A few days ago, I read Judges 11 as part of my morning reading. In part of the chapter Jephthah debates with a king who was fighting against Israel. He detailed Israel's history of conquering the land in question and even recounted dialogue that took place 300 years earlier.
This year celebrates America's 250th year as an independent country. Can any of my readers recall history from from the 50 years prior to this country's independence? I'm certain that such history is available and some people can likely recount some of it, but it is not common.
We are also living in a time when history is being questioned by many and if it can be trusted. Looking at everyday life, it's easy to find one-sided reporting from news media that spins current event in a particular viewpoint. After a few years, or decades, have passed from some milestone and memories begin to fade, biased reporting can have a lasting impact. This is heard particularly when citing even older history, like 2,000 years ago.
Today is Easter Sunday, it is when millions of Christians around the world celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This event is one that separates Christianity from the other religions of the world. Islam, Buddhism, and other great religious faiths have leaders that have died and never went further. Jesus' death and resurrection paid the fine for our sins so that we may have eternal life with Him if we repent from sin and trust in Christ alone.
However, many today so you cannot trust the Bible and the history it records. Skeptic argue it was written by men well after the events occurred and negates any prophecy. Looking at the four gospels, some also try to say they copied each other in parts and give conflicting information to events that are irreconcilable.
Well, let's look at a few pieces of evidence. First, many of the eyewitnesses were alive when the first books the New Testament were written. Therefore, they could easily correct any errors in the records and refute false information. We also see a great change in Jewish lifestyle.
Centuries of animal sacrifice suddenly stopped and the new religion of Christianity quickly spread despite severe persecution. All but one of the apostles were martyred for their faith and never gave up their testimony. Would that many people be killed for following a known lie?
Testimonies outside of Scripture, such as from Josephus, Tacitus, and Plimy the Younger, recount the happenings around Easter. It is such a well documented event from different sources, that few try to say it didn't happen.
Through recorded resources, eyewitness testimonies, and more, we can be certain of the death and resurrection of Christ. As we go forward from this day, let us remember Scripture's reliability and use it to spread the good news of forgiveness.
