first,
the highest honours in three areas of study. He then taught as a fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford, for
nearly thirty years, from 1925 to 1954, and later was the first Professor of Medieval and Renaissance
English at the University of Cambridge and a fellow of Magdalene College, Cambridge.)

Jesus taught:The Two Great
Commandments

This is how Jesus summarised the
whole of the Old Testament Law;

“You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart
and with all your soul
and with all your strength
and with all your mind,
and your neighbour as yourself.”
(Luke 10:27)

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Jesus taught:
Jesus gave this sermon in about 30 AD beside
The Sermon on the Mount Lake Galilee to His disciples & a large crowd.

The best-known written portions of the sermon are:

THE BEATITUDES Matthew 5:3-12
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called sons of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for
righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you
and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven,
for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 7

What else did Jesus Teach?
The instructions "resist not evil" &"turn the other cheek"
(Matthew 5:39), as well as "judge not, lest you
be judged."
The Sermon on the Mount is a form of commentary on the
Ten Commandments which portrays Jesus as the true
interpreter of the Mosaic Law.

The Lord's Prayer
(Matthew 6:9-13) Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come, Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
The Golden Rule
“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also
to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."(Matthew 7:12)
"As you wish that others would do to you, do so to them." (Luke 6:31) 8

DID JESUS REALLY EXIST?
There is more evidence that Jesus of Nazareth certainly lived than for most famous figures of the
ancient past. This evidence is of two kinds: internal and external, or, if you prefer, sacred and secular.
In both cases, the total evidence is so strong that only the shallowest of intellects would dare to deny
Jesus' existence.

The Internal Evidence

Aside from the many Messianic predictions in the Old Testament, not one of the four Gospels or the 23
other documents in the New Testament would make any sense if Jesus had never lived. Did the whole
list of well-known historical people in the first hundred years after the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, who
interacted with Him, deal with someone who never existed?
Did Herod the Great try to murder an infant ghost?
Did the Jewish high priests Annas and Caiaphas interview a spirit?
Did the Roman governor Pontius Pilate judge a phantom on Good Friday,
or Saint Paul and so many apostles give their lives for a myth?

No one doubts that the above mentioned names are well known from
both sacred and secular sources, as well as archaeological evidence,
and are therefore historical. The same is clearly true of Jesus of Nazareth.

From the internal, biblical evidence alone, Jesus' existence is undoubted.

There is also an abundance of additional information on this question
from outside of the Bible. remains of Herod's palace:


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The External Evidence:

Christian Evidence;

Another long paragraph could be devoted to the writings of the early church fathers, some of whom had
close contact with New Testament personalities. Jesus' disciple John, for example, later became bishop of
the church at Ephesus. One of his students was Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, and a student of his, in turn,
was Saint Irenaeus of Lyons. The centrepiece in all of their writings was Jesus the Christ ("Messiah").

Apart from such direct personal links to Jesus, there are writings by others such as Justin Martyr. Born of
pagan parents around A.D. 100 in Nablus (between Judea and Galilee), Justin tried and abandoned
various philosophical schools until he found in Christianity the one true teaching. As a native of the Holy
Land, Justin mentions sites associated with Jesus, such as the Bethlehem grotto in which He was born,
and even such details as Jesus working as an apprentice carpenter in the shop of his foster father Joseph,
where they specialized in producing such agricultural implements as yokes for oxen and ploughs.

Jewish Evidence

The Jewish rabbinical traditions not only mention Jesus, but they are also the only sources that spell his
name accurately in Aramaic, his native tongue: Yeshua Hannotzri—Joshua (Jesus) of Nazareth. Some of
the references to Jesus in the Talmud are garbled—probably due to the vagaries of oral tradition—but one
is especially accurate, since it seems based on written sources and comes from the Mishna—the earliest
collection of writings in the Talmud. This is no less than the arrest notice for Jesus, which runs as follows:

Jewish Evidence (continued)
“He shall be stoned because he has practiced sorcery and lured
Israel to apostasy. Anyone who can say anything in his favour,
let him come forward and plead on his behalf. Anyone who knows
where he is, let him declare it to the Great Sanhedrin in Jerusalem.”
Four items in this statement strongly support its authenticity as a notice composed before Jesus' arrest:
1) The future tense is used;
2) Stoning was the regular punishment for blasphemy among the Jews whenever the Roman
government was not involved;
3) There is no reference whatever to crucifixion; and
4) That Jesus was performing "sorcery"— the extraordinary or miraculous with a negative spin—
is quite remarkable.

Amongst other things this agrees with how Jesus' opponents explained away His miraculous healings in the New
Testament: performing them with the help of Beelzebul (Luke 11:18).

The first-century Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus, twice mentions "Jesus who is called the Christ" in his Jewish
Antiquities. In the second of these, he tells of the death of Jesus' half-brother James the Just of Jerusalem (20:200).
And two books earlier, in the longest first-century non-biblical reference to Christ, he tells of Jesus midway through his
discussion of events in Pontius Pilate's administration:

“At this time there was a wise man called Jesus, and His conduct was good, and He was known to be virtuous. Many
people among the Jews and the other nations became His disciples. Pilate condemned Him to be crucified and to die.
But those who had become His disciples did not abandon His discipleship. They reported that He had appeared to them
three days after His crucifixion and that He was alive. Accordingly, He was perhaps the Messiah, concerning Whom the
prophets have reported wonders. And the tribe of the Christians, so named after Him, has not disappeared to this
day.” (18:63)

External Evidence: Secular
Cornelius Tacitus, one of the most reliable source historians
of first-century Rome, wrote in his Annals a year-by-year
account of events in the Roman Empire under the early Caesars.
Among the highlights that he reports for the year A.D. 64 was
the great fire of Rome. People blamed the emperor Nero for this
conflagration since it happened "on his watch," but in order to
save himself, Nero switched the blame to "the Christians," which
is the first time they appear in secular history. Careful historian
that he was, Tacitus then explains who "the Christians" were:
"Christus, the founder of the name, had undergone the death
penalty in the reign of Tiberius, by sentence of the procurator
Pontius Pilatus" (15:44). He then goes on to report the horrors
that were inflicted on the Christians in what became their first
Roman persecution.

Tacitus, it should be emphasized, was not some Christian
historian who was trying to prove that Jesus Christ really lived,
but a pagan who despised Christians as a "disease," a term he
uses later in the passage. Had Jesus never even existed,
he would have been the first to expose that pathetic phantom
on whom such cultists placed their trust. Were no other
references to Jesus available, this passage alone would have
been sufficient to establish Jesus’ historicity. Skeptics realize
this, and so have tried every imaginable means to discredit this
passage—but to no avail. Manuscript analysis and computer
studies have never found any reason to call this sentence into
question, nor its context.

External Evidence: Secular (continued)

Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus also recorded events of the first century in his famous Lives of the Twelve Caesars. He, too,
regarded the Christians as a sect "professing a new and mischievous religious belief" (Nero 16) and doubtless cited
"Christus" as well, spelling his name "Chrestus" (Claudius 25). That the vowels "e" and "i" were often interchangeable is
demonstrated by the French term for "Christian" to this day: chretien.

Pliny the Younger was the Roman governor of Bithynia—today, the northwestern corner of Turkey—and about the year
110 he wrote the emperor Trajan (98-117 A.D.), asking what to do about the Christians, a "wretched cult" whom he
mentions eight times in his letter. Christ himself is cited three times, the most famous instance referring to Christians
"...who met on a fixed day to chant verses alternately among themselves in honour of Christ, as if to a god..." (Letter No.
96). Trajan's response, interestingly enough, suggests that Christians not be hunted out. (Ibid., No. 97). But again, if Christ
were only a mythical character, these hostile sources would have been the first to emblazon that fact in derision.

Other ancient secular sources, such as Theudas and Mara bar
Serapion also bear witness to the historicity of Jesus.

The evidence overpowering that Jesus of Nazareth was no myth,
but a totally historical figure who truly lived.

The question that needs to be answered by us all is
whether or not Jesus was more than just a man.

The question about Jesus’ existence is answered for
all except those who choose to reject the obvious.

Prophesies about JESUS
The Old Testament, written over a period of 1,500 years,
contains hundreds of distinct predictions which were literally
fulfilled in Christ.

