Centuries before the birth of Jesus, the Old Testament contained specific prophecies about the coming Messiah. According to the New Testament, Jesus fulfilled these prophecies in considerable detail, including aspects that would have been beyond human control.
The Messiah was predicted to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:1–6), come from David’s family line (2 Samuel 7:12–16; Matthew 1:1), be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12–13; Matthew 26:14–16), and suffer and die for the sins of others (Isaiah 52:13–53:12).
Psalm 22, written about 1,000 years before Jesus’ crucifixion, describes events that match His death: His hands and feet are pierced, He is mocked by people watching, and His clothing is divided by casting lots (Psalm 22:7–8, 16–18; Matthew 27:35, 39–43; John 19:23–24).
Isaiah, writing about 700 years before Christ, predicted a suffering servant who would be rejected, carry the sins of others, die among the wicked, and still be buried with the rich (Isaiah 53:3–12; Matthew 27:38, 57–60; 1 Peter 2:24).
These prophecies were not written after Jesus’ life or changed to match His story. They were part of the Jewish Scriptures long before He was born. Their fulfillment is strong evidence that Jesus was not just another religious teacher. He was the promised Messiah God had revealed in advance.

The resurrection of Jesus is central to the Christian faith. Paul even said that if Christ did not rise from the dead, our faith would be worthless and we would still be in our sins (1 Corinthians 15:14–17). Christianity depends on whether Jesus truly left the tomb alive.
The Gospels clearly show that Jesus truly died. Roman soldiers confirmed His death before allowing His body to be buried (John 19:31–37; Mark 15:44–45). Joseph of Arimathea placed Jesus' body in his own new tomb, and a large stone was rolled in front of it (Matthew 27:57–60).
Those who opposed Jesus knew He had predicted His resurrection, so they took steps to prevent anyone from claiming it happened. The tomb was sealed and guarded (Matthew 27:62–66). Still, on the third day, the tomb was empty (Matthew 28:1–7).
The empty tomb was not the only evidence. Jesus appeared several times to His followers after rising. He talked with them, let them touch Him, and even ate with them (Luke 24:36–43; John 20:24–29). Paul also wrote that Jesus appeared to more than 500 people at once, many of whom were still alive and could confirm what they saw (1 Corinthians 15:3–8).
Jesus told His disciples ahead of time that He would be killed and would rise again on the third day (Matthew 16:21; 20:18–19). That is exactly what happened.
The disciples did not just say they felt Jesus was with them in spirit. Their message was much stronger: Jesus Christ had physically risen from the dead, and they saw Him alive. The empty tomb and the eyewitness accounts of the risen Christ are strong evidence that Jesus truly is who He claimed to be.

Jesus did not just call Himself a good teacher, prophet, or religious leader. He said He was the promised Messiah and made bold claims about His identity and authority, putting Himself on the same level as God.
When the Jewish high priest asked Jesus, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”
Jesus replied, “I am.” He then described Himself as the Son of Man who would sit at God’s right hand and come with the clouds of heaven (Mark 14:61–64; see also Daniel 7:13–14).
His accusers knew what He meant and charged Him with blasphemy.
At another time, Jesus said, “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30). The people listening understood what He meant and picked up stones to kill Him, saying, “You, being a Man, make Yourself God” (John 10:33). Jesus also said, “Before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58), using words that referred to how God spoke to Moses in Exodus 3:14.
Jesus also did things that only God can do.
He forgave sins (Mark 2:5–12), said He had authority over the Sabbath (Mark 2:27–28), told people that seeing Him was the same as seeing the Father (John 14:9), and accepted worship from others (Matthew 14:33; John 20:28–29).

The claims about Jesus are not just stories handed down long after His life. The New Testament often refers to people who saw Jesus, listened to His teaching, witnessed His miracles, and most importantly, saw Him alive after His crucifixion.
After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His followers many times. He appeared to Peter, the apostles, James, and others. Paul wrote that Jesus once appeared to more than 500 people at the same time, and most of those witnesses were still alive when Paul wrote his letter to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 15:3–8). This means that many people who said they saw the risen Jesus were still around to confirm what happened.
These were not just unclear visions of someone they thought could be Jesus. The disciples saw Him, talked with Him, and touched Him. Jesus showed them the wounds in His hands, feet, and side (Luke 24:36–40; John 20:24–29). Once, He even ate with them to show that He had really risen from the dead (Luke 24:41–43).
The apostle John stressed that their testimony was based on what they saw and experienced. He wrote about Jesus as the One “which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled” (1 John 1:1).
Peter made a similar point, saying, “We did not follow cunningly devised fables” but were “eyewitnesses of His majesty” (2 Peter 1:16).
The first Christians were not just saying that Jesus' teachings continued after His death. They made a much more specific claim: Jesus died, rose from the grave in a physical body, and they saw Him alive.

