Follow the evidence

• 

  Follow the evidence

  Follow the evidence

The existence of God, and especially the Deity of Christ, has always been questioned, whether from a religious perspective or a scientific one. Great scientists like Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein often faced this question. Thousands of individuals have taken up the task of following the evidence in their attempt to disprove that Christ existed and was who he said he was.

Over 2,000 years ago and to this day, no other figure in human history has ever triggered the imagination like this carpenter and rabbi, Jesus of Nazareth, the man Christians have said since that time is the Son of God. Though His life span on earth was brief, this man divided history, and continues to divide the world into believers and nonbelievers. The pivotal point in believing who He said He was, is that He not only lived and died, but did, indeed, rise from the dead in a supernatural resurrection. New scientific evidence discovered recently on the Shroud of Turin, touted for centuries to be Jesus’ burial shroud, has stunned the world.

French historian Jean-Christian Petitfils recently studied the Shroud of Turin. His findings reveal the Shroud is not only real, but is indeed the burial cloth of a Jewish male who died exactly as the Bible says Jesus died. Modern archeological findings show the man depicted on the Shroud died just as the Romans of Jesus’ time conducted crucifixions. Additionally, using devices that scan deep space and probe the smallest nanoparticles of the cell have backed up claims many Christians have long held about the cloth.

Scientists conclude the image on the Shroud has never been replicated before and is not art. Carbon-14 dating previously setting the Shroud in the 13th century was erroneous. New X-ray dating methods put the Shroud’s origins to the time of Jesus. The energy it took to produce the image would be equal to all the electrical power generated in the world today. Blood evidence: dozens of indicators that show the man who was buried died just as the Bible claims. There are multiple points of evidence the man was a religious Jew. A Jewish photography expert who concluded the Shroud is 100% real. A Jewish botanist who pinpointed pollens on the Shroud linking it to Jerusalem. New science proves the Sudarium, a burial facecloth, was used on the same body as the Shroud. Therefore, with these findings, Mr. Petitfils concludes the Shroud’s authenticity can no longer be disputed.

Throughout history, many have tried to disprove the claims of Jesus. As was the case of the author of Ben-Hur who, by trying to disprove Jesus was God, came to believe Jesus absolutely is God, we find a young journalist who followed the evidence for himself. Lee Strobel was a legal journalist for the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers for a number of years. In the mid-1980’s, Strobel professed to be an atheist when he began investigating the biblical claims about Jesus Christ after his wife’s conversion. Prompted by the results of his lengthy investigation, he became a Christian at the age of 29. He is now a pastor and professor of Christian thought in Houston, Texas. He is well known for wring The Case For Christ, The Case for Faith, The Case for a Creator, and many other books detailing the evidence he found to prove the deity of Christ.

If you wonder whether God is real, then I would encourage you to follow the evidence and see where the results lead you. I’m sure it will prove to be an interesting journey.

Debby Efurd is co-founder of Cary John Efurd Ministries of Pittsburg, TX. She has been a contributor to Bound for Life and written numerous articles published in LifeNews, Christian Post and the Baptist Standard, and is the author of Go Tell It!. isit her blog, The Second Mile, at www.debbyefurd.com and contact her by email (caryjohnefurdministries@gmail. com).