Of the Old and New testaments of the Bible it has been said: ‘The New is in the Old concealed, the Old is in
the New revealed’.

Dates 450 B.C. is the historic date for the completion of the Old Testament. The Greek translation of the
Hebrew text, known as the Septuagint, was completed in the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus (285-246 B.C.).
The Greek translation in 250 B.C. was based on the Hebrew text available at that time and was done for all
the Jews of the Greek speaking Jewish Diaspora. This translation was the Bible of the early followers of
Jesus and is still the Old Testament part of the Eastern Orthodox Church today.

This means that there was at least a 250 year gap from the time that the prophecies were written down
(in Greek anyway) and their fulfillment. Examples of prophecies concerning Christ:

1. Born of a Virgin
“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and you
shall call His name Immanuel.” (Immanuel means ‘God with us’) Isaiah 7:14
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they
came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 1:18

2. Seed of Abraham
“In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you obeyed my voice.” Genesis 12:2,3
(God speaking to Abraham)
“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the son of Abraham.” Matthew 1:1

Prophesies about JESUS continued
3. Born at Bethlehem
“And you, O Bethlehem, House of Ephratha, though you are
fewest in number among the thousands of Judah, yet out of
you shall come His goings forth were from the beginning,
even from everlasting.” Micah 5:2
“Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea.” Matthew 2:1

4. Ministry of Miracles
“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall hear. The lame shall leap like a
deer, and the tongue of the dumb will speak clearly.” Isaiah 35:5,6a
“And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf
to hear and the mute to speak.” Mark 7:37
“Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and
begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made
well.” Mark 6:56

5. His crucifixion
"They pierced my hands and my feet. I numbered all my bones, and they look and stare at me. They divided
my garments among themselves. And for my clothing they cast lots.” Psalm 22:16-18 (Septuagint Psalm
21:17b-19)
“And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him.” Luke 23:33
“Then the soldiers when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a
part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. They said
therefore among themselves, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be.” John 19:23,24

Prophesies about JESUS continued
6. Silence under Accusation
“Although he was ill treated He opened not His mouth. He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a
lamb is silent before his shearers, so He opens not His mouth.” Isaiah 53:7
“And while He was being accused by the chief Priests and elders, He answered nothing.” Matthew 27:12

Many other prophesies could be quoted concerning Christ’s
ministry and the events surrounding His crucifixion: e.g. His
betrayal for 30 pieces of silver, the words that Jesus spoke on
the cross, His being placed between thieves, the darkness that
fell over the land following His death and His burial in a rich
man’s tomb.

The statistical probability of all these prophesies coming true
in one man’s life rules out any theory of coincidence.

CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS
The crucifixion of Jesus and His resulting death is an event that occurred in AD 33 when Jesus, who
Christians believe is the Son of God as well as the Messiah, was arrested, tried, and sentenced by the
Roman Governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate, to be scourged, and finally executed on a cross.

Jesus' crucifixion is described in all four Canonical gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), and is
attested to by other contemporary sources, and regarded as an historical event. Christians believe Jesus'
suffering was foretold in Hebrew scripture, such as in Psalm 22, and Isaiah's songs of the suffering
servant. According to the New Testament, Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane following the Last Supper
with the twelve Apostles, and forced to stand trial before the Jewish Sanhedrin, Governor Pontius Pilate,
and King Herod Antipas, before being handed over for crucifixion. After being flogged, Jesus was mocked
by Roman soldiers as the "King of the Jews", clothed in a purple robe, crowned with thorns, beaten and
spat on. Jesus then had to make His way to the place of His crucifixion.

Once at Golgotha, Jesus was offered wine mixed with gall to drink.
Matthew's and Mark's Gospels record that He refused this. He was
then crucified and hung between two convicted thieves. According to
Mark's Gospel, he endured the torment of crucifixion for some six
hours from the third hour, at approximately 9 am, (Mark 15:25) until
His death at the ninth hour, corresponding to about 3 pm. (Mark 15:34-37).
The soldiers affixed a sign above His head stating "Jesus of Nazareth,
King of the Jews" in three languages, divided His garments and cast
lots for His seamless robe.

CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS continued
The Roman soldiers did not break Jesus' legs, as they did to the other two men crucified
(breaking the legs hastened the crucifixion process), as Jesus was dead already. Each
gospel has its own account of Jesus' last words, seven statements altogether. In the
Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark & Luke), various supernatural events accompany the
crucifixion , including darkness, an earthquake, and (in Matthew) the resurrection of saints.
Following Jesus' death, His body was removed from the cross by Joseph of Arimathea and
buried in a rock-hewn tomb, with Nicodemus assisting. Jesus then rose from the dead three
days later.

Christians have traditionally understood Jesus' death on the cross to be
a voluntary sacrifice (given that He did not mount a defence in his trials)
which was undertaken to overcome death and make salvation possible.
Most Christians commemorate this sacrifice through the bread and wine
of the Holy Eucharist, in obedience to Jesus’ command to do so at His
Last Supper with His disciples.

Christians throughout the world also commemorate the crucifixion on
Good Friday (the Friday immediately before Easter Sunday, which
commemorates Jesus’ resurrection) each year.

THE EMPTY TOMB by Gary R. Habermas
An intriguing development in recent theological research is that a strong majority of contemporary critical
scholars seems to support, at least to some extent, the view that Jesus was buried in a tomb that was
subsequently discovered to be empty. I will list several of the more than 20 arguments that have been
cited in favour of the empty tomb.

Major Arguments for the Empty Tomb
1) Perhaps the most powerful argument favouring the empty tomb concerns its location and the events
surrounding it. The Gospel accounts are unanimous that Jesus was buried in a tomb that was located in
Jerusalem. Few critics question this, holding that Jesus died and was buried in the city. Most also agree
that early Christian preaching took place here, leading to the birth of the church.

But it is precisely since Jesus' grave was located nearby that we have a serious problem if it was
anything but empty. Unless Jesus' tomb was unoccupied, the early Christian preaching would have been
disproved on the spot. How could it be
preached that Jesus had been raised from the
dead if that message were starkly confronted by a
rotting body? Exposing the body would kill the
message and be an easy disproof of Christianity
before it even gained momentum. Thus, Jerusalem
is the last place for the early Christian teachings
to gain a foothold unless Jesus' grave was empty.
A Sunday walk to the tomb could have settled the
matter one way or another.

THE EMPTY TOMB continued
A creative response might be to assert that perhaps the body was indeed in the tomb, but that, very soon
afterwards, the body would have been unrecognizable, due to its decomposition. Or perhaps the tomb was
still simply closed without being opened for inspection. But these questions miss entirely the point of the
Christian preaching that the tomb was empty. Therefore, if any body was found in Jesus' tomb, whether
Jesus' or even someone else's, or if it were still closed, this would have contradicted the teaching that it was
empty. In Jerusalem, the mistake would have been exposed in no time.

2) The most-mentioned argument in support of the Gospel accounts is the unanimous agreement that
women were the first witnesses to the empty tomb. While it is not strictly true that women were disallowed
from testifying in a court of law, it was clearly the case that there was a strong prejudice against using
female testimony for important matters.

Notwithstanding this common stance, the Gospel
accounts insist in their proclamation that the women
were the star witnesses to the empty tomb. But why
should these writers highlight female testimony unless
the women really were the first to discover this fact?
To do so would be to weaken their case considerably
in the eyes of most listeners. Given this situation in first
century Palestine, we can only conclude that the Gospel
authors were clearly convinced that the women had
discovered the empty tomb. They were more interested
in reporting the truth than they were in avoiding criticism.
This argument is very widely recognized and few scholars
have challenged it, which testifies to its strength.

3) While the empty tomb accounts in the Gospels are later than Paul's writings, it is crucially important that
the empty tomb accounts are witnessed by many. In other words, whichever major view of Gospel origins
one takes, the empty tomb narratives arose from more than one independent source. In fact, scholars think
that there could be as many as three or four independent traditions in the Gospels, which very strongly
increases the likelihood that the reports are both early and historical. Along with the Jerusalem location and
the testimony of the women, I think that these are the best arguments in favour of the empty tomb.

