Did the Miraculous Jesus exist?

  So essentially the "fundamental atheists"  scholars have developed a line of attack questioning the historicity of Jesus Christ. First, they move the goal post by assuming that every attack upon the truth or accuracy of scripture and therefore disqualify the gospels as propaganda. Then they move that every secular historian that mentioned Jesus was fooled by propaganda and assumed the fact because they were removed from the timing of the event.  There has been yet to be found within the life time of Christ a secular historian contemporary to Christ recording his existence. So they argue that either he did not exist or he was not miraculous.


    Here is a video playlist which debunks the common attack which is to assert that over a hundred historians of the period made no mention of christ.  In reality most of them were works which are lost or not in the time period or not on topic or not in Israel.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLapIcULLvvecE1gF7Fs-GDDwZVNZ5r4jN
   Typically the heads of this type of skepticism have a religious doctrine against miracle in favor of a naturalistic worldview.  It is seemingly impossible to have miracles occur no matter what the miracle is! For instance here is a recent a account of a miraculous resurrection.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/28/us/dead-man-comes-back-life/index.html
    Now obviously this is not on the level Christ raising from the dead.  However it is a story from a reputable(except for politics! lol) news agency and yet somehow raisng from the dead out of a body bag was simply in and out of the news cycle.  This is a case in point how people can only hear what they want to hear.
     If you have problems reconciling science and the scriptures I have a collection of article from which ou may peruse and study.  http://biblesmack.blogspot.com/2015/11/bhs-biblical-historical-science-links.html




Destruction of records at the Temple in 70 AD.
  fire:
"Overlooking the Temple compound, the fortress provided a perfect point from which to attack the Temple itself. Battering rams made little progress, but the fighting itself eventually set the walls on fire; a Roman soldier threw a burning stick onto one of the Temple's walls. Destroying the Temple was not among Titus' goals, possibly due in large part to the massive expansions done by Herod the Great mere decades earlier. Titus had wanted to seize it and transform it into a temple dedicated to the Roman Emperor and the Roman pantheon. The fire spread quickly and was soon out of control. The Temple was captured and destroyed on 9/10 Tisha B'Av, at the end of August, and the flames spread into the residential sections of the city.^[5][7] Josephus described the scene:

As the legions charged in, neither persuasion nor threat could check their impetuosity: passion alone was in command. Crowded together around the entrances many were trampled by their friends, many fell among the still hot and smoking ruins of the colonnades and died as miserably as the defeated. As they neared the Sanctuary they pretended not even to hear Caesar's commands and urged the men in front to throw in more firebrands. The partisans were no longer in a position to help; everywhere was slaughter and flight. Most of the victims were peaceful citizens, weak and unarmed, butchered wherever they were caught. Round the Altar the heaps of corpses grew higher and higher, while down the Sanctuary steps poured a river of blood and the bodies of those killed at the top slithered to the bottom.^[9]" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Jerusalem_(AD_70)#cite_note-Sch.C3.A4fer1-9

     Now obviously Josephus kept the major records which coincidentally included Jesus, John the Baptist and James. But the contemporaries at the time if Christ would have easily been burnt with the temple. And there were other occasions for the destruction of such records.

 "The dispersion of the Jewish people is traditionally dated from the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE, an event considered by the Romans to be a victory of such significance that they commemorated it by erecting the triumphal Arch of Titus, which still dominates the Roman Forum. The Roman historian Cassius Dio records that in a subsequent revolt in 135 CE some 580,000 Jewish soldiers were killed; and following that revolt the Emperor Hadrian decreed that the name "Judea"² should be replaced by "Syria Palestina" - Philistine Syria or "Palestine"³."http://www.ijs.org.au/Historical-Background/default.aspx

Contenders
Acts 5:³⁴ Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space; ³⁵ and said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men. ³⁶ For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought. ³⁷ After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed. ³⁸ And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: ³⁹ but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God. ⁴⁰ And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go."
There were several jewish "messiahs" in the time of Jesus. Wikipedia also mentions:
Simon of Peraea (c. Unknown – 4 BCE), a former slave of Herod the Great who rebelled and was killed by the Romans

Athronges (c. 3 CE),^[11] a shepherd turned rebel leader.

Simon bar Kokhba (died c. 135), founded a short-lived Jewish state before being defeated in the Second Jewish-Roman War.

Simon Magus (early 1st century), was a Samaritan, and a native of Gitta; he was considered a god in Simonianism; he "darkly hinted" that he himself was Christ, calling himself the Standing One.

Dositheos the Samaritan (mid 1st century), was one of the supposed founders of Mandaeanism. After the time of Jesus he wished to persuade the Samaritans that he himself was the Messiah prophesied by Moses.^[24] Dositheus pretended to be the Christ (Messiah), applying Deuteronomy 18:15 to himself, and he compares him with Theudas and Judas the Galilean.^[24][25]

     Among these contenders, supposing that Christ were a myth or at least corrupted by mythology, you wonder why the followers of these men never claimed their messiahs to be resurrected.  Look how successful the Christians were! If the Christian church could pull off the hoax then why couldn't they?

British visit?

