There are very few people in history whose influence can be measured in centuries rather than years.

Jesus of Nazareth is one of them.

He never commanded a Roman legion.

He never sat on a throne.

He never accumulated an empire.

He lived in a small region of the Roman Empire approximately 2,000 years ago.

And yet his life became the foundation of Christianity, the world's largest religion, and his teachings have influenced art, literature, philosophy, politics, charity, education, and civilization for centuries.

Whether you approach Jesus through faith, history, archaeology, or all three, his story is extraordinary.

So this week, let's go back to the beginning.

Not just the religious story.

The man. The places. The people who followed him. The miracles described in the sources. And what happened after his death.

Jesus was a Jewish teacher and preacher who lived during the first century in Roman-controlled Judea and Galilee.

The four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—are the principal ancient sources for his life.

But Jesus isn't mentioned only in Christian writings.

The Jewish historian Josephus wrote about Jesus and also referred to James as the brother of Jesus "who was called Christ."

The Roman historian Tacitus later wrote that Christus had been executed during the reign of Tiberius under Pontius Pilate.

These sources don't give us a complete biography of Jesus, but they are important evidence that Jesus and the early Christian movement were known outside the Christian community.

And then there's the archaeological landscape.

Many of the locations associated with Jesus still exist today.

One of the most fascinating things about studying Jesus is realizing that this wasn't a mythical world with imaginary locations.

These were real places.

Many can still be visited.

Jesus grew up in Nazareth.

It was a relatively small settlement in Galilee.

Archaeological research has uncovered remains dating to the first century, including evidence of domestic structures from the period.

Today, Nazareth remains one of Christianity's major pilgrimage destinations.

If Nazareth was where Jesus grew up, Capernaum became one of the major centers of his ministry.

Capernaum sits on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee.

The Gospels describe Jesus teaching there, healing people there, and calling several of his disciples from the surrounding area.

Peter and Andrew were associated with Capernaum, and archaeological remains of the ancient town can still be visited.

One of the most fascinating discoveries is a first-century dwelling traditionally associated with Peter's house.

This is where some of the most famous stories in the Gospels took place.

Jesus and his disciples traveled across the lake.

According to the Gospel accounts, Jesus calmed a storm.

He walked on the water.

He called fishermen to become his disciples.

And one of the most famous miracles occurred here:

THE FEEDING OF THOUSANDS.

The Sea of Galilee is still there today.

You can stand on its shoreline and look across the same body of water described in the Gospel accounts.

The miracles are obviously one of the most controversial parts of Jesus' story.

For Christians, they were real supernatural events.

For historians, the historical question is different: What did the earliest sources report, and what did Jesus' followers believe they witnessed?

The Gospels describe numerous miracles.

Among them:

At Cana, Jesus is described as turning water into wine during a wedding.

Several Gospel accounts describe Jesus restoring sight to blind people.

Jesus is described healing people who could not walk.

The Gospels describe Jesus healing people suffering from conditions described as leprosy.

During a storm on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus is described commanding the wind and waves to become calm.

One of the most famous stories describes Jesus feeding thousands of people with a small amount of bread and fish.

The Gospel accounts describe Jesus walking across the Sea of Galilee toward his disciples.

Perhaps one of the most dramatic miracles is the story of Lazarus, whom Jesus is said to have raised from the dead after four days in the tomb.

And then comes the central claim of Christianity:

JESUS HIMSELF ROSE FROM THE DEAD.

That claim is the foundation of Christian faith.

Historical methodology can examine the existence of Jesus, his crucifixion, the early Christian movement, and what his followers claimed.

Whether a resurrection actually occurred is ultimately a supernatural claim that goes beyond what historical methodology can independently demonstrate.

But the belief itself transformed Jesus' followers and became the central message of the movement they spread across the Roman world.

Jesus chose twelve men to become his closest apostles.

They weren't twelve wealthy businessmen.

They weren't twelve powerful politicians.

Several were fishermen.

One was a tax collector.

And according to the Gospel accounts, they weren't always particularly impressive.

They argued.

They misunderstood Jesus.

They became frightened.

They abandoned him when he was arrested.

Peter famously denied knowing him.

And yet these men would eventually carry Christianity far beyond Judea.

This is where history becomes fascinating.

Here's something important:

THE BIBLE DOES NOT TELL US HOW ALL TWELVE DIED.

The New Testament directly records the death of James, son of Zebedee, who was killed with the sword on the orders of Herod Agrippa I.

The rest come primarily from early Christian writings and later historical revelations.

Some are stronger than others.

Here is the traditional story.

Peter is believed to have traveled to Rome.

According to early Christianity, he was executed during the persecution of Christians under Emperor Nero.