4) Most recent scholars seem to agree that, while Paul does not explicitly mention the empty tomb, the
early tradition that this apostle reported to others in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 implies an empty tomb. The listing
of the Gospel content moves from Jesus' death, to his burial, to His resurrection from the dead, to His
appearances. This sequence strongly suggests that, however it may have been transformed, Jesus'
body that died and was buried is the same one that was
raised afterwards. Thus, what was placed in the ground is
precisely what emerged. In short, what went down is what
came up. Such a process would have resulted in the burial
tomb being emptied.

That Paul does not specifically mention the empty tomb
keeps this from being as strong a point as it could have
been. Still, to say so clearly that Jesus' dead body was
buried, raised, and appeared would be a rather strange
process unless the tomb had been vacated in the process.

5) Many scholars also concede that Acts 13 may very well contain another early
tradition, an early sermon account that was included in a book that was written at a later
date. This report, found in Acts 13:29-31, 36-37, is attributed to Paul and clearly teaches
that Jesus' body was placed in a tomb. Then he was raised and appeared to His
followers without undergoing any bodily decomposition. If so, here we would have an
early text where Paul even more strongly acknowledged the empty tomb, because Jesus
appeared and His body did not experience any decay.

6) According to reports that are found in Matthew 28:11-15, Justin Martyr and Tertullian,
for almost two centuries or more, the Jewish leaders tried to explain that the tomb was
empty because Jesus' disciples stole His body. This means that the Jewish hierarchy
even acknowledged the fact that Jesus' body was no longer there!

However, even sceptics freely recognize that the explanation provided by the Jewish
leaders was exceptionally weak. For example, if the disciples stole Jesus' body, how can
we account for their incredible transformations, such as forfeiting their family years, as
well as their jobs, health, and even their peace, all for the right to be chased for decades
around the Roman Empire, just so they could preach a message that they clearly knew
was a false tale? Further, how do we explain their willingness to die for what they knew
was a false proclamation of Jesus' resurrection? Moreover, how does this explanation
allow us to account for the conversion of Jesus' brother James, who had rejected Jesus'
message? And we also lack any convincing reason for Paul's conversion from Judaism.
So, all for the sake of providing a clearly unconvincing alternative account, the Jewish
leaders even admitted the empty tomb!

7) A word should be said about the scholarly thesis of N.T. Wright and
others. In the ancient world—whether pagan, Jewish, or Christian—
writings up until the second century A.D. were in complete agreement
that the very definition of resurrection was clearly a bodily notion. In fact,
there are almost no exceptions to this ancient view that being raised from
the dead is something that, if it ever occurred, could happen only to the
body. So it had this same meaning throughout the Old Testament and
Gospel accounts, as well as in Paul's writings and the rest of the New
Testament teaching about Jesus. This would indicate that Jesus'
resurrection was conceived in a bodily manner, necessitating that the
tomb was empty.

Conclusion
These are some of the reasons why a majority of contemporary scholars recognize the
fact of the empty tomb. Still other arguments could be provided, as well. That is why
historian Michael Grant concludes that "the historian . . . cannot justifiably deny the
empty tomb" because if we apply the same historical criteria that we use elsewhere,
then "the evidence is firm and plausible enough to necessitate the conclusion that the
tomb was indeed found empty."

In light of arguments such as those we have produced here, this conclusion seems to
be very difficult to avoid. The normal application of historical rules to the various data
indicates that, just shortly after his death, Jesus' tomb was indeed found empty.

Easter
Is it a surprise that only Christianity's leader rose from the dead?
The leaders of all other religions can be found in tombs.
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. Jesus rose from the dead on the third day
after His crucifixion. Christians traditionally celebrate His resurrection on Easter Day or
Easter Sunday (also Resurrection Day or Resurrection Sunday), two days after Good Friday, when
He was crucified.
Traditionally Jesus’ death and resurrection took place in AD 33.

Christians throughout the world have a season of fasting, prayer, and penance in the 40 days
leading up to Easter Sunday. The week from the Sunday before Easter Sunday (Palm Sunday) to
Easter Sunday is known as Holy Week. Easter Sunday is followed by the Easter Season which
lasts for the forty days from Easter Day until Ascension Day. The first week of the Easter Season is
known as Easter Week or Bright Week.

Easter is a moveable feast, meaning it is not fixed in relation to the civil calendar.
It depends on a number of factors;
• The Jewish Passover, which depends on the full moon.
• The northern hemisphere's vernal equinox
• Gregorian or Julian Calendars (= why Eastern and Western Easters don’t always coincide).

Easter is linked to the Jewish Passover by much of its symbolism, as well as by its position in the
calendar. The Eastern Orthodox Churches in Australia use the Greek term for Passover; ‘Pascha’.
Secular customs, such as the Easter Bunny and Easter egg hunts, have become part of the
modern celebrations of Easter and are often observed by Christians and non-Christians alike.

The Meaning of Easter
The resurrection of Jesus, which
Easter celebrates, is a foundation of the Christian
faith.
The resurrection established Jesus as the powerful Son of God
(Romans 1:4) and is cited as proof that God will judge the world in
righteousness. (Acts 17:31) God has given Christians "a new birth into a
living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead".
(1 Peter 1:3)

Christians, through faith in the working of God (Colossians 2:12) are
spiritually resurrected with Jesus so that they may walk in a new way of life. (Romans 6:4)

Easter is linked to the Passover and the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt recorded in the Old
Testament through the Last Supper and crucifixion that preceded the resurrection.
• Jesus gave the Passover meal a new meaning, as He prepared Himself and His disciples
for His death in the upper room during the Last Supper.
• He identified the loaf of bread and cup of wine as symbolizing His body soon to be
sacrificed and His blood soon to be shed.

1 Corinthians 5:7 states "Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our
Passover lamb, has been sacrificed"; this refers to the Passover requirement to have no yeast in the house and to the allegory of
Jesus as the Paschal lamb.

In Eastern Orthodox churches, the Pascha service is preceded by a procession outside or around the church. When the procession
leaves the church, there are no lights on. The procession conducts a symbolic and fruitless search for Christ's body, before joyfully
announcing, "Christ is risen!" When the procession returns to the church, hundreds of candles and lamps are lit to symbolize the
splendour of Christ's resurrection, and the Easter Eucharist is celebrated.

The Meaning of Easter
The Resurrection.
The Easter hymn of the Eastern Orthodox churches celebrated Christ’s resurrection and
conquest of death, "Christ is risen from the dead trampling down death by death, and upon
those in the tombs bestowing life."

The Resurrection of Christ
“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in
which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached
to you—unless you believed in vain.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our
sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third
day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
Then He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still
alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then He appeared to James, then to all the
apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared also to me. For I am the least of
the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain.”

On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God
that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.” - Saint
Paul’s first letter to the Church at Corinth, (15:1-11) First Century AD

JESUS IS GOD
Matthew, Mark & Luke’s Gospels
The gospels of Matthew and Luke both begin with a description of the circumstances surrounding Jesus'
conception and birth. Both agree on one very important point: Joseph is not the father of Jesus, but it is God
who caused the miraculous conception in the womb of the Virgin Mary. The agreement of the two gospels
strengthens the credibility of this fact.

Mark does not say anything about Jesus' origin and childhood, however he uses the expression 'son of
Mary', in Mark 6:3 (compare the parallels in Matthew 13:55 and Luke 4:22) which reveals his understanding
about the birth of Jesus. At that time it was common practice to name a person after his father. The fact that
people referred to Jesus as the "son of Mary" suggests that they didn't regard Joseph as His father.

These three gospels deliver a powerful indication of Jesus' divine nature
which can otherwise be derived from a few further passages, such as
Matthew 11:25-30; 23:37-39; Mark 2:1-12.

A full understanding of these passages without acknowledging Jesus' divinity
is impossible.

Matthew 25:31 is a clear indication of Jesus’ divinity by itself, because the
Son of Man Who comes in glory is also the judge of the world, a function
plainly given to God alone. Furthermore, Saint Matthew describes the way
the disciples worshipped Jesus in words that were reserved exclusively for
the worship of God (Matthew 28:9,17) by which he shows clearly Who he
considered Jesus to be. Finally the expression to baptise "in the name of the
Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit" in Matthew 28:19 speaks for itself.

JESUS IS GOD continued
Saint Paul
In his writings we find that Saint Paul never explains Christ's nature to his addressees - he simply shares
with them the belief that Jesus was God.

In Saint Paul’s letter to the Church at Philippi he equates Christ's spirit with the Holy Spirit (1:19),
and right after that (1:23) he defines ‘being with God’ simply as ‘being with Christ’. Chapter 2:5-11
is especially obvious, because here he directly says that Jesus is of the same nature as God,
and receives adoration that is reserved for God alone.

“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, Who, although He existed in the form of
God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-
servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself
by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted
Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY
KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11)

Colossians 1:15 says, "...Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation..." - an
expression that is intended to point out the degree of relationship between the Father and the Son rather
than the succession of further sons after Him. Paul goes on to say, "all things were created by and for Him"
which would be highly blasphemous if Jesus were not God. Later on in 2:9 Paul writes, "For in Christ all the
fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form" which can hardly be interpreted as anything less than God.
Likewise, in Titus 2:13 he expresses what all Christians are waiting for: "...the appearing of the glory of our
great God and Saviour Jesus Christ."

Unarguably there is only one saviour, God Himself!

Other parts of the New Testament

If we consider the rest of the New Testament scriptures we can find a number of conclusive arguments.

Luke renders the words of Stephen during his martyrdom (Acts 7:51-60) in a way that Jesus' Messiahship,
divinity and humanity are so closely connected that the only reasonable solution is to acknowledge that He is
both God and man.

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews testifies to Jesus' divinity by quoting from the Old Testament. He refers
the messianic Psalm 45 to Jesus rendering the Hebrew 'Elohim' with the Greek word 'Theos' (1:8f.), which
makes every attempt to consider Jesus lower than God doomed to failure. Further on he directs the praise
given to God in Psalm 102 to Christ (1:10-12), which proves again that the Christians considered Jesus to be
the creator.

Finally, Peter's frequent repetition of the terms, "Lord" and
"Saviour" in his second letter reveals his own conviction.
These terms are explicitly applied to Jesus in 1:1, 2, 8, 11,
14, 16; 2:1, 20; 3:2, 18 and rather to God in 2:9, 11; 3:8, 15,
though these passages could also be applied to Jesus,
which shows clearly that Peter believed in Jesus' divinity.

John’s Gospel
All these testimonies - and even more could be mentioned - are confirmed, deepened and surpassed by the
writings of John the apostle. He does not begin his gospel with a description of the circumstances
surrounding Jesus' birth. Instead he invites his audience to see the depths and mysteries of Christ's nature -
not in order to mystify, but to illuminate God's great love for His creation and so to explain the background of
Jesus' coming.

Already in his first words (1:1-3) Saint John leaves no room for doubt that the Word of God - the 'Logos' - is of
the same nature as God the Father Himself. John tells us plainly that this 'Word' became flesh (1:14) -
unambiguous proof for the two natures of Christ. Verse 18 deserves special attention due to the statement,
"...the only begotten God..." (NU-Text ) - or according to some other early manuscripts, "the only begotten
Son"; - "...Who is in the bosom of the Father..." which makes the equality clear on account of the procreation.
Since God is spirit (John 4:24) and His existence is eternal, this procreation can also only be eternal. Verse
18 is an appropriate characterisation of the intimate relationship between the two persons Who are in
complete unity both in nature and mind.

This message is repeated and confirmed in the subsequent chapters that describe Jesus' ministry. However
John does not neglect the human side of Christ either. On the contrary, this gospel - a first hand account
written by one of the Lord's closest acquaintances - portrays in a vivid and believable fashion the remarkable
ministry of Jesus, as well as the thoughts of the disciples who had to internalise all the drastic and
challenging realities taking place before their eyes. John provides the reader with a clear and believable
insight into the far-reaching consequences of the events he experienced and the knowledge and
understanding that resulted.

John’s Gospel continued...

The way Jesus identified Himself, namely as the true image and the perfect minister of God is testified in
numerous passages. It is entirely understandable that He used clear statements concerning His divinity in
moderation, because even His messianic claim caused increasing opposition. But it was just in the heated
controversies with His main adversaries that He could not and did not hide the truth about Himself, not least
due to the presence of His disciples and secret followers.

“Before Abraham was born, I AM”

Thus, in John 8:37-59, in the course of the dispute over whether His opponents were true descendants of
Abraham, we find a powerful statement about His deity, to which they responded with 'appropriate' indignation.
His statement, "I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I AM" (8,58) far exceeds the claim - in itself
hardly acceptable - of having existed before Abraham (8:56) leaving no room for an interpretation other than "I
am God". This striking grammatical error had never been corrected in the course of copying manuscripts,
since all copyists throughout all ages understood the meaning of the words, "I AM" - this is the name of God
from Exodus 3:14.

“I and the Father are one”

Likewise, the Jews felt challenged to stone Jesus in the situation depicted in chapter 10:22-39, since Jesus
claimed to have authority to give life and salvation. His words, "I and the Father are one" must have appeared
to be an example of unspeakable blasphemy to his already irritated listeners. And, really, even if strictly
speaking this statement still allows the interpretation, "I and the Father are entirely like-minded, one in spirit,
and we pursue exactly the same goal", naming oneself and the Father in one breath and in this sequence
strengthens the claim of having divine attributes enormously.

The testimony of Jesus’ deeds

The testimony of Jesus' deeds made His words reliable. But even the greatest sign he ever performed -
raising Lazarus from the dead, the sign that overshadowed all the other incredible miracles - would not
change their mind. On the contrary, it transformed the stubbornness and hatred of the High Priests and the
Pharisees into a specific plan to eliminate Jesus.

On the final evening before his crucifixion Jesus revealed many important things to His disciples, and in so
doing continued to support the reliability of His words "Trust in God, trust also in me; I am the way and the
truth and the life; Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father; I am in the Father, and the Father is in
me" (14:1-10) by the testimony of His deeds; “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or
else believe on account of the works themselves” (14:11). He also provided His disciples with a deeper
insight into His relationship with the Father, and last but not least He explained to them the role of the Holy
Spirit. Although in this matter the disciples still displayed a rather low level of understanding - as we see from
their questions and statements in 14:5, 8, 22 16:17f. + 29f.

“My Lord and my God”

Slowly but surely the seed of faith started to sprout, culminating in Thomas' spontaneous confession, "My
Lord and my God" (20:28). Certainly Thomas, who had even doubted the resurrection of the Lord (20:24-25),
did not suddenly come to a deeper understanding of Christ than all the other disciples. Rather he expressed
what his fellow disciples had understood all the more before him. That is the conviction John wanted to get
across and to strengthen throughout his whole gospel.

Revelation

In Revelation Saint John reaffirms what he claimed before in saying that Jesus is the "First and the
Last" (1:17; cf. Isaiah 44:6), Who is worthy of praise in the same way as the One Who is sitting on His throne
(5:12-14), and Who, like God (21:6), is "the Alpha and the Omega" (22:13). The fact that John refers the
clearest monotheistic statements in the Old Testament (Isaiah 40:10 & 62:11) to Jesus should actually
compel all the deniers of Jesus' divinity to surrender unconditionally. Otherwise they must consider John to
be a heretic who wanted to undermine the Jewish belief in the one and only God, something that was surely
unthinkable for John and the rest of the New Testament writers. Instead, they consistently testify that the
Almighty God has revealed that He Himself is the Messianic Saviour of His nation and of all people, showing
His everlasting love to the world in His one and only begotten Son.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have
eternal life.”

Final thoughts

If Jesus was not God, why didn’t He ever deny that He was
claiming to be God?

Why was Jesus crucified? It was because the Jews knew
He was claiming to be their messiah (also see Matthew
14:32-33 where Jesus accepted worship from the disciples).

HOW JESUS CHANGED THE WORLD
Jesus Transformed people
Jesus Christ’s exemplary life, His suffering, death and physical resurrection from the dead transformed lives.
First his handpicked disciples were transformed and they in turn changed and transformed much of the
world: its morals, ethics, health care, education, economics, science, law, the fine arts and government.