"Precisely how or when the first Christian community in Britain received its start is impossible to tell. A heroic missionary story of the spread of the Gospel to this northwestern limit of the Roman Empire has been lost beyond recovery.  Quite naturally,  later centuries witnessed the growth if a number of legends explaining the appearance of the first christians, the most beautiful being the charming medieval tale of Joseph of Arimathea and his companions,  The famous glastonbury thorn tree, miraculously springing from Joseph's staff, supposedly mark's the spot where his company ended their journey to the Holy Land.  However fanciful the legend may be, it does bear witness to the antiquity of a christian settlement at Glastenbury.  Here in the Southwestern part of England were perhaps the first witnesses to the faith of Jesus Christ.  By 200AD there is clear evidence of a community of Christians in Britain, as yet neither large nor strong; but nonetheless as later events reveal, firmly rooted among the people."Powel Mills Dawley ch.3"Christianity in England" page 93 Chapters in Church History
   Even the notoriously ecumenical historian Powell Mills Dawley has to admit that the only given origin of the ancient British church is involving Joseph of Arimathea. Thoough he does not openly, the facts of his statement point this out.
  Now in stating this, it must be clear that the claim si that Joseph of Arimathea was said to be a missionary in England, though not the first bishop a position which would be held by Aristobulos. A missionary evangelizes and starts a church while a bishop Pastors a church.

 
"It is widely thought that the Church in England was founded by St Augustine, sent here in AD 597 on a mission by Pope Gregory. Nothing could be further from the truth! After being in this land for just under three years, he sent a letter back to Gregory, in which the following words appear: –“In the Western confines of Britain, there is a certain royal island of large extent, surrounded by water, abounding in all the beauties of nature and necessities of life. In it the first neophytes of catholic law, God beforehand acquainting them, found a church constructed by no human art, but by the hands of Christ Himself, for the salvation of His people.” http://prophetictelegraph.co.uk/76-amazing-historical-evidence/ [this is referring to Augustine of cantebury. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Canterbury]

joseph of Arimathea)

Matthew 27:55-58Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)
⁵⁵ And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him: ⁵⁶ among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s children.
⁵⁷ When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathæa, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple: ⁵⁸ he went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.
Mark 15:⁴⁰ There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome; ⁴¹ (who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him;) and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem.
⁴² And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, ⁴³ Joseph of Arimathæa, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus. ⁴⁴ And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead. ⁴⁵ And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph. ⁴⁶ And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre. ⁴⁷ And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid."
Luke 23: ⁴⁷ Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man. ⁴⁸ And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned. ⁴⁹ And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.
⁵⁰ And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just: ⁵¹ (the same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathæa, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God. ⁵² This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. ⁵³ And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid. ⁵⁴ And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. ⁵⁵ And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. ⁵⁶ And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.
john 19:
³⁸ And after this Joseph of Arimathæa, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. ³⁹ And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. ⁴⁰ Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. ⁴¹ Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. ⁴² There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews’ preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand."

   So the first observation of these gospel records is that Joseph emerged with Jesus women disciples from Galilee, Jesus hometown.  Bible commentator Mtthew Henry notes that mary the mother of james the less
"was the wife of cleophas or alpheus sister to the virgin Mary" Matthew Henry's commentary(one volume) pg. 1405
He is notorious as a rich man. Typically, interpreters assumed that Joseph was a member of the jerusalem San Hedron.citing as proof Paul's account.
Acts 13: ²⁷ For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him. ²⁸ And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain. ²⁹ And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre. ³⁰ But God raised him from the dead:"
   If we isolate the account that would give the impression. But we see 2 parties "rulers" and those that dwell at Jerusalem. John writes his account later and reveals Joseph to be a secret disciple so this information was likely hidden from Paul. and we are told of another party, Nicodemas. And If we take a second look at Joseph we start to see more than meets the eye.
  Joseph's high social standing allowed him to approach Pilate at  a time when he was busy and in the middle of a large public spectacle.  Also, we must ask how it is that joseph acquired his wealth.
  As in most societies, Joseph would have needed to be related to Jesus in order to have any right to his remains.
The "honourable counsellor" title in the greek is mentioned by A.T. Robertson"A councillor of honourable estate (euschmwn bouleuth). A senator or member of the Sanhedrin of high standing, rich ( Matthew 27:57 )".http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/robertsons-word-pictures/mark/mark-15-43.html
 Joseph seems possibly to be of high standing but could also be more associated with Pilate as a senator.
 The sepulcher was Joseph's and was new and thus the implication is that Joseph was responsible for cutting out the rock.  It is quite an undertaking for this man to hewn out a rock like that. But if he were an experienced minor he would have the tools and skills to accomplish the task.



All across Cornwall they have ancient engravings of a boy on a cross.  Could these be memorials to a visit from a young Christ?

John 1:
³¹ And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. ³² And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. ³³ And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. ³⁴ And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God."
      Something we must keep in mind regarding Jesus is that there is a missing gap of time from his boyhood experience teaching at the temple and His next sighting at 30 years of age getting baptized. Now when we couple this with the fact that John his cousin does not even recognize him, it implies that Jesus must have been gone during this time. After all the gospel writers have no material on him and they were all in Israel, it would make perfect sense that he took a a leave of absence.

"A Jew who undertook the burial of Jesus and whom later legend connected with the Holy Grail.and Glastonbury"
"The oldest tradition in the New Testament describes him as bouleutos ("member of the council") Mark xv,43; cf. Luke xxiii, 50-53) a word suggesting membership in the town council in Jerusalem, not of the San Hedron whose members voted unanimously for Jesus to be put to death. In any case he held high office and according to Matthew xxvii: 57-58 was a rich man who persuaded Pontus Pilate to deliver the body of Jesus into his hands."
"In the Apocryphal Gospel of Peter(2nd century, he is a friend of Jesus and of Pilate."
"A mid 13th-cenutry interpolation.in De antiquitate Glastoniensis ecclesiae by William of Malmsbury relates that Joseph went to Glastonbury in England as head of 12 missionaries sent thither by the apostle Phillip."
Encyclopedia Britannica Joseph, saint
"William of Malmsbury, who was fully aware of Glastenbury records and traditions as they were known in 1135, "....
"The earliest mention of the medieval legend that St, Joseph of Arimathea came to Glastonbury is in the mid 13thcentury addition to William Malmsbury's book"
Encyclopedia britannica Glastonbury
    TARSHISH TIN
http://www.prophetictelegraph.co.uk/77-the-tin-islands/#more-2312

