Introduction

  • I Peter 3:15-16 – “to give an answer” – apologia – “verbal defense, a speech in defense”

  • Why do you believe in …

    • In God?

    • In the Old Testament?

    • In the New Testament?

    • Jesus is the reason!

Jesus really lived

  • Secular documents – Josephus
  • New Testament documents

Does God exist? The best evidence.

Subjective evidence

  • “You ask me how I know he lives, He lives within my heart.” – This is not a good reason to believe in Jesus!
  • The atheist simply responds that he knows Jesus does not live because Jesus does not live in his heart.

Objective evidence

  • Cosmological evidence – cause and effect
    • Hebrews 3:4
  • Teleological – design and designer
    • Romans 1:19-20
  • Empirical – an appeal to the five senses

The importance of empirical evidence – John

  • John 1:1-3, 14 – God became flesh. We have empirical evidence!
  • I John 1:1-3

The importance of empirical evidence – Jesus

  • John 12:44-45 – When one looks at Jesus, he sees empirical evidence of God the Father.
  • John 14:8-10 – Seeing Jesus = seeing the Father

Jesus is the reason I believe in God

Jesus’ claims

  • I John 1:3

  • “I AM” – John 6:35, 48, 51; 7:29; 8:12, 23-24, 28, 58; 9:5; 10:7, 11, 36; 11:25; 14:6, 10-11, 20; 15:1

    • The light of the world – John 8:12

    • From above, not of this world – Hebrews 8:23-24, 28

    • I AM, John 8:58 (“I AM” is the root of the word Jehovah)

  • Equality with God – John 5:17-18; 14:9

  • Sinlessness – John 8:46

  • Eternal – John 8:58; 17:5

  • Miracles – Matthew 11:26; John 5:36; 10:25

  • Forgive sins – Mark 2:5

  • Accepted worship – Matthew 8:2

  • Come to Father by Him – John 14:6

  • Eternal life through Him – John 3:15

  • Resurrection

    • Would be the sign that would validate all His claims and deeds. Matthew 12:38-40; John 2:18-22

    • Repeatedly said He would arise from the grave. Matthew 12:38-40; 16:21; 17:9, 23; 20:19; 26:32; Mark 8:31; 9:9, 31; 10:34; 14:28; Luke 9:22; 18:33; John 2:18-22; 10:18

    • He claimed that He had arisen. Luke 24:46; Revelation 1:18; 2:8

Jesus’ miracles

  • I John 1:3
  • “The only way we can know whether an event can occur is to see whether in fact it has occurred. The problem of ‘miracles’ then, must be solved in the realm of historical investigation, not in the realm of philosophical speculation.” – John Warwick Montgomery, History and Christianity
  • Water to wine – John 2:1-11
  • Healing lame man – John 5:1-9
  • Healing nobleman’s sons – John 4:46-54
  • Feeding five thousand – John 6:1-14
  • Walking on water – John 6:16-21
  • Healing blind man – John 9:1-12
  • Raising Lazarus – John 11:39-44

If claims and miracles were false

  • Did Jesus know they were false? Then He was a liar.
  • Did Jesus sincerely believe them to be true? Then He was mentally disturbed.

If claims and miracles were true

  • John 20:27-28 – Empirical evidence! Thomas believed. “My Lord and my God!”

If Lord and God

  • Luke 6:46

Conclusion

  • Major premise: If God has been seen, God is.
  • Minor premise: God has been seen in the person of the historical Jesus.
  • Conclusion: Therefore, God is.