It is reasonable to ask why anyone should believe what the Bible says about Jesus. After all, a promise is only as trustworthy as the person making it. Christians believe there are good reasons to trust Jesus, and those reasons deserve to be examined rather than simply accepted without question.

The written testimony about Jesus

The four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—describe Jesus’ life, teachings, miracles, death, and resurrection. They present Him as a real person who lived among ordinary people, encountered opposition, and was crucified under Roman authority.

Luke explained that he carefully investigated the events he recorded, drawing on accounts passed down by eyewitnesses (Luke 1:1–4). John wrote that his purpose was to help readers believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (John 20:30–31). These ancient documents can be studied and evaluated. Their existence does not automatically establish every claim, but they provide historical testimony to examine.

The resurrection

The Gospels report that Jesus’ tomb was found empty and that He appeared alive after His crucifixion. Paul preserved an early Christian account of His death, burial, resurrection, and appearances, including one reported appearance to more than five hundred people (1 Corinthians 15:3–8). Historians and readers differ in how they assess these claims, but they are claims about events, not simply religious feelings.

Paul said that if Christ had not risen, Christian faith would be empty (1 Corinthians 15:14–19). But if Jesus truly conquered death, His promise to raise His followers and give them eternal life takes on an entirely different significance.

The prophecies about the Messiah

Long before Jesus was born, the Hebrew Scriptures described a coming Messiah. Christians see connections between passages such as Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, Daniel 9:24–27, and Micah 5:2 and the life of Jesus. These interpretations deserve careful examination; not every reader understands the prophecies the same way.

Our illustrated book, EVIDENCE: The Messiah Investigation, explores these passages as an investigation organized around six questions: WHAT would the Messiah experience, WHY would He suffer, WHEN would He appear, WHERE would He come from, HOW would He be received, and WHO was being described? It invites readers to weigh the clues rather than accept a conclusion merely because someone else believes it.

Personal evidence

Christians also describe personal experiences of forgiveness, changed attitudes, freedom from destructive habits, and a growing ability to love others. These experiences can be meaningful, though they are not independent proof of every Christian belief. They belong alongside the biblical and historical questions, not in place of them.

Christian hope is not an invitation to stop asking questions. It is an invitation to investigate whether Jesus is worthy of our trust.

For a much deeper investigation, read the illustrated book: EVIDENCE — The Messiah Investigation (flipbook)

On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus told His troubled disciples that He was going to prepare a place for them and would return to receive them to Himself (John 14:1–3). His departure would not end their relationship.

After His resurrection and ascension, two angels told the disciples that Jesus would return in the same manner they had watched Him go (Acts 1:9–11). Paul later explained that those who died belonging to Christ would rise and be reunited with living believers when Jesus returns (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18).

The Bible describes His return as a real, public event (Matthew 24:30–31; Revelation 1:7), but Jesus warned that no one knows the day or hour (Matthew 24:36). His followers are invited to trust His promise, not predict a date.

What happens after Jesus returns?

The Bible describes the resurrection, the final removal of evil, and the creation of a new earth (1 Corinthians 15:51–54; Revelation 20–22). The details deserve study, but the central promise is clear: Jesus will not abandon His creation to suffering forever. He intends to restore what sin has damaged and give His people a home where death will never separate them again.

Imagine someone inviting you to visit a beautiful home. They describe its gardens and everything they have prepared. But the best part of the invitation is not the house. It is knowing that the person wants you to come.

Jesus promised more than a beautiful destination. He said He would return so His followers could be with Him (John 14:3). His life shows why that matters.

He welcomed children when others tried to send them away (Mark 10:13–16). He listened to people others ignored and shared meals with people who had damaged reputations, including Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1–10). He treated people as individuals worth knowing.

Jesus called His disciples friends (John 15:15). They misunderstood Him and sometimes failed Him badly, yet He continued to love them. On the night before His death, He prayed that His followers would be with Him (John 17:24). He also prayed for those who would believe through their message in future generations (John 17:20).

