Documental Caso abierto - Una investigación sobre el hombre más controvertido de la historia

Summary

El trascrito ofrece una detallada exploración de la figura histórica de Jesús de Nazaret, abordando la controversia sobre su existencia y el impacto de su vida en la historia. Se discuten las diferentes perspectivas y teorías, desde la visión cristiana de Jesús como el Mesías y el Salvador del mundo, hasta las interpretaciones alternativas que cuestionan los eventos bíblicos. Se analiza la credibilidad de los Evangelios, la autenticidad de los autores y la posibilidad de que las narrativas hayan sido influenciadas por el tiempo y las leyendas. La discusión se enriquece con la evidencia arqueológica, las referencias históricas de figuras como Tácito y Josefo, y el testimonio de los primeros cristianos. El análisis médico de la crucifixión refuerza la certeza de la muerte de Jesús, mientras que el vaciamiento del sepulcro y las múltiples testimonios de su resurrección desafían a las dudas y refuerzan la fe cristiana. El texto concluye destacando el legado transformador de Jesús y su mensaje de amor y redención, abogando por una consideración justa y humilde en la sociedad.

Takeaways

• 📜 Jesús de Nazaret es considerado una figura histórica controversial llena de contradicciones y misterios.
• 👥 Muchas personas y profetas a lo largo de la Biblia hablan sobre Jesús, cumpliendo con las condiciones para ser llamado el Mesías.
• ✝️ La existencia de Jesús marcó la historia con eras conocidas como 'antes de Cristo' y 'Anno Domini'.
• 🤔 A pesar de las evidencias, hay cuestiones que generan dudas en muchos científicos y teólogos sobre su verdadera historia.
• 📝 Los Evangelios, aunque no especifican sus autores, fueron considerados como tales en los primeros siglos del cristianismo.
• 👉 Los autores de los Evangelios, Matthew, Mark, Luke y John, tenían información de primera mano y su credibilidad se basa en su integridad y falta de interés personal.
• ✍️ Las fechas de redacción de los Evangelios son tempranas comparadas con otras biografías históricas, lo que agrega credibilidad a sus relatos.
• 🕰️ A pesar de la brevedad del tiempo transcurrido desde la muerte de Jesús hasta la escritura de los Evangelios, no se cree que su historia haya sido alterada.
• 🔍 La arqueología ha demostrado la precisión en detalles menores del relato de Jesús, lo que sugiere su exactitud en los eventos principales.
• 🌟 Testimonios históricos externos, como los de Josephus y Tacitus, confirman la vida y el impacto de Jesús.
• ✝️ La resurrección de Jesús, el testimonio de los discípulos y la empty tomb son elementos clave que respaldan su messiahship y divinidad.

Q & A

¿Quién es Ieshu ha Nozrí y por qué es controvertido?

Ieshu ha Nozrí, mejor conocido como Jesús de Nazaret, es una figura histórica muy debatida debido a su importancia en la religión cristiana y la influencia en la historia y la cultura de muchas partes del mundo.

¿Por qué los seguidores de Jesús creen que él cumplió las condiciones para ser llamado el Mesías?

Los seguidores de Jesús creen que él cumplió con las condiciones del Mesías porque nació en Belén, descendió de la línea de David, nació de una virgen y se considera el Hijo de Dios, según las profecías del Antiguo Testamento.

¿Cómo se conoce la influencia de Jesús en la historia?

La influencia de Jesús en la historia se conoce a través de la distinción de las eras en 'antes de Cristo' (A.C.) y 'Anno Domini' (d.C.), que marcan el antes y después de su nacimiento.

¿Por qué algunos expertos creen que las historias del Nuevo Testamento podrían haberse alterado con el tiempo?

Algunos expertos creen que las historias podrían haberse alterado debido a que las escrituras fueron compiladas varios años después de la muerte de Jesús, lo que podría haber permitido la adición de leyendas y mitos a la narrativa original.

¿Quiénes eran los autores tradicionalmente considerados de los Evangelios?

Los autores tradicionalmente considerados de los Evangelios son Mateo, Marcos, Lucas y Juan, aunque los textos en sí mismos no especifican quiénes escribieron.

¿Cómo se puede verificar la credibilidad de los autores de los Evangelios?

La credibilidad de los autores se verifica a través de testimonios históricos y escritos de la época, como los de Papias y Ireneo, que confirman la autoría de los Evangelios y la fiabilidad de sus contenidos.

¿Por qué la fecha de escritura de los Evangelios es importante para su credibilidad?

La fecha de escritura es importante porque si los Evangelios fueron escritos cerca del tiempo en que Jesús vivió, aumenta la probabilidad de que los relatos sean fiables y no contaminados por mitos o exageraciones posteriores.

¿Cómo la arqueología puede ayudar a confirmar la veracidad de los eventos descritos en los Evangelios?

La arqueología puede ayudar al encontrar pruebas físicas de lugares, edificios, y eventos mencionados en los Evangelios, lo que proporciona un respaldo adicional a la precisión y atención al detalle de los autores.

¿Qué otros historiadores además de los autores del Nuevo Testamento hacen referencia a Jesús de Nazaret?

Otros historiadores como Tácito, el Talmud y Josefo ofrecen referencias a Jesús, confirmando su existencia histórica y su impacto en la sociedad de la época.

¿Por qué la tumba de Jesús estando vacía es considerada una prueba definitiva de su resurrección?

La tumba vacía, combinada con el testimonio de los discípulos y otros testigos de la resurrección, proporciona una evidencia sólida que apoya la afirmación cristiana de que Jesús resucitó, según su enseñanza y predicción.

¿Cómo la conversión de Pablo, un perseguidor inicial de los cristianos, refuerza la credibilidad de la resurrección de Jesús?