The early Christians, who were persecuted for three centuries, did not set out to change the world. The
changes occurred as a by-product of their transformed lives. Their faith in Jesus obliged them to reject
pagan gods along with the accompanying immoral lifestyles of the Greco-Romans. For this they were
persecuted. But such was the certainty of their belief and the courage they received supernaturally that they
continued to follow Jesus. Eventually, this demonstration of faith turned the empire culturally upside down. In
363A.D. Emperor Julian the Apostate said, “vicisti Galilaee” “You Galileans have conquered”.

Christian Influence on the Sanctity of life
• The message of the early Christians was one of practical love and forgiveness,
by word and deed, to all; regardless of race, sex, ethnicity, poverty or wealth.
• The sanctity of human life was important to the followers of Jesus, in contrast
to the ancient Romans who held a low view of human life. This low view resulted
in a lack of outrage at atrocities. Our revulsion at murder and cruelty is largely
the result of our culture having internalized the Christian ethic that holds life to
be sacred.
• The moral teachings of Jesus also made a significant difference to the sexual
behaviour of His followers, by elevating sexual behaviour to a level far above
pagan practices at that time.

JESUS TRANSFORMED PEOPLE
The Christian influence on the dignity and Freedom of Women
The dignity, freedom and rights of women were raised to a level previously unknown in any culture. We see
women with greater freedom, opportunity and sense of worth in countries influenced by Christianity. In China
it was the influence of Christian missionaries that eventually led the Chinese government to outlaw the
dehumanizing and mutilating practice of foot-binding in 1912.

The Christian connection to Charity and compassion
The followers of Jesus led the greatest humanitarian movement in history. Sympathy for the poor is a Judeo-
Christian concept that was prominent in the teaching of Christ. The rich and well-to-do in Greece and Rome
at the time of the early Christian era despised the poor. The early Christians set a model which today’s
modern secular societies seek to imitate, but often without Christian motivation. The early monasteries
provided care and compassion for the poor and sick. More recently, as missionaries reached out across the
world they established hospitals, founded orphanages started rescue missions and worked to change unfair
laws. In short, the compassion of Christ led them to “live as if people mattered.”

Swiss born, Jean Henri Dunant (1828-1910) was moved by his Christian
beliefs to establish an organization that would console and bind the
wounds of the suffering. He established the International Red Cross.
His faith led him to choose the Christian cross as the new organization’s
symbol.

Christianity's imprint on education
From the fourth to the tenth century we see the beginning of Christian education. Cathedral and Episcopal
schools taught not only Christian doctrine but also the seven liberal arts, the trivium (grammar, rhetoric and
logic) and quadrivium (arithmetic, music, geometry and astronomy). Episcopal schools were mainly for the
training of Priests. Children attended Cathedral schools, monasteries or nunneries. By the ninth century
Christians also had parish schools. From the start both girls and boys were educated. Individuals from all
social classes and ethnic backgrounds were taught. Teaching included preparation for church membership.
Tax-supported public schools are a concept that first came from the mind of Martin Luther. Before this time
education was supported and operated by the church. With regard to the early origin of universities, history
points us to St. Benedict of Nursia (480-543). The Benedictines invented a library system and provided the
academic foundations from which the first university arose: the medical school in Salerno, Italy.

The Christian attitude towards dignity of work
Greco-Roman society despised manual work, which it regarded as only fit for slaves. Christians held to the
admonitions of St. Paul to the church in Thessalonica; “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” (2
Thessalonians 3:10). The condemnation of slothfulness and a view of labour and work as honourable and
pleasing to God, led to a strong work ethic and prosperity usually followed. There was a certain
understanding of fairness in the gospels, “a worker is worthy of his hire” (Luke 10:7). Fair treatment and
dignity for the worker produced profound economic effects. Christianity was one of the principal dynamic
forces in the agricultural revolution.

HOW JESUS CHANGED THE WORLD continued
Christian influence in the world of Science
In the world of Science from the middle-ages to the mid-eighteenth century virtually all scientists were
sincere Christian believers. Often they were inspired by biblical principles and propositions in their theories.
To them God could not be ignored. Some examples would include Leonardo da Vinci who contributed to
human anatomy, optics and physics; Ambroise who first developed the method of tying off arteries to stop
bleeding; Kepler who discovered the elliptical movement of planets and defined and confirmed astronomical
laws; Galileo; who was first to use a telescope to study the skies; William Harvey who discovered the
circulation of the blood; Pascal who discovered that liquid exerts pressure and that barometric pressures
vary with altitude; Boyle who discovered Boyle’s law, which states that ‘the volume of gas varies inversely
with its pressure’; Sir Isaac Newton who discovered the law of gravity; Priestley who discovered oxygen;
Ampere who discovered that electrical currents produce magnetic fields
(hence the use of the word ‘amps’; )Ohm who formulated Ohm’s law, concerning electrical current; Faraday
who discovered electromagnetic induction; Pasteur who founded microbiology;
Joseph Lister who found that antiseptics reduced infection thus revolutionizing
surgery. All these men professed faith in Christ.

The conclusion may be drawn that Christianity’s values provided the fertile
stimulus for the development of science and encouraged many of its educated
adherents to study the world of nature. Present day scientists stand on the
shoulders of pioneering Christians who were earnest about their faith.
This fact is sadly forgotten in today’s post Christian culture.

Influence of Christianity on Law
In our post modern society there is little awareness that the liberties and rights operating in free societies are
to a great degree the result of Judeo-Christian influence. From the time of Moses, the testimony of two
witnesses was required to convict a person accused of a crime (Deuteronomy 19:15). This is still part of our
legal system today. The Magna Carta signed by King John at Runnymede in England in 1215 granted that
no one could be imprisoned without trial, no taxes could be levied without representation, and property could
not be taken from an owner without compensation. The preamble made reference to its formulation being
“out of reverence for God and for the salvation of our souls and those of our ancestors and heirs, for the
honour of God and the exaltation of Holy Church and the reform of our realm”.

Equality
The concept of equality of the individual originates with spiritual equality. Moses told the Israelites that God
“shows no partiality” (Deuteronomy 10:17). We read in the book of Acts 10:34-35 “God does not show
favouritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.” Also we see in Galatians
3:28 that all races, people of every status as well as men and women, are spiritual equals once baptized.
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are
all one in Christ.”

Human rights
Sir Malcolm Muggeridge, once not a believer but later a follower of Jesus and a strong defender of
Christianity, said: “We must not forget that our human rights are derived from the Christian faith. In Christian
terms every single human being, whoever he or she may be, sick or well, clever or foolish, beautiful or ugly,
every human being is loved by his Creator, who, as the Gospels tell us, counted the hairs of his head.”
Supporters of communism, fascism and other highly centralized governmental systems dislike the freedom
of the individual because it impedes authoritarian control of its citizens.

Separation of Church and State’
The concept of ‘Separation of Church and State’ originates with the words of Jesus when the Pharisees tried
to trap Him by asking whether it was lawful to give tax money to the Roman Caesar. Jesus asked whose
inscription was on the coin, “Caesar’s” they replied. Jesus answered “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and
to God what is God’s.” (Matthew 22:21). The understanding of this concept has been that both Church and
Government serve complementary roles in a civilised society. When Jesus made this statement he did not
intend to have Caesar (the government) jettison God from public life!

Where Christian ideals have been generally accepted and their practices sincerely attempted, there is a real
freedom.

Abolition of Slavery: a Christian Achievement
The foundation for the abolition of slavery is to be found in Saint Paul’s letter to Philemon. Onesimus had
been a slave of Philemon; he had run away and was being returned to his owner with instructions from Saint
Paul that he was no longer to treat Onesimus
as a slave but rather as a brother. Paul told
Philemon, in effect, that as a Christian he was no
longer to practice slavery. The early Christians
received slaves into their membership and freed
them when they were able. Many efforts to remove
slavery followed: Wilberforce in Britain, the
abolitionists in America, Martin Luther King Jr.
and the civil rights laws of the 1960’s to remove
racial segregation.

Christian Influence on Art and Architecture
The influence of Christianity on art has been evident since the early centuries. Christian artwork of the third
century has been discovered in the catacombs. Truth and religious significance in Christian artwork has the
potential to renew man’s life as it often contains a supernatural element. The early icons and later art of the
Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the Reformation era all conveyed an awareness of God and an
understanding of the significance and
meaning of the Biblical events portrayed.
Many poor and illiterate Christians learned
the content of the Bible through Christian
frescoes, stained glass windows and
sculptures. Many of these art works are
of high artistic calibre and have made a
long-standing contribution to the world of art.

