Invitation Part 5: Embarrassing Material

I want to pause and say thanks if you if you've been following along in these blogs but don't think of yourself as a Christian. I truly hope they are helpful to your spiritual journey.

This is part 5 of my series of short arguments for the historical Jesus.

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This week: Embarrassing Material

In higher education they say that history is written by the winners.

If that's the case, we can expect the winners' version of history to be pretty one-sided:

• Their causes always true and just.
• Their leaders noble, heroic, idolized. 
• Their own roles sanitized of all wrong-doing.

Yet, the Gospel stories contain plenty of material that seems counter-productive. A small sample:

• Jesus' hometown people reject him and limit his ministry of miracles (Mark 3:3-6).
• His family thinks him "out of his mind" (Mark 3:21).
• His brothers don't believe in him (John 7:5).
• His dies at the hands of Israel's sworn enemy, Rome (John 19:16).

None of this material makes sense as a fabrication, but much better as facts of the matter.

The same could be said of those who wrote down the stories of Jesus: the disciples are often portrayed as foolish and obstinate. They vie for power, fall asleep on the job, deny and betray.

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All this "embarrassing material," which is only sampled above and is found in all four Gospels, gives the accounts a sense of authenticity.

But of course this conclusion is a judgment call for the reader.  Of this Jesus says, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

Test the Gospel by reading and obeying it. I think you'll find, as I have, it's as true in experience as it is in history. 

photo credit: http://wallpoper.com/wallpaper/jesus-christ-293701