La conversión de Pablo, quien requería de una prueba inequívoca de la resurrección de Jesús antes de cambiar su postura, demuestra el impacto y la credibilidad de los eventos que rodearon a la resurrección, contribuyendo a la propagación del cristianismo.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 La existencia y naturaleza de Jesús

Este párrafo explora la figura de Jesús de Nazaret, considerado uno de los personajes más controvertidos de la historia. Se destaca que Jesús fue una persona real que vivió hace 2000 años en Palestina, y que su vida fue profetizada y documentada en la Biblia, donde se le considera el Mesías y el Hijo de Dios. Sin embargo, hay muchas dudas y teorías sobre su verdadera historia, incluyendo la posibilidad de que su relato haya sido exagerado o inventado. Se cuestiona si los Evangelios son una verdad o una leyenda, y se sugiere que para entender la vida de Jesús, es necesario buscar a aquellos que le conocieron personalmente y dejaron un testimonio escrito de su existencia.

05:05

📜 La autenticidad de los Evangelios

Se discute la autoría y credibilidad de los Evangelios, que aunque no especifican a sus autores, fueron considerados como tales desde el principio de la cristiandad. Se argumenta que la falta de prestigio de los supuestos autores, como Mateo, el colector de impuestos, o los no discípulos Marcos y Lucas, agrega credibilidad a su autenticidad. Se menciona que los Evangelios son fiables desde un punto de vista histórico, citando a Papias y Ireneo, quienes confirmaron la autoría de los Evangelios y la precisión en la transmisión de la enseñanza de Jesús por parte de los discípulos y apóstoles.

10:11

🕰 La cronología y testigos de los Evangelios

Este párrafo aborda la preocupación de que los Evangelios, escritos años después de la muerte de Jesús, puedan haber sido contaminados por mitos y folklore. Se destaca que los autores de los Evangelios contaron con información de primera mano y que, debido a que muchos testigos de la vida de Jesús aún estaban vivos en el momento de su redacción, es poco probable que se hayan propagado cuentos falsos sin ser desmentidos. Se compara la rapidez con la que se escribieron los Evangelios con la tardanza en la compilación de biografías de otros líderes religiosos y se concluye que la breve lapso de tiempo no permite la alteración significativa de la historia de Jesús.

15:15

📜 La creencia inicial en la resurrección de Jesús

Se examina la creencia desde el principio de la iglesia cristiana en la resurrección de Jesús y su papel como el Mesías. Se cita a Pablo, quien incorporó creencias y himnos de la iglesia primitiva en sus cartas, y que en 1 Corintios 15 confirma la firme creencia en la resurrección de Jesús cuatro años después de su muerte. Se argumenta que es imposible inventar una leyenda en tan poco tiempo y que los testigos oculares de su muerte no habrían permitido que se propagara una mentira sobre su resurrección.

20:18

🏺 La arqueología y la veracidad de los Evangelios

Se discute el papel limitado pero significativo de la arqueología en la verificación de la historia cristiana. Aunque no se puede probar con certeza 100% de lo dicho en los Evangelios, se pueden investigar detalles como ciudades, nombres de gobernantes y otros elementos geográficos. Se destaca la precisión de Lucas en su documentación y cómo descubrimientos arqueológicos han confirmado su exactitud. Además, se refutan algunas teorías de error en los Evangelios, como la existencia de la piscina de Bethesda y la presencia de sinagogos en Galilea en la época de Jesús.

25:22

📜 Fuentes externas sobre Jesús

Se exploran las menciones de Jesús en fuentes externas a la Biblia, como los escritos de Josephus y Tácito, que proporcionan información adicional sobre la vida y muerte de Jesús. Se destaca la importancia de Josephus como historiador y cómo su testimonio sobre Jesús confirma su papel como maestro y líder de un movimiento religioso significativo. Tácito también confirma la existencia de Jesús y su condena a muerte bajo Pilato. Se menciona el Talmud, una fuente judía que, aunque no es una biografía, proporciona información sobre Jesús y su ejecución.

30:24

🤔 La muerte y la resurrección de Jesús

Este párrafo aborda las dudas sobre la muerte y resurrección de Jesús, y cómo los esfuerzos por analizar lo que sucedió antes, durante y después de su crucifixión pueden ayudar a aclarar estas preguntas. Se describe la condición médica conocida como Hematidrosis, que Jesús padeció en el Huerto de Gethsemáni, y cómo su sufrimiento físico y emocional fue agudizado por el proceso que le fue impuesto, incluyendo la corona de espinas y la flagelación. Se argumenta que la muerte de Jesús fue imposible de sobrevivir, y que la lanza que le perforó el pecho y el corazón fue un indicativo claro de su fallecimiento.

35:29

🕊 La resurrección y el misticismo del vacío sepulcro

Se narra cómo el cuerpo de Jesús no fue encontrado en el sepulcro y cómo esta circunstancia generó diferentes teorías y dudas. Se discute la imposibilidad de que el cuerpo fuera robado debido a la vigilancia y el sello de Pilato. Se menciona el testimonio de los discípulos, que inicialmente no creyeron en la resurrección, pero que después fueron testigos de la aparición de Jesús. Se destaca el testimonio de los guardias romanos y la conversión de Paulo de Tarsos, un enemigo acérrimo de los primeros cristianos, como evidencia de la resurrección. Se argumenta que la rápida expansión del cristianismo y la falta de contradicciones a la afirmación de que el sepulcro estaba vacío, demuestran la veracidad del relato evangélico.

40:31

🌟 La influencia y legado de Jesús

Se reflexiona sobre el impacto histórico y la importancia de Jesús como figura revolucionaria que transformó la forma en que muchas personas piensan y se relacionan. Se destaca cómo sus enseñanzas crearon un nuevo sistema de valores y ofrecen una perspectiva única sobre la espiritualidad y la salvación. Aunque la búsqueda de la verdad sobre Jesús puede ser un proceso continuo para algunos, para otros, la evidencia presentada es concluyente. Se reconoce que a pesar de las diferentes opiniones y emociones que Jesús genera, su legado y su mensaje siguen siendo relevantes y significativos en la historia de la humanidad.

