Why Jesus

[stopurwhining]

For me, it's all about the Resurrection. The Resurrection is the proof that Jesus was exactly who he said he was.

As for why I believe in the Resurrection, I believe there is enough physical evidence to support it. I've outlined what that evidence is, and why I accept it a number of times in these forums, and I'm not really in a debate-y mood to discuss the merits, or demerits of that evidence.

But that's what it is for me. Most religions are based on what their founders saw or found, none of which has left behind evidence that has withstood the test of time.

Who knows? But none have proven anything to my satisfaction, whereas Christianity is based on Who Jesus was and What he did to prove it, and to me, that makes all the difference.

:thumbsup:

 

[wildsage]

I'll be real honest here...I believe because I had several mystical-type experiences. I refuse to go into details, but suffice it to say I came away a believer in God and the existance of heaven, or at the very least the otherworldly. After these experiences, I studied world religions/philosophies and it was the Person of Jesus specifically that held true to the knowledge I gained from those experiences, the others were tested and found wanting. Admittedly, this can be considered a purley subjective reason for believing, but it is what it is and I'm willing to stake my life on it. Logically, I have nothing to lose by believing and perhaps everything to gain by it.

I think it's just all about having faith and not documentation to prove that Jesus existed. We are searching for something concrete to keep our faith strong. Believing just isn't good enough and we question things to the point of researching, and understandably so, but still I wonder if we were meant to search so much. Perhaps the searching for concrete evidence so much takes away from having the faith. Truth is, do we really want to know that much? I'm not sure I do. If we do, we will have no faith. Think about it.

Y'all win gold stars for knowing the difference between faith & proof and, more importantly, being secure in your chosen belief without trying to force it on others. Because those who stoop to trying to "prove" to us fill-in-the-blank (agnostics, atheists, heathens, non-believers, infidels...) that their choice is the "right" one, cheapen their own faith and make him Just Another Messiah.

 

[wildsage]

Simply because I cannot adequately put into words something that is ineffable; an attempt to describe it is to cheapen it.
My personal revelations won't change anyone's mind; however, my example of Christian love/charity might. I don't need to tell my "stories" for one's heart to turn.

Great answer -- two gold stars.
I wish more claimed-Christians lived by example, especially the haughty ones who assume that unless someone follows the(ir) bible that person has no morals.

 

[Mateo]

A bit off topic, but be careful using Jospehus. He leaves out a very big event in his review of Herod that also is in the bible: The murder of the innocents. In and of itself this wouldn't be worth noting except: Josephus was deeply resentful of the Herod dynasty and was relentless in recoding their every move. Except the primary one that appears in the Bible.

Now, certainly decades after the alleged Jesus was allegedly crucified, there was the telling of the story. But so what? No one is denying a movement began using the classic messianic attributes in and around the later half of the 1st century.

For myself, I would say a bona fide document from, for instance, the files of Pontius Pilate, or even Rome in general, as well as corrborating documents from the Sanhedrin of the time might go a long way towards supporting the case that Jesus actually existed and was actually crucified. There are othr documents from that time. One would think, given God's supposed desire for people to be saved, that he would interact at some level to let documents like this survive.

Given the importance, and given that other, far lesser documents do survive, it's awfully suspicious that none do, and the few that are pointed to have the earmarks of later interpolation.

Less historically compelling figures and their ultimate fate are recorded, and we have some of these documents. We just don't have any for who is arguably the single most important being ever on the planet, even though such documentation would fit in precisely with the stated plan of global salvation.

Believe me, I know that Josephus has to be handled with care...after all. here is the consequential con man....knew where and when to get his bread buttered and knew how to praise when praise was an opener to advantage I recall there is a mention of disturbances in Judea which may be related to Christ. Hence my offer to see if I could find the rference,,,,if I can find my copy !

 

[Dondi]

Simply because I cannot adequately put into words something that is ineffable; an attempt to describe it is to cheapen it.

My personal revelations won't change anyone's mind; however, my example of Christian love/charity might. I don't need to tell my "stories" for one's heart to turn.

The reason why people won't believe you is that they require proof of your experience. Or else they will chalk it up to some other phenomena. As long as someone thinks that way, they are not going to get anything out of your experience, unless they are will to consider the possibility of it being true, in which case it could be a catalyst to faith, but only if they wish to step out in faith and see for themselves. I believe that God will reveal Himself to those who diligently, honestly seek Him and His righteousness.

In response to wxtornado's lament of no external evidence apart from Scripture, I will say I used to think a bit that way. But however suspicious it might seem that there is little in the way of documents testifying of Jesus' existence, that lack of evidence does not empirically disprove the existence of Christ. It only sheds a bit of doubt. But there are many factors that can form the basis of faith. I find it rather difficult in believing that virtually all the Apostles (and many, many more Christians after them) were martyred for a lie. I also find it quite remarkable that such a movement would survive in such a hostile environment. And if it weren't the fact that I've seen remarked changes in the lives of people who have found Christ coupled with my own life changes, along with my family, I might be a little more skeptical. I could go on with other factors, like how the conditions of the world seem to be headed in the general direction as described in the apocalyptic literature of the Bible, both politically and socially, not least in the matter of Israel becoming the only state to have revived an ancient culture and language and is the clinchpin of prophectic events to come.

I sometimes find it hard NOT to believe.

 

[ItalianScallion]

Prompted by tornado's thread...
From the foundation of the world mankind has believed in this-god-or-the-other.
For Christians, what is it about Jesus that makes you believe? Oh, and I'm not really thinking along the lines of Resurrection and His power over death. I'm fairly certain other gods have made that claim as well.
What is convincing/different/godly about Jesus?

As Toxick said earlier, it's the resurrection BUT also the Spirit testifying to me that Jesus is in my heart. Others say they have the Spirit but do not believe the Bible. Can't happen. The Holy Spirit of God will testify to your salvation and will not lead you to any false doctrines. Jude 19 and other verses say this. Those without the Spirit will not believe the things of God since they are spiritually understood. You've got to have faith to accept and follow God.