The Bible places that relationship at the center of the new earth: God Himself will dwell with His people (Revelation 21:3). The greatest part of Christian hope is not the scenery of heaven or even the absence of pain. It is that the God who made us wants to share eternity with us.

One day, a man suffering from leprosy came to Jesus. His illness had separated him from ordinary life. People feared coming near him. He believed Jesus could heal him; what he did not know was whether Jesus wanted to.

The man knelt and asked Jesus to make him clean if He was willing. Jesus reached out and touched him, then answered, ‘I am willing’ (Mark 1:40–42). Jesus did not wait for the man to become healthy or respectable before drawing near.

Jesus also told a story about a shepherd who lost one sheep out of a hundred. The shepherd did not decide that ninety-nine were enough. He searched for the missing one and rejoiced when he found it (Luke 15:3–7).

Consider Moses.

Long before Moses became the man God used to lead Israel out of Egypt, he killed an Egyptian and hid his body in the sand (Exodus 2:11–12). When his actions became known, Moses fled into the wilderness.

That could have been the end of his story. But God was not finished with him.

Years later, God called Moses to lead His people out of slavery. Moses had made a terrible choice, but his past did not prevent God from giving him a new purpose.

And there is something even more remarkable. Centuries after Moses died, the disciples saw him standing with Jesus on the mountain during the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1–3). The man who had once taken another person's life was now standing beside the Savior in glory.

That doesn't make what Moses did any less wrong. But it shows us something wonderful about God. Our worst mistakes do not have to be the end of our story.

God knew everything about Moses, including what he had done. And He still wanted him.

Perhaps you have wondered whether God would still want you if He knew everything about your life. According to the Bible, He already does know. Yet Jesus promised not to turn away anyone who comes to Him (John 6:37).

His welcome does not mean He approves of everything we do. He loves people too much to leave them trapped in what destroys them and hurts others. But He does not require us to become perfect before we come. His invitation is where a new life begins.

Why did Jesus have to die? If God loves us, why couldn't He simply forgive everyone and make everything right? The Bible describes sin as more serious than breaking a rule. It damages our relationships, corrupts our character, and separates us from the God who gives us life. Its final result is death (Romans 6:23; Isaiah 59:2).

Jesus entered our world and lived without sin. He showed people what His Father was like, healed the sick, forgave sinners, and offered hope. Then He was arrested and murdered (crucified). Even while suffering on the cross, He prayed for those who were killing Him (Luke 23:34).

Jesus had never sinned, yet He willingly took our place, bearing our sins and the penalty they deserved so that we could be forgiven and receive eternal life through Him (Isaiah 53:5–6; 1 Peter 2:24).

Was Jesus trying to persuade an angry Father to love us?

No. Jesus said the Father Himself loves us (John 16:27). John 3:16 tells us that God loved the world so much that He gave His Son. Father and Son were united in their desire to save humanity (2 Corinthians 5:19). Jesus laid down His life willingly (John 10:17–18).

When we say God would rather die than live without us, we mean that in Jesus He willingly accepted the extraordinary cost of our rescue. We do not mean that God needs humanity to exist or that He forces anyone to accept His gift. Love makes the invitation possible and respects our freedom to respond.

And what about the resurrection?

The cross was not the end. On the third day, Jesus rose from the dead (Luke 24:1–7). Paul connected His resurrection directly to the future resurrection of those who belong to Him (1 Corinthians 15:20–23). Christians see the cross and the empty tomb as the foundation of their hope.

This may be the hardest question of all. If God loves us, why do children become seriously ill? Why do good people suffer? Why do families lose loved ones even after praying for them? The Bible does not ask us to pretend these questions are unimportant.

It begins with a world God called very good (Genesis 1:31). But the Bible describes the entrance of sin and a conflict between good and evil that has affected all creation (Genesis 3; Romans 8:20–22).

Does God cause everything that happens?

