PO!USJBM!

“Take Buddha out of Buddhism, Mohammed out of Islam, and, in like manner, the founder of various other
religions out of their religions, and little would be changed. But take Christ out of Christianity and there would
be nothing left, for Christianity is not a philosophy or ethic, it is a personal relationship with a living Saviour.”

Okay, so christianity = jesus -›

BIG DEAL?!?

Well, when you have credentials like Jesus, it is

just that … a BIG DEAL!
Check this out …
“One Solitary Life”:
Here is a young man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He worked in a carpenter’s
shop until he was thirty, and then for 3 years he travelled the countryside as a preacher.
He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never owned a home. He never had a family. He did none of the
things we usually associated with greatness. He had no qualifications but himself.
While he was still a young man, the tide of public opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. He was turned over
to his enemies. He went through the mockery of an unjust trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While
he was still dying, his executioners gambled for the only piece of property he had on earth, his coat.
When he was dead, he was laid in a borrowed tomb through the pity of a friend. Three days later, the tomb was empty.
No corpse or remains of his body have ever been discovered.
Almost twenty centuries have come and gone, and today he is the central figure in human history, the respected
founder of teaching used for all humankind.
All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the Kings
that ever reigned put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth, as much as that
One Solitary Life.
So – what’s so special about Jesus???
To understand that, you need to know about …

… the BIBLE’s HUGE CLAIMS …

1 . . . God designed and made the world, animals, plants and humans, all perfect. We were created to be
in a loving relationship with Him. (i.e. we aren’t an evolutionary accident, and your relatives don’t live in the
zoo).

2 . . . God gave us ‘free will’, so we could seek Him first (the way we work best), or go our own way and
against God (sin). Adam & Eve (the first humans) chose the latter, and we do the same each day.

3 . . . Sin brought pain, disease, suffering & death (physical and spiritual) into the world. We’re trapped,
split between wanting to sin, yet generally knowing what’s right (our conscience). Sin separates everyone
from God.
 … the BIBLE’s HUGE CLAIMS … ((cont.))
4 . . . Jesus, “God in the flesh,” came to the rescue. He lived a perfect life, reminded us
that God knows us fully and loves us, then was killed on a cross to pay for the wrong we’ve
done. This allows us to be close again to God.

5 . . . After 3 dead days, Jesus came back to life, making him the only person every to conquer death.
This showed that for those who ask forgiveness and put Jesus as boss of their lives, their ‘sin tally’ will be
wiped clean.

6 . . . When Jesus returns to judge the world, the whole cosmos will be restored and us with it. All will
be resurrected—those who are forgiven are resurrected to eternal life in the New Heavens and New Earth
(without sin, suffering, and shame), while those who rejected God’s grace are resurrected to judgment and
Hell (still under God’s just punishment and wrath, but absent from His love).
Quote . . . JESUS said:
“I am THE way and THE truth and THE life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
(John 14:6)
“Those are BIG CALLS that the Bible makes. But, anyone can claim anything. I could say that I’m god;
that doesn’t mean it’s true! Why should I believe any of this?”

I AGREE!!! At heart I’m a true SKEPTIC … it’s GOOD to ask QUESTIONS.

I mean, if all this about Jesus is wrong, would I bother giving up my life for a pipe dream?
One famous Christian put it this way:
“If Jesus was not raised to life, our message is worthless, and so is your faith – and
you are still living in your sins. If our hope in Christ is good only for this life, we are
worse off than anyone else.” (The Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15:14, 17, 19)

Sounds like he’s just about to leave the faith! BUT – that guy went on to die for his beliefs.
How certain are you of what you claim to believe? Would you be prepared to DIE for it???
BUT, if all this talk about Jesus is RIGHT, can I AFFORD to ignore it?

Talk show host LARRY KING, a non-believer, was asked this question:
“If you could select any one person across all of history to interview, who would it be?”
He said Jesus Christ. “What would you ask him?” was the next logical question.
He said, “I would like to ask him if he was indeed virgin-born. The answer to that question
would define history for me.”
He was dead serious – he wanted answers … MAYBE YOU DO TO?
GOOD … you’re in the right starting place.
Imagine you have KD PO!USJBM… what would you ask him? What would he say?

Following are SIX MAJOR questions regarding KD to which many want SOLID answers.
No SINGLE exhibit is enough to make this case open and shut,
and in any historical enquiry, you can never prove something beyond a shadow of a doubt-

BUT, weigh it up with an open mind, and continue searching if you’re really hard-core, as
I believe you will come to see that beyond a reasonable doubt …

KD IS THE KEY TO HISTORY: PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE … ZPVST INCLUDED

 JESUS ON TRIAL …
KEY EXHIBITS TO REBUFF THE PROSECUTION

Q1)) Did Jesus Even Exist - & can we trust the Bible & other sources of evidence?

Exhibit 1 of 12
-The main sources of evidence about Jesus are in four separate biographies, by Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
-There are more than 24,000 copies of these ancient documents, as people were so keen to get the message out.
-This is 23,350 more copies than the next most respected ancient manuscript of any type.

Exhibit 2 of 12
-Despite the huge numbers of copies of Jesus’ biographies (the 4 gospels), research shows that they are 99.5%
identical (a few typos here & there!)
-So, we can be sure that the message hasn’t changed since it was written, not long after Jesus’ life.

Exhibit 3 of 12
-Many say the gospels can’t be trusted because they say different things. However, people who study history say
that minor variations between two accounts is evidence in favour of the accounts being true.
-The small differences don’t contradict each other, but do show a different perspective. This means each
biography was written independently – not based on conspiracy or lies to convince the reader.

Exhibit 4 of 12
-There were thousands of eye-witnesses from that period of time, all who knew Jesus well.
-When Peter & John taught following on from Jesus, they said, “We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we
told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” (2 Peter
1:16)

Exhibit 5 of 12
-The disciples couldn’t have got away with lying about Jesus, because all the people they spoke to knew the truth
about Jesus resurrection.
-Peter started His teaching with this statement, “Listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to
you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know.” (Acts 2:22)
-If he was lying about what Jesus did, or even about Jesus existing, people would have ignored him. But 3,000
people chose to follow Jesus after he finished his sermon. The more factual a message, the bigger the following!

Exhibit 6 of 12
-What the disciples taught and wrote about Jesus got 10 of the 11 hurt and then killed. The other was jailed for life.
-Would they do that for a myth or a lie?!?
 Exhibit 7 of 12
-Within 2 years of Jesus death & resurrection, the church already had a ‘creed’ or speech they regularly said about
Jesus, talking about Him as a real person who did amazing thing.
-This is too short a time, with eye-witnesses still around, to invent a person that didn’t exist, & agree on details.

Exhibit 8 of 12
-There are at least seven major records of Jesus from the highest regarded non-Christian historians of the day.
-Cornelius Tacitus (AD 55-120) is considered the ‘greatest historian’ of ancient Rome, known for his morals.
-He wrote about the persecution (torture) of Christians. He also wrote, “Christ … was put to death by Pontius
Pilate.”

Exhibit 9 of 12
-Lucian or Samosata, a non-Christian, writes of how “The Christians worship a man who was crucified, following his
laws.”
-Pliny the Younger (a Governor in the area Jesus lived in) wrote of how he had killed so many people claiming to be
Christians (men, women & children) that he didn’t know if it was having any effect. He tried to make them curse
‘Christ’, but he explains that they kept meeting together on a certain fixed day before it was light, where they sang
songs to Christ as God, aiming to never commit any bad deeds.

Exhibit 10 of 12
-Thallus, another non-Christian historian from Jesus’ time, talks of a strange darkness that covered the land (‘an
eclipse’) on the afternoon when Jesus died on the cross.
-He never bothered denying Jesus’ existence. Instead, he tried to come up with natural explanations of the sky
being dark as He was killed.
-Phlegon also mentions the eclipse of the sun occurring during the full moon (meant to be impossible)

Exhibit 11 of 12
-Josephus is one of the most quoted Jewish historians from that period in time. He never followed Jesus, though
he wrote this:
“Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of
wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. … He was the Christ, and when Pilate
had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them
alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things
concerning him. And the tribe of Christians so named from him are not extinct at this day.”

Exhibit 12 of 12
-Ancient Archaeology supports what the Bible says, from the locations of hidden pools, to the names of kings and
rulers at that time.
-If archaeology shows that the New Testament writers (about Jesus) were accurate in reporting historical and
geographical details, this gives us great faith that what they wrote of Jesus was true also.
 Q2)) Did Jesus believe He was God - & was He Right or Crazy?

