A LAWYER LOOKS AT THE EVIDENCE OF JESUS

 By

DALE O’NEAL

ATTORNEY AT LAW, FORT WORTH, TEXAS

Jesus said he was the only way to God. The only way to eternal life and salvation.

Can we believe the statements and claims of Jesus?

Are we limited to blind faith, or is there actual evidence that proves Jesus is who he says he is?

As a lawyer, I want to look at the actual evidence of Jesus.

The witnesses to Jesus and their actual testimony. The ancient prophecies concerning the anticipated Messiah.

My eternal destiny is at stake. As is yours. So join me, pretend you are the Judge or jury, and together let’s look at the actual evidence of Jesus.

 OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY

 Prophets in the old testament foretold the future. And their very life depended upon the accuracy of their prophecies. If the prophecies proved wrong, then the prophet was stoned to death.

The old testament prophets made their predictions concerning the anticipated Messiah literally hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus. This time gap is important. No mere man can see across 400 hundred years to predict the future. Only God can do this.

And the predictions were of the type that no man could manipulate the facts (or his life experiences) in order to appear that he had fulfilled the prophecies. Specific prophecies that only a single man throughout history could fulfill. Specific prophecies with such detail that any Judge or Jury could easily see the truth in the fulfillment of the prophecies. And have the prophecies foretold by more than one prophet. These were the way to prove the truthfulness.

There were no digital cameras. No iPhones to record the events.

Let’s look at some of the most specific prophecies of the old testament and see if Jesus fulfilled the prophecies ”beyond a reasonable doubt.”

THE MESSIAH WOULD HAVE A MOTHER WHO IS A VIRGIN AT THE TIME OF HIS BIRTH.

 The old testament says it twice. Genesis 3:15 says that the messiah would be “born of a woman.” (no male involvement)

And the old testament says that a “virgin shall be with child” Isaiah 7:14

Isaiah is generally regarded as one of the greatest prophets in the old Testament. His prophecies focused on redemption of mankind.

Most scholars agree that the Book of Isaiah was written about 800 years before the birth of Jesus.

This very specific prophecy was fulfilled by Jesus. Matthew 1:18 explains that Mary had never been with a man, yet she became pregnant. As a lawyer, I wanted to look deeper at the facts. The evidence. The Book of Matthew said that when Joseph learned about the child that he privately decided to quietly divorce Mary after the child was born. But an angel came to him in a dream and explained to him that the child was not the product of any earthly man. So he stayed with Mary. As a man, and as a lawyer, I am inclined to believe these facts. If Joseph was not convinced that this was a miraculous birth, he could have easily simply left Mary and the child. The two of them lived in a small, dusty town where everyone knew everyone else’s business. Women gossiped each day. Joseph did not leave. He could have. Ancient laws of those times allowed the man to divorce the woman for virtually any reason. He simply could divorce her. But he did not. He believed the angel. I believe that Jesus was born of a virgin mother after looking at the evidence of the facts in Matthew.

EXACT PLACE OF BIRTH

Micah 5 says “But you, Bethlehem Eprathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times.”

This prophecy was fulfilled by Jesus, and we have two ways of proving he fulfilled that specific prophecy.

First, Matthew 2:1 plainly says that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. In fact, those passages specifically date the exact time, saying it “occurred during the time of King Herod.”

Second, King Herod was threatened by the thought of a Jewish king who might compete with him. So he consulted his wise men who confirmed that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem Eprathah. Herod’s way of dealing with the threat was to kill every male baby born in Bethlehem near the time of Jesus’ birth.

The Bible records the slaying of every infant boy born in a specific town at a specific time in history.

The exact name of a small town, Bethleham.

The king’s own wise men told him the name of the town. As a lawyer, it sounds like credible, compelling evidence.

THE MESSIAH WOULD BE CALLED OUT OF EGYPT

So Joseph took Mary and Jesus to Egypt.

The Old Testament book of Hosea proclaims that “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

Lawyer’s comment: in the Book of Hosea, the person referred to is “my son.” Remember that Jesus is repeatedly called the “Son of God”.

Hundreds of people personally witnessed a voice from heaven saying “this is my son…” in Matthew 3:17.

And just imagine any Jew wanting to flee to Egypt. Of all places on earth. Egypt was the very land and peoples who enslaved the Jews, leading to the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt.

The facts are overwhelming: The Messiah was called out of Egypt. Jesus was called out of Egypt. The timing of the Egypt escape correlates to the documented slaying of children.

There is no doubt in my mind.

