In any study of the Gospel of John, the frequently asked questions seem to focus on Jesus Christ.  John would have wanted it that way.  If you click on a question listed below, you’ll be taken to our answer. If you’ve got a question that isn’t listed here, we encourage you to email us.

How do you explain the contradictions in the Gospels?

Among leaders of religious movements, what makes Jesus so special?

What is the concept of the Trinity?

Was Jesus all-God or all-Man?

Did the Resurrection really happen?

Have any skeptics studied the Resurrection?

How Do You Explain the Contradictions in the Gospels?

As you read the four Gospels, you will find details that seem to contradict each other.  Does this mean the Bible contains contradictions?  Not at all. You can trust the Bible because it is God’s Word.  (Check out Knowing the Bible 101 in this Christianity 101 Series in which we discuss this issue in depth.) God inspired the bible writers to speak for Him (2 Peter 1:21). God cannot lie (Titus 1:2), and neither can He contradict Himself.

So what do you do with apparent contradictions?  Let’s look at an example of something that might throw you off. Matthew wrote about one angel appearing to some women on the morning Jesus rose from the dead (Matthew 28:2-5).  But in Luke’s biography, two angels are mentioned (Luke 24:4). Some people call this a contradiction, but that’s not the case at all. Matthew never said there was only one angel. He just said only one angel spoke. Luke wrote about two angels, which doesn’t contradict Matthew.  The two men are just writing from different perspectives.

In fact, the experts say that the differences in perspective validate the truthfulness of the four Gospels rather than deny it.  If all the Gospels had been identical, then you could make a case that the four eyewitnesses got together ahead of time to coordinate their stories.  “If the gospels were too consistent,” writes one scholar, “that in itself would invalidate them as independent witnesses.”

Among Leaders of Religious Movements, What Makes Jesus So Special?

What is it about Jesus that makes Him such a prominent historical figure?

• It has nothing to do with money or fame, because as an adult He was basically homeless and lived in relative obscurity.
• It is something more than philosophy, because most philosophers are remarkably unknown.
• It isn’t that He died as a martyr, because the graveyards are full of people who died for the sake of a cause.
• And it goes beyond religion, because other religious leaders haven’t attained His prominence.

Something about Jesus has captured the allegiance of people in every generation since His death 2000 years ago.  There was something about Him that makes Him unique.

Jesus Claimed a Divine Distinction

Most of the identifiable aspects of Jesus haven’t made Him unique in history:

• He wore long hair and sandals, but so did the rest of the population of the Middle East in the first century (not to mention college students in the early 1970s).
• He attracted large crowds wherever He went, but so did the Beatles and the Oscar Meyer wiener wagon.
• He did things that seemed to defy the laws of nature, but so did Michael Jordan on the basketball court.
• He has loyal followers who are ridiculed for their “misguided” allegiance, but the same can be said of anyone who uses an Apple computer.

But there is one thing that separates Jesus from the rest of us: He claimed to be God. He didn’t say He was like a god.  He said that He was God.  When referring to God the Father, Jesus said it bluntly:

The Father and I are one (John 10:30).

It is doubtful that Jesus made this bold statement in jest or in a desperate attempt to grab a few headlines in the Galilee Gazette. The Jewish religious leaders considered such a claim as heresy, and they plotted His death because of it:

• So the Jewish leaders tried all the more to kill him.  In addition to disobeying the Sabbath rules, he had spoken of God as his Father, thereby making himself equal with God (John 5:18).

Jesus wasn’t the only one who believed that He was god with the power to forgive sin.  So did John the Baptist:

• The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! There is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).

The belief that Jesus was God is a major theme of the Gospel of John, and of the entire New Testament for that fact. The apostle Paul, who wrote about half the books of the New Testament, summed it up like this:

• For in Christ the fullness of god lives in a human body (Colossians 2:9).

This single distinction – the claim of Jesus to be God – has made Christ one of the central figures in all history.  This “Jesus is God” premise is the foundation of Christianity.  Any investigation of Jesus must begin with this question: Was he God or man?

Don’t you find it interesting that there is no such inquiry about the other founders of major world religions? No one asks the “God or man?” question about Buddha, Confucius or Mohammed.  These men are known primarily for what they taught, and no one doubts that they were mere humans.  (Their decaying corpses are proof of that.) But while Jesus is famous for His teaching, He is even more famous for His claims to be God. In fact, that claim is the central belief of Christianity. If His bones could be found in some grave, then the debate could be easily ended. But the grave was found empty.

What is the concept of the Trinity?

In the Gospel of John, the three parts of the Trinity are identified when Jesus talks about His heavenly Father and tells the disciples that He will send the Holy Spirit to indwell the disciples after Jesus leaves the earth. (See John 14)

The subject of the Trinity involves one of the most important truths in the Bible, but the word Trinity doesn’t ever appear in the Bible. This word, Trinity, and the meaning it conveys, is vital to the concept of the Person of God, and it will influence everything you believe about God.

What is the Trinity? Perhaps a line from a great hymn – “Holy, Holy, Holy . . .” – best defines this awesome word:  “God in three Persons, blessed Trinity.” Essentially, the Trinity describes the three distinct Persons which make up the one true God:

• God the Father
• God the Son (Jesus)
• God the Holy Spirit

When it comes to the Trinity, we can correctly talk about the “tri-personality” of God.  In other words, God has many distinct personality traits (attributes), but He also is three unique Persons, each one with individual personality traits.

Trinity does not mean three gods who exist together to make up god.  That would be tri-theism.  God is one. Deuteronomy 6:4 makes no bone about it:  “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our god, the Lord is One.”

Theologians use the concept of the Trinity in order to help describe the “fullness of the Godhead,” including both God’s unity and diversity. This essentially defines the tri-unity of God.  There is only one God, but within that unity are three eternal and co-equal Persons – all sharing the same essence and substance, but each having a distinct existence.

It is clear that each person in the Godhead is both equal and the same.

• God the Father is God. This is kind of an easy one. God is called “the Father” numerous times. The Gospel of John is full of such references. (See, for example, John 14-17.)
• Jesus the Son is God. Jesus understood who He was, and said so plainly. The Gospel of John records an incident in which some jews in Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and asked him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”  Here’s what Jesus said in reply:  “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30).  And throughout the New Testament, Jesus is described as having qualities only God can possess: He is eternal (John 17:5); He is omniscient (John 16:30); He is omnipotent (John 5;19); He is immutable (Hebrews 13:8); He is the creator (Colossians 1:16); and He has the power to forgive sins (Mark 2).
• The Holy Spirit is God. Because the third Person in the Trinity is commonly called the “Holy Spirit” or the “Holy Ghost,” there’s a tendency to believe that the Holy Spirit isn’t a person or that He doesn’t have a personality. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as “He” many time, including this incredible passage in which Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to His disciples:
• And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth.  The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him.  But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you (John 14:16-17).

Like Jesus, the Holy Spirit has several characteristics only God can possess:  He is eternal (Hebrews 9:14); He is omnipotent (Luke 1:35); He is omnipresent (Psalm 139:7); and He is the Creator (Psalm 104:30).

It is difficult to grasp an analogy of the three-in-One concept of the Trinity.  Nothing fits perfectly, but here are a few attempts:

• The Apple: Although an apple is one in essence, it has three distinct part: the skin, the meat, and the seeds.  Each part is unique, yet we know that the apple is a complete entity.  This analogy falls apart, however, because no part, by itself, is the whole apple.
• The Egg: An egg also has three parts: the shell, the white, and the yolk. Again, each part serves a different function, but each part is all egg, and the egg is one in essence. Again, this analogy fails because while each part is egg, any part by itself is missing other components of an egg.
• Water: This is perhaps the best analogy for the Trinity.  Water commonly exists in three forms: ice (solid) is water, and water (liquid) is water, and steam (vapor) is water. But whatever the form, it’s the same:  water.

There is no question that the Trinity is one of the great mysteries of God and the Bible.  Yet that should not keep us from trying to understand it and what it means for us.

Was Jesus All-God or All-Man?

We’ll make you work to find the answer to this question. Your work won’t be too difficult though. You just have to answer one multiple choice question.  Here it is: Jesus Christ was . . .

• All-God (stuffed into human skin like some kind of holy sausage);
• All-man (with periodic superhuman powers, like when a mother can lift up a car that has rolled onto her child);
• Half-God and half-man (and He could switch back and forth, sort of like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde); or
• None of the above.

Let’s analyze the possibilities:

• This answer can’t be the right answer because we know that Jesus was all-human (except for the sin part).  He got hungry (Matthew 4:2); He got thirsty (John 19:28); He grew weary (John 4:6); He experienced human love and compassion (Matthew 9:36); He cried (John 11:35); and He was tempted (Hebrews 4:15).These are human characteristics. If Jesus was all-god just stuffed into human skin, then He could have existed on earth as a type of cyborg in human form without human feelings. But that isn’t how it was. He had all of the human emotions and was must like we are . . except for one major difference.
• This can’t be the correct answer because we know that Jesus was all-God. Read the comments to the FAQ: What is the concept of the Trinity? There you will find the explanation of Jesus being the second part of the three-in-one Godhead.
• He wasn’t half-and-half. He had all the traits of humanity, and He had all the traits of God. He didn’t have 50% of each.
• This is it!  Jesus was none of the above, because He was (A) and (B) combined.

How is it possible that Jesus could be all-god and all-man at the same time? No one knows (although theologians give it the fancy name of “Hypostatic union”). But that’s exactly how the bible describes Jesus – as all-god and all-man at the same time. It was an interesting balance:

• He deity wasn’t limited by His humanity. He was always god, as evidenced by His sinlessness and supernatural powers.
• His humanity wasn’t overshadowed by His deity. He didn’t use His God powers to make His life easier.  He experienced all the emotions that we have. He even endured the pain and suffering of the cross.

Jesus didn’t give up His godly attributes. He simply took on human attributes as well.  (Read Philippians 2:6-7.)

Did the Resurrection Really Happen?

The Resurrection is the linchpin in Christianity.  Without the Resurrection, Jesus wasn’t God, He didn’t have the power to forgive your sins, and He died just like everyone else.  Since the Resurrection is so important, you’ll want to know – beyond a shadow of a doubt – that it happened just like the bible said. Yes, you can take God’s Word for it, but you can also investigate the facts for yourself and see that they support what the bible says.  That way, if you are ever asked about your Christian “hope” yo will be ready to explain it (1 Peter 3:15).  Or, if you’re still looking for you, you know where to find it.

To get you started, here are three proofs for the Resurrection.

1. The Proof of the Empty Tomb

There’s no stronger proof that Jesus rose from the dead than the empty tomb. We know from the bible and from history that Jesus died. We know that Jesus was buried because a historical person by the name of Joseph of Arimathea – himself a Jew – put the body of Jesus in his own tomb (Matthew 27:57-60).  We know that Joseph had a giant stone rolled in front of the entrance (matthew 27:60), and we know that Pilate sealed the tomb and posted soldiers to guard the tomb at the request of the religious leaders (Matthew 27:62-66). Consequently, if the tomb is empty three days after the death of Jesus, then it stand to reason that Jesus rose from the dead.  Or does it?

Ever since the Resurrection, people who oppose Christianity have disputed the empty tomb.  Here’s the reasoning: If you disprive the Resurrection by showing that the tomb wasn’t really empty – or that it was empty for a reason other than the Resurrection – then you can discredit Christianity.  We don’t disagree.  So let’s look at the three most popular explanations for the empty tomb (other than the Resurrection )and see if they hold water.

