APOLOGETICSPRESS Apologetics Press, Inc. 230LandmarkDrive Montgomery, Alabama 36117-2752 ©Copyright2006 ISBN-10:0932859933 ISBN-13:9780932859938 PrintedinChina All rights reserved. No part of this book may be re- produced in any form without permission from the publisher,exceptinthecaseofbriefquotationsem- bodied in articles or critical reviews. LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-Publication KyleButt(1976-)andEricLyons(1975-) Behold!TheLambofGod Includesbibliographicreferences. ISBN-10:0932859933 ISBN-13:9780932859938 1.Apologetics&Polemics.2.JesusChrist&Hisfamily.3.Bible I.Title 239—dc22 2006923830 DEDICATION To the faithful parents of our loving wives—Rick & Marilyn Glass and Duane & Joyce Johnson—we dedi- catethisbookaboutourLordwhomweallservewithjoy. TABLEOFCONTENTS Foreword ....................................1 Chapter1 TheHistoricalChrist— FactorFiction?.......................3 Chapter2 Reliabilityofthe NewTestamentRecords...............19 Chapter3 JesusChrist—UniqueSavior orAverageFraud? ...................35 Chapter4 ThePredictedMessiah ................75 Chapter5 “TheVeryWorksthatIDo BearWitnessofMe”.................109 Chapter6 JesusChrist—DeadorAlive?..........135 Chapter7 AnsweringAttacks upontheDeityofChrist ..............169 Afterword ..................................203 References ..................................209 - i - Warscomeandgo.Battlesarewonandlost.Busi- nessesareboughtandsold.Nationsriseandfall.Sci- entificdiscoveriesaremadeonadailybasis.These andotherpertinenteventsinfluencehumanhistory inamyriadofinterestingways.Butnoneofthemis asinfluentialasapowerfulpersonality.Realhistory iswritteninnames:Napoleon,Stalin,Hitler,Gan- dhi,Marx,Washington,Lincoln.Afterall,itispeo- plewhomakewars,startbusinesses,forgenewna- tionsandcausetheircollapse.Theeventsinstigated bypeopleareby-productsoftheirpersonalitiesin- teractingwiththeirsurroundings,otherpeople,and theirideas.Inallofhumanhistory,onename,one man, has risen to the top of every list of influential personalities—Jesus Christ. BecauseofHisinfluence,thelifeandteachingsof JesusChristhavebeenmorecloselyscrutinizedthan anylifeinhumanhistory.Thisscrutinyhasresulted inanumberofdifferentreactions.Somehaveap- proachedastudyofHislifewithanattitudeofskep- ticism,onlytoarriveontheothersideoftheirspiri- tualandintellectualjourneyasfirmbelieversinthe deityofChrist.StillothershaveviewedthelifeofJe- susasafictitiousmyththatdeservesnomorecareful attentionthanCinderellaorSnowWhite.Anumber ofpeoplehavechosenmiddlegroundinwhichthey acknowledgethatJesuswasanamazingteacherand agoodman,buttheydenythatHewastheSonofGod. Andprobablythemostcommonresponsetothelife ofJesusissimpleapathy.Themajorityofthebillions - 1 - ofpeoplewhohavelivedsincethetimeofJesushave approachedHislifeneitherintentlynorearnestly. TheyhavenotbotheredtodiscoverWhoHewasand what He did. They have given little attention to the detailsofHislifeorHisdeath.Whattheyhaveheard inpassinghasbeenshruggedoffwithoutdiligent study.Sadly,ifmostpeoplewhohavelivedsincethe death of Jesus Christ were asked what they thought aboutJesus,theywouldhavetorespond,“Idon’tknow. I’ve never really given Him much thought.” ItishightimethatthepersonofJesusisgivenHis rightfulplaceintheforefrontofeveryperson’smind. Inthefollowingpagesyouwillbefacedwithevidence thatprovesthatJesuswasahistoricalfigure,fulfilled propheciesmadehundredsofyearsbeforeHelived, workedlegitimatemiracles,wasresurrectedfromthe grave after His death, and claimed to be the Son of God. You will be forced to answer the question that JesusposedtoHislistenersalmost2,000yearsago: “What doyouthinkabouttheChrist?WhoseSonis He?”(Matthew22:42).Youranswertothatquestion will alter the course of your life for eternity. - 2 - CHAPTER 1 Mostchildrenandadultscaneasilyrecognizethe nameofJesusChrist.Manyevencanrecountthestory ofHislife.Alsoeasilyrecognizablearethenamesof PeterPan,Hercules,andRumpelstiltskin.Andmost peoplecanrelatethe“facts”ofthesefairytalesaswell. IsJesusofNazarethafictionalcharacterwhodeserves to be included in a list containing mystifying magi- cians,daringdragonslayers,andflyingboyheroes? Thedenominationalpreacher-turned-atheistDan Barkeransweredwitharesounding“yes”whenhe wrote: TheGospelstoriesarenomorehistoricthanthe Genesiscreationaccountsarescientific.They arefilledwithexaggerations,miracles,andad- mittedpropaganda.Theywerewrittenduring acontextoftimewhenmythswerebeingborn, exchanged,elaborated,andcorrupted,andthey werewrittentoanaudiencesusceptibletosuch fables.Theyarecutfromthesameclothasother religionsandfablesofthetime.Takingallof thisintoaccount,itisrationaltoconcludethat theNewTestamentJesusisamyth(1992,p.378, emp. added). DanBarkerisnottheonlyskeptictovoiceopposition to the idea of a historical Jesus. Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy opined: - 3 - Behold! The Lamb of God WehavebecomeconvincedthatthestoryofJe- susisnotthebiographyofahistoricalMessiah, butamythbasedonperennialPaganstories. Christianitywasnotanewanduniquerevela- tionbutactuallyaJewishadaptationofthean- cientPaganMysteryreligion.Thisiswhatwe havecalledTheJesusMysteriesThesis...(1999, p. 2, emp. in orig.). Along the same line of thought, skeptic Marshall J. Gauvinwrote:“NotonlyhasthedivinityofChristbeen givenup,buthisexistenceasamanisbeingmoreand moreseriouslyquestioned.Someoftheablestschol- arsoftheworlddenythatheeverlivedatall”(1995- 2005).Inearly2006,anItalianatheistevensuedaCath- olicpriestsimplyforteachingthatJesusChristlived onEarth2,000yearsago(seeLyman,2006;Owen, 2006). Issuchaviewbaseduponhistoricalevidenceand thereforeworthyofseriousconsideration?Ordoes itrepresentmerelywishfulthinkingonthepartof thosewhoprefertobelieve—forwhateverreason—that Christneverlived?WasJesusChristamanWhosefeet gotdirtyandWhosebodygrewtiredjustliketherest ofhumanity?Fortunately,suchquestionscanbean- sweredbyanhonestappealtotheavailablehistorical evidence. Whatisa“historical”person?MartinKählersug- gested: “Is it not the person who originates and be- queaths a permanent influence? He is one of those dynamic individuals who intervene in the course of events”(1896,p.63).Concerningthehistoricityof Christ,theskepticMarshallGauvincorrectlynoted, “Thequestionis—whatdoeshistorysay?Andthatques- tionmustbesettledinthecourtofhistoricalcriticism. - 4 -