Exhibit 1 of 12
-It’s only crazy to claim to be Michael Jackson if you aren’t Michael Jackson.
-Likewise, it’s only crazy to claim to be God if you aren’t God.
-What needs to be seen is if Jesus did claim He was God, and if so – could He back it up?
-C.S. Lewis says that with the claims Jesus made to be God – He was either crazy, a terrible liar, or Lord (Boss).
-His actions never show him to be crazy (he made too much sense!), and all his friends said he never sinned. What
options are left?

Exhibit 2 of 12
-John, one of Jesus’ followers, wrote this about Jesus (who he called ‘the Word’):
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the
beginning. Through him all things were made … The Word became flesh and lived among us. We have seen his
glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1-13 & 14)
-Here he claims that Jesus has always existed, and that He is one with the Father – i.e. God.

Exhibit 3 of 12
-So – if Jesus was God, then He would have similar attributes – or characteristics (qualities).
-For example, the Bible says that God is ‘all knowing’ (omniscient) …
-John 16:30 has John saying to Jesus, “Now we can see that you know all things.”

Exhibit 4 of 12
-The Bible says that God is ‘everywhere’ (omnipresent) …
-Matthew 28:20 quotes Jesus as saying, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
-By claiming a characteristic only God has, Jesus is showing that He is God.

Exhibit 5 of 12
-The Bible says that God is ‘all powerful’ (omnipotent) …
-Matthew 28:18 quotes Jesus as saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
-By claiming a characteristic only God has, Jesus is showing that He is God.

Exhibit 6 of 12
-The Bible says that God is both ‘eternal’ (no beginning or end), and ‘immutable’ (unchanging) …
-John 1:1 declares Jesus of Jesus, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God.”, while Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forevermore.”
-By claiming a characteristic only God has, Jesus is showing that He is God.
 Exhibit 7 of 12
-The Bible says only God is perfect and can forgive sins …
-Yet Jesus said with a straight face to those who knew Him best, “Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?” (John
8:46) … John, his best friend wrote of Him “In him is no sin” (1 John 3:5), while Peter said, “He didn’t commit any
sin. No lies ever came out of his mouth.” (1 Peter 2:22). Jesus also forgave sins that weren’t committed against
Him (Mark 2:1-12)
-Either Jesus is incredibly arrogant, or He’s God. Could your closest friends say you were without sin & mean it?

Exhibit 8 of 12
-There was a split in the Jews over Jesus. A lot of them were saying, “’He’s crazy, a maniac – out of his head
completely. Why bother listening to him?’ But others weren’t so sure: ‘These aren’t the words of a crazy man. Can
a maniac open blind eyes?’” (John 10:19-21)
-Matthew 7:28-29 says, “the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority.”
-Jesus’ teaching is used as the basis of almost every Western nation in the world – doesn’t sound crazy to me!

Exhibit 9 of 12
-When on trial, Jesus was asked by the Jewish leaders, “If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus responded, “I
did tell you, but you do not believe … I and the Father are one.”
-At that point they picked up rocks to stone (kill) Him. Why? “For blasphemy,” they said, “because you, a mere
man, claim to be God.” (John 10:24-33). Jesus clearly claimed to be God

Exhibit 10 of 12
-Peter was asked by Jesus who he thought Jesus was. He responded, “You’re the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of
the living God.” Jesus blessed Him for ‘revealing the secret’ of who He was.
-Similarly, after Jesus had risen from the dead, He appeared to Thomas who doubted Jesus and didn’t think He was
real. After putting his fingers into the holes in Jesus hands he said, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).
-Jesus obviously believed He was God, because He then explained to Thomas that those who believe without needing
to see will be even happier.

Exhibit 11 of 12
-Jesus backed up His claim to be God by ‘opening’ the eyes of the blind, healing the sick, walking on water,
multiplying bread & fish … i.e. Miracles! That largely explained His huge following. Jesus was known for His control
over sickness and health, and even death.

