Jesus – Figure or Fiction?

I was in an online chat the other day with someone who actually believes Jesus was just a fictional character. At first, I thought they were kidding until they went on and on about how ‘certain people’ used the fictional Jesus to gain control over the masses, via an organized religion. I thought that was pretty funny (because it’s so absurd), but then the reality of that person’s situation became clear and all the humor went out of it.

As I thought about this fallacy I became more and more convinced that there are multitudes of people who share this same idea. I think that’s a tragedy and I want to offer a thought or two to help put this in proper perspective. It would seem to me that there are a few things which are (or at least should be) pretty obvious in showing this idea as false.

Establishing The Figure Of Jesus

The first thing I can think of is that the people of the time knew of the real Person named Jesus. There are copies of personal letters and interactions (not just the Biblical ones), governmental records and widely circulated histories (such as Josephus) which reference the Person of Christ as a historical figure and not as a fictional one. These accounts would not have endured if the Person of Christ were just fabrications because people would have known them to be such. If nothing else these records would have been labeled as fantasy and that label would have been passed down through the ages (just like Aesop’s Fables have been).

The second thing I can think of is that if He weren’t real then the early church would not have gained traction because people would have known the church was based on a fictitious character. It is no coincidence that the Word of God was first preached to the Jews because that was Jesus’ initial mission – the salvation of Israel. The Jews were looking for the Messiah when Jesus presented Himself to them (more on this topic in a later discussion), and of course, Jesus fit the bill perfectly. The reason so many Jews believed in the PERSON of Christ is that they SAW Him, and knew that the things He did fulfilled the Word. This explains why so many were willing to live – and die – for their faith because their faith was established in a Person and not in just a story.

The third thing that I see confirming the reality of Christ is the way that God continues to validate the Word with signs and wonders. The most significant work of God’s confirmation is the new birth. It makes the Person of Christ real and tangible (on a daily basis) to anyone willing to believe the gospel. There are other signs and wonders that accompany the proclamation of the Name of Jesus which are too numerous to go into within this post. Why don’t we see more of these things? A simple one-word answer sums it up – unbelief. However, the fact that we don’t see these things on a regular basis doesn’t mean they don’t exist. I have personally witnessed many things which can’t be explained, except to be considered as miraculous. Perhaps this is why missionaries seem to have a greater understanding of, exposure to, and experience with, the miraculous than those of us who have already heard the Word?

The end result of all these things is that the Person of Jesus Christ is real, and can be shown to be real in many ways. What it comes down to is the willingness of the hearer to receive the truth. Some people will hear the truth and believe. Others will hear the same truth and refuse it. The results are not up to us, but to God – and those with whom we share the message.

Our best approach is prayer and a walk of love toward those who don’t believe.