ARCHITECTURE
Architecture
The most noteworthy of the early churches, decorated with mosaic art and icons, was Hagia Sophia
(meaning ‘Holy Wisdom’, referring to Christ) in Constantinople (now Istanbul). This large Cathedral was
built by Justinian the Great between A.D. 532-37 and is the largest Church ever built. Its massive dome,
nearly two hundred feet high, resting on four arches, had its interior beautified with gold-covered glass
mosaic cubes, about one hundred and fifty million of them, made of one thousand tons of glass. It
created an image of the concept of the world governed ‘from above.’ When Justinian had completed this
structure he said, “Glory to God, who has deemed me worthy of fulfilling such a work. O Solomon, I have
surpassed you.” (Referring to the temple built by Solomon in the Old Testament). This building has not
been a Christian church since the Ottomans conquered Constantinople in 1453. After the conquest the
gold mosaic was covered with white plaster and even today has only been partly restored. The church
has been a secular museum since the early 1930’s. One architect sadly noted, “Gone are the believers,
the priests, the incense, the colours, the music, the choirs, the murmurs and the rituals.”

Numerous other churches and cathedrals were built after Hagia Sophia, all built to glorify God and to
edify the followers of Jesus. In some Orthodox countries like Russia churches redesigned the domes to
resemble the shape of onions. The interior of these Byzantine churches are typically adorned with
brightly coloured icons and mosaics; of Christ, the Virgin Mary with Christ as well as revered saints. On
the dome’s interior there is often an icon depicting Christ the Pantocrator (Ruler of the Universe). The
Gothic style of European Cathedrals has left a lasting impression on the world, renowned for their
beautiful stained glass windows. These magnificent windows are yet another product that the followers of
Jesus bequeathed to the world of art and architecture.

CHRISTIAN MUSIC
Music
Christians have always sought to honour God through music and song. The early Christians,
like their Jewish ancestors, sang psalms. References to ‘hymns and spiritual songs’ are found
in the New Testament. (Colossians 3:16, Ephesians 5:19 and 1 Corinthians 14:26).

The earliest style of singing was called Monophonic which meant that all voices sang a simple melody
without accompaniment and without harmonization. St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, (340-97) introduced the
concept of congregational participation and of antiphonal singing. He also introduced what became known as
‘Ambrosian chant’. By the ninth century Gregorian chant, or plainsong, was used, sung monophonically and
named in honour of Gregory the great (Pope from 590-604).

Polyphonic music, which is the parallel movement of melodic lines, combining two or more melodies in
harmony, was introduced by a French Benedictine monk called Ubalus Hucbald (840-930). Another
Benedictine monk by the name of Guido of Arezzo (995-1050) introduced the staff of four lines on which the
pitch of notes could be written. From then on musicians were able to notate music. So we have two
Benedictine monks to thank for music notation.

Then followed the composition of Motets (13th century) Madrigals (14th century) Anthems (16th century)
Oratorios (16th century) Symphonies (16th century) Sonatas(16th century) Cantatas (17th century). From
Christianity’s earliest years and for centuries thereafter, Christian musicians gave beauty and majesty to
western music, even to secular pieces.

Opera
By the ninth century biblical stories were dramatised and performed in song in France. Operas, which
became popular during the Renaissance, evolved out of these Church dramas.

Influential Christian Authors
Christianity has made immense contributions to the world of literature. First, by revering the Biblical texts,
then by honouring the extra biblical works of the Church Fathers.

There are many great books that have influenced society because of the faith of their Christian authors. The
following are a very small selection:

Eusebius (280-339) was a follower of Jesus who wrote treaties and monographs in the early centuries of
Christianity. His Ecclesiastical history is an outstanding work without which we would know very little about
events that transpired in the church’s first three hundred years. The vast number of historical details and
characters chronicled and discussed in this work are astounding considering data was collected in the early
fourth century.

The Venerable Bede (673-735), an English monk, wrote, An Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation.
This provides the first useful history of the Christian church in England in the Middle Ages. The work is in
Latin. The book includes is information on the struggle between Roman and Celtic style Christianity. It is
considered to be one of the most important original references on Anglo-Saxon history. The book is believed
to date from 731 when Bede was about 59 years old. This is the first work to use the Latin phrase Anno Ab
Incarnatione Domini (‘after the Lord’s incarnation’, abbreviated to A.D.)
Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400) wrote the famous Canterbury Tales. These are a collection of stories written
in Middle English. (English spoken between 1154-1485). The tales (mostly in verse, although some are in
prose) are told as part of a story-telling contest between a group of pilgrims as they travel together on a
journey from Southwark to Canterbury. Chaucer uses the tales to paint an ironic portrait of English society
and the church at the time and gives keen Christian insights. He introduced the favourite metrical form of
English poetry.

John Bunyan (1628-88), a Puritan preacher and writer has stirred the spiritual emotions of readers for
generations. While in prison for his religious beliefs he wrote Pilgrim’s Progress. This is an allegory of a
Christian's journey (here represented by a character called 'Christian') from the "City of Destruction" to the
"Celestial City". Along the way he visits such locations as the Slough of Despond, Vanity Fair, the Doubting
Castle, and the Valley of the Shadow of Death. As we encounter similar trials we learn for ourselves the
accuracy with which Bunyan has described them. This is a book ‘once read and never forgotten’. It is
considered a masterpiece of English literature.

Charles Dickens (1812-70) was the most popular English novelist of the Victorian era, and he remains
popular. Some of his most well known books are: Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield,
Bleak House, Our Mutual Friend, Oliver Twist and Little Dorrit.

A Christmas Carol has engraved in many people’s minds the idea that Christmas is a time for goodwill and
giving. The main character, Mr. Scrooge is known for saying “bah” and “humbug” to those who found joy in
Christmas. After some dream he becomes a changed man; kind and charitable. Although Dickens’
Christmas story fails to note the real purpose of Christmas, namely that it is a special day celebrating God
becoming man in Jesus Christ in order to redeem mankind, he at
least emphasises the goodwill that is a by-product of Christmas.
This story includes the first introduction of the Christmas turkey.
The story has been said to have done more good than all the
pulpits of Christendom. Certainly it has left Christmas more
sentimental in character and more universally observed than
before.

Lewis Wallace (1827-1905) an American General who was the author of Ben-Hur. (Its subtitle is “A
Tale of Christ”.) The novel focuses on a young Jewish male at the time of Christ, who sees Jesus
perform miracles, including the healing of his mother’s and sister’s leprosy. He witnesses the
crucifixion, becomes Christian and gives his life to promoting the Christian faith. Wallace wrote the
novel to counteract atheistic comments made to him by a onetime officer in the U.S. Army. The book
reveals the powerful effects of the life and work of Christ. Ben-Hur is still in print. The movie version is
still popular on T.V. during the Easter season, indicating its long standing appeal to millions of
viewers.

C.S. Lewis (1898-1963). Born in Ireland and for a while a lapsed Anglican who later became a powerful
apologist for Christianity. Lewis used words and imagery in his writings that caught the attention of the
modern society.
The Chronicles of Narnia series have been popularized on stage, T.V., radio and cinema. Screwtape
Letters is an account of a conversation between Screwtape (the devil in hell) and Wormwood (his
delegate on earth), instructing him on how to get human souls to end up in hell. Screwtape knows the
weaknesses of modern followers of Jesus. So he tells Wormwood to encourage them to look for a church
that suits their personal tastes, where the traditional liturgy is watered down, where a lot of new
psychology is used, and where novelty is in vogue. Wormwood is also told to introduce them to sex
outside of marriage, intemperate drinking and other sensual pleasures, because these are excellent
means of getting them into the enemy’s camp.

Mere Christianity was published in 1943. This is a
hallmark of Christian literature. He shows that
Christianity makes sense. “When you are arguing
against God you are arguing against the very power
that makes you able to argue at all: it is like cutting
off the branch you are sitting on.” Lewis’ works have
been translated into more than 30 languages.

J.R.Tolkien authored The Lord of the Rings. It was largely due to the influence of Tolkien that Lewis became
a follower of Jesus in his adult life. Both authors were leading figures in the English faculty at Oxford
University and were great friends.