THE MESSIAH WOULD BE FROM GALILEE

Lawyers observation: This is a pointed prophecy written 900 years before the birth of Jesus A great light is predicted. Was Jesus a “great light?”

He would be from Galilee. Was Jesus from Galilee? Let’s look at the evidence:

Yes, Jesus was from Galilee. In fact, it was in Galilee that Jesus preached the Beatitudes. It was in Galilee that Jesus performed many miracles. See Matthew 4 and Mark 1: 35-39 and Luke 4:42-43. Jesus was from Galilee. It was prominent in his life.

Was Jesus a great light?

When Saul was on the road to Damascus, “a light from heaven flashed around him.” Acts 9:4

The light was so intense that Saul was blinded. Saul asked the light: “who art thou lord?” The light spoke to him and said “I am Jesus, who thou persecutes.” Acts 9:5

Isaiah predicted "A Great Light" 900 years before Jesus appeared.  Jesus appeared in Galilee. Jesus said He was the light of the world. Saul was so convinced that this light was Jesus that he was forever a believer in Jesus. Saul had persecuted the early Christians, actually killing those Christians he could find. After seeing this light his name and his life were forever changed. He changed his name to Paul and traveled the world proclaiming that Jesus is the Messiah. Paul wrote most of the new Testament, which proclaims Jesus is Lord.

The evidence of this prophecy is overwhelming. A light. From a specific region unique to Jesus.

Note: When  Jesus is being arrested in the garden in John 18:6.     He was being arrested by the greatest army of that day, the Roman army. As the Roman soldiers arrested Jesus, Jesus said “I am he.”  At that instant, the soldiers “drew back and fell to the ground.” The Bible does not say why they fell to the ground, but I suspect it was from a light similar to the light experienced by Saul on the road to Damascus. No one touched the soldiers. No one said anything to make these Roman soldiers “fall to the ground.”

Jesus and Jesus alone fulfills this prophecy written 900 years before his birth.

TIME OF DEATH OF THE MESSIAH

The week was the exact week Jesus died on the cross! Here is the proof:

The book of Daniel was written approximately 600 years before Jesus was born and walked on this earth.

Daniel 9:25 says “know and understand this: from the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the anointed one, the ruler, comes, there will be seven sevens and sixty two sevens.”

Lawyer's comment: In the days of the writing of the book of Daniel, a year was a lunar year. A lunar year has 360 days, not the 364.25 days in our modern year.

Seven sevens (years) and sixty two sevens (years) would be 69 sevens, or 483 lunar years.

Each lunar year has 360 days. So 483 lunar years would have 173,800 days. Therefore, 173,800 exact days would pass from the date of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem to the day of the death of the Messiah.

Our modern calendar uses 365.25 days in one year, to calculate the number of years in our modern calendar, we would divide 173,880 by 365.25

That gives us 476 years from the date of the decree to the death of the Messiah, measured in modern years.

Exactly 476 years before the crucifixion of Jesus, King Artaxerxes of Persia gave a decree to Nehemiah to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.

We know the exact day of that decree because the Bible says that “in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes.”

The corresponding date to “in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes” would be March 5, 444 B.C.

476 years after March 5, 444 B.C. is exactly the date of the crucifixion of Jesus. The historians of Jesus’ day marked the date and described the events of the day. The most famous historial to do so was Joseamus.

Imagine a specific prediction marking the date of the anticipated death. A timeline begins with an edict from a King. The edict is recorded in the old testament and revered by every Jewish person worldwide. The prophecy names a specific city (Jerusalem) and a specific decree to be issued. And the death of Jesus EXACTLY coincides with the date of the predicted death. To the day. Too many specifics to be ignored. So many specifics there can be no doubt. There is no doubt in this lawyer’s mind. This evidence is like “fingerprint” evidence or DNA evidence. It was the absolute best evidence available at that time. And it points to the most important day in human history. No person other than Jesus could have fulfilled that prophecy.

Any jury would believe that evidence. But of course, there is much more.

BETRAYED BY A FRIEND

In fact, the entire quote from the Old Testament is “Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.”

The fulfillment of this 2500 year old prophecy is uncanny. The fulfillment of this ancient prophecy was witnessed by at least 12 people.

During the last supper, Jesus told his closest confidants in advance that “the one who dips his bread in the dish with me will betray me.” Matthew 26:23.

As we all know, it was Judas who dipped his bread with Jesus and it was Judas that betrayed Jesus Christ.

An exact, perfect fulfillment of prophecy. This is overwhelming evidence of Jesus being the Messiah who fulfilled prophecy.

BETRAYED AND SOLD FOR THIRTY PIECES OF SILVER

Zechariah 11:13 says that the Messiah would be betrayed and sold for thirty pieces of silver.

This is another fingerprint prophecy. Exactly 30 pieces of a specific metal. Not gold or copper or bronze. Not 25 or 40 or any other number.

Thirty pieces of silver.

This prophecy was written approximately 518 BC. Once again, some 500 years before the birth of our Messiah Jesus.

This prophecy was fulfilled exactly, and the fulfillment was done in the presence of numerous priests. In fact, in the presence of chief priests. Going further, it was these same chief priests who actually counted out the 30 pieces of silver. Matthew 26:14-16

The witnesses to this prophetic fulfillment were priests! Imagine having several eyewitnesses appear in court,all telling the exact same story. Every witness testifying they watched thirty pieces of silver being counted out for a betrayal. And every witness a priest.

No lawyer would even cross examine any of them. No Judge or jury would ever doubt them.

And what happened to those 30 pieces of silver? In the same book of the Bible, Zechariah, the prophecy continues, stating that the 30 pieces of silver would be “thrown to the potter” as a result of a direct command from the Lord.

500 years later, Judas is paid 30 pieces of silver. When he realizes his sin of betraying Jesus, he wants to return those 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests. He literally threw those 30 pieces of silver into the temple.

The chief priests did not want it. They said it was “blood money” because it was used to betray Jesus and send him to the cross. Matthew 27:6

Instead, the chief priests used it to buy the “potter’s field” as a burial place for foreigners. Matthew 27:7

Let’s review the evidence: 30 pieces of silver, used to betray a friend, and those same 30 pieces of silver used to buy a prophesied potter’s field.

All witnessed by the chief priests who actually participated in each event!

JESUS WAS CRUCIFIED

And this crucifixion of Jesus was prophesied in detail.

The time was predicted. The method was predicted. The smallest details surrounding this event was predicted.

And the prophecy of the crucifixion happened hundreds of years before the event. Here is the evidence of the prophecies of the crucifixion:

The book of Isaiah is a book of prophecies. Isaiah 53:4-5 says “surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by Him and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.”

This is a prophecy of the crucifixion of Jesus.

Continuing on in the book of Isaiah, verses 53:12 says that “therefore I will give 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 sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors”. Jesus was crucified between two convicted criminals (numbered with the transgressors).

Psalms 22:16 and Zechariah 12:10 predicted that his hands and feet would be pierced. When Jesus was crucified on the cross, His hands and feet were pierced. The crucifixion took place in the presence of hundreds of witnesses. This was an absolute fulfillment of a specific prophecy.

The 22nd Psalm has been called a Royal Psalm or a Messianic Psalm because it is a vivid and obvious prediction of the crucifixion of Jesus. Scholars believe the Book of Psalms was written during the time of King David, Approximately 1000 years before the birth of Jesus.

Look at the evidence of the specific predictions and the fulfillment:

Psalm 22:1 says “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Exactly fulfilled by Jesus as the exact quote he spoke while on the cross. As a lawyer, I recognize the importance of a person’s dying words. A person’s dying words reveal their heart.

Psalm 22:6 says the Messiah will be “scorned by men and despised by the people.” Public death by slow crucifixion is literal scorn and being despised.

Psalm 22:7 says that the Messiah will be “mocked by all that see me.” The purpose of a public execution is to mock the dying man.

Psalm 22:7 continues and says “they hurl insults, shaking their head.” the crowds hurled insults at Jesus. That’s why they came. Matthew 27:41 tells us that even “the chief priests, too, and the scribes and the elders, mocked him.” He was mocked by the religious leaders of the day, as well as the bystanders. All in perfect fulfillment of a 1000 year old prophecy!

Psalm 22:8 predicts that the onlookers to the Messiah’s crucifixion would ridicule him because “he trusts in the lord,” so the “Lord should rescue him. Let him (the Lord) deliver him, since he delights in him.” Matthew 27 recounts how many in the crowd ridiculed Jesus and taunted him to save himself if he was the Christ (Son of God).

Psalm 22:9 says the Messiah would be brought out from the womb. All the Gospels proclaim that Jesus was born of a virgin.

Psalm 22: 11 predicts at the death of the Messiah that “trouble is near and there is no one to help.” no one helped him as He was on the cross.

Psalm 22:12 predicts that at the death of the Messiah, that “many bulls surround me.” At his crucifixion, Jesus was surrounded by a Roman guard, the most powerful army in the world. An exact fulfillment of a 1000 year old prophecy.