Of that part of Europe nearest to the west, I am not able to speak with decision. I by no means believe that the barbarians give the name of Eridanus to a river which empties itself into the Northern Sea; whence, it is said, our amber comes. Neither am I better acquainted with the islands called the Cassiterides, from which we are said to have our tin. The name Eridanus is certainly not barbarous; it is of Greek derivation, and, as I should conceive, introduced by one of our poets. I have endeavoured, but without success, to meet with someone who, from ocular observation, might describe to me the sea which lies in that part of Europe. It is nevertheless certain that both our tin and our amber are brought from those extreme regions.”HERODOTUS

The reason for Herodotus’s assertion was simply that Cornwall had almost the world monopoly of tin production, and archaeological evidences show clearly that the Tin Islands were exporting the metal as early as 1500 BC. Biblical “ships of Tarshish” (a name given to ocean-going vessels, and used in the same way that Victorians spoke of “East-India-Men”) operating mainly from the Phoenician port of Tyre were the main agents in transporting this valuable metal to different parts of the world.
Using modern equipment, capable of determining very precisely the isotopic content of different metals, it has been shown that lead used in drainpipes in the area of Solomon’s Temple came from the Mendip Hills in Somerset. This type of analysis is made possible because lead samples from different locations contain varying amounts of the isotopes of lead, resulting from the decay of radioactive materials. Similarly with tin, the Temple was adorned with plenty of bronze, and this alloy was made by adding tin to copper in the smelting. The presence of tin causes copper to become much harder and less easily tarnished. It was British tin that was used by Solomon, and the date was about 1000 BC. Sir Edward Creasy, (1812 – 1878) the English barrister, professor, and historian, said in one of his books, as a result of his research,

“The British mines mainly supplied the glorious adornment of Solomon’s Temple.”

Concerning the port of Tyre, and the evident wealth of the Phoenicians as traders, we can refer to the prophet Ezekiel, writing in about 600 B.C.

“Tarshish was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of all kinds of riches; with silver, iron, tin, and lead, they traded in thy fairs.” (Ezekiel 27:12)

  It is obvious That Israel at least through the Phoenicians of Tyre had a long standing trade relationship with Britain.






 And did those feet in ancient time,
Walk upon Englands^[b] mountains green:
And was the holy Lamb of God,
On Englands pleasant pastures seen!

And did the Countenance Divine,
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here,
Among these dark Satanic Mills?

Bring me my Bow of burning gold;
Bring me my Arrows of desire:
Bring me my Spear: O clouds unfold!
Bring me my Chariot of fire!

I will not cease from Mental Fight,
Nor shall my Sword sleep in my hand:
Till we have built Jerusalem,
In Englands green & pleasant Land.
By William Blake


I have yet to find this in manuscript form but this video by Malcolm bowden provides extensive research for the reader, so please view.
https://youtu.be/B08LI3eymOk
Historian Dennis Price also became convinced of the historicity of Christ in Britain.
https://youtu.be/erd2NIrzW4k
  My case to make here is that if it can be proven that Joseph of Arimathea did indeed take Jesus on a trip to Ancient England during his boy hood then it would explain why there was no mention by his contemporaries in Israel most of his life.
We know the following:
A. There exist an ancient Church in Glastonbury that was prior to the roman catholic Church.
B. We know there is folklore describing Joseph of Arimathea as the missionary of the Glastonbury Church.
C.  We know there are traditions of Joseph of Arimathea traveling a particular trade route through France to get to this destination and the folklore of the French is in Accord with this frame.
D. The Bible does not speak to Joseph being a tin man nor does it say Jesus went to Britain.
E. These assertions however are plausible due to Jews doing business with Tarshish over tin through Phoenicia since the time of construction of Solomon's Temple. Jesus having missing years where Joseph, his father, apparently past away, a tradition of Joseph of Arimathea being the great uncle enabling Joseph the roman legal right to ask Pilate for the body of Christ.  Thus Joseph taking custody of the young man on a trip to Britain(Cornwall) where he had been doing business in Tin.  Joseph later escaping persecution and starting the church in Glastonbury.
F.  We have scientific confirmation of this tale in 3 areas.  The Glastonbury tree is a Palestinian breed.  Tin in the temple is British tin.  Glastonbury was no longer an island but the tale predicts the high tide that allowed Joseph to sail their which is confirmed by archaeologists.
G. Marlsbury had access to the Glastonbury records that have since been destroyed and he was on record speaking of Joseph of Arimathea there.
H.  Joseph of Arimathea though important is such a minor character in the NT Story why pick him as the legendary founder of the church and why make him a tin man?
I. All along the countryside in Southwest England(Cornwall) are ancient monuments to a boy on the cross metaphorical of a young Jesus who accompanied Joseph on his journey and was the later subject of his mission.

Eusebius/tertullian
"The fame of our Lord's remarkable resurrection and ascension being  now spread abroad, according to an ancient custom prevalent among the rlers among the nations to communicate novel occurrences to the emperor that nothing might escape him, Pontius Pilate transmitted to Tiberius an account of the circumstances concerning the resurrection of our Lord from the dead, the report of which had already spread throughout all Palestine. 2 In this account,he also intimated that he ascertained other miracles respecting him and having now risen from the dead, he was believed to be a God by the great mass of the people.
Tiberius referred the matter to the Senate, but it is said they rejected the  proposition in appearance because they had not examined the subject first, according to an ancient law among the Romans, that no one would be ranked among the gods unless by a vote and decree of the Senate ; in reality however, the salutary doctrine of the gospel needs no confirmation and cooperation among men."
"This si the testimony of tertullian a man who made himself accurately acquainted with the laws of the romans, and besides his emminence in other respects, was particulary distinguished among  the eminent men of Rome."
book 2 chapter 2 sect. 1-2,4 pg.37-38
  This account is fantastic, it is what you would expect of the reports of the Messiah rising from the dead.  But the skeptics will likely be doubtfull because they presuppose the naturalistic worldview and do not desire any miracle like a resurrection occurring. 