Keywords

💡Ieshu ha Nozrí

Ieshu ha Nozrí, mejor conocido como Jesús de Nazaret, es la figura central del cristianismo y la protagonista de la narrativa del vídeo. Se le considera una figura histórica controversial y de gran importancia en la religión y la cultura occidental. En el vídeo, se explora su existencia, su influencia en la historia y las diversas teorías que rodean su vida y enseñanzas.

💡Cristo

El término 'Cristo' proviene del griego 'Christos', que significa 'el Ungido' y se refiere a Jesús como la encarnación del Mesías predicho en las Sagradas Escrituras. En el vídeo, se discute cómo Jesús cumplió las condiciones y características para ser llamado el Cristo, y cómo su figura ha sido objeto de creencias y cuestionamientos a lo largo de los siglos.

💡Era de Antes de Cristo (BC) y Anno Domini (AD)

Estas dos notaciones se utilizan para medir la época histórica en relación con la vida de Jesús. 'Antes de Cristo' (BC) y 'Anno Domini' (AD), que significa 'el año de nuestro Señor', marcan el antes y el después de su nacimiento. En el vídeo, se destaca cómo la vida de Jesús ha influido en la forma en que organizamos y calculamos el tiempo histórico.

💡Gospels

Los 'Gospels' son los cuatro primeros libros del Nuevo Testamento que describen la vida, los ensenanzas, la crucifixión y la resurrección de Jesús. En el vídeo, se cuestiona la veracidad y la autoría de los Gospels, y se discute la importancia de los testimonios que proporcionan sobre la vida de Jesús.

💡Apocryphal Gospels

Los 'Gospels Apócrifos' son textos cristianos no incluidos en el Nuevo Testamento que proporcionan narraciones adicionales sobre la vida de Jesús. Se mencionan en el vídeo para contrastar con los Gospels canónicos y para destacar cómo la ausencia de nombres prestigiosos en los Gospels canónicos puede aumentar su credibilidad.

💡Autoría de los Evangelios

La 'Autoría de los Evangelios' se refiere a la discusión sobre quién escribió los Gospels y qué fundamentos históricos y testimoniales respaldan su contenido. En el vídeo, se argumenta que la autoría tradicional (Mateo, Marcos, Lucas y Juan) es creíble, basándose en testimonios de figuras históricas como Papias e Ireneo.

💡Historia y Leyendas

El vídeo aborda el debate entre la historia y las leyendas en relación con la figura de Jesús. Se cuestiona si las narraciones sobre Jesús podrían haberse embellecido con el tiempo, similar a cómo una leyenda crece y se transforma. Se destaca la importancia de discernir la verdad histórica de las narraciones que pueden haber sido exageradas o mitificadas.

💡Arqueología

La 'Arqueología' es el estudio del pasado humano a través del análisis de los objetos y estructuras materiales. En el vídeo, se utiliza la arqueología como una herramienta para apoyar o cuestionar la precisión de los detalles históricos mencionados en los Gospels, como la presencia de sinagogas en Galilea o la tumba de Jesús.

💡Contraposiciones en los Evangelios

Las 'Contraposiciones en los Evangelios' se refieren a las diferencias y aparentes contradicciones entre los relatos de los cuatro Gospels. El vídeo sugiere que estas variaciones no solo no deshacen la credibilidad de los textos, sino que en realidad refuerzan su autenticidad, ya que indican que los autores no simplemente copiaban entre sí.

💡Testimonios Históricos

Los 'Testimonios Históricos' son referencias y documentos escritos por autores contemporáneos o cercanos en el tiempo a los eventos descritos. En el vídeo, se citan historiadores como Tácito y Josefo como fuente de información adicional sobre la vida y la figura de Jesús, lo que proporciona un respaldo externo a las narraciones cristianas.

💡Resurrección

La 'Resurrección' de Jesús es un evento fundamental para el cristianismo y se refiere a su regreso a la vida después de su crucifixión y muerte. El vídeo explora el significado de la resurrección, las pruebas históricas que la apoyan y cómo este evento ha influido en la fe y la misión de los discípulos de Jesús.

Highlights

Ieshu ha Nozrí, conocido como Jesús de Nazaret, es una figura controversial llena de páginas de la historia.

Testimonios de personas afirman que Jesús era una persona real, nacida hace 2,000 años en Palestina.

Profetas bíblicos predijeron su nacimiento en Belén, descendencia de David, y su nacimiento virginal.

Para sus seguidores, Jesús cumple con las condiciones para ser llamado el Mesías o 'El Ungido'.

La existencia de Jesús marcó la era con 'antes de Cristo' y 'Anno Domini'.

Góspels describen a Jesús como el Hijo de Dios, el Mesías y Redentor del mundo.

En la India existe una tumba inscrita con su nombre, cuestionando la crucifixión y resurrección.

La existencia de Jesús y su historial generan dudas y debates entre científicos y teólogos.

Los autores de los Góspels no se especifican, pero fueron considerados como tales en los primeros siglos del cristianismo.

Papias y Ireneo de Lyon confirmaron la autoría de los Góspels en el siglo II d.C.

Los Góspels son considerados fiables desde un punto de vista histórico.

La posibilidad de que las historias sobre Jesús estuvieran contaminadas por mitos y folk tales.

Los Góspels fueron escritos por testigos oídos y compañeros de Jesús, lo que agrega credibilidad.

La arqueología apoya la precisión en la descripción de lugares y eventos en los Góspels.

