Some search outside the Bible everywhere for physical archaeological evidence. Various Roman Catholic churches preserve parts of His crown of thorns, the nails with which He was pierced, or a splinter of the cross. The authenticity of these is easily refuted because, for example, more than 30 "holy nails" are preserved.
Moreover, physical archaeological evidence is not decisive for the existence of a person. Of the most important persons in history we have no archaeological evidence. We are more likely to have evidence of the existence of the most unknown housewife whose pots we have found.
Bart Ehrman, an unbelieving professor who has done extensive research into the historical existence of Jesus, says this: "The absence of archaeological evidence does not mean that a person did not exist at that time. It means that he or she, like 99.99999% of the world at that time, did not make an impact on the archaeological record." (Source)
Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian who lived in the first century AD, wrote a six-volume work about the period 66-73 when Jerusalem was destroyed. In his books he wrote the following:
At that time there was a wise man, who was called Jesus. And his conduct was good and he was known to be virtuous (another reading: his teaching was excellent). And many people among the Jews and among other nations became his disciples. Pilate condemned him to death by crucifixion. And those who had become his followers did not abandon this discipleship. They told that he had appeared to them, three days after the crucifixion, and that he was alive; consequently it was thought that he was the Messiah (the Christ), concerning whom the prophets had related wonders. And the people who call themselves Christians after him have not disappeared to this day.
A Greek translation, which was probably edited by a Christian, says the following:
At that time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he was one who performed surprising deeds and was a teacher of people who gladly accept the truth. He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks. He was the Messiah. When Pilate, upon hearing him accused by men of the highest standing among us, had condemned him to be crucified, those who in the first place had come to love him did not cease doing so. On the third day he appeared to them, restored to life. For the prophets had foretold this and ten thousand other wonderful things about him. And the tribe of Christians, people named after him, has not disappeared to this day. (Source, page 38)
Tacitus, a Roman historian, who as you will notice had a great dislike of Christians, records that Nero blamed the Christians for the fire that had destroyed Rome in AD 64. He writes:
Nero accused... a group of people who were hated for their abominations and called Christians by the populace. Christ, from whom their name originated, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of... Pontius Pilate, and a most mischievous superstition... broke out, first in Judea, the source of the evil, and even in Rome. (Source)
Here we see that the Christians in AD 64 were named after a historical person, Christ, who suffered the extreme penalty -- this refers to the crucifixion. He also confirms that this happened under Pontius Pilate, just as the Gospels teach. The "superstition" he mentions indirectly probably refers to His resurrection from the dead.
In the Babylonian Talmud, a collection of Jewish writings compiled between AD 70-500, Jesus is also spoken of. Given the time span, later references to Jesus are historically of course less reliable. But in writings that appeared between 70 and 200 we read:
On the eve of Passover, Jesus was hanged. Forty days before his execution a herald cried, "He is to be stoned because he practised sorcery and enticed Israel to apostasy." (Source)
We read here that Jesus was hanged, as we also read in Galatians 3:13. This term was also given to the criminals who were crucified with Christ; they hung beside Him (Luke 23:39). The Jewish leaders also proclaimed that they would stone Him because in their eyes He performed miracles on behalf of Satan and wanted to lead the people astray.
Thus unbelievers, and even His fiercest opponents, confirm the historical existence of Jesus, His miracles, His wisdom, His remarkable teaching, His death on the cross, and the extraordinary events that followed.
Who do you say that Jesus is?
As C.S. Lewis says: "Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."
There was no one like Jesus. If even His opponents confirm that He gave extraordinary teaching and performed remarkable miracles (though they attributed them to demons), then He is worthy of our attention. The One who has the power to break natural laws and perfectly uphold moral laws is worthy of all our attention. Him I want to know, Him I want to follow.
That is why I also trust the testimony of His followers who followed Him to the death. They would not have given their lives for it if they had invented His teaching, death, and resurrection.
So now the question is also before you: do you see Him as an extraordinarily wise man, a beautiful example, or is He who He says He is -- the Saviour? The Lamb who takes away the sin of the world? If He truly is, then leave that world behind you and follow Him. He is worth it. He conquered death. He lives.
He exists and wants you to exist eternally in glorious fellowship with Him.
"This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him." (2 Timothy 2:11)
Trust in that!
