5 Reasons to Believe in Jesus (With Historical Evidence)

(This an article format of a sermon that was preached at our church. To watch a video of the sermon, click here:)

Today we are going to look at 5 reasons to believe Jesus is God. We are going to look at the evidence that exists and I hope to show you beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus is indeed who He said He was and is worthy of all of your love, time, energy, your devotion and allegiance.

The question really is similar to how C. S. Lewis put it: Is Jesus a Liar, Lunatic, or Lord? Because there is no doubt that Jesus existed. That’s not the question. Listen to what Graham Stanton, writing for Oxford University, says about Jesus' existence:

The dispute is not whether or not Jesus existed. The dispute is: who is Jesus. Liar? Lunatic? Or Lord? Because if Jesus really said He was God- then those are the options. He was either lying about it, or He was crazy- or He was telling the truth.

So let’s look at the first reason. The disciples' deaths. All of the apostles except John, and not counting Judas for obvious reasons, were killed for claiming Jesus was God. If they thought Jesus was a lunatic, why would they do that? If they made up the lie that Jesus was God to gain power and start their own religion, why would they keep up the ruse when there was nothing to be gained?

Check out this skit from the Babylon Bee that shows how ridiculous it is to think the disciples made it up:

All of the apostles except John, and even other church leaders, were killed for claiming Jesus was God. James (Son of Zebedee) is the only one who’s death happens while the Bible is being written, but the rest we get reports of from other historical accounts and traditions.

• James (son of Zebedee): Beheaded in Jerusalem (44 AD).
• James (brother of Jesus): Stoned or clubbed in Jerusalem (62 AD).
• Simon Peter: Crucified upside-down in Rome (64-67 AD).
• Paul: Beheaded in Rome (64-67 AD).
• Andrew: Crucified on X-shaped cross in Patras, Greece (60-70 AD).
• Matthew: Stabbed or beheaded (60-70 AD).
• Thaddeus: Killed by arrows or axe (65-70 AD).
• Simon (the Zealot): Crucified or sawn in half (65-70 AD).
• Bartholomew: Flayed and beheaded (70 AD).
• Thomas: Speared in Mylapore, India (72 AD).
• Philip: Crucified or stoned in Hierapolis, Asia Minor (80 AD).
• Matthias: Stoned and beheaded (80 AD).
• James (son of Alphaeus): Stoned or clubbed (62-80 AD).

Who reads these passages and says okay sign me up! No one. You would not willingly endure all of that- unless there was a good reason. Unless you believed Jesus really was God- and you really believed what He said about eternity and resurrection.
The lack of reward here on earth, the harshness of their lives, and the gruesome nature of their deaths all point us to believing Jesus really was who He said He was.

A counterargument would be, "don’t other people also die for their religion? That’s not unique to Christianity." Which that statement is true. People all over the world die for what they believe in. But we aren’t looking at the deaths of religious people who died for what they believed. We are looking at the people who started the movement dying for that movement. Now and then a charismatic cult leader rises up- and convinces people to believe in him and even die for him. But that cult leader gets something out of it. Money, fame, power, etc. Thus he starts his movement. People die for other religions, but look back at who founded that religion. What did the founders get out of it?


None of the apostles reaped the rewards of their work in this life. But we know they will be rewarded in the next.

Also, keep in mind that the apostles believed in Jesus before and after His resurrection, but His half-brother James did not. He did not believe until after the resurrection. Why would James be skeptical of Jesus during His whole ministry, when from a human perspective, Jesus could have risen to power or fame, but then only be convinced of faith when the group was now a persecuted minority claiming Jesus was raised from the dead? And notably, Paul was hostile to Christianity until He encountered the risen Christ Himself.
It’s also worth noting that Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection were done out in the open, producing many eyewitnesses.

We can compare the number of eyewitnesses who claimed to have had a supernatural interaction with God in other religions or cults.

Some time in 50 AD- Paul wrote this:

The sheer number of eye witnesses who were killed for claiming Jesus was the risen King is compelling evidence for believing Jesus is who He claimed to be: God.
That’s why evidence one is the Disciples' deaths.

We established that there were many firsthand eyewitnesses to Jesus who also recorded their testimonies and died for them. But those are all Christian sources. What about non-Christian sources? If Jesus was a real person- whether or not your believe His divine claims- we would expect to see evidence of Him in other sources. Which is exactly what we find.