Josephus y Tácito, historiadores no cristianos, también hacen referencia a Jesús y su crucifixión.

El Talmud, una colección de tradiciones religiosas judías, proporciona una referencia contemporánea sobre Jesús.

El análisis médico confirma que Jesús no pudo haber sobrevivido a la crucifixión.

El testimonio de miles de testigos de su resurrección y el vacío en la tumba son pruebas definitivas.

El impacto práctico y la transformación de valores por las enseñanzas de Jesús en la sociedad.

El sacrificio de Jesús y su motivación por el amor hacia la humanidad.

El reconocimiento y la admisión de la evidencia abrumadora a favor de Jesús por parte de muchos, mientras que otros siguen buscando la verdad.

Transcripts

If there is a controversial character of which history’s pages have been filled,

without a doubt, it’s Ieshu ha Nozrí... better known as Jesus of Nazareth.

So many people testify that Jesus was a real person

who was born and lived 2,000 years ago in the ancient region of Palestine.

Many prophets spoke about Him, throughout the Bible.

He was to be born in Bethlehem Ephratah, descend from the lineage of David,

miraculously be the son of a virgin birth, and yet also be the Son of God.

For His followers, He met all the conditions and held all the characteristics

to be called the Christ, which translated, means “the Anointed One”.

The course of history was forever impacted by His existence in this world,

marking the eras known by us as “before Christ”, and Anno Domini,

But many questions are still asked about Him after so many centuries…

His name could be heard one way or another from ancient Hispania to remotest India,

but not all the experts coincide on which one was His real story.

The Gospels describe Him as the Son of God, the Messiah, and Redeemer of the world…

There is a tomb in India inscribed with His name,

and yet Islam traditionally believes that He did not die on the cross.

If this is true, if He did not die, then logically His unique resurrection did not take place either.

Did Jesus really exist? Could the story that beautifully decorates the stained glass windows be just a tale?

Was Jesus the promised Messiah? Are the Gospels telling us the truth,

or are they based on just an old legend that grew with the passing of time?

Could it be true that Jesus did not die on the cross?

During that period in history, many were those who stood up, proclaiming to be a foretold messiah.

Was Jesus just another one?

What if, after all, there is nothing special or miraculous in the life of that man called Jesus?

These are questions that generate doubts in the minds of many scientists today,

and that is exactly the way that a highly logic-oriented mind reasons.

This is OPEN CASE

We need to find those individuals who knew Him personally,

those who lived with Him and left a written testimony of His life.

Someone who listened to His teachings, who witnessed the plentiful miracles He performed;

a witness of His death, and even of His resurrection.

People with no personal gain or interests, and whose only concern was to express the truth about Jesus.

The Gospels go into many details about Jesus: the special circumstances of His birth,

challenging life; His journeying’s, miracles; even, His death and resurrection.

But, how can we know who were the real authors of the Gospels?

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John, do not specify who wrote them.

In spite of this, during the early centuries of Christianity, they were considered the authors.

There was never a doubt about this, or a reason to think otherwise.

Had the authors of the Gospels been fictitious characters created by other individuals,

those who wrote them would have tried to give a sense of authority to their stories,

by rather giving them the names of relevant individuals of their time.

This is what happens in the Apocryphal Gospels that were written centuries later,

like the Gospel of Mary, the Gospel of James, and the Gospel of Phillip.

On the other hand, Matthew, being a tax collector, added no prestige to the book named after him,

because were not well regarded in those times.

Both Mark and Luke were not part of the group of disciples who knew and followed Jesus in person,

The fact that Matthew, Mark and Luke were not “idyllic” writers, adds credibility to their authorship.

The Gospels are reliable from a historical point of view:

Papias, in the year 125 AD, stated that Mark had meticulously registered Peter’s testimony,

and specifically states that he did not make mistakes, nor included any falsehood in it.

According to Papias, Mark had faithfully preserved the teachings of Jesus in his writings.

Irenaeus, around the year 180 AD,

confirmed the authorship of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Most experts agree on John being the author of the Gospel that carries his name,

and that this was written around 90 AD.

“Matthew also issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own language,

while Peter and Paul were preaching at Rome, and laying the foundations of the Church.

After their departure, Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter,

did also hand down to us in writing what had been preached by Peter,

Luke also, the companion of Paul, recorded in a book the Gospel preached by him.

Afterward, John, the disciple of the Lord, who also had leaned upon His breast,

did himself publish a Gospel during his residence at Ephesus in Asia.”

This further confirms that the events registered in those Gospels

are based on direct and indirect accounts of the life of Christ.

There is no reason to doubt that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John

were the authors of the Gospels that share their respective names.

Matthew and John had been two of Jesus’ disciples,

accompanying Him throughout His three and a half years ministry.

Luke gathered the direct testimony of the apostles, and Mark recorded what Peter told him.

The writers of the Gospels had first-hand information. But the story was gathered years later...

How do we know that the witnesses were accurate in their accounts?

There is always a possibility of those stories, written so many years after Jesus' death,

to have been tainted with myths and folk tales, thus not reflecting his real story…

The legend of Jesus could very well have grown with the passing of time,

and if he was just a Jewish teacher,

the stories could have been embellished to the point of portraying Him as the Son of God.

It is believed that the Gospel of Mark was written around the year 60 DC,

almost 30 years after Jesus’ death.

Matthew and Luke wrote theirs during the decade of 80 AD; and John, around 90 AD.

During that time there were still many people alive who had met Jesus in person.

If false stories about Jesus had been propagated,

those eyewitnesses would have sounded the alarm, saying something like:

“Hey, it didn’t occur that way! … The real story is a little different to what you are saying!”

The dates when the gospels were written are not late as some may think, in fact it is quite the opposite.

It is like if someone who lived in Berlin 30 years ago, wanted to write about the fall of the Berlin Wall.