Exhibit 12 of 12
-Jesus was willing to die a horrible death to pay for the sins of all people. Jesus claimed to be God, and that claim
got Him killed.
-Would Jesus be willing to die for a lie?
-Yet when He was convicted, he was like a “lamb to the slaughter”, not saying a word in His defence. Surely He was
either telling the truth, or sincerely believed He was God.
-His whole life points to the second conclusion.
 Q3)) Was Jesus the MESSIAH (Saviour of the World) – predicted in the Bible even before He was born?

Exhibit 1 of 12
-In the Jewish Scriptures (the Old Testament, all written between 400 and 1,200 years before Jesus’ birth) there
are more than 60 major prophecies (or God given accurate predictions) about what the ‘Messiah’ (meaning the
person sent by God to save the Jews and bless all the world drawing them to God) would be like (His birth, life,
death, and resurrection). There are over 300 prophecies in all. (n.b. < 1 chance in 1050 = statistical impossibility)
-Jesus fulfilled them all.

Exhibit 2 of 12
-Maybe Jesus fulfilling all these 300+ prophecies was a coincidence? But, Dr. Peter Stoner, a science professor,
worked with 600 students to come up with their best estimate to predict the chance of just 8 (of over 300) Old
Testament prophecies being fulfilled in any one person living down to the present time. It came out to one chance
in a hundred million billion. i.e. it is impossible.

Exhibit 3 of 12
-Even if Jesus knew all the prophecies and tried to fulfil them, he couldn’t. Many were out of His control.
-For example, Micah 5:2 said Jesus would be born in Bethlehem, which He was (Matthew 2:1), and that He would be a
descendent of King David, which He was (Matthew 1:6 & 16).

Exhibit 4 of 12
-The best description of Jesus in the Bible is probably in Isaiah, written over 700 years before His birth.
-From Isaiah 53:3-9 & 12:
“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering. … Surely he took up our sins
and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God. But He was pierced for our wrongs, and crushed
for our sins; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.”

Exhibit 5 of 12
-Another amazing prophecy about Jesus, also from Isaiah (700 years before Jesus’ birth), compares Jesus to a
lamb going to the slaughter, not opening His mouth. He had no descendents, and was killed, given a grave among
the wicked, and with the rich in his death “though He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth … for He
bore the sin of many and allowed sinners to restore relationship with God.”
-All of these things came true, as He never sinned, was silent while on trial, had no descendents, was killed on a
cross with two wicked men, and laid in the tomb of a rich man (who asked permission to bury Jesus’ body in a plot
of land he bought).

Exhibit 6 of 12
-The whole book of Matthew is written to show Jews how Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies.
- Matthew said of Jesus’ actions in general, “But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be
fulfilled.”
-For example, Jesus chose to ride into Jerusalem on a donkey, fulfilling a prophecy in Zechariah 9:9
 Exhibit 7 of 12
-The Old Testament described the Messiah as being “filled with passion for His Father’s house” (i.e. the temple)
-Then, in Jesus life, we see Him twice throwing out money changers from the Temple in Jerusalem, who were
making the House of God “a den of thieves”.

Exhibit 8 of 12
-The Old Testament says that the messiah would be ‘hung on a tree’ and that ‘not a bone in his body would be
broken’ (Psalm 34:20) … all this before crucifixion was even used as a method of killing
-Yet, when Jesus was crucified, they didn’t break his legs as was common practice – instead they pierced His side
with a spear (John 19:34). This too was predicted (Zechariah 12:10)

Exhibit 9 of 12
-Isaiah 7:4 says “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” (which means
God with Us).
-Jesus’ biographies make it clear that Mary was a virgin when she bore Jesus … her husband to be, Joseph, was
going to leave her until God gave Him a dream saying it was all happening to His plan.
-historians opposed to Christianity also made mention of his birth, claiming he was conceived out of wedlock –
“such-an-one is a bastard of an adulteress” (from the Babylonian Talmud (b. Yebamoth 49a; Yebam. 4:13).

Exhibit 10 of 12
-The Bible even predicts (Malachi 3:1; Isaiah 40:3) that a messenger would come before Jesus, paving the way for
Him, “crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
-This is exactly what John the Baptist did (Luke 1:17)

Exhibit 11 of 12
-The Bible (Isaiah 35:5-6) says that, “Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be
unstopped. The lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb will sing for joy.”
-Jesus, in His biographies, is said to go about the cities and villages healing every sickness & disease.

