Jesus: Man, Myth, or Irrelevant

Jesus: Man, Myth, Or Irrelevant

Always one to cause a healthy debate, Jesus it should not come as a surprise that the historicity of Jesus comes into question. There has probably never been such a polarizing figure as Jesus and the debate over who, or if, he was still linger on. While many choose to believe the notion that the Jesus of Nazareth was a myth, there logic is faulty in that they have too much existence that proves a man called Jesus did exist. There is no doubt that Jesus will always been seen from two perspectives, one looking with more logic and reason and the other looking at Jesus from a more spiritual viewpoint. There is no doubt that historians want facts about the man called Jesus but what really cannot be doubted is the fact that Jesus did exist. His name is mentioned in several secular documents in addition to the gospels of the New Testament. History is not shaken when we cross-reference sources; in fact, it is solidified. Because Jesus did live and because of his impact upon the world while he did live and thereafter, Jesus is still a relevant character to study today.

Enough historians believe in the actuality of Jesus that we find his name written in textbooks across the world. Many historians agree that Jesus had many followers and his teachings consisted of such things as abandoning "sin and worldly concerns; to follow the moral codes described in the Sermon on the Mount, which preached love, charity and humility; and to believe in him and his divine mission" (Craig 158). It is also believed that Jesus' teachings "caused great suspicion among the upper classes and provoked the hostility of the religious establishment in Jerusalem" (158). William Duiker maintains that Jesus was perceived by the government as a "potential revolutionary who might transform Jewish expectations of a messianic kingdom into a revolt on Rome" (Duiker 111). In addition, historians have attempted to look into other articles of history to authentic this man.

Most historians are in agreement that Jesus did exist and they look to ancient historians to make their claim. Lucius Miller notes that there are some historical texts that allow us to discover who Jesus actually was. He writes that Tacitus "tells of the attempt of Nero to fasten his crime of the burning of Rome upon the Christians, a despised sect which 'derived its name from one Christ, who in the reign of Tiberius suffered death by the sentence of Pontius Pilate, the procurator of Judea'" (Miller). Herbert Cutner asserts that along with Tacitus, other pagan writers mention Jesus. These include Pliny the Younger and Suetonius. Pliny's mention of Jesus, which occurs in a letter to emperor Trajan dated around 106 a.D., is especially important in that he mentions how he dealt specifically with Christians. What we learn from this letter is that there were Christians in Pliny's time and those who did confess to be a Christian were "punished' or 'executed'" (Cutner 111). These individuals confessed and sang songs to Christ. This evidence, according to Cutner, "proves, say the Historicists, that Christ really existed as a man (or Man)." (111). Robert Voorst contends that Pliny becomes significant because of his published work. His letters are historical evidence because they "provide the largest administrative correspondence to survive from Roman times" (Voorst 24). In the letter in which he deals with Christians during trial, he is said to have asked his accused three times of they were Christians. In his letter, he writes about a growing concern for those who profess to believe in Christ. Voorst agrees that there is simply too much historical evidence to deny that Jesus existed. Voorst maintains that the "earliest possible reference" (19) to Jesus comes the first century from a historian named Thallos. He chronicled the eastern Mediterranean area from the fall of Troy to about 50 a.D. What survived of his book was quoted by Sextus Julius Africanus, a Christian writer. One of its quotes was copied by Syncellus, who states that Thallos recounts an "eclipse of the sun" (Voorst 19) that "comes in a section in which Julius deals with the portents during the crucifixion of Jesus" (20). Julius rejects the notion that an eclipse occurred noting that it is impossible when there is a full moon (20). Julius believed the darkness was "induced by God" (21). Josephus is another historian whose work became popular because it "provided rich information on a few figures in the New Testament" (Voorst 83). John the Baptizer is mentioned with "extensive treatment" (83) and Jesus is mentioned in relations to James' death. Here he names Jesus as the brother of James that is "called Christ" (83). Josephus' most popular mention of Jesus where he is recorded as a man because his "nature and form were human, but his appearance was superhuman and his works were divine" (85). Josephus does not call him an angel but he finds it difficult to call him a mere man. Jesus is noted for opposing the law but never doing anything shameful. Josephus also writes that Jesus was followed by many and he also goes into the Pilate affair, noting that the "miracle-worker" 86) was "no criminal, no rebel, no seeker after kingship" (86). He was, however, and that is something historians do not waste time arguing over because of evidence.

Other texts point to the fact that Jesus did exist. In looking for evidence supporting that Jesus lived, we should not overlook the importance of religious documents, either. The New Testament is perceived as reliable because it contains many events that are recorded in other texts from its era. It is also worth noting that those that knew Jesus are also to be considered in proving his existence. Their testaments to his life have survived and they are accounts of what life was like with Jesus during his ministry. There is no reason to believe that these accounts are anything but non-fiction. They are not filled with hype or propaganda. It is also worth noting that Herbert Cutner claims that it is an "extraordinary fact that some of the strongest supporters of the historicity of Jesus are Jews" (Cutner 86). The religion of Islam also recognizes that a man named Jesus existed. There are too many texts from too many people from different parts of the world to deny that Jesus was a man.

Jesus was and is certainly relevant. Were it not for him, or even the idea of him, Christianity would not have spread. While there may be various arguments over the divinity of Jesus, we have enough evidence to know that the man lived. In historical documents, we see the Jesus that was crucified but we also see a man that was connected to many otherworldly events. He was not a vicious man and many recognized that fact that there was something uniquely different about him. His thoughts and teachings became significant to his character and they are still taught and practiced today. Without Jesus, there would be no New Testament and events in the world would be much different than they are now. The most appealing aspect of the man Jesus was his nature, which was non-threatening. This aspect could also be why it is remembered and held in such high regard by so many. When we consider Jesus, the man, we should rest assured that he was not a myth but a humble spokesperson for that whom he claimed to believe.