How Can We Be Sure That Jesus Was A Real Historical Person?

Q: How can I be sure that Jesus was a real historical person?

A: Jesus of Nazareth was absolutely a real human being. We know this first of all because of the biblical record. I would disagree with anyone who would look at the biblical record and say that it cannot be trusted. We should not throw that out as unreliable.

Additionally, there are many secular references to Jesus that speak of him just as if he is a real historical person, right alongside other historical figures. Therefore, I can confidently say that Jesus was a historical person. He is not just a figment of our imagination.

However, there are people who imagine false versions of Jesus. For example, the Jesus presented by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, the Jehovah's Witnesses, is a made-up Jesus who does not exist. Similarly, the Jesus presented by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often referred to as the Mormons, is also a figment of imagination. But the Jesus of the Bible, the Jesus revealed to us in God's Word, is real. He is a historical person, and right now, he is ascended to the right hand of God the Father on high. He reigns and will return again in glory. You can be confident of that.