Is it true? (the whole Jesus and resurrection thing) I get asked that question quite a bit. Over the years a few Jewish friends have asked that question. Some have pressed me further. How do I KNOW that Jesus was (is) God? How does a man of science put so much stock in the unseen?
I must confess that I have sometimes scoured the world of science for clues to help confirm the historical record, so the questions are fair enough. The answers have left some rather unhappy, even enraged.
Never in Israel’s history did God allow them to go for so long (2000 years) in exile, with no temple. No priests, prophets, kings.
Never.
Yet, for two thousand years there have been no priests, prophets, or kings in Israel. The priesthood is gone and the Muslims occupy the site where the sacrifice took place. If Jesus’ followers concocted a story of resurrection, as well as all of the other miracles, they were pretty fortunate in their timing. They couldn’t have known of the utter collapse of the old dispensation headed their way, or of it’s permanence.
In truth, it wasn’t a collapse, but the fulfillment of the old covenant. The Temple veil, symbol of the old covenant was rent in two from top to bottom, indicating God’s action, not man’s (who only could have torn from the bottom upward).
Jesus fulfilled in His person all three roles not seen in Israel in two thousand years:
High Priest
Prophet
King of Kings
As a scientist, I look for evidence. In Brooklyn, two thousand years is called a clue. So, yes, I have all the evidence I need. I also have the grace of the sacraments that lead to an ever-deepening life in the Holy Spirit who leads us to all truth. There is an assurance within faith that casts away all doubt and fear.
Some of those Jewish friends have since converted. Some never spoke to me again. Two thousand years in microcosm.
I know that my Redeemer liveth
Blessed Easter to you all.
🙂 Amen, alleluia!
I’m something of an aficionado for proofs, myself (being a math guy), but I also tell people: “It’s one thing to ask for proof of the existence of someone I haven’t met yet; but after you meet them and know them, what’s the need? I don’t go around needing a proof for the existence of my wife, do I?”
I wish you and your family a blessed Easter Dr. Nadal.
Christ is Risen. Truly He is risen!
I have read the torn curtain as the veil that veiled the face of God now torn open through Jesus’ death and resurrection. But never thought of the torn curtain from top to bottom that way. Thanks for the insight.
I just read this from zenit.org:
“In the Eucharist, the Lord gives us his glorified body, not flesh to eat in a biological sense.
“He gives us himself, this newness that he is in our humanity, in our being as person, and it touches us within with his being so that we might let ourselves be penetrated by his presence, transformed in his presence.”
May the Resurrected Christ live in you.
Anne
Thank you for your perspective. I have struggled with my faith for my entire life, and have even briefly considered converting to Judaism. (I have enormous respect for the Jewish people.)
But, I have never been able to let go of the likelihood that Jesus Christ was who He said He was, for reasons similar to yours, but not as eloquently or historically laid out as you have done. So I remain Christian, taking part in certain Catholic beliefs and practices, some from my Catholic upbringing, and some newly learned that were never taught.
I’d love to know where you got that graphic in this post. It’s probably the most striking one I have ever seen of the Resurrection. When I pray the Rosary, I struggle so hard to keep focused, and I try to have a mental image to focus upon. This one is perfect for the 1st Glorious Mystery. Thank you.
It’s still Easter Sunday on this coast, so Happy Easter!
Happy Easter to all.
I thank God for scientists who are able to take the leap of faith to look beyond their own intellectual reasoning in order to believe in miracles and something greater than themselves.🙂
To those still on the fence, I would ask:
What could have possibly been the motivation for His disciples to have given up their lives for Him unless they saw something in Jesus that was unworldly, Godly?
Look at all the miracles Jesus performed! There were witnesses (THOUSANDS of them), who recorded these miracles so all of mankind would be able to know Him. No one could have made up such a “story”.
His words were so compelling that scholars have studied them for centuries. The Early Fathers of the Church present an AMAZING history in their writings; they and the generations that followed were EYE-WITNESES.
In the last week, I watched both “The Passion of the Christ” and The Ten Commandments”. I can’t watch either without having a greater appreciation of our awesome God. God bless!
my second son just took first communion on Maundy Thursday. he’s been in classes all of Lent. it was awe-inspiring seeing this young person struggle with reaching towards God. I think it’s how we look to god, even as we consider ourselves grownups.
Christ is risen!
How often we do not apply common sense to the Scriptures. I would like to start by making a two statements
!. If there was anyway the Jews of Christs time could have got rid of Him easily and 2. If there was anyway they could have denied Him they would.
Can we not find in the Dialog with Trypho the Jew how Justin Martyr (??? I think) said even now you have changed your scriptures to deny His existence. This is a problem with the Masoretes since the 1100’s.
so when Paul said this 1 Corinthians 15:6
“Then he was seen by more than five hundred brethren at once: of whom many remain until this present, and some are fallen asleep.” If Christ had not appeared to His followers what a definitive outpouring claims of Liars would have been heard. It is the same with the Baptists of San Francisco who started the dreadful calumny and accusations of Christ’s homosexuality. If this were true under the Law He could have been stoned an execution that the Romans deliberately overlooked. I cannot believe that Christ who has always rose to the heights of love we cannot understand did not appear to those of the Temple who had Him betrayed by a kiss, lied about His spirituality. Of course He did. Did He not prove He would undergo any action, not sinful, to save even the worst of sinners
A friend of mine starts this way: Have you seen George Washington? Have you ever met anyone who has seen George Washington? Have you ever met anyone who knows someone who has seen George Washington? Yet you believe there was a George Washington and all the things that have been written about him? …..
I have an argument for the existence of God which I think puts a unique spin on the argument from design. I argue that DNA is a language, and therefore the product of an intelligence. More at http://stevenrbrandt.com/wordpress/?p=31
Dear Dr. Nadal:
A friend linked this on her Facebook, so I followed the link and have read several of your posts.
As a person of science as well, I also look for scientific proof, but I have taken a different avenue. Reflection of God in nature is my calling.
It has been my experience when talking to Jewish friends they do not seek scientific evidence as much as Biblical Old Testament evidence, Orthodox friends in particular.
With that in mind, I highly, HIGHLY recommend Jeff Cavins DVD series on the book of Matthew. Since Matthew’s audience was the Jewish people, he takes all the references of the coming Messiah and applies them to Jesus. He makes sense out of what us Catholics may not know about Jewish law and history because it was his job to help his Jewish family understand that Jesus was the Messiah.
Interesting post on the brain. Thank you.
Loretta
Loretta,
I love Jeff Cavins, and all that he does. I’ll pick up his series on Matthew. Thanks, and welcome to Coming Home!
I’m finishing the course in my parish in 5 weeks.