Why Believe in Yeshua the Messiah?

Have you ever heard someone say, “I’ll believe it when I see it”? Is seeing really believing?  Many people saw Yeshua when he was on this earth, but most didn’t believe him.

It has been 2000 years since Yeshua walked this earth, and since we’ve never seen him, nor even talked to those who saw him, what is the basis of our faith? Is faith in Yeshua blind? Or are there logical reasons to believe in him?

For those of us who have had a faith in Yeshua for a while, for us there are a myriad reasons that have come together to form the basis of our faith. However, for those who are new in their faith walk and don’t have a lifetime of “spiritual experiences” that corroborate that faith, initially finding a basis for that faith can be difficult.

Some people come to Yeshua because that’s their last hope. They’ve hit rock bottom in their lives and there’s no where else to go. They hear and believe the gospel message of hope and end up experiencing the power of the Yeshua and his Holy Spirit in their lives.

Others take a more reasoned approach to establishing a faith in Yeshua. Perhaps their lives haven’t hit rock bottom, but they know they’re missing something — there’s still a void in their life. They sense that there must be more to life — a higher purpose — than simply existing and then dying. 

Others come to faith in Yeshua because they look around and see intelligent design behind everything in existence, which speaks of a Creator, which leads them to want to know more about him. 

Some people come to Yeshua as a way of dealing with their on mortality.  In their quest to answer the question of whether there’s life after death, they come to faith in Yeshua. 

Perhaps some come to faith in Yeshua due to the pang of a guilty conscience because of their sin and the need for redemption. 

Some people have studied the world’s religions and find that only the gospel message as presented in the Bible addresses the deeper issues of life. 

These are all valid and logical reasons for coming to faith in Yeshua.

Whatever the reason for believing what the Bible says about Yeshua, there are good reasons to believe in him  based on both the claims of the Bible and logic.

Yeshua — A Historical Figure

Whatever we think about Yeshua pro or con, he was a historical figure. More has been written about him than anyone else, and he has impacted the world more than anyone. There must be something to all this, and thus we have to deal with this reality. Twenty-seven different first-century New Testament documents attest to the reality of his existence and to his impact on humanity. Additionally, numerous Christian, Jewish and Roman historians from the first and second centuries attest to his existence and his positive impact on the lives of thousands, if not millions of people.

An Important Question

There are other reasons to believe in Yeshua. If God became a man, as the Bible claims of Yeshua, and if the man Yeshua was God as he and the Bible claim, then what would we expect of such an individual?

• He would have had an unusual entrance into this life (e.g., a virgin birth).
• He would have been without human weaknesses, foibles and failings (i.e., be sinless or perfect).
• He would manifest supernatural abilities (i.e., signs, wonders, miracles, unusual supernatural powers, possess supernatural knowledge).
• He would have an intellect superior to that of the brightest minds of his day.
• He would have a perspective on life different than ordinary humans.
• He would speak the greatest words ever spoken.
• He would have a lasting and universal influence on humanity.
• He would be able to answer men’s deepest questions and fulfill men’s deepest longings and desires.
• He would exercise power over death.
• Yeshua was the only human who has ever met all of these qualifications.

Dealing With the Resurrection of Yeshua

For two millennia, the resurrection of Yeshua has been viewed as one the greatest proofs that he was he who said he was. Let’s face it, either the resurrection of Yeshua is the greatest and most vicious hoax ever foisted on humanity, or it was the most fantastic fact of history. Each person must answer this question for himself or herself, deal with the ramifications and adjust his or life and belief systems accordingly. 

The resurrection of Yeshua is a well documented fact — both from the numerous references in the Scriptures and from extra-biblical sources written by people who knew those who had witnessed the resurrection. Can we trust the accounts of those witnesses to that event?

Dealing With Historical Facts

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