No. The Bible distinguishes between what God desires and what He temporarily permits in a world damaged by sin. Job suffered devastating losses without knowing the conflict described in the opening chapters of his book. His friends wrongly assumed he must have deserved his suffering.

When Jesus encountered a man born blind, His disciples asked whose sin caused it. Jesus rejected their assumption that the man or his parents must be personally to blame (John 9:1–3). Instead, He helped the man.

What does Jesus reveal about God's response to suffering?

At the tomb of His friend Lazarus, Jesus saw the grief around Him. He knew He was about to raise Lazarus, yet He wept (John 11:35). He did not treat their sorrow as unimportant simply because He knew the story would have a happy ending.

What does Romans 8:28 really promise?

It does not say every tragedy is good or that God personally chooses every painful event. It promises that God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Christians do not have to believe God wanted a tragedy in order to believe He can accomplish His loving purpose despite it.

The Bible's ultimate answer to suffering is that God will end evil, remove death, and restore His creation (Revelation 21:1–5). Until then, Christians may still grieve, struggle, and ask questions. Their hope is that suffering is not the whole story.

Christians often talk about what Jesus did on earth and what He will do when He returns. But the Bible also describes what He is doing now.

After His resurrection, Jesus ascended to heaven. Hebrews presents Him as our High Priest, someone who understands human weakness and represents us before the Father (Hebrews 4:14–16). Hebrews 7:25 says He continues to intercede for those who come to God through Him.

This does not mean He is persuading a reluctant Father to love us. The Father already loves us. Jesus has not forgotten those He came to rescue; He is still working to bring His saving purpose to completion.

Jesus also promised the Holy Spirit, who would guide, teach, and remain with His followers (John 14:16–18, 26). The Spirit helps people understand truth and grow in love and faithfulness. Paul calls the Spirit a guarantee of the inheritance still to come (Ephesians 1:13–14).

Christian hope is not merely waiting for a future event. It includes confidence that God is already at work in the lives of those who trust Him.

Yes. Christian hope does not mean never feeling afraid. One day, a father brought his suffering son to Jesus. He wanted help but struggled to believe help was possible. He admitted both his faith and his uncertainty (Mark 9:24). Jesus did not reject him for being honest, and He won’t reject you either.

Psalm 56:3 speaks of trusting God when afraid. Even Jesus' disciples sometimes feared and misunderstood what He was doing. Trust grows through knowing someone; it does not require pretending that questions or concerns have disappeared.

Christian hope rests on Jesus' faithfulness, not on our ability to feel confident every moment. Romans 15:13 calls God the source of hope. Some days hope may be joyful expectation; other days it may be a quiet decision to hold on to His promise. Jesus understands both.

One night, a wealthy respected religious teacher named Nicodemus came to Jesus. He knew the Scriptures, yet Jesus told him he needed something more than religious knowledge: a new beginning through the Holy Spirit (John 3:1–8). Jesus then explained that God loved the world so much He gave His Son so that those who believe in Him could receive eternal life (John 3:16–17).

Salvation is a gift

Romans 6:23 calls eternal life God's gift through Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:8–10 explains that salvation comes by grace through faith, not as a reward for good works. Good works matter, but they grow out of God's saving work in us rather than buying His acceptance.

The father who welcomed his son home

Jesus told of a young man who demanded his inheritance, left home, and wasted everything. He finally returned hoping his father might let him work as a servant. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him, ran to meet him, and welcomed him home (Luke 15:11–24). The son needed to turn around, but his father's love had not disappeared while he was away.

Where can you begin?

You can begin by telling Jesus what you are thinking. You do not need an elaborate prayer. You might say: ‘Jesus, I want to know whether You really are like this. Help me understand Your love. Teach me to trust You.’ You can even say, ‘Jesus, I kind of believe but my belief is ever so small. Help me believe fully.’

Then begin reading one of the Gospels. Watch how Jesus treats people and what He says about His Father. Ask questions when something is hard to understand. Getting to know Jesus is the beginning of a relationship, and Christian hope is that this relationship can continue forever.