Examine the Evidence | Redemption is Near

First Things First

The Question That Changes Everything

If Christianity were true —
would you become a Christian?

If your answer is no, then even if the evidence is overwhelming, you have already decided to ignore it. That is worth knowing about yourself before you look at any evidence at all.

The real problem with Christianity for most people is not intellectual — it's moral. If it's true, it means you are accountable to a God who judges righteously. It means adjusting your standard of morality to His. It means stopping some things you don't want to stop, and starting some things you don't want to start.

Truth is true whether you believe it or not. You have always been accountable — you just may not have known it yet.

If you're willing to follow the evidence honestly, this section examines the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ — drawing on both Christian and non-Christian sources.

Logic First

Arguments That Defeat Themselves

Before examining historical evidence, we need to clear the ground. Several common objections to Christianity self-destruct the moment you apply their own logic to them.

"There is no truth"

This claim is self-defeating. If it's true that there is no truth, then the statement "there is no truth" cannot itself be true. It's the same as saying "I don't know the English language" — in English.

"It's true for you but not for me"

If this statement is true for everyone, then it's universally true — which means it's not just "true for you." Test it at a bank: tell them you only have $26 but believe you have $100,000. Reality doesn't flex for preferences.

"Only science reveals truth"

Can you prove that claim in a lab? Can you run an observable, repeatable test that proves only scientific truth is valid? No. That's a philosophical claim — not a scientific one. It fails its own test.

"We can't know the real world"

If we can't know the real world, how do we know that about the real world? Every statement requires knowledge of reality to even make it. The claim collapses on itself.

"You should doubt everything"

Should we doubt that claim? Scepticism is healthy — but sceptics are rarely sceptical about scepticism itself. Taken to its logical end, universal scepticism leaves you paralysed and unable to conclude anything at all.

"You shouldn't judge"

The person saying this is making a judgment. Something they say no one should do. By now the pattern is clear — these are not reasoned positions. They are reflexive defences that collapse under scrutiny.

Before you dismiss Christianity, make sure your alternative can survive the same scrutiny you're applying to it.

The Historical Question

History or Legend?

A common approach to the Bible is to treat every narrative as allegory — spiritually meaningful, but not historically factual. The problem is that the New Testament authors did not write that way.

They wrote as eyewitnesses. They named locations, dates, rulers, and specific individuals. They invited scrutiny. They staked their lives — and ultimately gave their lives — on the historical accuracy of what they claimed.

Legend develops over generations. The New Testament was circulating while eyewitnesses were still alive. False claims about publicly witnessed events do not survive hostile cross-examination.

"For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty."

— 2 Peter 1:16

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched — this we proclaim."

— 1 John 1:1

The Central Claim

The Case for the Resurrection

The resurrection is not a theological idea that can be held or discarded without consequence. Paul says it explicitly: if Jesus did not rise bodily from the dead, the entire Christian faith is worthless.

The question then becomes: what is the best explanation for the following established facts, accepted by the majority of historians — including sceptics?

Dead

Jesus crucified, confirmed dead by Roman soldiers

Tomb Empty

No body was ever produced — by anyone

500+

Witnesses claimed to see Him alive afterward

The disciples went from hiding in fear to publicly proclaiming the resurrection in the same city where Jesus was crucified — within weeks. The Jewish authorities, who had every political motivation to produce the body and end the movement, never did.

Multiple alternative theories have been proposed — the wrong tomb, the swoon theory, mass hallucination, legend. Each collapses under examination. The best explanation for the empty tomb, the post-resurrection appearances, and the transformation of the disciples remains: He rose.

"After that He appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep."

— 1 Corinthians 15:6 — written ~20 years after the resurrection, while witnesses were still alive to be interviewed

The Verdict

What Will You Do With This?

The evidence for the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is substantial. The historical documents are reliable. The eyewitness testimony is early and consistent. The prophecies fulfilled are statistically extraordinary.

What the evidence cannot do is make you respond to it. That is your decision.

Christianity says that one day, everyone will stand before a God who judges with perfect justice. The extraordinary offer on the table is that the penalty has already been paid — by the very one who will judge.

"The one who believes in Him is not judged; the one who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God."

— John 3:18