Celsus
Margaret Y. MacDonald (3 October 1996). Early Christian Women and Pagan Opinion. Cambridge University Press. Retrieved 14 June 2012. Celsus calls Jesus a sorcerer. He argues that the miracles of Jesus are on the same level as: 'the works of sorcerers who profess to do wonderful miracles, and the accomplishments of those who are taught by the Egyptians, who for a few obols make known their sacred lore in the middle of the market-place and drive daemons out of men and blow away diseases and invoke the souls of heroes, displaying expensive banquets and dining tables and cakes and dishes which are non-existent, and who make things move as though they were alive although they are not really so, but only appear as such in the imagination.'
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CelsusCelsus though an enemy of Christianity and close to the time period does not Question Christ existence and even admits to the supernatural reputation.



Talmud
There are several Talmudic passages that are said to be referring to Jesus. The following are among those considered the most controversial, contested, and possibly the most notable.^[50][51][52]

Our rabbis taught Jesus the Nazarene had five disciples, and these are they: Matthai, Naqqai, Netzer, Buni, and Todah.^{[53][54][55][56}

The master said: Jesus the Nazarene practiced magic and deceived and led Israel astray.^{[57][58][59][60]}

"Jesus son of Stada is Jesus son of Pandira?"
Rav Hisda said, "The husband was Stada and the lover was Pandera."
"But was not the husband Pappos son of Yehuda and the mother Stada?"
No, his mother was Miriam, who let her hair grow long and was called Stada. Pumbedita says about her: "She was unfaithful to her husband."^{[61][62][63][64]}

On (Sabbath eve and) the eve of Passover, Jesus the Nazarene was hanged and a herald went forth before him forty days heralding, "Jesus the Nazarene is going forth to be stoned because he practiced sorcery and instigated and seduced Israel to idolatry. Whoever knows anything in defense may come and state it." But since they did not find anything in his defense they hanged him on (Sabbath eve and) the eve of Passover.
Ulla said: "Do you suppose that Jesus the Nazarene was one for whom a defense could be made? He was a mesit (someone who instigated Israel to idolatry), concerning whom the Merciful [God] says: Show him no compassion and do not shield him (Deut. 13:9). With Jesus the Nazarene it was different. For he was close to the government.^{[54][65][66][67]}

Specific references

Sanhedrin 43a^[68] relates the trial and execution of a sorcerer named Jesus (Yeshu in Hebrew) and his five disciples. The sorcerer is stoned and hanged on the Eve of Passover.^[69]
Sanhedrin 107^[70] tells of a Jesus ("Yeshu") "offended his teacher by paying too much attention to the inn-keeper's wife. Jesus wished to be forgiven, but [his rabbi] was too slow to forgive him, and Jesus in despair went away and put up a brick [idol] and worshipped it."^[71]
In Gittin 56b, 57a^[72] a story is mentioned in which Onkelos summons up the spirit of a Yeshu who sought to harm Israel. He describes his punishment in the afterlife as boiling in excrement.^[73][74]
Some scholars claim that the Hebrew name Yeshu is not a short form of the name Yeshua, but rather an acrostic for the Hebrew phrase "may his name and memory be blotted out" created by taking the first letter of the Hebrew words.^[75]
In addition, at the 1240 Disputation of Paris, Donin presented the allegation that the Talmud was blasphemous towards Mary, the mother of Jesus (Miriam in Hebrew), and this criticism has been repeated by many Christian sources.^[76] The texts cited by critics include Sanhedrin 67a,^[77] Sanhedrin 106a,^[78] and Shabbath 104b.^[79] However, the references to Mary are not specific, and some assert that they do not refer to Jesus' mother, or perhaps refer to Mary Magdalen.^[80]
   In the Talmud's blasphemies of Christ they unwittingly give testimony of his existence.  Some of the Talmud dates before christ and they should have known if he was a myth.

Josephus

on James and John the baptist
"[18.115] So Herod wrote about these affairs to the emperor Tiberius, who became very angry at the attempt made by Aretas, and wrote to Lucius Vitellius, the governor of Syria, to make war upon him, and either to take him alive and bring him to him in bonds, or to kill him and send him his head. This was the charge that Tiberius gave to the governor of Syria. 
[18.116] Now some of the Jews thought that the destruction of Herod's army came from God as a just punishment of what Herod had done against John, who was called the Baptist.
[18.117] For Herod had killed this good man, who had commanded the Jews to exercise virtue, righteousness towards one another and piety towards God. For only thus, in John's opinion, would the baptism he administered be acceptable to God, namely, if they used it to obtain not pardon for some sins but rather the cleansing of their bodies, inasmuch as it was taken for granted that their souls had already been purified by justice."http://www.livius.org/sources/content/josephus-on-john-the-baptist/
  Josephus affirms the existence of John the baptist who played the key role in affirming that Jesus was the Son of God.

"Festus was now dead, and albinus was but upon the road; so he assembled the San hedron of judges and brought before them the brother of Jesus who was called christ, whose name was james, and some others [or some of his companions] and when he had formed an accusation against them as breakers of the law, he delivered them to be stoned."
423 chapter IX section 1
One common objection is why would Josephus give Jesus the title of Christ if he were not a christian?

Jesus son of damneus  424 chapter IX  section 1
Jesus son of Gameliel 424 Chapter IX section 4
   Because Jesus was a common name in that era. in the very same section josephus references one and then another high priest named Jesus.  So obvious Josephus is identifying him as Christ because this identifies him.

pg. 379  book 18 chapter 3 section 3
"Now, there was  about this time, Jesus a wise man, for he was a doer of wonderful works,-a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure.  he drew over to him both many of the jews and many of the gentiles. he was [the] Christ and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principle men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those who loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared alive to them on the third day, as the divine prophets had foretod these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named after him are not extinct at this day."
  Now we have no manuscripts of Josephus without this endearing testimony of Christ. Typically the argument is that Josephus would never say this because he was not a christian.   But that is presumptuous.  There was not a strict split of Talmudic Jews and Christians like we have today.  Accepting that Jesus is the messiah is not the only essential doctrine in Christianity.  Perhaps Josephus accepted Jesus as Christ without accepting "Pauline Christianity".
On top of this if Josephus found miraculous evidence of Christ as we see in the gospels why would he not he not come to this conclusion?

Tacitus

"But all human efforts, all the lavish gifts of the emperor, and the propitiations of the gods did not banish the sinister belief that the conflagration was the result of an order. Consequently to get rid of that report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace.  Christus from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment.again broke out not only in Judaea, the source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the World find their center and become popular. Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind.  Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths.  Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination when daylight had expired.
  Nero offered his Gardens for the spectacle, and was exhibiting a show in the circus, while he mingled with the people in the dress of a charioteer or stood aloft on a car.  Hence even for the criminals, who deserve extreme and exemplary punishment, there arose a feeling of compassion; as it seemed, for the public good, but to glut one man's cruelty, that they were being destroyed."
The annals book 15. 44   Great books 14 pg. 168

"Most writers, however, agree in stating that once a disease, which horribly disfigured the body, broke out over Egypt: that king bocchoris, seeking a remedy, consulted the oracle of Hammon, and was bidden to clense his realm, and to convey into some foreign land this race detested by the gods.  The people, who had been collected after diligent search, finding themselves left in a desert. sat for the most part in a stupor of grief, till one of the exiles, Moyses by name, warned them not to look for any relief from God or man, foresaken as they were of both, but to trust to themselves, taking for their heaven sent-leader that man who should first help them to be quit of their present misery."
Tacitus, The histories  book 5: 3 Great Books pg.. 295

Notice that Tacitus misspells Moses' name and also has a bigoted interpretation of the Jews.  It is no wonder that he would also be bigoted against Jesus Christ and Christians.


The Gospels"The roman historian Tacitus, writing in the Second century concerning events half a century earlier, is considered a first-rate historical source for the period despite the fact that the oldest manuscript copy of his work which remains dates from a full millenium after he wrote, and that we propose only twenty good manuscripts in all!  In like manner, a full thousand years separates the writings of Caesar's Gallic Wars and the date of the oldest manuscript we now have.  Aristotle wrote his Poetics three and a half centuries B.C.  and the oldest manuscript dates from the eleventh century A.D. a full fourteen hundred years later!  The same is true of the Greek historian Thucydides of whose work the oldest manuscript was copied thirteen hundred years after his death. In every single case cited, critical scholars do not think of dismissing evidence because the original manuscripts have not survived.  Each of the writers is considered an A-1 historical source."  pg. 77-78  Clark Pinnock "Set Forth your Case"
  Here Dr. Clark Pinnock illustrates the double standard of the text critics. Having copies of material from even thousands of years ago is not questioned as to assume a conspiracy.  The truth is that Scripture is critiqued by standards never placed upon an ancient record.

"How do we know about Jesus?  What are our sources what are they like, and how do we use them?  For most of the christian centuries, the answers to these questions seemed obvious.  Our sources?  The New Testament as a whole, and the four gospels in particular.  What are they like?  The gospels were seen as historical narratives reporting what Jesus said and did, based on eye-witness testimony. how do we use them?  By collecting together what they say about Jesus and combining them into.  a whole.  Importantly it did not require faith to see the gospels in this way.  There was as yet no reason to think otherwise."  Marcus Borg
"The meaning of Jesus two visions"Ch.1 pg 3 {NT Wright co author}
   Marcus Borg is a classic liberal he even participated in the infamous "Jesus Seminar" doubting most of the Authenticity of the gospels.  So this quote appears shocking.  But what he is admitting is that until the innovations of modernism, the gospels were understood as factual.  This is very important.  Can the facts of history simply be altered?
Textual criticism ulterior motive.
"The higher criticism of an awakened critical faculty to a particular kind of material, and was encouraged by the achievement of the faculty to form it's bold conclusions.  If the biologist, the geologist, the astronomers, the anthropologist had not been at work, I venture to say that the higher critics would have been either non-existent or a tiny minority in a world of fundamentalist." F.M. Powicke Modern Historians and the study of history


"What is more, we can not settle in advance the question of how much if any, of the gospel material belongs to a period later than that of Jesus himself.  We cannot, that is assume, ahead of the reconstruction, that quite a lot of the gospel material was invented by the early church and then argue implicitly from that assumption that anyone who comes up with a historical proposal about Jesus which gets in most of the data cannot be considered a serious historian.  This is precisely the sort of move, a kind of hedge around the critical Torah, made by paradigms under threat to protect themselves from the possibility of immanent shift.  Of course the early church used and shaped the gospel stories for their own ends.  But of course we do not know, ahead of time, whether they invented any stories wholesale and, if so, which bits are which bits are which. Only if we propose a view of Jesus - if, in other words, we secretly decide the question before we start- could we know that.  This, of course, is often done, particularly by those still wedded to an older liberal picture of "Jesus the teacher" who ( unlike several leaders of the first century Jewish movements) would be shocked to think of himself as, for instance, the messiah.  I do not know, in advance, more specifically, that a considerable gulf exist between Jesus as he was (the "pre-Easter Jesus," in Marcus's language) and Jesus as church came to know him and speak of him (the "post-Easter Jesus").  We might eventually wish to reach some conclusion; we can not build it into our historical method." N.T. Wright
"The meaning of Jesus two visions"Ch.2 pg.23-24 