This person would tell his or her own experience,

but would also be able to interview other eyewitnesses of the event,

and would be able to find information in the files of writings of journalists and politicians of that time.

Nobody would question the authenticity of this person’s testimony.

And we can see that this is exactly what the authors of the Gospels did.

Arrianus and Plutarco wrote the biography of Alexander the Great

400 years after his death, but historians still consider those biographies to be reliable.

By comparison, the time between Jesus’ death, and the Gospels, is very short.

The first biographies of Muhammad were compiled 130 years after his death.

Buddha may have lived between the fourth and sixth century BC,

but the most ancient of his biographies is from the second century AD,

meaning that between 600 to 800 years had passed when it was written.

The stories of the lives of these men could easily have been altered during the course of time.

Mark wrote his Gospel no later than 30 years after the death of Christ.

This lapse of time is completely insignificant from history‘s point of view.

It is impossible that the story of his life could be altered in such a short period of time.

There is reason to believe that the book Acts of the Apostles was written before 68 AD.

The book does not document the death of the Apostle Paul,

which gives credence to the fact that it was written before Paul’s death, at the hands of Nero.

Nero died in 68 AD, so Lucas provably wrote his Gospel before.

Also, Acts of the Apostles is the second part of the story,

the book of Luke being the first part, having had to be written first.

This means that the book of Mark must have been written even earlier,

as he compiles some elements of the Gospel of Mark.

No more than 30 years had passed from Jesus Christ’s death when the first Gospel was written.

It is not possible to create an unrealistic story in such a short period of time.

We find that from the beginning it was believed that Jesus was the Messiah.

These evidences are in Paul’s earliest letters,

written towards the end of the decade of 40 AD, even earlier than the Gospels.

Paul incorporated some of the creeds and hymns of the primitive Christian Church in some of his letters,

which dated from a few years after Jesus' resurrection.

The most important of them seems to be 1 Corinthians 15:3-7, where Jesus is identified as the Messiah.

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received,

how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:

After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

The crucifixion of Jesus took place in the year 31 AD.

Paul’s conversion in the year 34 AD, right after the death of Stephen, on Paul’s way to Damascus.

While in Damascus, Paul meets with the early Christians.

It must have been in that occasion that he learned that creed, frequently recited by the believers.

The creed written by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 confirms that four years after Jesus’ death,

they firmly believed in His resurrection.

It is impossible to invent that He was the Messiah

and that He had resurrected, such a short time after His death.

Someone else would raise the alarm.

The belief that Jesus had died and resurrected to save us from our sins, was there from the beginning.

Had this been an invention, the rest of those who were eye witnesses to His death,

would have not allowed such an obvious lie to be spread.

There is no margin for error. Paul documented further evidence:

four years after Jesus’ death, Christians believed

that Jesus had come forth from the tomb and he was the Mesiah

There is no way for this to have been invented years later.

Many years, even centuries, are necessary for a legend to be formed.

Had the story narrated in the Gospels not been true, eyewitnesses would have denied it.

Instead, the opposite happened: eyewitnesses confirmed it.

Let’s see if archeology has found proofs to sustain the veracity

of the writings of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Archeology gives us only a partial vision of the story.

After all, when an archeologist digs up an archeological site,

most of what he finds is just the trash of those who lived in it;

or, perhaps, that which the conquerors of a city chose not to take with them on exit.

It is like trying to investigate a family going through their trash left on the doorstep of their home.

We can always uncover some information, but this will always be a limited, partial vision.

In other words: to try to prove, through archeology, that what the Gospels say is the truth is not 100% posible.

Although we cannot corroborate everything said in the Gospels through scientific methods,

we can investigate some of the information that is recorded in them.

If we find cities, places, countries, names of governors, etc., that are mentioned in the Gospels,

we can only conclude that the writers of the Gospels were very scrupulous in how they documented.

Thus, we would be more likely to trust their attention to details when they wrote the rest of the story.

Doctor Luke’s goal is to tell the story of Jesus in exact measure.

That is what he says in Luke 1:3.

“It seems fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning,

to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus.”

This shows that Luke wants to be not only precise in his narration,

but that he clearly paid close attention to details at the time he gathered the information,

ensuring to be faithful to the original account.

Luke 3:1 says that Lysanias was Tetrarch of Abilene in the year 27 AD.

Experts thought that Luke did not know what he was talking about,

because Lysanias had been Governor of Calais half a century later…

that is, until an inscription by Tiberius was discovered, in which Lysanias is mentioned as “Tetrarch of Abilene”.

The exact description recorded by Luke.

Luke talks about “polyarchs”.

Many versions of the Bible translate this as the authorities of the city.

It was believed that Luke had made a mistake, because no reference to polyarchs had been found.

But, everything changed when an inscription from the first century AD was found.

This inscription is actually in the British Museum today, and it declares: “At the time of the polyarchs”.

This proves that Doctor Luke was correct.

John 5:2 tells us how Jesus healed an invalid at the pool of Bethesda.

It was thought for a long time, that the pool of Bethesda only had four porticoes, while John said that it had five.

However, when the pool was excavated, the five porticoes described by John where found.

A synagogue was found in Magdala in 2009 AD.

This was a breakthrough discovery, as it happens to be the most ancient one in Galilee, from Jesus’ time.

Many thought that the Gospels were not precise. For example, Matthew 4:23 states:

“And Jesus was going about Galilee, teaching in their synagogues,

and proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,

and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.”

It was believed that in Jesus´ times there were no synagogues in Galilee,

because they were at a later time.

The discovery of a synagogue in Magdala is another proof that the Gospels are true.

Many consider to be ridiculous the mention of a census ordered by Augustus,

in which people under his rule were ordered to return to their town of birth to be registered, as Lucas says.

