Conclusion of Jesus Christ Our Questions Answered

Question: Why did Jesus have to suffer and die?

Answer: As a sinless man, Jesus did not deserve to suffer. Neither did he deserve to be nailed to the stake as a common criminal and be left there to die a shameful death. Still, Jesus expected such mistreatment and willingly  submitted to it. -Matthew 20:17-19; 1 Peter 2:21-23.

Messianic prophecies foretold that the Messiah would have to suffer and die to cover the sins of others.  (Isaiah 53:5; Daniel 9:24, 26)  Jesus himself said that he came  "to give his soul a ransom in exchange for many."  (Matthew 20:28)  Those putting faith in the redeeming value of his sacrificial death have the prospect of being rescued from sin and death and living forever in Paradise on earth." -John 3:16; 1 John 4:9, 10. 

Question: Can we really believe that Jesus was resurrected from the dead? 

Answer: Yes. Jesus fully expected to be raised from the dead.  (Matthew 16:21)  It is important to note, however, that neither Jesus nor the Bible writers ever claimed that he would rise from the dead by natural means. Such a notion would be beyond belief. Rather, the Bible says: God resurrected him by loosing  the pangs of death." (Acts 2:24) If we accept that there is a God and that he is the Creator of all things, then we have every reason to believe that he could raise his Son from the dead. -Hebrews 3:4. 

Is there credible evidence that Jesus was resurrected?  Consider the following. 

*Eyewitness testimony. About 22 years after Jesus died, the apostle Paul wrote that there had been upwards of 500 eyewitnesses who saw the resurrected Jesus and that most of them were still alive when Paul was writing. (1 Corinthians 15:6) On or two witnesses might be easy to dismiss, but who could refute the testimony of 500 witnesses? 

*Credible witnesses. Jesus' early disciples -who were in a unique position  to know what really happened-boldly proclaimed that Jesus was resurrected. (Acts 2:29-32; 3:13-15) In fact, they viewed belief in his resurrection as essential to the Christian faith. ( 1 Corinthians 15:12-19) Those disciples were willing  to die rather than renounce their faith in Jesus.  (Acts 7:51-60; 12:1, 2) Do you know anyone who would knowingly and willingly die for a lie? 

We have considered the Bible's answers to six key questions about Jesus. Those answers clearly tell us who Jesus is. But do the answers really matter? In other words, does it make a difference what you choose to believe about Jesus?  

Next time:Do the Answers Matter?

From the Watchtower magazine, 2012