WHY THIS?
It is little solace to nonbelievers that ancient Jewish and Roman sources contemporary to Jesus' day wrote their complaints out against him and his followers.
Rather than being able to dismiss him as mythical, it must be admitted that some guy named Jesus walked the earth, as those writings confirm.
So the questions that remain, and they're good ones, are who was or is Jesus really? and How do we find out?
"Almost no educated person these days doubts that Jesus lived. Some accept it on faith, others on the testimony of a brace of ancient chroniclers, both Christian and Roman."
-
Time Online Edition
October 30, 2002
"It's one thing to say a man was crucified; it's another to credit him as being divine."
RESPONSE:
It certainly is. Accept for the moment that a guy named Jesus walked the earth, was crucified, and various ancient historians accurately recorded people worshipping him as though he were God (here). Just because all that happened, was he really? Was/is he really God? How do we possibly come to a reasonably accurate conclusion?
Perhaps it begins with accepting that it's possible a Creator might exist. To positively deny such, here at the start, would foreordain a negative conclusion even before considering the evidence. Then I'd say we listen to the claimant itself - the Bible. For ultimately no one (you) should listen to second hand testimony (me) because that is technically hearsay - possibly mistaken, and definitely not required since the Bible is of equal or greater availability.
Next is an overall analysis of the testimony. Veracity chapter 3 is a great presentation of a strategy that English barrister John Warwick Montgomery lays out for determining truth within the realm of law, testimony, witnesses, etc. It applies to the Bible quite well. (Among recommending readings, his work 'Evidence for Faith' is near the top. But if you're like me, you already have about 300 years of books on the some-day list.)
After that would be a confirmation of that testimony; i.e. does the Bible accurately reflect what we know to be true from history, science, archaeology. etc? That is the essence of the site's entire Veracity section. Similarly is the section Divinity a focus on the prophecies concerning Jesus, his resurrection, closest associates, non-believers contemporary to Jesus' day, and more. After all that has been said & done, then it's up to you - like a jury - to respond.
See also:
Jesus according to non-biblical sources
Jesus: where do we begin
Expanded!