Literature from the Eastern Churches
Over the past fifty years many works have been translated into English from Greek and Russian and this
has enabled a greater appreciation of the Orthodox faith and the writings of the Early Church Fathers.
Saint John Climacus (Greek for ‘of the ladder’) wrote The Ladder of Divine Ascent for monastics in the sixth
century. It is an ascetical treatise on avoiding vice and practicing virtue so that salvation can be obtained. It
has become one of the most highly influential and important works for followers of Jesus in the Eastern
Orthodox Tradition and helps guide them to a God-centred life. It is second only in use to Holy Scripture.
The Way of a Pilgrim is the English title of a 19th century Russian work, recounting the unnamed narrator’s
journey across Russia while practicing the Jesus Prayer. It is not known whether the book is literally an
account of a single pilgrim, or if it uses a fictional pilgrim’s journey as a vehicle to teach the practice of
ceaseless inner prayer and communion with God.
Metropolitan Kallistos Ware (Born1934), also known by his lay name, Timothy Ware. He is a Metropolitan of
the Ecumenical Patrarchate in Great Britain. From 1966-2001 he was the Spalding Lecturer of Eastern
Orthodox Studies at Oxford University. His most well known book is The Orthodox Church first published in
1963. This is widely read and available in most book stores. There is also a later sequel called The Orthodox
Way. Metropolitan Ware is also highly regarded for his translation work most notably of the Philokalia.
(Philokalia means ‘love of the beautiful’; it is a collection of texts written between the fourth and fifteenth
centuries by spiritual masters of the Eastern Orthodox Church and were originally written for the guidance of
monks in the practice of the contemplative life.)

HOW JESUS CHANGED THE WORLD: Holy-days
During the first three hundred years Christians often suffering severe persecution and had no voice in the
public affairs of society. However, they still commemorated and celebrated the key events that highlighted
the life and acts of Jesus Christ and other events of early Christian history. After Emperor Constantine
legalized Christianity in 313 A.D., these commemorative events became widely institutionalized throughout
the Roman Empire. ‘Holidays’ is a religious word. It originally meant ‘holy days’, a term of Christian origin
from the Middle ages. Christmas Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Pentecost were considered to be
holy days because of the events they commemorated.

Sunday was chosen as a day for formal worship because Christ physically rose from the dead on the first
day of the week. This was a major departure from the Judaic religious custom which still holds Saturday as
the Hebrew Sabbath. An early Christian Document called The Didache, written between A.D. 85-110
describes Sunday as ‘The Lord’s Day’. (The first line of this treatise is:‘Teaching of the Lord to the Gentiles
(or Nations) by the Twelve Apostles.’)

Christmas comes from ‘Christ’s Mass’ referring to the Mass celebrated on that day to honour the birth of
Jesus.

New Year’s Day was eight days after Christmas day and therefore commemorated Jesus being taken to the
temple to be circumcised according to the Jewish law. This is still commemorated in many churches today.

Easter is the name used in the West for the time to commemorate the physical resurrection of Christ. In the
East the event is known as Pascha (Greek for the Hebrew word Passover, referring to the time of the
exodus when the Hebrew’s were freed from slavery in Egypt). Jesus celebrated this Jewish festival the
night before His trial.

Expressions we use every day.
Goodbye. Shortened form of ‘God be with ye’
– a Christian greeting at the time of departure.

What do the Followers of Jesus believe?
"The Nicene Creed"
is the creed or profession of faith that is most widely used in Christian worship.
It was adopted in the city of Nicaea by the first ecumenical council in the year 325AD.
The Nicene Creed has been normative for most Christians

THE NICENE CREED
• I believe in one God, Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible
and invisible.
• 
And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten from the Father
before all ages, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten not made, one in
essence with the Father; through Him all things were made.
• 
For our sake and for our salvation He came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the
Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became man
• 
And He was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried;
• 
And He rose again on the third day, in accordance with the Scriptures,
• 
And ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
• 
He is coming again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end.
• 
And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, Who proceeds from the Father,
Who together with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
• 
Who spoke through the Prophets.
• 
I believe in one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
• 
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
• 
I look for the resurrection of the dead,
• 
And the life of the age to come. 1

What do the Followers of Jesus believe?

1

What makes us so sure that God exists at all-especially
when we can't see, you, or touch him?
• Many things that are real can't be seen or sensed in normal ways.
• The existence of the universe and its fine tuning.
• The objective moral standards among people around the world...
... all point to the existence of a God who is outside the universe but who
caused it, shaped it in an amazingly precise fashion so it could support life,
and built morality into the fabric of what it means to be human.

Our individual experience of God supports all this evidence.

WHAT CHRISTIANS BELIEVE ABOUT THE BIBLE
Christianity is a revealed faith. We cannot find out about God unless God reveals Himself. God has revealed
Himself first through the Prophets, as recorded in the Old Testament, and more recently in the person of
Jesus Christ, Who is God’s ultimate revelation.

“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in
these last days spoken to us by His Son”. Hebrews 1:1

The main way we know about Jesus is through The Bible record. The following is a quote from Dr.
Christopher Chavasse, formerly Bishop of Rochester U.K.

“The Bible is the portrait of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Gospels are
the figure itself in the portrait. The Old Testament is the background
leading up to the divine figure, pointing towards it and absolutely
necessary to the composition as a whole. The epistles serve as the
dress and accoutrement of the divine figure, explaining and describing
it. Then while by our Bible reading we study the portrait as a great
whole, the miracle happens, the figure comes to life and stepping
down from the canvas of the written word, the everlasting Christ of the
Emmaus story becomes Himself our Bible teacher, to interpret to us
in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.”

The Emmaus story refers to the resurrection appearance of Jesus on
the road to Emmaus referred to in Luke 24:13-35. “Did not our hearts
burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and opened the
Scriptures to us?” (verse 32).

FACTS ABOUT THE BIBLE
The reliability of the New Testament has been shown by the number of manuscript attestations especially
when compared to the texts of other historical works of the same period. (E.g.; Livy’s Roman History written
in 59B.C.-A.D. 17. The earliest copy we have of this is dated A.D. 900 (a 900 year gap from the original) and
the number of copies known to exist is 20. Also the Histories of Tacitus, written in 100A.D., have only 20
surviving copies and the earliest surviving copy is dated 1100A.D. (a 1,000 year gap from the original). In
contrast, The New Testament was written between A.D. 40 and A.D. 100 and we have excellent full
manuscripts of the whole New Testament dating from as early as A.D. 350 (some are stored in The British
Museum, London). There is also a fragment of St. John’s gospel (which was written in the latter part of the
first century), dated between A.D.80- A.D.130 (stored in the Rylands Library, Manchester, England). This is a
very small gap of decades, rather than millennia. The number of surviving documents is enormous compared
to the others. There are over 5,000 Greek manuscripts, over 10,000 Latin manuscripts and 9,300 other
manuscripts, as well as over 36,000 citings in the writings of the Early Church Fathers. According to F.F.
Bruce (Rylands Professor of Biblical criticism and exegesis, Manchester University, England) “The interval
between the dates of original composition and the earliest extant evidence become so small as to be in fact
negligible, and the last
foundation for any doubt that the Scriptures have come
down to us substantially as they were written has now
been removed. Both the authenticity and the general
integrity of the books of the New Testament may be
regarded as finally established.”

The Bible is uniquely popular and has always been
a best selling book. It has been estimated that around
one million copies of the Bible are sold every week.

The Bible also appears to be uniquely powerful, offering readers an opportunity to meet with the
supernatural powers of good; to meet with the living God. Followers of Jesus believe that the writers were
inspired by God. The following interesting quote was made by The English Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin in
May 1928:

“The Bible is a high explosive. But it works in strange ways and no living man can tell or know how that
book, in its journey through the world, has startled the individual soul in ten thousand different places into a
new life, a new world, a new belief, a new conception, a new faith.”