Exhibit 12 of 12
-In summary, almost everything Jesus did and said was predicted, including his betrayal for 30 pieces of silver, His
resurrection (coming back to life after death), piercing of hands and feet, rejection by His own people, being hated
without a cause, His clothes being gambled for, and the darkness that would fall over the land as He died (Amos
8:9).
-This is NO COINCIDENCE!!!
 ⌦Q4)) Did Jesus really Die on the Cross – or did He just fake it? ⌦

⌦Exhibit 1 of 9
-Many people would like us to believe that Jesus never really died on the cross, meaning He didn’t have to rise from
the dead. But, most who say that haven’t looked at how crucifixion was used as a killing technique by the Romans
who were in power at the time.
-The word excruciating, meaning “agonizingly painful,” comes from the word crucifixion. They had to make up a
new word to describe the kind of pain people who were crucified went through.

⌦Exhibit 2 of 9
-Jesus was whipped before He was made to carry a heavy wooden cross beam up to the hill for crucifixion.
-Whipping involved use of a braided leader thong with metal balls and pieces of bone woven into them.
-Upon hitting your flesh, the balls would cause deep bruises which break open upon further hits (39 in all)
-Parts of the spine would often be exposed by the deep cuts all the way from the shoulders to the back of the legs.
-Many people died from flogging even before they could be crucified. Those who didn’t die often went into shock.
-Additionally, Jesus was beaten, and had a crown of thorns on His head. He showed classic signs of shock.

⌦Exhibit 3 of 9
-Crucifixion worked by hammering 5-7 inch nails through the wrists (considered part of the hand in their day) and
ankles, holding them to a cross, crushing your major nerves (like squeezing your funny bone with pliers)
-When the cross is raised up, the victim would hang by their arms, pulling them out of socket, making them 6 inches
longer
-In order to breathe out, the victim must push up off their nailed ankles, then lowering again to breathe in. With
each push their legs would become more fatigued, and their back would rip open against the rough wooden cross.
-Eventually they wouldn’t be able to push up any more, and they would die from lack of oxygen, causing a build up of
fluid on the lungs.

⌦Exhibit 4 of 9
-Romans were experts at crucifixion … they invented this torture and killing method, and had Roman Guards
specially employed to do the job. They weren’t in the habit of taking people down when they were still alive,
especially not someone as important and controversial as Jesus (whom Pilate, the head leader, himself sentenced
to death).

⌦Exhibit 5 of 9
-Some say that Jesus received a drug in some drink that made Him pass out, later to revive in the cold tomb.
-However, in order for this to happen, He would have to break open the many kilograms of tightly wrapped burial
sheets that embalmed Him in the tomb, recover enough strength to push away a huge stone blocking the entrance,
defeat an army of Roman soldiers guarding His tomb, and then recover enough to convince the disciples that He’d
beaten death. All this with a ripped open back, shock, dislocated shoulders, & speared side. Not bad!!!
⌦Exhibit 6 of 9
-If a person took too long to die on the cross, they would break their legs so they couldn’t push up to breath out
anymore (they’d die very soon afterwards). This happened to the people either side of Jesus, but they were so
confident Jesus was dead (He ‘gave up His spirit’, and a mid-day eclipse and earth-quake happened!) that they
didn’t bother!

⌦Exhibit 7 of 9
-Instead of breaking Jesus’ legs (because He was already dead), they speared Him in the side. The Bible reports
that clear fluid, then blood, ran freely out His side. In their day, medically, they didn’t know what this meant.
-We now know that the combination of shock, a rapid heart rate, and heart failure, result in a collection of clear
fluid around the heart and lungs. The spear hole released this fluid, then blood. The cells had broken down. This
was a clear sign of death.

⌦Exhibit 8 of 9
-Some say that He was misplaced in the wrong grave, later to revive.
-This doesn’t make sense though, because the High Priests immediately had assigned a seal on the tomb, and a
garrison of Roman soldiers to stand guard, for they feared some-one would take the body.
-Also, never until the last 100 years or so has this claim that He didn’t die been used. The best time was back then!