• Explanation #1: Jesus didn’t really die. There are those who believe that Jesus merely “swooned” from the torture, pain and exhaustion of the crucifixion, and that He was buried alive.  After three days, He was revived by the cool air of the tomb, and walked out under His own power. Of course, if you believe that, then you believe that Jesus not only survived the crucifixion, but was also able to extricate Himself from 70 pounds of tightly wound grave clothes, know down a 1000-pound rock, and over-power a bunch of armed Roman guards – all without the benefit of food and water for three days.
• Explanation #2: The disciples stole the body. This theory was first proposed by the religious leaders (the very same ones who ordered the crucifixion).  Knowing that the resurrection would ignite the Christian movement, they actually bribed the Roman soldiers assigned to guard the tomb to spread the rumor that the disciples stole the body of Jesus (Mathew 28:12-15).  It might have made a good rumor, but it is a weak theory for a couple of reasons. First, it’s unlikely that the disciples could have overpowered the Roman soldiers at the grave, or that all of the soldiers could have been bribed to let the disciples go ahead with their little scheme. Secondly, without the cooperation of the Roman soldiers, it is impossible for the disciples could have moved the huge stone and stole the corpse without anybody noticing.
• Explanation #3: The disciples were hallucinating. One of the proofs of the empty tomb is that hundreds of people saw the resurrected Christ.  One of the theories proposed by critics who disbelieve the Resurrection is that the followers of Jesus were hallucinating. The disciples wanted so much to believe that Jesus was alive that they saw something (or someone) that wasn’t really there. This theory has a couple of problems.  Firsst of all, the disciples weren’t expecting Jesus to rise from the dead (evidently they weren’t paying attention when Jesus told them repeatedly that the grave couldn’t hold Him).  In fact, when reports of the Resurrection first came to the disciples, they didn’t believe them (mark 16:11). Secondly, the same hallucination could not possible occur to hundreds of people in several locations over a period of 40 days.  If anything, such a consistent report from that many people is a proof for the Resurrection not a refutation.

2. The Proof of Hundreds of Eyewitnesses

There’s no question that Jesus wanted people to see Him after His resurrection, and hundreds did.  The Bible records ten different appearances from the time He rose from the dead until His ascension into heaven 40 days later. He appeared to individuals (such as mary Magdalene – see John 20:11-18); He appeared to two men walking to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-32); He appeared to the disciples, who couldn’t believe their eyes (Luke 24:35-43); and He appeared to more than 500 people at one time (1 Corinthians 15:6). What’s interesting about many of these “sightings” is that Jesus had to convince several people that He was really alive by inviting them to touch Him. (See Luke 24:38-40.)

3. The Proof of Transformed Believers

Once Jesus convinced the disciples that He wasn’t a ghost, that He was alive, and that He was going to heaven to prepare a place for them, they went form being frightened weasels to fearless warriors.  This is what happens when the living Jesus truly gets ahold of ordinary people, and it’s one of the major proofs of the Resurrection. The book of Acts (the one that follows the Gospel of John) tells the dramatic story of these transformed disciples. The Holy Spirit came upon them in power, as Jesus promised (Acts 1:8), and they proclaimed the messaged that Jesus was alive.

The Resurrection was the center point of the early Christians. Because they had seen the risen Christ firsthand, they believed and told other people.  When the religious leaders tried to stop them, Peter and John replied, “We cannot stop telling about the wonderful things we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). 

Have any Skeptics Studied the Resurrection?

Some of the most compelling books ever written about the power of Jesus to change a life were written by people who set out to disprove the Resurrection:

• General Lew Wallace was doing research for a historical novel called Ben Hur when he became convinced that the Resurrection was true.
• Frank Morison wrote Who Moved the Stone? after his research showed him the validity of the Resurrection.
• C.S. Lewis was one of the most vocal and articulate skeptics in the last century, but he became one of the most convincing converts because he couldn’t deny the evidence for the Resurrection.
• John McDowell thought he could disprove the Resurrection, but he ended up in the opposite camp.  He has written several books showing proofs for the Resurrection. Our favorite is More Than a Carpenter.