But curiously an edict of the year 104 AD was found

where Gaius Lived Maximum prefect of Egypt ordered everyone to return to their birth city to register.

“The census by household having begun, it is essential that all those who are away from their nomes

be summoned to return to their own hearths so that they may perform the customary business of registration"

This document confirms that traveling to the town or city of origin to be registered was customary.

This proves that Joseph having to travel to be registered in his town of origin,

which was Bethlehem, as stated by Luke.

Many archeologists, who have exhaustively examined all of the references to countries,

cities, and islands mentioned in the Gospels, have not found even one error.

Places for a long time thought to have not existed, have been found.

The pool of Siloam, Jacob’s well, and many others…

It was also thought that Nazareth was an imaginary town, until an inscription

that mentions the city of Nazareth was found in 1962 AD.

The truth is that the Gospels were written with much precision.

It seems that the authors of the Gospels were very thorough in their writings, paying attention to details.

If they made no mistakes in the description of all of the minor details which,

at first, do not seem to be important in the story of Jesus Christ,

we have to conclude that they were equally precise in the narration of the main story.

But… the Gospels do not coincide in all of the details written in them.

At first, there seem to be contradictions among them.

And, do these contradictions discredit other related parts of the story?

If all the Gospels were described in the exact manner,

we would think that they copied each other, or that they had somehow mischievously collaborated.

One of the apparent contradictions of the Gospels

is that Jesus said to His disciples that He was going to die and that He would resurrect on the third day.

Many have thought that the Gospels contradict each other because

He died Friday afternoon and resurrected Sunday morning. This seems to be less than even two days.

But this is not a contradiction in reality. The Jews counted a partial day as one day.

This means that for them Friday afternoon was counted as one day, the Sabbath was the second day,

and the night preceding the dawn on Sunday, was counted as the third day

There are different versions in the Gospels

regarding who were the first ones to get to the tomb on the morning of His resurrection.

For example, John says that the first one there was Mary Magdalene,

while Luke says that it was a group of women. In reality, this is not a contradiction.

It is very possible that a group of women went to the tomb that morning, Mary Magdalene being one of them.

The fact that the Gospels coincide in the important aspects and only vary in some details,

gives credibility to the story.

In reality, what seems to be a contradiction at first, has a simple explanation.

Are there other reliable sources, outside of the Bible, that talk about Jesus?

If so, do they confirm or contradict the Gospels?

Many believe that there are no other documents that talk about Jesus Christ, besides the Bible,

but that is far from the truth. Josephus, for example…

Josephus was a highly respected historian from the first century AD.

His writings are a crucial source of documentation for scholars.

In his work entitled “Jewish Antiquities”,

is found one of the most important statements about Jesus of Nazareth.

Most of Josephus’ text seems to be original, but there are some interpolations in it.

An interpolation is an entry or passage in a text that was not written by the original author,

and that was added at a later time. Despite this, the text is very important from a historical standpoint.

The famous text, in which Josephus mentions Christ, follows:

“About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man.

For he was one who performed surprising deeds and was a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly.

He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks.

“He was the Messiah...

And when, upon the accusation of the principal men among us, Pilate had condemned him to a cross,

those who had first come to love him did not cease.

He appeared to them spending a third day restored to life,

for the prophets of God had foretold these things and a thousand other marvels about him.

The tribe of the Christians, so called after him, has still to this day not disappeared.”

Josephus begins saying “about this time there lived Jesus, a wise man.”

This part is considered to be originally written by Josephus.

A Christian would have never referred to Jesus as simply “a wise man”.

He goes on saying: “For he was one who performed surprising feats

and was a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly.

He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks.“

This part coincide with Josephus’ writing style, and it is generally considered as an authentic text.

He later states: “And when, upon the accusation of the principal men among us,

Pilate had condemned him to a cross, those who had first come to love him did not cease.”

This is again a part originally written by Josephus.

He finished by saying “the tribe of the Christians, so called after him, has still to this day not disappeared.”

This is also originally written by Josefus.

This text provides very valuable information: it says that Jesus was a Teacher,

and there were “many Jews and Greeks that followed Him”.

It also confirms the story about Pilate being the one who condemned Jesus to die on the cross,

and that after His death a religious movement was initiated and widely extended.

Josephus is a historian often consulted by the scholars.

His testimony is considered especially important in regards to the period from the kings of Israel onwards,

and the experts consider the information provided by his writings to be reliable.

There are many details that we know thanks to his writings,

which have been confirmed by archeology later on.

For example, he is very thorough when describing the siege of Masada by the Romans.

Masada was a fortress and when this site was discovered,

its excavations confirmed Josephus’ testimony.

Although Josephus’ testimony provides us with proof that confirms the narrative of the Gospels,

we would like to look even further.

Is there any other testimony outside of the Bible that would help us track Jesus?

Another testimony that faithfully and without personal interests involved, would confirm Christ's story?

There are other citations about Jesus of Nazareth outside the Gospels.

Tacitus a Roman historian

who lived during the last part of the first century and beginning of the second century AD.

in his work “Annals”, he confirms who really set Rome on fire in the year 64 AD.

“But all human efforts, all the lavish gifts of the emperor, and the propitiations of the gods,

did not banish the sinister belief that the conflagration was the result of an order.

Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures

on a class... called ‘Christians’ by the populace.

Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty

during the reign of Tiberius at the hand of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilate,

and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea,

the first source of the evil, but even in Rome”.

Tacitus clearly confirms Christ Jesus has a place in history, and He is the origin of Christianity.

We also have the Talmud. The Talmud is a compilation of oral Jewish religious traditions that includes laws.

Its compilation was completed in the fifth century AD. We can find passages in it that refer to Jesus.

It says that Jesus was a false messiah, practiced magic, and was unjustly sentenced.

This gives us an idea of how well known Jesus was at that moment.