⌦Exhibit 9 of 9
-Others say that it wasn’t actually Jesus who was crucified – a case of mistaken identity.
-That too is ridiculous, as Jesus taught daily to large crowds (including the High Priests who had Him sentenced to
death) in the centre of Jerusalem. He was tried before all the officials, and marched through the city.
-For them to, at the most important time, mix Him up with someone else, is unthinkable.
-That’s like spending a whole day with a stranger yet thinking they’re your mum!
 Q5)) Did Jesus come back to life (the resurrection) after being killed?

Exhibit 1 of 10
-An empty tomb by itself is not sufficient to prove some-one came back from the dead. But, add this evidence to
many appearances reputably reported, and followers of that person who change from scaredy-cats to fearless
preachers willing to die for a cause, claiming that their leader is back from the dead … & you’ve got a case!

Exhibit 2 of 10
-In Matthew 27 we read of how the chief priests go to Pilate (the Roman ruler). “Sir,” they said, “we remember
something that liar said while he was still alive. He claimed, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give the order to
make the tomb secure until the third day. If you don’t, his disciples might come and steal the body. Then they will
tell the people that Jesus has been raised from the dead. This last lie will be worse than the first.” “Take some
guards with you,” Pilate answered. “Go. Make the tomb as secure as you can.” So they went and made the tomb
secure. They put a seal on the stone and placed some guards on duty.
-i.e. The tomb being sealed meant it had Roman protection. The opposing religious leaders knew Jesus’
resurrection was predicted, so they took precautions to avoid a scene.

Exhibit 3 of 10
-The tomb was a small room cut out of solid rock, with only a small entrance. They would roll a huge disk-shaped
rock into place down a slope using gravity. It would take many strong men to remove the stone.
-This means Jesus Himself couldn’t have done it, so it would require the disciples. But they’d first have to get past
the armed guard.

Exhibit 4 of 10
-Some say that the religious leaders removed the body for safe-keeping to ensure the disciples wouldn’t steal it.
-Yet, the last thing they wanted was those crazy Christians claiming Jesus had risen. That would defeat all they
intended by killing Him.
-If they had the body, they would have just produced it to keep them quiet. Instead, they tried to blame the Roman
guard for falling asleep.

Exhibit 5 of 10
-A whole force of Roman Soldiers don’t fall asleep on duty – they would be killed for that!
-But lets say for arguments sake that they did. Wouldn’t they wake up when the disciples tried to move a huge
boulder out of the way of the tomb entrance … that makes more than a bit of noise! Not the most trained armed
guard in the world. It looked very bad for them to ‘lose’ the body. They knew this, and would have done anything to
protect their reputation (and thus their lives).

Exhibit 6 of 10
-Some say the disciples went to the wrong tomb, and thus thought Jesus had risen
-But, they had been with Him at burial, and followed a guide to the tomb. If it was the wrong tomb, the Jewish
leaders could easily have gone to the right tomb to show the body, and stop the rumours of Jesus’ resurrection.
 Exhibit 7 of 10
-After His death, Jesus appeared to not just a few, but hundreds of people. As Peter & Paul taught to huge crowds:
‘Christ died for our sins, just as Scripture said he would. He was buried. He was raised from the dead on the third
day … He appeared to Peter. Then he appeared to the Twelve (disciples). After that, he appeared to more than 500
believers at the same time. Most of them are still living.”
-This was said about 2 years after the resurrection. If it were false, they could have easily been dis-proven. Yet
Peter and the others challenged them to check it out for themselves, and ask those who’d seen it with their own
eyes. As a result, the movement grew all the faster.
-If you were to interview for 15 minutes each every eye-witness to Jesus resurrection, you would be stuck in a
room for 129 straight hours, each saying they had seen, spoken to, and even touched Jesus.
-This is no hallucination – as even Paul & Thomas who didn’t want to believe in Jesus were convinced.

Exhibit 8 of 10
-When Jesus was crucified, all His followers scattered, denied Him, ran away, and were fearful. Peter couldn’t even
own up to a slave girl that he knew Jesus, let alone followed Him.
-Yet, within a short period of time, they showed a total change of heart. They become passionate people, preaching
in public places. 10 of the 11 were murdered or killed by the Romans for what they taught – that Jesus was alive,
and could bring them to God. The other was exiled to an island to die by himself, an old man.
-Would the disciples do this for a known lie, or for just an empty tomb without seeing Jesus? You decide!

