To Dare to know Jesus means that when confronted with the knowledge of who he is, may mean some changes need to be made in our lives. This is the challenge.
Who exactly is Jesus? Did he really exist? Is he really what he claimed to be, the Son of God?
The answer to these questions will affect your life.
The fact that a man named Jesus existed about two thousand years ago in the regions surrounding Jerusalem in Judea (Israel) is not only verified by the record of the Bible, it is confirmed by historians of the first and second centuries and believed by many of the Bible’s harshest critics. These men were not followers of Jesus the Christ but referred to him with confidence that he was a real person. Thomas Paine, a man who considered Christian beliefs about Jesus’ deity to be myths, did not doubt that Jesus of Nazareth was a real person. “He [Jesus Christ] was a virtuous and amiable man. The morality that he preached was of the most benevolent kind . . . It has not been exceeded by any (Paine, CWTP,9)
Cornelius Tacitus c.A.D.55-120—considered one of the greatest Roman historians referred to “Christus, the founder of the name [Christians] was put to death by Pontius Pilate” (Annals XV44)
Josephus ben Mattathias born about 37/38 A.D. died after 100 A.D. Jewish aristocrat and historian serving the Roman emperor Flavius— “Now there was at this time Jesus, a wise man . . . A doer of wonderful works . . . He was the Christ . . . Pilate condemned him to the cross” (Antiquities, XVIII,33)
[The above references were sourced from The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell]
The majority of our knowledge concerning Jesus the Christ comes from the Bible—considered to be authored by God, the creator of all things. To believe in Jesus as the promised Saviour of the world and the Son of God, necessitates a belief in the Bible as being the written word of God. Why would anyone believe such a claim?
First we need a belief in God. Reason & logic tell us that this universe in which we live, as complex as it is, did not come into existence accidentally. Consider the complexity of the human body, the amazing food chain in the animal kingdom, the placement and working of the sun and the moon and the planets relative to our earth, the incredible distances of space that comprise what man has been able to explore and “see” with powerful telescopes. Accident? Chance? Random events? No, all this requires a superior Intelligence beyond the realms of human nature. The Bible calls that superior Intelligence, God.
The Bible, God’s revelation to humanity that he created, can be believed for various reasons.
Consisting of 66 separate books and letters it was written down by about 40 different men of different languages, occupations and education over a period of about 1,500 years. In spite of these circumstances all consistently point out the idea that sin against God’s laws necessitates reconciliation with God if we are to enjoy a life with him after this earthly life comes to an end. Promises made to ancient men saw their fulfilment over time way beyond the lifetime of the writers or those they wrote about.
Wherever the Bible makes historical or geographical references, archaeology has verified its accuracy even though many of these things had been challenged. For example Genesis 23:10 refers to a man named Ephron the Hittite. Sceptics once claimed that no such nation called the Hittites existed because the only place they were mentioned was the Bible. Archaeological discoveries in Egypt and Assyria have revealed that such a nation did in fact exist for nearly 7 centuries in northern Syria and southern Asia Minor. Now the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara, Turkey houses the richest collection of Hittite and Anatolian artifacts. The Bible has been shown to be accurate in historical references.
The many prophecies in the Bible evidence the belief that an all knowing God was the author. In particular, prophecies concerning Jesus were made hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus. One of those prophecies was made in the book of Micah 5:2 predicting that a Ruler of Israel who was everlasting would be born in an obscure town in Judah, the town called Bethlehem Ephrathah. Jesus was born many years later in this same town. Matthew 2:1-6. Matthew refers back to this prophecy as being fulfilled at the birth of Jesus.
Another prophecy was made by Moses in Deuteronomy 28. It tells that a nation as swift as an eagle coming from a distant place would attack and destroy Israel scattering those not killed. Very detailed descriptions of what would happen were given at that time. Fifteen hundred years later the Romans, speaking a language the Jews didn’t understand pulled Jerusalem down, stone by stone, causing all sorts of horrors for the Israelites just as Moses had predicted. The Jews have been harassed and despised by many nations ever since, just as predicted.
How could these things have been known in such detail hundreds of years before? Only if the superior Intelligence, God, had inspired the men from whom the messages came.
The fact that so many books from so many people have been brought together and naturally fit together without contradictions is evidence of a divine author. No update is ever needed—it is complete in every aspect. The theme is constant—sin has separated us from God, a Saviour was needed and promised and predicted, Jesus was the promised Saviour who made a sacrifice of enormous proportions offering his life to bring spiritual salvation to all mankind.
These evidences for the Bible being authored by God, the supreme Intelligence, eternal in nature, are shown here to help develop an interest in knowing Jesus. It is our prayer that you will be interested enough to research some of the many books that deal in depth with evidences for believing that the Bible is from God.
If as we believe, it is from God then what it says about Jesus the Christ must be true. The Bible claims Jesus to be the Son of God, the Saviour of all who would believe him and obey what he has to say. The Bible claims him to be in fact, God.
The good news concerning Jesus as written by John, one of his apostles, was written specifically to help us to believe in Jesus. In the last part of that book John says “. . . These are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you might have life in His name” (John 20:31) Read his account of Jesus in the New Testament to know the “full story”.
In the early part of the book Jesus is recorded as saying to some who were curious about him “What are you looking for?” (John 1:37) When they said “Where are you staying?” Jesus replied “Come and see”
Jesus asks each one of us “What are you looking for?” and then proceeds to say “Come and see”
Dare to Know Jesus because knowing him will change your life.