Summary
Highlights
Lee Strobel, an atheist and former legal editor, initially viewed the concept of an all-powerful, all-loving creator as absurd. He considered Jesus a good teacher if he even existed, but certainly not the Messiah or Son of God. His wife, Leslie, became an agnostic, and then converted to Christianity, leading to conflict in their relationship. Lee feared Leslie would become a 'religious prude' and was initially hostile to her newfound faith.
Despite his fears, Lee observed positive changes in Leslie's character. Out of curiosity and to disprove her faith, he attended church, where a sermon on 'basic Christianity' challenged his misconceptions. He realized the significant implications if Christianity were true and began a two-year journalistic investigation into the historical claims of Jesus, seeking facts and documentation.
Lee investigated the New Testament gospels as ancient historical documents, applying historical criteria to assess their trustworthiness. Scholars confirmed the gospels are biographies of Jesus, rooted in eyewitness accounts, either directly (Matthew, John) or indirectly through interviewing eyewitnesses (Mark, Luke). The early church greatly valued eyewitness testimony, and early church fathers attest to the authorship and reliability of the gospels, despite skepticism in modern culture.
The New Testament was preserved through oral tradition in an ancient world without modern media. Scholars explain that this tradition was highly reliable and self-correcting within communities. Lee also addresses apparent contradictions in the gospels, such as the number of blind men healed, explaining that these are easily resolved as different perspectives from multiple eyewitnesses, which actually strengthens the credibility against collusion.
Despite concerns about the lack of original manuscripts, the New Testament has far superior manuscript attestation than other ancient documents (5,000 Greek manuscripts compared to 600 for Homer's Iliad). Early church fathers' quotations could even reconstruct the entire New Testament. Furthermore, external sources like the Jewish historian Josephus and Roman historians Tacitus and Suetonius corroborate the existence and impact of Jesus.
Lee investigated the Gnostic gospels (e.g., Gospel of Thomas, Mary, Philip, Judas), which blend Jesus's teachings with ancient philosophical beliefs and present a different Jesus than the New Testament. Scholars generally agree that the Gnostic gospels are much later (2nd-3rd centuries AD) and not historically reliable, while the New Testament gospels offer the best and most accurate sources for understanding the historical Jesus from Judea in the first century.
Lee delved into Jesus's identity, specifically his claims of divinity. Jesus spoke with unique authority, even superseding Old Testament law, and explicitly identified himself as the Messiah and Son of God, even combining phrases from Daniel 7 and Psalm 110. He also described himself as the 'Son of Man,' a title from Daniel 7 that refers to a glorious, messianic figure with everlasting dominion, signifying both his human and divine nature.
Jesus performed numerous miracles, including healings, exorcisms, and raising the dead, which were acknowledged even by his opponents, who attributed them to demonic power. Unlike other ancient miracle workers or magicians who used spells, Jesus's miracles demonstrated the power of God's kingdom and his unique authority, such as forgiving sins (a claim only God could make), further proving his divine nature.
Christians claim Jesus fulfilled dozens of Old Testament prophecies, like a 'fingerprint' unique to him. Examples include Isaiah 53 (the Suffering Servant), his birth in Bethlehem, and his entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey (Zechariah 9). Scholars calculate the mathematical improbability of anyone fulfilling so many prophecies as astronomically high. These prophecies form a coherent narrative, with Jesus as the climax of God's redemptive plan.
Lee's investigation was not just intellectual, but deeply emotional. The evidence challenged his atheist worldview, creating internal conflict and anger. He felt he was losing his wife to Christianity. A breaking point came when his rage led him to kick a hole in his living room wall, witnessed by his crying wife and daughter, prompting a realization of his own emotional state and the contrast with Leslie's transformed character.
Lee focused on the resurrection as the ultimate evidence for Jesus's claims. He addressed skeptic theories of Jesus merely fainting on the cross, finding them medically implausible given the brutal Roman crucifixion methods, specifically citing the spear piercing in John's Gospel as evidence of a ruptured heart. The burial in the well-known tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimathea further solidified the historical reality of Jesus's death.
All four gospels report an empty tomb. The discovery by women, who held little credibility in that society, is an 'embarrassing feature' that authenticates the account, as early Christians would not have invented such primary witnesses if they were fabricating the story. The opposing claim by Jewish authorities that the disciples stole the body implicitly confirms the tomb was indeed empty.
The apostle Paul's letter to the Corinthians, written very early (around 50s AD), details resurrection appearances to Peter, the apostles, James, and over 500 people, many of whom were still alive. This 'creedal tradition' dates back to within 3-5 years of the crucifixion. Furthermore, the radical transformation of skeptical figures like James (Jesus's half-brother) and Saul of Tarsus (Paul) from persecutors to martyrs, who believed they saw the risen Jesus, provides powerful circumstantial evidence for the resurrection.
On November 8, 1981, Lee compiled all the evidence for and against Jesus's divinity. He concluded that it took more faith to maintain his atheism than to accept Christianity, given the 'avalanche of evidence.' He made a decision of faith, trusting in Jesus Christ. His wife, Leslie, was overjoyed, and his conversion led to a profound transformation in his philosophy, attitudes, and relationships.
Lee Strobel emphasizes that Jesus claimed to be the truth and that everything hinges on his identity and resurrection. He encourages viewers to investigate the evidence for themselves with an open mind, making it a priority to reach a verdict based on the facts, even if the conclusion is uncomfortable.