Exhibit 9 of 10
-If not for Jesus coming back to life from the dead, and being seen by many people, the church wouldn’t exist today.
-How could this small movement of people following Jesus stand up to torture at the hands of the government
trying to kill them off (feed them to the lions), for something they knew was a lie, or that could be disproved.
Amazingly, they gained thousands of followers by the day, talking to the very ones who called for Jesus to be killed,
convincing them that He was alive again. That’s pretty slick talking if it wasn’t true … they were eye-witnesses
themselves, and knew what happened.
-Christianity, which started so small, has even outlasted the Roman empire, and numerous governments in the last
2000 years that have tried to kill all ideas about Jesus being God – yet now over 30% of the world’s population
identify themselves as followers of Jesus Christ.

Exhibit 10 of 10
-Even today, millions of people claim to have personal experiences with Jesus Christ, as the biggest factor in their
life changing for the better.
-Numerous testimonies exist of people who, in the name of Jesus, were healed of diseases, or were freed from
drug addictions.
-Jesus’ Holy Spirit, which He promised to us after His resurrection and return to heaven, is active in the life of
those who follow Jesus – and confirms that Jesus is alive today. His power gives them peace, strength, and hope
for the future to live a life that is pleasing to God, which we can’t do in our own strength.
-He is still changing lives even today.
 Q6)) Even if this is all true, isn’t it irrelevant in today’s modern society?

Exhibit 1 of 12
-If all this is true, about Jesus’ life, predicting His death, dying, and then rising from the dead … then He is unique
among all people; the only one ever to be in this situation. If He really is God, then we should listen to what He has
to say.
-Understanding His teachings should be our highest priority, to ensure we’re right with God.
-If Jesus is the Son of God, then His teachings are more than just good ideas from a wise teacher; they are God’s
own insights on which I can confidently build my life.

Exhibit 2 of 12
-If God made us, then we’ll get the most out of life when we do it the way He suggests.
-Jesus claimed to be God, THE way, truth & life … the ONLY way to the Father.
-You can’t just choose any religion and hope for the best
-Each religion makes contradictory claims on absolute truth, such that only one, or none at all, are right
-This means that if we want to be right with God, then we have to go through Jesus.

Exhibit 3 of 12
-Jesus taught that we are all held accountable for our sins, i.e. every wrong thing you’ve done, thought, and even
when you failed to do the right thing – it’s all known by God, and we are JUDGED on this basis.
-Jesus teaches for those that are right with God, an eternity (never ending time) in Heaven is prepared, BUT
for those who are not right with God, they will be punished in Hell … not because they’re sent, but BECAUSE they
REFUSED to accept JESUS’ forgiveness

Exhibit 4 of 12
-Jesus taught that we have all sinned and deserve punishment … so no-one is good enough to escape this.
-But, He also said that by His death (because He was without sin) we can be forgiven, with our sin tally paid in full.
-Only through Jesus can we find forgiveness from guilt, freedom from sin, avoidance from Hell, and a ticket to
Heaven!

Exhibit 5 of 12
-Jesus also taught that it is only during our short time here on Earth that we can choose to follow, or ignore Jesus’
gift of forgiveness. After you die, your future is sealed.
-So, if this is true, we should make sure we’re right with Him a.s.a.p.

Exhibit 6 of 12
-1 Corinthians 15:12-22 teaches that if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, that we’re all still stuffed when we die.
-BUT, if it is true (which the evidence indicates), then those in Jesus are the biggest winners of all time – like
having your lotto numbers come up! The truth of this one event makes a world of difference to everyone.
-If Jesus did conquer death, then He can open the door of eternal life for me, too.
 Exhibit 7 of 12
-Given that we can believe in Jesus’ resurrection supported by the facts, it makes good sense to follow Him
-For if we’re wrong, what do we have to lose? Maybe a few ‘sinful experiences’ – but these really don’t satisfy
anyway; they always leave you craving for more.
-But if we’re right, we have a sweet deal with Jesus in Heaven.
-If you choose against the evidence to not believe in Jesus, and you’re wrong – you could lose everything in Hell.

Exhibit 8 of 12
-Human nature shows us that we need a sense of purpose, belonging, and importance/significance to thrive in this
life. Most people don’t have these things, yet in Jesus, all is provided.
-Our purpose is to worship Him, and see all people come to know Him. In Him we have belonging, as we are part of
His family and Kingdom. We also have importance, as we know He loved us so much that He died for us.

Exhibit 9 of 12
-Even for those who choose not to believe in Jesus, when they put into practice his teachings, they quickly find a
greater ability to control their emotions, anger, depression, sort out their finances, build stable relationships, and
get the most out of life
-Where did all this wisdom come from that forms the basis of all Western World Governments? Jesus’ teachings
are totally relevant today, in a world where people are more focussed on what they can get than give. How much
more relevant, then, is the one who gave these teachings if He is alive today and is God?

Exhibit 10 of 12
-If Jesus sets the standard for morality, then I can have an unchanging base for my choices and decisions, rather
than basing them on the changing values of what seems to get me ahead in a particular situation.

Exhibit 11 of 12
-If Jesus loves me as He says, then he has my best interests at heart. That means I have nothing to lose and
everything to gain by committing myself to Him.

Exhibit 12 of 12
-If Jesus is who He claims to be, then as my Creator He deserves my obedience and worship.
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WANTING MORE: Where 2 from here?
As mentioned earlier, this booklet is simply a summary of some key issues. The real search begins from
here. Following are some resources to help on your journey as you seek to find the truth connected
with the biggest questions of life. My hope is that you’ll not only find some peace of mind, but come
to experience God as I have, be transformed in the process, and find a whole new level of existence
with meaning, purpose, hope, and lasting satisfaction
… in short, to experience “life to the full,” that only Jesus offers.

BOOKLETS PRINTED BY DAVE BENSON (available by request):

The Search Begins
(wanna’ know what Christianity is all about without requiring a lobotomy? Then this is for you. Over
four sessions you can explore, think, and question so you’ll know if following Jesus is for you)
Does God Exist?
(a compilation of a variety of views, including the author’s personal apologetic)
Creation vs. Evolution – cutting through the rhetoric
(a look at the philosophical and scientific issues underpinning the search for our origin)
Point & Counterpoint – dialogue of origins
(includes 2 articles by key representatives of both the evolution and design ‘camps’ on the origin of
life – compare the 15 points each author makes, and decide for yourself)
How can God & Suffering Co-Exist?
(a compilation of perspectives that explore whether suffering, and an all-knowing, all-powerful,
omniscient, and loving God can co-exist)
JC* on Trial
(Did Jesus exist? Was His coming predicted? Did he claim to be God? Is that claim sustainable? Did
he really die on the cross? Did he come back to life? Who cares? Explore major exhibits supporting
Jesus’ claims as we put Jesus Christ – superstar – on trial)
Is the Bible God’s Word?
(drawing from archaeology, history, logic, theology and more, consider a variety of views to draw
your own opinion concerning the historicity and truth of the world’s consistently best selling book)

THE AUTHOR’S CONTACT DETAILS:

*¤*.¸¸.·´¨`»*«´`»*«´¨`·.¸¸ .*¤*
D a ve B e n so n
((Youth Worker @ Kenmore Baptist Church))
Phone: 3378 3595 (w) 3201 2225 (h)
Email: david.benson@kbc.org.au
P.O. BOX 29, KENMORE, Q, AUS, 4069

USEFUL WEB-SITES:
www.AnswersInGenesis.org (awesome for science issues – creation vs. evolution)
http://christiananswers.net (major centre for questions of all topics)
http://christiananswers.net/teens/home.html (the teen version, easier to navigate)
http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/questions (range of topics addressed)
http://www.carm.org/ (range of topics addressed)
http://hisdefense.org/authors.html (heavy duty philosophical articles)

RECOMMENDED READING:
Just one chapter a night, and you’ll be amazed how much you get through. Ask around for
recommended reading on these topics (like Josh McDowell’s “New Evidence that Demands a
Verdict”), and get into it!

If you’re not sure which bookstore to visit, start with Koorong (http://www.koorong.com.au/) and
type in a search for the topic you’re after (e.g. resurrection, evolution, God’s existence, suffering), or
visit them and look under the ‘apologetics’ section.

Authors such as Ravi Zacharias, Josh McDowell, Lee Strobel, C.S. Lewis, Ken Ham, Jonathan Sarfati
and others are really thought provoking while not impossible to understand, while other writers such
as John Dickson and Ralph Muncaster are easier reading but still very insightful. Enjoy the journey!