Historical evidence for Jesus comes from more than just the Bible. Ancient Roman and Jewish writers who did not follow Jesus also confirm key facts about him and the early Christian movement.
The Roman historian Tacitus, writing in the early second century, described how Christians were persecuted under Emperor Nero. He explained that the name “Christian” came from Christ, who was executed during the reign of Emperor Tiberius by Pontius Pilate. This matters because Tacitus was not trying to support Christianity. Still, his account matches details in the New Testament: Jesus existed, he was executed under Pontius Pilate, and his followers soon became a well-known movement that spread from Judea to Rome.

The Jewish historian Josephus also refers to Jesus. In Antiquities of the Jews, written near the end of the first century, Josephus mentions the death of James and identifies him as “the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ.” Josephus was not a Christian, yet his history independently identifies Jesus as a real person who was known as the Christ.
Other ancient Roman sources mention the fast-growing Christian movement. Pliny the Younger, a Roman governor writing to Emperor Trajan around A.D. 112, described Christians meeting together and singing hymns to Christ as if he were a god. The Roman historian Suetonius also mentioned Christians during Nero’s reign.
None of these writers were trying to prove Christianity was true. In fact, some were openly against Christians. This is what makes their accounts valuable. Their writings give evidence outside the New Testament that Jesus was a real person, that he was crucified by Roman authorities, and that within a few decades his followers had spread across the Roman Empire and were worshiping him as Lord.

Jesus didn’t just make bold claims about himself. He showed real power and authority to back them up. The Gospels tell us that Jesus performed miracles openly, often in front of large crowds and even those who doubted him.
Jesus showed his authority over sickness by healing people who were blind, deaf, paralyzed, or had incurable diseases (Matthew 8:1–17; 9:27–31; John 9:1–7). He also showed power over nature by calming a storm with a word, walking on water, and feeding thousands with just a few loaves and fish (Mark 4:35–41; Matthew 14:13–33).
He also showed authority over spiritual forces, as demons recognized him and obeyed his commands (Mark 1:23–27; Luke 8:26–39). Most remarkably, Jesus even had power over death, raising Jairus' daughter, a widow's son, and Lazarus from the dead (Mark 5:35–43; Luke 7:11–17; John 11:38–44).
These miracles were not just acts of compassion, though they clearly showed his care for people. They were signs that pointed to who Jesus really was. Jesus himself said, “The works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me” (John 5:36).
Even Jesus' enemies could not simply dismiss what He was doing. After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the religious leaders asked, “What shall we do? For this Man works many signs” (John 11:47).
What kind of person commands storms and they obey, speaks to demons and they flee, touches the sick and they are healed, and calls the dead from their graves, and they come out alive?
Jesus' miracles provide powerful evidence that He was no ordinary man. They support His claim that He truly is the Son of God.

When Jesus was arrested, His disciples ran away. Peter was so scared that he denied knowing Jesus three times (Matthew 26:56, 69–75). After Jesus was crucified, the disciples hid behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jews (John 20:19). Their leader had just been executed, and they felt frightened and discouraged.
But then everything changed.
Just weeks later, these same men were boldly telling people in Jerusalem, the city where Jesus was crucified, that He had risen from the dead (Acts 2:22–24, 32). When Peter and John were arrested and told to stop talking about Jesus, they refused and said, “We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:18–20). Their message brought them opposition, arrest, beatings, imprisonment, and even death. James, the brother of John, was executed by King Herod (Acts 12:1–2). Peter eventually faced death knowing what awaited him (John 21:18–19; 2 Peter 1:13–15). Paul endured beatings, imprisonment, stoning, and repeated threats against his life while continuing to proclaim the risen Christ (2 Corinthians 11:23–27).
Church history also tells us that several other apostles died because of their faith. We may not know all the details for each apostle, but it is clear that these men were willing to suffer instead of denying what they said they had seen.
It’s true that people have died for beliefs that turned out to be false. But the apostles were different. They were not dying for something they just heard from others. They claimed to have seen the risen Jesus themselves. They knew if their story was true or if they had made it up.
So what changed these scared men hiding behind locked doors into brave witnesses who were willing to suffer for their message?
Their answer was simple: They saw Jesus Christ alive after He died.
The power of Jesus to change lives did not stop with the apostles. For almost 2,000 years, people from all kinds of backgrounds have said that the gospel of Jesus Christ changed their lives. The same Jesus who changed Peter, Paul, and the first believers still forgives, gives new life, and transforms people today (2 Corinthians 5:17).

The most important thing to know about Jesus is that He is alive.
Christianity is more than just following the teachings of a leader from 2,000 years ago. Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose from the grave on the third day. He overcame sin and death and is alive today.
After He rose from the dead, Jesus told His disciples, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). The Bible also says that Jesus is now at the right hand of the Father and prays for those who come to God through Him (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25).
This means Jesus is not just someone to learn about. He is someone you can know personally.
Jesus offers forgiveness, a restored relationship with God, and eternal life to anyone who turns from their sin and trusts in Him. He said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25).
All the evidence about Jesus leads us to a personal question: What will I do with Jesus?
If you want to know how you can be forgiven, made right with God, and receive eternal life through Jesus Christ, we invite you to take the next step: