[the case for christmas] introduction

I think that everyone knows why we celebrate Christmas…  at least generally speaking. Most people can tell you all about how Jesus, the supposed Son of God, was born in a manger in Bethlehem. Even those who are not certain about who Jesus is still recognize that it is a time when we celebrate things like peace and hope and goodwill towards men.

But most of us also know that this religious celebration has become an over-commercialized celebration, and much of the real meaning for this celebration is lost in ancient and modern rituals.

Even those of us with the best intentions of keeping with the true meaning of this Holy Celebration, still get wrapped up in events and activities that cause us to loose focus on how important this day really is.

Simply put, the Christian view is that this is the day that God became man in order to save us from our own self-destruction. This God-man was named Jesus, and His entrance into this world changed everything, forever.

His impact on history is unmistakable. He has changed my life. And if you are reading this right now, then he has changed (or is in the process of changing) your life. His presence on this Earth has caused nothing short of a revolution in the human condition.

But we are here to talk specifically about Christmas. What does this holiday really mean? Why do so many celebrate the birth of this man? What I can tell you is that the answer to these (and many more) questions depends on what you believe about who that child in the manger was over 2,000 years ago. If he was just a man, then Christmas is just an old tradition when families get together and try to be nice to each other.

But…

If Jesus really was the Son of God who came to save us from our sins, then Christmas is a day that should drive us to our knees in worship of the Creator who would sacrifice of Himself in order to be with us for eternity.

This distinction is a big deal. I mean a really big deal.

So as a team of amazing bloggers works through Lee Strobel’s book The Case for Christmas, I just pray that your heart is open to the Truth. And as we explore the eyewitness, scientific, profile and fingerprint evidence, I pray that the Holy Spirit give you the discernment to know the Truth not only in your mind, but also in your heart. And as you know the Truth, may the Truth set you free!

So, who do you say that He is?

 

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group blogging project: the case for christmas

It’s the reason for the season…

How many times do Christians make this very statement about the ‘holiday season’? There are so many traditions that surround the Christmas holiday, that sometimes the Truth about the birth of a Savior gets lost. Worse yet, many of us fall into the consumerism trap that we get even further away from the real meaning of this sacred holiday. Christmas is a time when we pause to remember and celebrate the moment in time when God stepped into our existence in a whole new way.

In order to really understand the significance of this event, it is important to understand who this new-born baby really was. And that is exactly what Lee Strobel does in his book The Case for Christmas: A Journalist Investigates the Identity of the Child in the Manger. In this book, Strobel explores some key evidence about the identity of Jesus, the prophesied Messiah. Check out this overview from the back cover…

Some say he would become a great moral leader. Others, a social critic. Still other view Jesus as a profound philosopher, a rabbi, a feminist, a prophet, and more. Many are convinced he was the divine Son of God. Who was he — really? And how can you know for sure? Consulting experts on the Bible, archaeology, and messianic prophecy, Lee Strobel searches out the true identity of the child in the manger. Join him as he asks tough, pointed questions you’d expect from an award-winning legal journalist. If Jesus really was God in the flesh, then there ought to be credible evidence…

Each day for the week leading up to Christmas, a different guest blogger will share their thoughts on one chapter of The Case for Christmas. Feel free to follow along in the book with us, and to share your thoughts, comments and questions. But most of all, take a moment to reflect with us ‘the reason for the season’…

• introduction: who was in the manger that first christmas morning? - Dan King, @bibledude (bibledude.net)

1. the eyewitness evidence: can the biographies of jesus be trusted? – Laura Chase, @WOMAudio (Life 89.1 FM)
2. the scientific evidence: does archaeology confirm or contradict jesus’ biographies? – Mike Kress, @tursiopsguy
3. the profile evidence: did jesus fulfill the attributes of god? – Kyle Bryner, @KyleBryner
4. the fingerprint evidence: did jesus – and jesus alone – match the identity of the messiah? – Sean Wrench, @forsakengen (Forsaken Generation)

• conclusion: the verdict of history – Dan King, @bibledude (bibledude.net)

So stay tuned for some great discussion, and please feel free to jump into the comments and share your thoughts! In the meantime, here are a few things that you can do right now…

• Buy the book. It will be a much better experience for you if you follow along in your own copy of the book.
• Subscribe to updates. Get the latest posts in this series in your email inbox or favorite feed reader. This is the best way to keep up with everything!
• Tweet it up! Follow @bibledude and retweet updates from this event. If you want to share your own tweets, make sure that you use the #christmas hashtag.

resurrection in question?

I recently came across an article from the New York Times that talks about an ancient tablet that speaks of a Messiah that will be resurrected three days after He is killed. This apparently has sparked some controversy over the validity of the claims of Christianity that Jesus died and rose again on the third day.
Read more

bible evidence :: bahr yusef

Recently while doing my devotions, I was reading through the record of Joseph and his time in Egypt. While reading this, I was wondering what other supporting evidence there may be in history that may support some of this record. I have realized that history is typically written by the winners, and is written from a perspective that makes oneself look good. American History books, for example, are not written from a Confederate perspective. Imagine reading a history book about how the “evil north” destroyed a way of life, etc. That is not the case. Rather they are written from the ”winning” side’s perspective. (Note: I am not actually stating that the Confederates were right, just trying to provide an frame of reference.)

So, I was thinking that the Egyptian record of something like the Exodus is not something that is probably a big highlight for them. Therefore, the record of it is probably very slim, if it exists at all. However, the record of Joseph is a little different. The parts specifically that I am referring to are recorded in Genesis 41:1-57 and Genesis 47:13-27.

As the record goes, there were seven years of plenty, during which Joseph was given the responsibility of storing up food in order to prepare for the seven years of famine that were to follow. During the time of famine, the Bible records that Joseph had sold so much that the people ran out of money. So he told people to bring in their livestock to trade for grain. Then when they ran out of livestock, they gave their land, and eventually were indentured servants themselves. It struck me that this was a very rich time for the pharaoh. Not only had he collected all of the money, but also all of the livestock and land as well. So, I knew that this had to be recorded somewhere in Egyptian history, because it would have been something that the “winners” were quite proud of.

After digging through a bunch of information, the best that I can piece this together is that after this time of famine, much of the Biblical record of Joseph’s life in Egypt ceases. However, there are some other sources that cite some possible happenings. We do know that Joseph lived to be over 100 years old. Some sources cite the possibility of the following story…

Some time after the famine, that pharaoh the Joseph served under had died. Then when the new pharaoh took over, and brought in new advisors (many of which may not have even been alive during the plenty/famine times), a jealousy arose amongst those advisors over Joseph because of the great things that he had done. So they urged pharaoh to challenge Joseph to do it again by turning a dry, barren area into a fertile land again. So Joseph engineered a canal the fed off of the Nile and created a large lake region (Lake Moeris, in honor of the new pharaoh), which irrigated the large region into a very fertile land area. That canal is called the Bahr Yusef (or Canal of Joseph), and still stands today 3500 years later!

Whether this exact story holds true or not, there is some striking evidence that seems to support the Biblical record of Joseph being in Egypt. First of all, the canal named for him seems to confirm the idea that he, or someone with the same name (not likely since it is not a common Egyptian name), was a wise and great influence at that time. And there are other findings that may indicate that Joseph’s tomb in Egypt may also have been found. It is a tomb that would fit any Biblical description and account, and has other evidence that would indicate that it belongs to a foreigner of Egypt, regardless of it’s once place of prominence. You can check out David Rohl’s book about this topic for more information on the tomb.

I could get into the debate over whether history supports the Bible or not, and I do know that there are a lot of still unanswered questions. However, I do believe that the Bahr Yusef Canal is a lasting testament to the power of God working through a man in a foreign culture. I challenge you to research this stuff for yourself, and not just take my word for it. But it is important that we all strive to learn all that we can about our history. I cannot tell you how much this extra study has made the record of Joseph come alive for me. Good studying and God bless!

 

Recommended Reading:

Evidence for Christianity
By Josh McDowell

Scholarly, well-written, and exhaustively researched, Evidence for Christianity presents a powerful case for why Christianity is both true and real. Drawing upon rigorous scholarship of countless authorities and historical evidence, McDowell provides evidences beyond a reasonable doubt that Christ was exactly who he said he was, sent to do exactly what God his Father commissioned him to accomplish. You’ll find answers to questions such as:

• How was Jesus Christ profoundly different from any other man who ever lived, and why?
• Is Christianity based on a blind faith or a faith rooted in historical reality?
• Is the Bible a reliable historical record of the events it describes?
• Was the resurrection of Jesus a hoax or is there evidence that it was an actual historical event?
• Were the major events of Jesus’s life and death accurately foretold centuries earlier?

Evidence for Christianity will provide you with greater confidence and a revitalized foundation in your Christian faith. It will also provide a reason to believe for anyone skeptical of the claims of Christianity.

NOTE: Evidence for Christianity contains the best of The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict, condensed down to a less intimidating but still comprehensive coverage of all the best evidence for the reliability of the Christian faith. Philosophical reasons and responses to major non-Christian thought systems are not addressed; they can be found in The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict.