7. Jesus Died for Our Sins and Rose from the Dead
Historical evidence that Jesus was God is truly overwhelming. Here, very strong evidence is presented that shows Jesus fulfilled prophecies, performed miracles, and rose from the dead. This overwhelming evidence clearly shows that Jesus was God. Therefore, everyone must choose to either rejected Jesus or follow Jesus.
Historical Evidence that Jesus Was Real
The strongest evidence that supports the historicity of Jesus comes from non-Christian historians. Numerous non-Christian historians describe Jesus’ life. Here, we will present a summary of these letters. These letters describe Jesus’ life, death, and the fact that he rose from the dead.
In AD 110, Ignatius of Antioch wrote a letter to the Smyrnaeans. In the letter, Ignatius claims that Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilate and Herod the tetrarch (Ch. 1). Also, Ignatius writes that “he suffered all these things for us; and He suffered them really, and not in appearance only, even as also He truly rose again” (Ch. 2).”¹
There is very strong evidence that Jesus was real. Josephus was a Jewish-Roman historian from AD 93, and he wrote a book entitled “Testimonium Flavianum.” In the 1970’s an Arabic version of the passage was discovered. It reads:
At this time there was a wise man who was called Jesus. His conduct was good, and [he] was known to be virtuous. And many people from among the Jews and the other nations became his disciples. Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die. But those who had become his disciples did not abandon his discipleship. They reported that he had appeared to them three days after his crucifixion, and that he was alive; accordingly he was perhaps the Messiah concerning whom the prophets have recounted wonders.²
From this reference, it is very clear that Josephus accepted that Jesus existed. Also, Josephus accepted that Jesus was called Christ and that his conduct was good. Josephus also recognizes that Jesus was crucified by Pilate and that Jesus had many disciples.
Jesus fulfilled prophecies
The Old Testament has numerous prophesies about Jesus, but scholars debate how many prophecies describe Jesus. For example, J. Barton Payne estimates that 574 verses in the Old Testament describe Jesus. On the other hand, Alfred Edersheim believes that only 456 verses in the Old Testament describe Jesus. So, it is challenging to estimate exactly how many verses truly describe Jesus. However, at least 300 prophecies describe Jesus. Here, we describe the strongest prophecies that Jesus fulfilled.
In the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah described several prophecies about the Messiah (Jesus). He foretold that Jesus would have a supernatural virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14) and Jesus’ ministry in Galilee (Isaiah 9:1-2). Isaiah also prophesied that Jesus would be a sacrifice for sin:
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors (Isaiah 53:5-8, 12).
In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul describes how Jesus fulfilled this prophecy:
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep (1 Corinthians 15:3-6).
Again in the Old Testament, King David described that Jesus would rise from the dead in Psalms 16:10: “For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.” In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul describes how Jesus rose from the dead:
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:8-11).
Finally, King David describes that Jesus would sit at the right hand of God in Psalm 110:1: “The Lord says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” In the New Testament, the Apostle Luke describes that Jesus would sit at the right hand of God:
God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, “The Lord said to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’” Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah (Acts 2:32-36).
Jesus performed miracles
The Gospels mention many miracles that Jesus performed, such as healings, causing storms to cease, creating bread, and walking on lakes. The New Testament Gospels describe theses miracles in great detail. Also, there are many additional Christian sources that describe miracles that Jesus performed.
For example, Quadratus was a church leader in Athens, and he was the Bishop of Athens in the 2nd century. He is famous for writing his Apology to the Roman emperor around 124-125 Ad. He wrote:
Our Savior’s works, moreover, were always present: for they were real, consisting of those who had been healed of their diseases, those who had been raised from the dead; who were not only seen whilst they were being healed and raised up, but were afterwards constantly present. Nor did they remain only during the sojourn of the Saviour on earth, but also a considerable time after His departure; and, indeed, some of them have survived even down to our own times.³
Justin the Philosopher (Justin Martyr) was a Christian philosopher and apologist. In his First Apology, he defends of the morality of the Christian faith to stop the Roman emperor from persecution Christian believers. Justin Martyr also describes miracles that Jesus performed. He wrote:
And that it was predicted that our Christ should heal all diseases and raise the dead, hear what was said. There are these words: “At His coming the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the stammerer shall be clear speaking: the blind shall see, and the lepers shall be cleansed; and the dead shall rise, and walk about.” And that He did those things, you can learn from the Acts of Pontius Pilate.⁴
The strongest evidence comes from non-Christian historians because they have no motivation to falsify historical events. For example, the Jewish historian Josephus described Jesus. He wrote:
At this time, there appeared Jesus, a wise man. He was a doer of startling deeds, a teacher of people who receive the truth with pleasure. And he gained a following among many Jews and among many of Greek origin. When Pilate, because of an accusation by the leading men among us, condemned him to the cross, those who had loved him previously did not cease to do so. And up until this very day the tribe of Christians, named after Him, has not died out.⁵
Evidence that Jesus was Crucified and Rose from the Dead
Historians are nearly unanimous in accepting that Jesus died on the cross. In fact, Jesus’ crucifixion is widely mentioned by both Christion and non-Christian historical records. Apocryphal gospels, such as the Gospel of Truth and the Gospel of Peter discuss Jesus’ crucifixion. New Testament scholar Gerd Lüdemann describes the scholarly opinion when he has that the Jesus’ death on the crucifixion is nearly indisputable. Scholar Bart Ehrman also described Jesus’ crucifixion:
It is hard today to understand just how offensive the idea of a crucified messiah would have been to most first-century Jews. . . . Since no one would have made up the idea of a crucified messiah, Jesus must really have existed, must really have raised messianic expectations, and must really have been crucified.⁶
There is also very strong evidence that Jesus rose from the dead. The Gospels claim that Jesus’ tomb was found empty on the Sunday after his crucifixion. In the first century, women had little regard in courts, and their testimony was not admitted in courts. So, the strongest evidence that Jesus’ tomb was empty is that woman discovered it. So, if the Christians were creating narratives to support their story, it would seem more logical for them to ascribe the discovery of the empty tomb to witness that were more credible.
A recent survey of academic literature says that the majority of scholars accept that Jesus’ tomb was empty.⁷ Further, Geza Vermes is a Biblical scholar, and he specializes in the history of Judaism and Christianity. After carefully analyzing all of the historical evidence, Geza comes to this conclusion:
In the end, when every argument has been considered and weighed, the only conclusion acceptable to the historian must be that the opinions of the orthodox, the liberal sympathizer and the critical agnostic alike—and even perhaps of the disciples themselves—are simply interpretations of the one disconcerting fact: namely that the women who set out to pay their last respects to Jesus found to their consternation, not a body, but an empty tomb.⁸
Evidence that Jesus was God
The New Testament provides very strong evidence that Jesus was God. The strongest evidence comes from Jewish leaders because they did not follow Jesus. For example, Jesus hears a paralytic and also forgives the man’s sins (Mark 2:5). In response, the scribes cry blasphemy because only God can forgive sins (Mark 2:7).
There is also strong evidence when Jesus was on trial before the Sanhedrin. The high priest asked Jesus a question: “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” (Mark 14:61). Jesus replied, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven” (Mark 14:62). The high priest responded by tearing his clothes, charging Jesus with committing blasphemy, and condemning Jesus to death on the cross (Mark 14:64). So, why had the high priest given such a bold reply? Well, Jesus had quoted from Daniel 7:13-14 and Psalm 110:1, and Jesus had applied these verses to himself. In Daniel 7:13-14, the Son of Man comes to the Ancient of Days, and all people worship him. Now, the Pharisees realize that Jesus had made a divine claim, and the Pharisees charged Jesus with blasphemy.
The early disciples also worshiped Jesus (Matthew 2:2, 14:33, 28:9). For example, Thomas said, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28), and Jesus also did not make any effort to correct Thomas for worship him. So, worship only belongs to God (Revelation 22:9), and Jesus clearly welcomed Thomas’s worship (John 20:29).
Jesus also clearly showed his deity through his actions, and Jesus said that we must call him Lord in order to enter Heaven (Roman 10:9, Matthew 7:21). So, a person must acknowledge Jesus as Lord in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus also promised rest to the people who call him Lord (Matthew 11:28). Jesus also made divine claims when He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18). So, God has never given an ordinary person all authority on earth, but God did give this authority to Son of Man in Daniel 7:13-14.
So, Jesus is uniquely called the Son of God (John 1:49, 11:27). In John 1:18, Jesus is uniquely described: “No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us” (John 1:18). Further, the Jewish leaders understood that Jesus identified himself as God, and they wanted him to be put to death: “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God” (John 19:7, John 10:36). According to Jewish Law, it was blasphemy for Jesus to use God’s name (Leviticus 24:16). So, when Jesus called himself the Son of God, he was claiming to have “the rights and authority of God himself” (John 1:34, 5:19-30).
So, people who claim that Jesus did not claim are incorrect because Jesus clearly claimed that He was God. The Pharisees also realized that Jesus was claiming to God. The things that Jesus said about himself were sufficient to cause the Jewish leaders to charge Jesus with committing blasphemy and crucify Him.
Conclusions
Here, historical evidence was presented which shows that Jesus was God. So, each must person must carefully decide if they will reject Jesus or follow Jesus. Only by believing that Jesus is the Son of God and by truly following Jesus can a person have eternal life (John 3:15-17, 6:40, 20:31).
References
1. Ignatius, Epistle to the Smyrnaeans, 1 and 2. Online: https://earlychristianwritings.com/text/ignatius-smyrnaeans-longer.html (Accessed Sep. 12, 2025).
2. Schlomo Pines, An Arabic Version of the Testimonium Flavianum and it’s Implications. (Jerusalem: Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, 1971), 9-10.
3. The Apology of Quadratus, Bishop of Athens, as preserved in Eusebius, History of the Church, Book 4, Chapter 3.
4. Justin Martyr, First Apology, Chapter 48.
5. Bart Ehrman, Did Jesus Exist? (Harper One, 2012), 61.
6. Bart Ehrman, Did Jesus Exist? (Harper One, 2012), 163-64.
7. Gary Habermas, Resurrection Research from 1975 to the Present: What Are Critical Scholars Saying? Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus 3, no. 2 (2005): 135–53.
8. Geza Vermes, Jesus the Jew: A Historian’s Reading of the Gospels (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1981), 41.