The Talmud corroborates that Jesus performed miracles.

This coincides with what the Gospels say about Jesus frequently healing the sick,

feeding five thousand people with only two loaves of bread and five fish, with much surplus

even resurrecting a good number of people…

The fact that we cannot understand just how he did it, does not mean that it is untrue.

The statements of the Talmud

confirm that Jesus of Nazareth was a teacher and that He had disciples.

It also says that He was the illegitimate son of a Roman soldier and Mary.

This reveals something strange related to His birth, and it finally confirms that the Jews took Him to death.

It is an extraordinary thing that historians who were contemporary with Jesus mention Him.

He was not someone relevant within the whole of Roman Empire.

He did not transcend Roman politics. Even so, we have many references to Him that we cannot overlook.

Many skeptics say that there are very few non-Christian sources that mention Jesus,

but the truth is that we have more historical information about Jesus

than what we can piece together of Muhammed, Buddha, or any founder of other ancient religion.

We also have a very important historical reference, although not regarding His life, but His death.

Thallus was a historian that compiled the history of the Mediterranean world.

His works have been lost, but Julius Africanus wrote about him.

When Jesus died, Tallus said a solar eclipse took place.

Julio Africano debates about this because Jesus died during passover,

which is always celebrated during full moon,

which means that the sun is situated in a position completely opposite to the moon.

This makes impossible a solar eclipse.

Julius Africanus wrote:

On the whole world there pressed a most fearful darkness; and the rocks were rent by an earthquake,

and many places in Judea and other districts were thrown down.

This darkness Thallus, in the third book of his History,

calls, as appears to me without reason, an eclipse of the sun.”

The darkness and the earthquake of which Julius Africanus writes,

coincide precisely with the earthquake and darkness

documented in the Gospels to have occurred at Jesus’ death.

The historical sources confirm that Jesus performed miracles,

He was a Teacher and that He had many followers. They also confirm His death on the cross.

We have solid biblical evidence of Jesus being a person who really existed.

History also confirms the story narrated in the Gospels. No historian questions that.

Even if we did not have the narrative of the Gospels,

we would be counting with a sketch of His life quite complete.

It is thus rather unanimously confirmed that Jesus was a real historical figure

who lived and died in Palestine at the hands of the Jews.

We also have the certainty that those closest to Him,

made all necessary efforts to faithfully preserve the story of Jesus

and that they were most scrupulous and earnest in its transmission to others.

But some still have doubts regarding His death and resurrection.

Some have suggested that he just fainted, and later the cool temperature in the tomb revived Him.

In India, a tomb attributed to Christ, can be visited, which would mean that He did not die in Palestine,

but years later in a foreign land. What’s behind the reasoning here?

What if the disciples thought that He had died, but it did not happen after all?

In order to reach the truth, we need to analyze what happened to Jesus

before, during, and after the crucifixion.

Jesus sweat blood in the garden of Gethsemane. This is medically possible.

This condition is not common, but it is known as Hematidrosis,

and it is produced by a very intense physical or psychological stress.

It is always preceded by intense headaches and stomach aches.

These are so strong that they incapacitate the person from doing any activity.

The blood vessels near the sweat glands collapse

and can even rupture, thus releasing a small amount of blood that mixes with the sweat.

When suffering this condition, Jesus’ skin became much more fragile,

which made the lashing even more painful and damaging.

On top of the terrible stress that Jesus was under at Gethsemane,

there was the trial before the Sanhedrin, then the sorrow caused by Peter’s denial of his Master.

Jesus was later taken before Caiaphas, from there to Herod, and yet again to Caiaphas.

During this process Jesus was subjected to derision, to the deep cutting crown of thorns on His head,

to all manner of insults and most likely He was maliciously kicked and pushed around.

No question, all this must have undermined Jesus’ physical strength.

Caiaphas ordered Jesus to be submitted to the punishment of thirty nine lashes.

This punishment may not seem too grave at first glance, but it was a very cruel one.

It could even cause the death. The brutal whip containing small metallic balls

It even could cause the death. The brutal whip containing small metallic balls

as well as jagged pieces of previously sharpened bones interwoven in it.

That metal and bone would deeply strike into the prisoner’s back, his gluteus, and his legs,

developing contusions and lacerations, and deep tearing of the tissue in those areas;

to the point in which the person’s vertebral spine and also ribs could be clearly seen through open flesh.

During flagellation a person can lose an incredible volume of blood.

This makes the heart accelerate in an attempt to pump the insufficient blood.

Blood pressure reduces and the victim can even faint.

His kidneys stop producing urine in compensation for the lack of fluid.

This is known as a hypovolemic shock.

Jesus Christ, on His way to Calvary, very likely ultimately fell into hypovolemic shock.

It is then that He faints and His torturers assign Simon of Cyrene to take His place.

Arriving at the crucifixion site, they nail Him to the cross

using stakes the size of which are between five and seven inches.

These are introduced through the wrist, in the area of the Median nerve.

Resulting damage is a tearing of the nerve, producing an almost unbearable pain.

After this they nail His feet, also destroying the nerves in His feet, causing an intense pain.

When that Roman cross is lifted, Jesus arms are immediately dislocated.

His arms are stretched about six inches. After this an agonizing slow death by asphyxia awaits Jesus.

In order for the person to exhale, he has to position his feet in a way that will help him to push his body up,

but this movement makes the nail tear the foot, thus embedding the nail into the tarsal bones.

His back is torn and bloodied because of the whipping,

and it is constantly rubbing on the rugged wood of the cross, causing even more pain.

After the person exhales, he relaxes some and descends his body in order to catch some air

and then restart the painful process.

The person on the cross would be going through this process until he reached a point of exhaustion

in which he would not have the strength anymore to push himself up to breathe.