Flavius Josephus wrote extensively on Jewish history and twice makes reference to Jesus as a real historical figure.


He also mentions both Jesus’ half-brother James’ stoning at the hands of the high priest.

Tacitus was a Roman Historian in the second century AD, and he wrote about how Nero framed the burning of Rome on Christians, who were followers of Christ, executed by Pilate.

Another later Jewish Rabbinical work, The Babylonian Talmud, also refers to Jesus by His Hebrew name, Yeshua.

There has also been multiple archaeological finds that support the testimony of the New Testament. The Pilate Stone (discovered 1961): is a limestone inscription that mentions Pontius Pilate as the prefect of Judea, verifying his role and the time of his governance (26–36 AD), as described in the Gospels. The Caiaphas Ossuary: A burial box inscribed with the name Caiaphas, who was the high priest involved in Jesus’ trial, shows the existence of another key figure from the New Testament.

Another thing I find remarkable is that most other world religions have to go out of their way to include Jesus in their religion. Jesus’ impact on our world was such that He cannot be denied. They either outright incorporate Him into their teaching, or at least acknowledge Him as a significant teacher. (I guess the logic is if you can’t beat him, join him)

Except they don’t join Him, they take His name, existence, and maybe some of His teaching and twist it:

• Islam says Jesus was a prophet but not divine.
• Mormons see Jesus as a completely separate God from the creator.
• Jehovah’s Witnesses believe Jesus was created and is the Archangel Michael.

Many other religions include Jesus as one of their religious figures but not as He claimed to be. Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and others will acknowledge, respect, or even revere Him- but do not believe in Him.

Everyone has an opinion about Jesus. Because you have to. He really existed- and He made incredible claims about Himself, humanity, and sin. To me, their need to incorporate Jesus speaks to the validity and importance of Jesus as the true creator and savior of the world. But their twisting of His nature and mission shows that despite whatever lip service He may be paid, He is not believed. So if we can’t ignore Jesus we will twist Him until He says what we want to hear.

It doesn’t make sense to try and change Jesus. If you don’t want to believe Him, why wouldn’t you just completely ignore and deny Him? Because we can’t. Because in the fabric of our being is a hole that only Jesus can fill and we feel it. So that’s why I believe since other religions need to incorporate Jesus, the archaeological evidence, and references by other Historians all point to believing Jesus.

When we talk about believing what the Bible says, skeptics like to claim the Bible can’t be true because it has been changed. This could not be further from the truth. This whole section could be a sermon itself- so we are going to have to fly through this one. If you are a nerd like me and this stuff interests you, there is a great documentary called Fragments of Truth that covers most of this on youtube.

When scribes copied scripture, if they made one mistake, they would start over. We have to understand, at a time when computers didn’t exist and few people were literate, being a scribe- someone who copied documents was a huge and important profession. The scribes who would copy scripture had the double weight of believing the words themselves were holy. When they would copy scripture, they would do it slowly and diligently. Copying one letter at a time from the master copy. They would then count all the letters to make sure both documents had the exact same number of letters, ensuring they were exact copies.
Making a mistake often meant the whole page, or sometimes the whole manuscript, was thrown out and started over. This kind of practice prevented the scriptures from changing over time.

Textual Criticism tests the authenticity of ancient documents. It looks at the physical- does the material match the period it claims to be from? They can test the chemical composition of the ink as well as use X-rays. They also ask; does the language, grammar, and vocabulary match the time period?

Skeptics may also claim, “We don’t have the original Bible that was written.” And that’s also true. We don’t. But we don’t have the “original” copy of almost any ancient work written on papyrus or parchment. Because- the materials wear out. Even our modern paper fades and crumbles over time. Also, these were highly used documents. The apostles went from place to place preaching. So no, we don’t have the physical paper John wrote on. But that’s why we have the study of textual criticism.

When studying any ancient document, another thing scholars look at is the number of manuscripts or copies we have available. Then they look how long of a time gap is there between when the original was written to the earliest copy we still have today. Then they look if they have the same text written in different locations. Then they compare if there are any differences. Because of this scholars can reconstruct the original New Testament texts with 99.5% accuracy, and the Old Testament with 95% word for word identity. And even then many variants are mostly spelling and grammar.