  Here N.T. Wright gives the appeal that in a proper historical method we should not promote apriori a conspiracy theory about the gospels before we give a historical assessment of the facts.This is done as a protectionism of the dominant liberal ideology.
I notice two logical fallacies upon which liberal orthodoxy is founded upon.  First, they "beg the question" Pushing their conspiracy as true without historical evidence of the conspiracy nor of the conspirators.  Secondly they promote "the genetic fallacy" denying alternative opinions especially those of a christian ideology in explaining their own traditional origins. When you consider the "Jesus never existed movement, you have a conspiracy (jesus never existed) based upon a conspiracy (the New Testament is a forgery) in accord with another conspiracy (The Jews invented the Old Testament) promoted by conspirators (the early church).


Matthew.  The first gospel writer Matthew also known as Levi also worked as a tax collector/publican.  As such Matthew was disliked by his country men and yet had the ability to collect a smal fortune from the people much like the character Zacheus. Yes he turned down the lucrative career at the simple call of Jesus.  As a publican,  he kept records and was already recognized by the Romans to be caable of keeping records and to witness history for the Roman Government. So when Matthew wrote his gospel, he was a respectable source for writing the history.

Mark is simply the secretary for the apostle Peter who knew Christ on an a more intimate level as we see in John.  This gospel is an assimilation of the sermons of Peter.  If the gospels were a fraud why would Mark waste his resources on the expensive task of writing, on the imagination an illiterate fisherman?
Peter's account has to be based on his eye witness accounts because he was not a scholar.  So anything that matches the times and dates, authenticates factuality of the narrative.

Luke is a doctor, well educated. He is a Greek and had no motivation to join in with a Hebrew messianic sect. Yet he carefully gathers his material from multiple sources including Mary the mother of Christ.  Luke also gives careful forensic information vital to understanding Christ crucifxion.

Paul
Galatians 1: ³ grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁴ who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: ⁵ to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Corinthians 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; ² by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. ³ For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; ⁴ and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:"

Paul's earliest doctrines are concerning christ in his atonement and resurrection.

⁶ after that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep."
  Why would Paul mention that some had fallen asleep?
Because the church of Corinth could hold him to accountability.

  James 1Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

¹² Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him
2 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
⁸ If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:


4:¹⁰ Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

5^{:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. 9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. 10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience10} Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. ¹¹ Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
¹⁴ Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord
    The Lord Jesus early rebuked his family implying that they were not believing in him.
^{Matt 12:46} While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. ⁴⁷ Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. ⁴⁸ But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? ⁴⁹ And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! ⁵⁰ For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother."
It is obvious the James had a change of heart and a resurrection could surely do the trick.


    Fundamental Atheists have repeated the quote extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence.  Jesus existing is not an extraordinary claim!!!
  The idea that Jesus did exist only needs a human named Jesus who existed at the time. But apparently the implications of Christ existence has such offensive implications that in order to maintain their stance they must reject Christ altogether as real.
The claim is that there was no contemporary witness to Christ within his lifetime. Thus a myth was made of Christ.
As I cited why we do not have early secular witnesses because of the destruction of the temple and other persecution.
The foil to this charge however is the British account of Joseph of Arimathea.
Not only is their folklore of Christ in a visitation at a very plausible period of his life. But we have historical witness to the very key witness of the resurrection the owner of Jesus' tomb.
Glastenbury is an outside witness. It is an observation authenticating the fact of Christ.it does not need to say very much because once it has said this much then the other witnesses are admitted in their recording.
So then we have the hatred of Tacitus unwittingly admitting the fact of Christ, even with as much blasphemy as he could muster he exonerates the Christians of Nero's crime  and testifies to the speed and astonishment which this belief has gained. if there he was a not a resurrected Supernatural being then why would his message been so interesting? People are ready to die for a regular man from an unpopular foreign religion?
Josephus accounts of christ are detailed and proper.  They only seem sensational if one is dogmatic against the supernatural and against the gospels.  The Gospels portray a miraculous christ and if they are historical Josephus admonitions seem quite tame.
   Tertullian has the expertise as a Lawyer to have gathered the information he provided, but during a time of Christian genocide he certainly would not get away with lying to the Romans especially about facts which they could easily check in their records.
Celsus and the jews who hated him called him a sorceror.  But this only gives evidence to his reputation for miracles/
Most importantly the Jews never denied His existence and they admitted that the body was missing.
So now we have a man with a miraculous reputation

So what does this do?
It brings us out of the Jesus non-existence conspiracy!
The Jesus non-existence conspiracy is the historical version of the scientific issue of the flat earth conspiracy.  If there is one historical fact that is fundamentally accepted in history it is the existence of Jesus.
How can I claim that? I am claiming that in the year of our Lord 2017!!! (A.D.)
Our calendar system is based upon Jesus record BC before Christ.  Just as much as all of Western society has taught scientifically that the earth is round it has taught that Jesus existence is a historical Fact.  The whole switch to "Common Era" is nothing more than a bigoted slanderous lie! Because nothing historical is more common in the 1st century and less common in the previous centuries.

  Now that we have established the fact of Jesus Christ we must now admit the evidence of those close to Christ in the gospels and the Jesus deniers must face up to the Juggernaut of Evidence in the Gospels.
The Jesus denial movement was pushing an argument from silence with the genetic fallacy. Just because they do not like the gospel message does not mean that they have the right to deny the facts.
1. Cosmic signs at his birth and his death.
A.  The star of bethlehem interpretted by the chinese Astrologers as a nova.
http://www.asa3.org/ASA/topics/Astronomy-Cosmology/S&CB%2010-93Humphreys.html
B.  A dark sky in broad daylight interpretted by Africanus as a solar eclipse
"" Julius Africanus, writing circa A.D. 221, states concerning the darkness at the time of the crucifixion of Jesus, 'Thallus, in the 3rd book of his histories, explains away this darkness as an eclipse of the sun_ unreasonably, as it seems to me.' Africanus was correct on objecting to Thallus.  A solar eclipse cannot take place at the time of a full moon, 'and it was at the season of the Paschal full moon that Christ died.'"  Josh Mcdowell He walked among us: Evidence for the Historical Jesus pg. 35   Julius Africanus,Chronography 18, 1.

2, Jesus has a genealogical record for both sides of his family going back to Abraham as well as David and one genealogy for Noah and Adam.

3. We have found archaeological records for the rulers Herod and Pontus Pilate and the High Priest Caiphus and John the Baptist and several other key players.

4. We have several hundred prophecies that are fulfilled in jesus Christ.
Let's at a couple of these prophecies.

from bethlehem
^{Micah 5:2} But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah,
though thou be little among the thousands of Judah,
yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel;
whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

coming out of Egypt
Numbers 24:8a "⁸ God brought him forth out of Egypt;" Hosea 11:1
Jesus was moved to Egypt as a refugee with his family as a toddler and then came back.

Has a messenger
Malachi 3:1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts."
   John the Baptist was not familiar with Christ though they were related. How could he have submitted to him?

Teaches on a mountain
Isaiah 2:² And it shall come to pass in the last days,
that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established
in the top of the mountains,
and shall be exalted above the hills;
and all nations shall flow unto it.
³ And many people shall go and say,
Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
and he will teach us of his ways,
and we will walk in his paths:
for out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

Israel betrays him
Zechariah 11: ¹² And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. ¹³ And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord.  
zechariah 12:¹⁰ And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

4.  Christ is prophesied to be divine which explains the source of miraculous accounts.
Isaiah 9:⁶ For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:

and the government shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,
The mighty God,
The everlasting Father,
The Prince of Peace."

Psalms 2:
⁷ I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me,
Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
Isaiah 53:

53 Who hath believed our report?
and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
² For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant,
and as a root out of a dry ground:
he hath no form nor comeliness;
and when we shall see him,
there is no beauty that we should desire him.
³ He is despised and rejected of men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:
and we hid as it were our faces from him;
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

⁴ Surely he hath borne our griefs,
and carried our sorrows:
yet we did esteem him stricken,
smitten of God, and afflicted.
⁵ But he was wounded for our transgressions,
he was bruised for our iniquities:
the chastisement of our peace was upon him;
and with his stripes we are healed.
⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned every one to his own way;
and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
⁷ He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth:
he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb,
so he openeth not his mouth.
⁸ He was taken from prison and from judgment:
and who shall declare his generation?
for he was cut off out of the land of the living:
for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
⁹ And he made his grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death;
because he had done no violence,
neither was any deceit in his mouth.

¹⁰ Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him;
he hath put him to grief:
when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin,
he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days,
and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
¹¹ He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied:
by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many;
for he shall bear their iniquities.
¹² Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong;
because he hath poured out his soul unto death:
and he was numbered with the transgressors;
and he bare the sin of many,

and made intercession for the transgressors."
   Jewish commentators have in the past invoked King Cyrus of Persia, yet he was far from a suffering servant placed to be a sacrificial offering.  Others have argued that nation of Israel, but this is illogical, Israel consist of the Israeli people who clearly are the ones in sin. Plus the servant is singular.  How is Israel with the rich in his death?
Is the servant the messiah? compare it with  passage...
 

Isaiah 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth;
I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
² He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
³ A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench:
he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. ⁴ He shall not fail nor be discouraged,
till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

⁵ Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out;
he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it;
he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:
⁶ I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee,
and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; ⁷ to open the blind eyes,
to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
⁸ I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. ⁹ Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them."
   It is self evident that the previous usage of "the servant" was in reference to the messiah.

Was he Lord? Liar or Lunatic?

If Jesus were a liar why did he consent to being Crucified?
 A liar would have told the san hedron what hey wanted to hear...
Matthew 27:⁵⁷ And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. ⁵⁸ But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest’s palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end. ⁵⁹ Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; ⁶⁰ but found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, ⁶¹ and said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. ⁶² And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? ⁶³ But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. ⁶⁴ Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. ⁶⁵ Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. ⁶⁶ What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.⁶⁷ Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, ⁶⁸ saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?"


If Jesus were a lunatic why was he selfless?
John 13:³ Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; ⁴ he riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. ⁵ After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded⁶ Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? ⁷ Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter."

What about consenting to his crucifixion?  Wouldn't his motives have to be insane?
John 17:¹³ And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. ¹⁴ I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. ¹⁵ I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. ¹⁶ They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. ¹⁷ Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. ¹⁸ As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. ¹⁹ And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
²⁰ Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; ²¹ that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. ²² And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: ²³ I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
²⁴ Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world."

  Assuming that Christ indeed performed miracles and fulfilled Bible Prophesy there is no stretch of sanity.  What's more he has a specific purpose in death as opposed to wanting people to pity him

Let's look at the Apostles...Peter

Mark 14:⁶⁶ And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest: ⁶⁷ and when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth. ⁶⁸ But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew. ⁶⁹ And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them. ⁷⁰ And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilæan, and thy speech agreeth thereto. ⁷¹ But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak. ⁷² And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept."
Mark based his gospel off of Peter's Sermon's and this account with Peter cussing is original. Typically when you here a charlatan they will exalt themselves. I recall one preacher who claimed he had not committed a sin in decades. Yet Peter is quite the opposite.  He publicly humiliated himself when he could have gotten away with it. Some scholars argue that Mark wanted to be easy on Peter compred to others.  But obviously Peter won over his pupil to confess this transgression.  Peter had a reputation for zeal for the Lord but he was indeed not the hero he aspired to be.
Is this part of the fisherman's grand conspiracy? Or was he convicted that he met the one and only Son of God and denied him?