The hypovolemic shock makes Jesus’ cardiac rate to rise. His respiration is gradually slowing down,

and this increases the acidity of the blood, thus causing an irregular cardiac rhythm.

Christ goes into cardiac failure when He has the hypovolemic shock,

with resulting accumulated fluid around His heart and lungs.

When the soldiers realize that He has died, one of them pierces Him with a spear.

According to what John describes, it is evident that the spear was between His ribs,

going through the lung and the heart.

At that moment, the fluid accumulated in the lungs and around the heart, which looks like water.

After this also a great amount of blood comes out from the heart. Jesus has definitely died.

It was impossible for Jesus to survive all this, but if there is still someone who thinks otherwise,

the spear put through both His thorax and heart, leaves no chance of survival.

Not one can survive to this.

It was impossible for anyone to survive the torture of the whipping, the martyrdom of the cross,

the point of the spear going through the lung and the heart.

Jesus of Nazareth had died and He was buried in a tomb nearby on that Friday afternoon.

But… on Sunday morning Jesus’ body was not found in the tomb.

“Could it be the Jesus did not resuscitate, but that someone had stolen His body?

Maybe the disciples lied to make people believe Jesus’ words when

He said that He would rise from the dead on the third day.

To steal Jesus’ body would prevent people from mocking them

and their belief in Jesus being the promised Messiah.

Could it be that all the Christian Movement was built upon a big lie?

The Jews asked Pontius Pilate to provide them with guards to keep guardianship of Jesus’ tomb.

Also, Pilate had placed an iron seal to prevent anyone from opening the tomb.

It was absolutely impossible to steal Jesus’ body.

Disappointment and shame filled the hearts of the disciples after Jesus’ death.

Their enduring hopes were dashed and they didn´t know how to handle His death.

They did not believe the women who had been to His tomb,

when they gave the wonderful announcement of His resurrection.

The disciples would never go out spreading such a message without confirming that it was true.

The disciples did not believe at first that Jesus was resurrected.

They had to see Him with their own eyes for them to believe it.

They were not prepared to encounter a Jesus who had been resurrected, restored to life.

It was also true that later on they believed Jesus had truly risen from the grave and that He was the Messiah.

The Roman guards stood watch over Jesus´ tomb and were the first eyewitness of His resurrection.

They went to the Pharisees telling them that Jesus arose from the dead,

but those leaders did not want the truth to be made known.

So, they bribed the soldiers, instructing them to say

that the disciples had stolen Jesus’ body while they had fallen asleep at night.

The plot of the Pharisees confirms that Jesus’ tomb was empty.

This leaves no room to doubt that Jesus truly was the Messiah.

The disciples proclaimed Jesus’ Messiahship and resurrection at risk of their lives.

Nobody would be willing to die in defense of a lie.

We have the testimony of the Roman soldiers that had been assigned to guard Jesus’ tomb,

and the declaration of the Pharisees that Jesus´body was not in the tomb anymore.

But we also have the evidence of the 500 people that saw Christ after His resurrection.

Paul clearly stated that many of those 500 people were still alive at that time.

Anyone could go and personally ask those eyewitnesses about the truth.

In a Court of Law, the testimony of just one person

can be sufficient to dictate sentence in favor or against the defendant.

So many witnesses of His resurrection prove that His resurrection was not a lie.

It is impossible that all of them had agreed to tell the same lie.

The major proof that He appeared to them after His resurrection is that many skeptics were converted.

Paul, for example: Paul, one of the fiercest enemies and persecutors of the early Christian Church,

needed irrefutable proof of Jesus resurrection. This was something that surprised them all.

The reason why Christianity spread like wildfire throughout the Roman Empire

was because no one could contradict the fact that Jesus’ tomb was empty.

This was a reality to avoid all remaining doubts.

When investigating a case, it is not necessary to have all of the information to come to a conclusion.

A judge does not have all the information at hand

but the necessary information to recognize the evidences to reach a verdict.

Likewise, the evidences presented here in the case of Jesus should help us reach a conclusion.

The historic, archeological and scientific evidences corroborate the story of the Gospels.

These were written at an early date, in which it was not possible to adulterate the story of Jesus.

Jesus Christ is real.

We can have complete confidence in the integrity and attention to details of the writers of the Gospels

preserving all the details of the story.

Very important Historians have confirmed that Jesus was real, thus corroborating the story of the Gospels:

Josephus, Plinius the young, Tacitus, Julius Africanus…

having no personal interest in the telling of this story, and yet they documented it.

Our medical analysis of the death of Jesus confirms without a shadow of a doubt

that Jesus could have not survived the torment of the cross.

So many eyewitnesses of the resurrection cannot be ignored,

and the empty tomb is the definite proof that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God.

The empty tomb is something that escapes our comprehension,

but it was sufficient for millions of people, throughout the history of Christianity, to die defending their faith.

Jesus of Nazareth, will always be a character that gives rise to all kinds of sentiments.

Christ Jesus, who revolutionized the world, shaking the pillars on which it was sustained.

Whose teaching changed the way many thought and related to others.

He created a new system of values in which the poor are rich and the rich are poor;

where the blind can see and the one who has eyesight, blind;

where the sinner can be saved and yet priest, lost; where all are brothers and sisters.

The Master gives consideration to the marginalized ones and the prostitutes.

A system where the humble are exalted the proud ruler’s condemned;

where the last will be the first ones, the first ones, last.

While Jews and heathen needed good works to obtain the divine favor,

Jesus preached that Salvation depends on the forgiveness from God.

He is the one who delivered himself to humanity, motivated by love alone.

A prophet, a teacher, but most importantly: a savior.

Many will recognize and admit that the overwhelming evidences in favor of Jesus are conclusive,

while for others the searching of the truth about Jesus will never end.

Even after the arguments presented here, for them Jesus will remain an OPEN CASE.