Look at the chart below- the Bible beats out every other ancient document in terms of reliability and textual accuracy.

We also can see how the whole entire Bible tells one coherent story and is consistent. This is why the Bible has the 66 books it has today. The ones that are there because they are uniform in message, were already widely copied and used by the early church before the New Testament was compiled and have trusted authorship. Scripture isn’t changed, books aren’t removed or withheld. These are the books that stand up to these tests- and they tell the uniform and complete story of redemption. It's why you don’t need to read Enoch, the book of Mormon, or anything else.

Sometimes people get into debates about which translation is the best and that some translations are changing things. We have to remember we are translating from foreign languages that don’t aways have a 1 to 1 translation to English.

Not only was the Bible written in 3 foreign languages: Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. But it was written in ancient forms of those languages that aren’t really spoken today. Think about how hard it is to read the old English in Shakespeare.

So the reason some English translations can vary in some verses, is because there is no perfect way to 1to1 capture the Hebrew or Greek in English. So its helpful to read multiple translations alongside each other- and when they do seem different- really think about the differences, because both translations probably capture something important that the Greek or Hebrew says. As long as you are using a translation created by a reputable team of qualified language scholars.

Based on that criteria, Here are, in my personal opinion, the best options:

So we can trust the scriptural documents themselves. Once we believe that- now you have to contend with all the fulfilled prophecies. We covered that at length in a previous sermon so we won’t hit it again now. Go back and check that out if you missed it.

Another reason to trust the scriptures is called the Criteria of Embarrassment, which says that a historical account is deemed more likely to be true if the author would have no reason to invent a historical account that might embarrass them.

• 9 Times the NT says the disciples did not understand.
• 10 Times Jesus rebuked the disciples.
• 4 Times He commented on their lack of faith.
• 7 Times Peter blunders.

Another thing to remember is that both Jerusalem and Rome had Patriarchal societies. Which means they unfortunately had a low view of women. So much so in fact, they didn’t consider a woman’s testimony as valid. Meaning a report, or case made by a woman, was irrelevant, and could never be drawn upon in court.

So it wasn’t Simon, “the rock”, Peter. Or John “the beloved disciple”. Or even doubting Thomas. It was three women who loved Jesus and were dedicated to Him even when they thought He was dead. And they were the first to believe. Even when they told the 11, the 11 didn’t believe and Jesus shows up personally to rebuke them. That story makes no sense if you are trying to get a new political or religious movement off the ground in that context.

It does, however, make perfect sense if it’s a true historical account, directed by a God of love who doesn’t play by man’s rules, who made male and female equally in His image, and was purposefully turning the world upside down.

We have looked at how the disciples were willing to die for the gospel. Nonbiased, non-Christian historians confirm His existence. And the scriptures as we have them are reliable translations of the documents written by eyewitnesses. So now, why don’t we just let Jesus speak for Himself?

Skeptics like to claim: “Jesus never said 'I am God." And they are right. Jesus never said "I am God", because He didn’t speak English. The words “I am God” do not appear in red anywhere in your Bible.

Because not only did Jesus not speak English, but He was also not speaking in 2025, in the modern west, or to Americans. So, he would not talk like we do in the West in 2025. He was speaking to Jews in the 1st century, in the Middle East. This means that not only would His language be different, but the way He talked would also be different.

This may seem super basic, but it's an important point that skeptics miss. Jesus never said the exact words “I am God”, but He made the claim that He was God close to 100 times. And that’s just His own claims. It is clear from the rest of the New Testament that disciples understood He was claiming to be God and believed Him, and the Jewish leaders understood He was claiming to be God and killed Him.

The first time God introduces Himself by His own name in the Bible is to Moses in Exodus 3:14 where He reveals His divine name to be Yahweh.

God declares His name to be a verb- I AM. In Hebrew- 'eh-yeh (Strong's Hebrew 1961). A statement of absolute being. A statement of existence. To exist- be, become, come to pass. Later in Exodus 34:6 when His name is used as a noun, it’s Yahweh. This is the sacred, holy, covenantal name of God revealed to Israel. And it was considered so holy that they would not even speak it, sometimes not even write it.