As well the apostles came across as fleshly. cowardly and unfaithful to their Lord.  In Glorifying their rabbi these men would have to abase themselves and learn the ways of humility.

In terms of the case of the resurrection we basically have 3 options.
A. Jesus rose from the grave and is who he says he is.
B. Jesus died and the disciples stole Body.
C.  Jesus swooned and revived escaping the tomb,

C. Is eliminated because Jesus kicked and punched, flogged with sticks, given 40 lashes with a "cat-of-9-tails" whip,  had a crown of thorns nailed through his forehead and forced to carry his cross a few miles where he lost most of his consciousness and was nailed to his cross for several hours and when he was determined to be dead they pierced him through the heart with a spear emptying his bodily fluids.  The 40 lashes alone was potentially lethal, the time on the cross was potentially lethal the spear in the hear was definitely lethal, and this is not including his other injuries that morning!  Even if he could have somehow survived that His body is stuffed with a hundred lbs of spices and he bound up like a mummy in a rock solid tomb sealed with a 2 ton rock wrapped by a 2inch chord surrounded by 16 special forces level centurions. Jesus was not swooning and would never escape.

B. Eliminated because the disciples were utterly defeated. The apostles were in hiding and the rest were scattered.  They would not even be hanging with the women.  Judas was in charge of the money so they were essentially broke and could bribe no one.  The eleven left over disciples proved at Jesus' arrest that they were not trained fighters nor men of war. So the chances of killing or even intimidated the Roman centurions the toughest warriors in the empire who outnumbered the eleven by 5 is slim to none.  And there still was the stone to roll away.
But the stone was indeed and is still today rolled away. The guards against legal threat of execution deserted their post unanimously.  The jews never doubted that the body was missing just like they never doubted that jesus existed and was a miracle worker. And no, dogs could not have gotten through the rock either.
Instead we have the testimony of 500 witnesses. Not at a one time event. the most that saw him at one time was 120 when he ascended.
Acts 8:³ As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. ⁴ Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word."
Acts 9:² and desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. "
  Now the church at pentecost started with 3,000 So Paul finding 500 witnesses among the scatterring of this population is quite plausible.
   But the main point is that it is one thing to have  a couple witnesses but 500? dozens of groupings over the period of 40days. Not to mention the fact that Paul would likely acquire these numbers.
   So they clearly saw him after the resurrection and the disciples even ate physical food with him.
So He was alive after the crucifixion.

So he was clearly executed dead and later seen alive. There is no longer any wiggle room. He has been prophesied about, of course he makes his own prophesies and performs several miracles, so it is not illogical for him to also raise from the dead being the fact that he has power from God. The historical observations even outside of scripture confirm him to be supernatural and they confirm astronomical signs at the time of his birth and death.  If he does what it is said he does and he says what he was recorded to say then it is apparent that this is indeed the Almighty son of God the Messiah.
I argue this not as binding faith but as rational fact. Yeah the implications are too obvious and the pressure is often too much for people that have created a world with no rom for God.  To give up their autonomy and humble themselves to the point of confessing themselves as sinners.
Sometimes in order to keep their autonomy and other times to escape their guilty.
But accepting Christ is not about accepting condemnation. Condemnation and guilt is a condition we are already living in.
Romans 1:¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; ¹⁹ because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. ²⁰ For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: ²¹ because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. ²² Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. ²⁴ Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: ²⁵ who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen."
Romans 3:¹² They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. ¹³ Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: ¹⁴ whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: ¹⁵ their feet are swift to shed blood: ¹⁶ destruction and misery are in their ways: ¹⁷ and the way of peace have they not known: ¹⁸ there is no fear of God before their eyes.
psalm 51:⁵ Behold, I was shapen in iniquity;
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Ephesians 2:² wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: ³ among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
John 3:
¹⁹ And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
https://youtu.be/HZZMhsTRf8I

But the purpose of Jesus Christ is not condemnation, it is about our salvation.
1 john 3:⁸ He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.^{john 3:16} For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
matthew 18:¹¹ For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
Romans 5:⁶ For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. ⁸ But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. ¹⁰ For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. ¹¹ And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

https://youtu.be/G-hLSR5F4Y0
Romans 10:⁶ But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) ⁷ or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) ⁸ But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; ⁹ that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. ¹¹ For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. ¹² For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. ¹³ For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Matthew 7:⁷ Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: ⁸ for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. ⁹ Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? ¹¹ If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"
Revelation 22:¹⁷ And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."
John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. ² In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
https://youtu.be/vVcRoZGhTJU?list=PLE09A53A8F0048067
        You will have something better than confidence or pride. You will have assurance from God.
1 john 5: ⁹ If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. ¹⁰ He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. ¹¹ And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ¹² He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

¹³ These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."
1Peter 1:³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, ⁵ who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time
Romans 8:³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. ³⁷ Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. ³⁸ For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

   If you will believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ how his blood paid for your sins and how he defeated death rising from the grave, then call upon the Lord Jesus Christ and ye shall be saved. If you have been saved then it is time to repent of your sins and become a christian.
If you have further questions I will explain the gospel with scripture to you here.
https://youtu.be/6k-LCZE3S6s
And in your new life as a believer you should join a new testament church through baptism.  Here is a series I have taught discipling new christians as you go about this process.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLavY7tWK07pnPZsTSSuzggIzg6DetT2ry
In Christ, Matt