Psalms 22: 13 predicts it would be like “roaring lions tearing their prey.” Jesus had been beaten, whipped and flogged. Historians say his back would have been open flesh from the torture that happened before the actual crucifixion.

Psalm 22:14 predicts the Messiah will be “poured out like water.” This was exactly fulfilled when the heart of Jesus was pierced and it “poured out like water.” John 19:34

Psalm 22:14 also predicted that the Messiah’s “bones are out of joint.” This was exactly fulfilled in John 19:31-34. Crucification causes the leg bones to go out of joint. An exact fulfillment of a 1000 year old prophecy.

WILL, THE ABOVE IS OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES FULFILLED BY JESUS AND ONLY JESUS. HE IS CRUCIFIED.

THE RESURRECTION

 Jesus did not stay crucified. Christians believe that Jesus rose from the dead. As a lawyer, what proof is there of the resurrection?

PROOF OF THE RESURRECTION:

Still alive? That means that when Paul wrote the letter that later became the book of 1 Corinthians, that many of the witnesses were still alive! That means that if anyone doubted Paul, then the doubter could personally question the witnesses. Ask them what they saw. Compare the testimony of the different witnesses. Walk down a dusty road to the next village and interview and examine additional witnesses to the resurrection!

As a lawyer, If Paul wrote that most of the 500 witnesses were still alive (and he did write that), then I believe the writings of Paul. There would simply be too many people to cross examine to doubt their veracity. In fact, Paul implies that the majority of the 500 witnesses were still alive at the time of his writings!

MORE PROOF OF THE RESURRECTION:

In addition to the 500 witnesses above, Jesus appeared to his disciples after his crucifixion. These disciples were witnesses to the resurrection. They told other people throughout the land, and Christianity grew. In fact it grew so large and so fast, that the Roman government decided to extinguish Christianity. Emperor Trajan of the Roman empire had 47 Christian leaders arrested and brought to him for questioning. The leaders, including the witnesses to the resurrection, were told their lives would be spared if they only renounced the resurrection of Jesus and worshiped Emperor Trajan.

Every disciple in the group chose to die rather than state that the resurrection never happened!

The Roman army was the most powerful force in the world at that time. To defy Rome meant certain death. But these humble fishermen and tax collectors and ragged individuals chose to stand up to Rome and accept death rather than deny the resurrection!

As a lawyer, I am convinced that these disciples saw the resurrected Jesus after the crucifixion! Why else would they choose to die? If they had not seen the resurrected Jesus, then they would be dying for a lie that they knew to be a lie! If you knew something was a lie, would you die for it? NO!

As a lawyer, I believe the martyred disciples witnessed the resurrected Jesus!

EVEN MORE PROOF OF THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS

Paul wrote most of the New Testament. But before he was Paul, he was Saul. Saul was a zealot Jew, dedicated to preserving and protecting the Jewish faith. Saul dedicated his life to persecuting and killing the early Christians. In fact, Saul was so dedicated to the persecution of Christians, that he participated in the stoning and death of Timothy, one of the disciples.

But according to Saul, as written by his own hands, as he was walking down a road (the road to Damascus) pursuing Christians, a blinding light struck him down. Saul asked the light who he was. The light answered, “I am Jesus, who you persecute.” Saul was forever changed. The light temporarily blinded him. Saul recovered and became a believer! He had a personal interaction with the resurrected Jesus. Saul, once a persecutor and murderer of Christians, became a Christian! He believed! He changed his name to Paul and spent the remainder of his life testifying about the resurrection of Jesus.

Paul endured great hardships as he traveled and testified for Jesus. Paul was arrested, beaten, flogged and ridiculed for his testimony of Jesus. But he never wavered.

Paul endured shipwrecks in his journey for Jesus, but he continued on.

Paul endured all kinds of abuse and cruelty as he testified for Jesus. As a lawyer, and as I look at the life of Paul, I believe in the resurrection! Why else would Paul dramatically change the entire purpose of his life unless he had seen the resurrected Jesus? Why would Paul take beatings and imprisonment for the sake of Jesus unless he believed in the resurrection of Jesus? As a lawyer, the life of Paul proves to me that the resurrection of Jesus really happened, that Paul witnessed the resurrected Jesus, and that Paul’s works prove it!

GOD PROCLAIMS JESUS TO BE HIS SON. AND GOD’S PROCLAMATION IS WITNESSED BY THREE WITNESSES