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16 Hope of Israel Ministries BIBLE Correspondence Course Lesson 42

PORARY] King over the realm of the Chal- siah existed? Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11,
deans"! (Daniel 9:1) Luke 3:21-23 and John 1:29-36.
COMMENT: If the Messiah did not
PROOF Yeshua the Messiah LIVED! exist, the Judahites would have had no reason to
reject him! ALTHOUGH THE JUDAHITES
Most people take the existence of the DISLIKED THE MESSIAH, THEY WERE
Messiah for granted. They have never stopped to FORCED BY THE VERY CIRCUMSTANCE
PROVE whether the New Testament gospel OF HIS POWER TO TAKE RECOGNITION
records of the Messiah are REALLY true! Have OF HIM IN THEIR RECORDS. What do the
you ever PROVED whether Yeshua actually Jewish RECORDS admit? What do atheists pur-
lived? posely overlook when they pretend to deny the
As this lesson is being prepared, we are reality of Yeshua the Messiah?
looking at a book entitled Jesus -- God, Man or The Messiah is often mentioned in the
Myth? by a professed atheist, Herbert Cutner. Jewish Talmud! The Talmud is a record of Jew-
According to its publisher, this book is “the re- ish debates, doctrines, stories and traditions
sult of extensive research [and] proves that Jesus covering a period from before the birth of the
never lived. The non-historical character of the Messiah to the centuries immediately following.
Bible Jesus is established," claims the publisher, These references have been known in detail by
“by carefully-sifted data that will surprise those many scholars.
who have given little thought to the subject. Several traditions do not specifically
“The cumulative evidence that Jesus is mention the Messiah’s name, even though he is
an INVENTED character," concludes the write- CLEARLY in view. For example, in the Pale-
up, “is presented with telling force and the book stinian Talmud, the third-century Rabbi Abbahu
shows also that the Jesus, the man who went says, “If a man says to you ‘I am (a) God,’ he is a
around ‘doing good,’ was no...flesh-and-blood liar; ‘I am (a) Son of Man,’ he will regret it; ‘I go
man....” up to heaven,’ he has said it but he will not be
Bold statements, these! But what of the able to do it” (P. Ta’an. 65b). This tradition re-
proof? How HONEST have atheists and critics flects a knowledge of the Christian claims for the
been with the facts of history? Messiah, yet the interesting feature of this and
If the facts of history prove the Messiah similar rabbinic traditions is that these claims are
did live -- if his contemporaries and enemies NEVER disputed as inventions of his followers
give evidence of his message and of his miracles -- they are merely rejected as being in error.
-- then no atheist, no agnostic, no modernist Unlike modern sceptics, the rabbis ap-
doubter has any excuse! parently never denied the existence of the Mes-
What PROOF IS there, OUTSIDE THE siah or that he made such claims for himself; in-
BIBLE, that Yeshua the Messiah lived? that he stead they called one who makes such claims a
performed miracles? that he brought Good News liar.
-- the Gospel -- to the world? that he was con- Other rabbinic traditions refer to the
demned to death under the Roman governor Messiah more DIRECTLY. In the fifth-century
Pilate? and chose apostles? Babylonian Talmud a rebellious disciple is com-
The Bible, of course, states these as facts. pared to one “who publicly burns his food like
But can we BELIEVE the Bible? What proof Jesus of Nazareth,” using a metaphor that refers
OUTSIDE of the Bible itself is there that the to the distortion of Judahite teaching (b. Sanh.
Messiah was a historical figure? Certainly of all 103a).
people the Judahites ought to know! Let’s see. A few columns further on, the claim is
1. Does the Bible show us that the Mes- made that “Jesus the Nazarene practiced magic

Archaeology and the Bible