So when we read this story in John 8, where Jesus is in a debate with some Israelites and they are trying to play the Abraham card- that since they were descended from Abraham they are automatically saved and don’t need Jesus, He said:

"Before Abraham was born, I AM." He didn’t say He was just older than Abraham. He didn’t just say He existed before Abraham. He said "I AM currently now, in the present, existing before Abraham was born." He is making a claim of divinity. Making a claim of being eternal. And most importantly, using the Greek word for I AM, claiming Himself to be the God who spoke to Moses, claiming to be Yahweh Himself.

And His audience understood- because they were so mad about it that they were going to kill Him. They wouldn’t even speak that name- and now Jesus just said He was that name. For a regular human being to do so would be blasphemy of the highest order. But not if it was true. This is why we can’t say Jesus never said He was God. In fact what He did say was infinitely more powerful, clear, and offensive then the words “I am God."

He made the claim. He either lied, was out of His mind, or it's true. Those are the options. Not only did He claim to be Yahweh, but He revealed the mystery of the Trinity and said He was the Son of God.

Not only did Jesus claim to be God, but He also received worship. In scripture, whenever someone bowed down to an angel, the angel said wow man, get up. We are both just God’s servants, don’t worship me. Not Jesus. He receives worship.

Jesus said all these things about Himself, and yet, do you know what His favorite way to refer to Himself was? It wasn’t the Son of God. Wasn’t Son of David. Wasn’t even Messiah or the Christ. It was Son of Man.

Over 80 times in the Gospels Jesus will refer to Himself as the Son of Man. Man as in mankind. Human. The Hebrew word for human is Adam. So Son of Adam. It is a reference to His personally taking on the nature of humanity. That God Himself became like us. But it’s actually way more than that. Son of Man is a prophetic title used in the old testament for the Messiah that would come.

The prophet Daniel saw in a vision the son of man- a human being who would come on the clouds of heaven. A human being who could approach the ancient of days. Remember the Jews thought God’s name was too holy to even say- and Daniel sees a human who can approach God and be in His presence. More than that- this human is given God’s authority, glory, and power. Yet we Know God is a jealous God and shares His glory with no one. Except- this Son of Man. And most importantly- this human receives and accepts worship from every nation and language on earth. There is no way for Daniel’s vision not to be blasphemous- unless that human, that Son of Man, was also God Himself.

This was also the actually charge against Him. It was on this point the chief priest condemned Jesus to die. In Mark 14, even after they arrested Jesus, they are all going around trying to think of what actual charge they can use to legitimize their reason for killing Him. They couldn’t find a good reason. They tried to even make up fake ones but couldn’t.

I love how confident and cool Jesus is in this moment. They are all trying to kill Him. The chief priest asks Him if he is the Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus doesn’t just say yes. In the most Jewish rabbinic way possible, He says. “I AM.” Just imagine this moment. He locks eyes with the chief priest and references the divine name. Yahweh.

And then- He quotes the prophecy from Daniel 7 and applies it to Himself. Claiming Himself equal with God- claiming ultimate power and authority, and basically saying "you will worship me as God." Cause that’s the next part of Daniel’s prophecy. Everyone worships the Son of Man.

And that is why it is the main way Jesus saw Himself. The Son of Man. The God man. The perfect human that can go into God’s presence since we can't. The human who can fix the mess made by every other human on earth. The one who could at last finally atone for and deal with sin. He claimed divinity, he claimed absolute power. He received worship, and He made it clear that belief in Him alone was the path to salvation. Not any other deity. Not any amount of works.

Because that’s what it comes down to. Jesus believed Himself to be God. I believe Him 1 because of all the evidence we looked at today. And 2, because my personal testimony, my personal experience has shown it to be true.

Jesus is God. And if you seek Him with an open heart- you will find Him. He will make Himself real to you. I could tell you personal stories why I believe in Jesus- as could many others who have experienced Christ. Everyone who believes in Jesus has a testimony as to what He did in their life.

1. The Disciples' Deaths
2. Historical Evidence
3. Reliability of the Bible
4. What Jesus said about Himself
5. Personal Testimony

Where are you at today? Do you believe? If you don’t then today I encourage you to heed the words of this article and the plea from scripture: repent and believe. Feel free to contact our church. Our prayer team would love to pray with you and introduce you to Jesus. If you do already believe then I pray today your faith was bolstered, that you are more sure then ever that Jesus Christ is the crucified and risen Lord. I pray it moves you to deeper and more profound worship then ever before. I pray you are more equipped to tell others why Jesus is who He said to be: God.