The Effects of the Gospel Records


   A thorough and objective search for the historical Jesus leads us back to the historically reliable documents that constitute the New Testament record of his life and teachings.  Although we are not certain of the exact day of Jesus' birth, nevertheless it was an event that has divided history--B.C. before Christ and A.D.,
Anno domini, "in the year of our Lord." Such a clear demarcation would hardly have been made were there no historical basis for the life of Jesus.

   The change in Peter, from a coward who denied Jesus (Luke 22:60,61) to a passionate proclaimer of the resurrected Jesus only fifty days after the event (Acts 2) is remarkable. His ardor continued until he himself was crucified for proclaiming that self-same message.

   Throughout nearly 2000 years, Christians have obeyed the Gospel commision (Matthew 28:18-20), travelling far from home, living in difficult lands, dying as martyrs--all for the certainty of their belief in the historicity of the Gospel narratives.

   It is unlikely that the devotion so many have displayed in spite of dreadful persecution could have been aroused by an inconsequential Jew who only lived a good life and died ignominiously early in the first century. Christian devotion flows from something far deeper, something that cries out to the believer, "This is worth dying for."

   Christian faith is far more than merely believing. The story of Jesus is a matter of knowing. In John's Gospel, Jesus "knows" the Father (10:15)
who, in turn, "knows" His flock (v. 27). Jesus wants his disciples to "know" God, for such knowledge is eternal life (17:3). And the author of the Gospel was totally sure of his record: "And he that saw it bare record and his record is true, that you might believe" (John 19:35). However the author of this Gospel did not conclude on that note. His words included, "Blessed are they that have not seen yet have believed." (20:29)

   The account of Jesus' birth given in the second chapter of Matthew includes Herod the Great's slaying of all children under  two years of age and the flight of Joseph and Mary with the infant Jesus to Egypt but is devoid of chronological data other than that when Herod was dead an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream instructing him to take the child and his mother and return to Israel (Matt. 2:19-21).

   Matthew's account makes no mention of the reason for Joseph and Mary being in Bethlehem at the time of Jesus' birth. That information is provided in these words (Luke 2:1-4):

   1. And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
  2. And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.
  3. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
  4. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth into Judea, unto the city of David which is called Bethlehem: because he was of the house and lineage of David.

  Chronological data is concealed in the phrase "in those days" which refers back to "in the days of Herod…" (Luke 1:5), and also in Luke 2:2 "when Cyrenius was governor of Syria"

  "In the days of Herod," certainly means prior to to B.C.4 when Herod died. "When Cyrenius was governor of Syria"  means between 11 B.C. and   4 B.C., the period when Cyrenius was actually governor of Syria according to an inscription from Antioch.

   A papyrus in the British museum states the Roman census commenced in 8 B.C. Another papyrus from Egypt says it was customary for people to return to their city of birth to complete the family registration.

  Note that The Urantia Book states Jesus was born in Bethlehem on August 21, 7 B.C. (p.1351) and that Joseph and Mary, having received warning of Herod's intention in mid-October of 6 B.C., to kill all infants in Bethlehem under two years of age, left for Alexandria in Egypt. (p. 1354)]

   All of which demonstrates a remarkable congruence of information stemming from Luke's and Matthew's Gospels, a papyrus in the British museum and another from Egypt, archaeological finds from Egypt and Antioch, several historians,and finally The Urantia Book.

Reference

Vyhmeister Nancy J. "The Jesus of History," in "The Essential Jesus" (2002) (Ed. Bryan W. Ball and William G. Johnson), Pacific Press, Boise, Idaho, U.S.A.)

Home Page
Previous Page
Next Page