Is there no proof that Jesus really ever lived?

Q: My professor in Biblical studies said it’s necessary to prove the Bible is true before we can teach it as fact. In essence, he said that there is no proof that Jesus really ever lived. How can this be? — B.F.

A: The Bible predicted Christ’s birth, death, and resurrection, and documents the fulfillment of these prophecies, yet many reject its truth. Yet, biographies of so many others are believed when they were written long after their deaths.

Alexander the Great’s biography was written 400 years after he died, so its author obviously never knew him. But Alexander’s legacy lives on while people doubt the life of Christ as documented by those who walked with Jesus. Many people down through the centuries never had a record of their own births. Yet the existence of Jesus is still called into question despite the intricate genealogy found in Scripture.

Some question whether Shakespeare wrote the plays that bear his name because none of his original manuscripts survived. Some see Shakespeare as a pseudonym because there are no documents dating his birth. His biography is peppered with suppositions yet it’s said that Shakespeare is the second most quoted writer in the English language — after the various writers of the Bible.

We’ll never meet Shakespeare in this life because he’s dead. But today every person can meet Jesus Christ in this life because He lives! The marks of His sacrifice on the cross are found in human hearts. Gravestones often bear the words: “Here lie the remains of…”. But from Christ’s tomb came the living words of an angel, declaring: “He is not here, but is risen!” (Luke 24:6). Jesus’ tomb is empty. The resurrection of Jesus is an attested fact of history and a fact to be proclaimed as truth. Jesus lives.

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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)

©2021 Billy Graham Literary Trust. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

(c)2021 BILLY GRAHAM DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.