The Bible is a Manual for life and acts as a guide on how to act and informing about what is right and wrong
in God’s eyes. The Ten Commandments are a brilliant analysis of the conditions on which society, a people,
a nation can live a sober, righteous and civilized life. It teaches that it is right to give, to forgive, to aid those
in need, to care, to love, to be humble, to live wisely in relationships with others etc. Rules like these do not
restrict freedom but result in freedom and joy. A sport played with no referee and no rules would be chaotic.
As a society drifts from God’s guidelines disorder increases. The following quote is from David Suchet, a
leading Shakespearean actor and well known for his title role in Poirot. He describes his experience of
coming to faith through reading a Gideon Bible in a hotel. (The Gideons are an organization dedicated to
distributing Bibles).

“From somewhere I got this desire to read the Bible again. That’s the most important part of my conversion. I
started with the Acts of the Apostles and then moved to Paul’s Letters - Romans and Corinthians. And it was
only after that I came to the gospels. In the New Testament I suddenly discovered the way that life should be
followed.”

Reading the Bible leads to an experience of transformation in a person’s relationship with God and their
ability to believe in Him. Transformation also occurs as readers experience peace in the midst of life’s crises,
guidance in times of uncertainty, the ability to forgive others, an ability to see one’s own selfishness and to
resist temptation. The nineteenth century English preacher D.L. Moody pointed out, “The Bible was not
given to increase our knowledge. It was given to change our lives.”

Timeline
Jesus of Nazareth founded His church in AD 33, after His resurrection from the dead, with the
following words to His disciples; “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
(Matthew 28:18-20).

Since then, in obedience to this command, His church has
grown into the largest of the major religions of the world.
Throughout it’s history, the Church has had to work at clarifying its understanding of God
as revealed in the Person of Jesus Christ.
From time to time disagreements have arisen and been dealt with
as necessary. Usually it results in a clarification of belief (for
example the seven ecumenical councils, out of which came the
Nicene Creed). Sometimes a different group of churches or
denominations has resulted. The largest groupings of Christians
in the world today are the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern
Orthodox Church and the Protestant Churches.

Christianity began spreading from Jerusalem, and then throughout
the Near East. It became the state religion of Armenia in 301 , of
Ethiopia in 325, of Georgia in 337, and then the State church of the Roman Empire in 380,
becoming common to all of Europe in the Middle Ages.
it expanded throughout the world during the European exploration and discovery of large
parts of the world, including Australia in the 15th – 17th centuries.
Christianity has become the world's largest religion.
2

Where are the Followers of Jesus
in the world today?
The map is a rough guide. For example there are about 24 million Christians
in India (more than the total population of Australia!) but this is only 2.3% of
India's population so it doesn’t show up on the diagram below.

3

A brief history of Christianity in China
The first documented case of Christianity entering China was in the 7th century, which is known from the Nestorian Stele, a
stone tablet dated 781 A.D. and discovered in 1623. It records that Christians reached the Tang Dynasty capital Xi’an in 635 and
were allowed to establish places of worship and to propagate their faith. The leader of the Christian travellers was Alopen, a
Syrian missionary monk. This faith was known to the Chinese as jinjiao, the Persian faith.

The 13th century saw the Mongol-established Yuan Dynasty in China. Christianity was a major influence in the Mongol Empire,
as several Mongol tribes were primarily Nestorian Christian, and many of the wives of Genghis Khan’s descendants were
strongly Christian. Contacts with western Christianity also came in this time period, via envoys from the Papacy to the Mongol
capital in Khanbaliq (Beijing)

In 1289, Franciscan friars from Europe initiated mission work in China. For about a century they worked in parallel with the
Nestorian Christians. The Franciscan mission collapsed in 1368, as the Ming Dynasty set out to eject all foreign influences,
including Christianity and Buddhism, from China.

In 1582 the Jesuits once again initiated mission work in China, introducing
western science, mathematics, and astronomy. In the early 18th century a
dispute within the Roman Catholic Church arose over whether Chinese folk
religion rituals and offerings to their ancestors constituted idolatry. The Pope
ruled against tolerating of these practices among the Chinese RC converts.
Following this the Emperor banned Christianity.

Further waves of missionaries came to China in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)
as a result of contact with foreign powers. Russian Orthodoxy was introduced in
1715 predominately in Harbin, and Protestants began entering China in 1807.

In the 1800’s, many overseas missionaries came to China, such as the London
Missionary Society, and China Inland Mission. There were now Chinese
translations of the Bible. During the 1840’s western missionaries spread
Christianity rapidly. During this time many Chinese became Christians.
continued...

A brief history of Christianity in China
...continued

In 1895 the Boxer Uprising was in part a reaction against Christianity in China. The boxers
violently attacked foreigners, western Christians, and especially Chinese Christians.

In 1924 the anti Christian Movement made a comeback by linking Christianity to Imperialism.
Christianity was criticized as being the “Slave of the western capitalist countries”

In 1949 foreign missionaries were expelled from China as the government tried to gain control over all religions. From 1966 to
1976 during the Cultural revolution, the expression of religious life in China was effectively banned. The government required
the churches (Catholic & Protestant) to be registered, Catholics (Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association) and Protestant (The
Three-Self Patriotic Movement, China Christian Council), subjecting them to state monitoring and restrictions
involving personnel, preaching topics and congregational composition.

In 1979 the government restored the TSPM after 13 years of non existence, and in 1980 the China Christian Council was
formed. Since loosening restrictions on religion after the 1970’s Christianity has grown significantly within the
PRC but it is still tightly controlled by the government. Today the Chinese language divides Christians into two groups. Jidu
jiao (literally, Christianity) Protestantism, and Tianzhu jiao (“Lord of heaven” religion), Catholicism

Christianity in China is a growing minority religion that comprises Protestants (39 million), Catholics (14 million), and a smaller
number of Orthodox Christians, as well as the many Chinese Christians who also meet in “unregistered” house church
meetings. Estimated total Christians in China is 54 million. It is hard to get an exact figure as the numbers from various
sources vary considerably.

5

Christian Heroes
FAMOUS MEN AND WOMEN WHO’S FAITH IN JESUS
CHRIST AFFECTED THEIR LIVES AND THE COURSE OF HUMAN
HISTORY.
Isaac Newton (1642-1727) Born in England.
• Mathematician, invented calculus
• Astronomer
• Philosopher
• Discovered gravity
• His three laws of motion have enabled Scientists to calculate the
path of a rocket to the moon
• Invented the reflecting telescope.

Sir Isaac Newton was also a great Christian and Bible scholar.
He left over a million words of notes on the Bible.
He said “The true God is a living, intelligent and powerful being”

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) Born in Germany.
• Musical composer
• Works include: Messiah, Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks.
The Messiah was a miracle of creativity by a Christian believer, composed
in just 24 days. After writing the music of the Hallelujah chorus Handel
exclaimed through tears ‘I did think I saw all heaven before me’
250 years later this amazing work on Christ’s life is still famous and
marvelled at every Christmas and Easter the world over.

9

Followers of Jesus who have made a difference
FAMOUS MEN AND WOMEN WHO’S FAITH IN JESUS
CHRIST AFFECTED THEIR LIVES AND THE COURSE OF HUMAN
HISTORY.
Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) Born in France.
• A French Chemist and microbiologist
• A founder of modern medicine
• Discoverer of micro-organisms
• Pasteurization grew out of his work
• Created the first vaccine for rabies and anthrax

Louis Pasteur believed in prayer, he believed in the Bible, he believed
in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and he made the truths
of the Gospel His goal in life and urged others to do the same.

The Wright Brothers, Wilbur and Orville (1871-1948) Born in
America.
• Pioneers in flying
• Invented and built the world’s first successful airplane,
the first to provide mankind with wings.

These brothers were sons of a bishop and always
upheld Christian principles.

10

Followers of Jesus who made a
difference in the lives of millions
William Wilberforce (1759-1833) Born in England.
• British Member of Parliament
• Leader of a movement to abolish the slave trade leading to slavery abolition act of 1833

Wilberforce underwent a Christian conversion experience which resulted in major changes
to his lifestyle and resulted in his life’s work for the abolition of slavery in most of the British
Empire.

11

Cross section of an Orthodox Church

What now ?

• Recommended reading
• Websites, Podcasts
• Fellowship groups
• Campus based Priests
• Churches
• and of course prayer!
Copyright notice: This work is not copyright as it is not for commercial purposes.
Note that images and texts used may by subject to existing copyright.
As such, reproduction of this work may be subject to copyright requirements.

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