The historical account says Peter was crucified upside down because he did not consider himself worthy to die in the same manner as Jesus.

The location of his martyrdom is Rome.

Today, St. Peter's Basilica stands over the historical site associated with his burial.

Andrew is traditionally associated with missionary activity around the Black Sea and Greece.

He is believed to have been executed at Patras in Greece.

Christian history says he was crucified.

The famous St. Andrew's Cross is associated with the tradition that he was crucified on an X-shaped cross.

James has something the others don't:

His death is actually recorded in the New Testament.

Acts 12 tells us that Herod Agrippa I had James killed with the sword.

That makes James' martyrdom the clearest documented apostolic death in the New Testament.

He was the brother of John.

According to the Gospel accounts, James was one of Jesus' closest disciples.

John is traditionally believed to have traveled to Asia Minor and eventually lived in Ephesus.

Unlike many of the other apostles, the strongest historians says John died naturally rather than being executed.

He is traditionally considered the last surviving member of the Twelve.

The ancient Christian tradition places his later life and death around Ephesus.

Philip is traditionally associated with Hierapolis in what is now Turkey.

Ancient historians describe his death there as martyrdom.

There is an interesting complication.

Modern scholarship has pointed out that some later stories about Philip may have confused Philip the Apostle with Philip the Evangelist, another figure in the New Testament.

Archaeological research has examined the traditional tomb associated with Philip at Hierapolis.

Bartholomew is traditionally associated with missionary work in Armenia and surrounding regions.

His death is one of the most brutal.

Some say he was flayed—his skin removed—and then executed.

This is one of the most fascinating traditions.

Thomas is traditionally believed to have traveled extraordinarily far east.

INDIA.

The Christian communities known as the Saint Thomas Christians in India trace their origins to his missionary activity.

History places Thomas in southern India and says he was eventually killed by being pierced with spears.

The history surrounding Thomas' connection with India is particularly significant because Christian communities in the region have maintained this connection for centuries.

Matthew is traditionally associated with missionary activity outside Judea, with traditions placing him in regions of Africa.

Some accounts say he was killed by a sword or spear.

Others give different locations and circumstances.

This is a good example of why we have to distinguish between history and tradition.

We know Matthew became one of the central figures of early Christianity.

We don't have the same level of historical certainty about exactly how and where he died.

Very little is known with certainty about James the Lesser after the New Testament period.

Later he was killed in Jerusalem.

Some accounts say he was beaten or thrown from a height and then killed.

Again, the details are difficult to establish historically.

Jude, also known as Thaddeus, is traditionally associated with missionary activity in the Middle East.

Some place him in Armenia or Persia.

Later accounts describe him being killed violently, sometimes with a club or axe.

The details vary considerably among sources.

Simon is traditionally associated with missionary activity in the Middle East and possibly Persia.

His death is particularly uncertain.

Some say he was crucified.

Others claim he was executed by being sawn apart.

There isn't enough reliable early evidence to establish the exact circumstances.

After Judas Iscariot died, the early Christian community selected Matthias to take his place among the Twelve.

Matthias' later missionary activity vary widely.

Some place him in Judea and others much farther away.

His traditional death is sometimes described as stoning followed by execution.

A question to ponder. If you truly did not believe Christ is King, would you allow yourself to be brutally tortured and murdered?

This is perhaps the most incredible part of the story.

The Christian movement didn't remain confined to the region where Jesus lived.

Traditions place Jesus' followers across an enormous geographical area:

ROME.

GREECE.

ASIA MINOR.

SYRIA.

PERSIA.

ARMENIA.

NORTH AFRICA.

AND INDIA.

The New Testament itself provides evidence for early missionary expansion, particularly through Acts and the writings of Paul.

The later traditions expand that geographical picture considerably.

While we cannot prove every traditional journey, the rapid spread of Christianity across the Mediterranean world is historically undeniable.

This is one of my favorite parts of studying ancient history.

Some of the places associated with Jesus aren't just names in a book.

They're real places.

Jesus' childhood home.

A major center of his ministry.

Where numerous Gospel stories take place.

Traditionally associated with the Sermon on the Mount.

Traditionally identified with the location of Jesus' first miracle.

Associated with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.

Traditionally associated with Jesus' prayer before his arrest.

The city where Jesus was arrested, tried, crucified, and, according to Christian belief, resurrected.

One of Christianity's most important pilgrimage sites, traditionally associated with Jesus' crucifixion and burial.

The archaeological and pilgrimage landscape surrounding these locations has been studied extensively.

He was associated with Nazareth and Galilee.

Jerusalem became especially important during the final period of his life.

He lived in a world controlled by the Roman Empire.

Roman political power ultimately played a direct role in his execution.

One of Christianity's most important early leaders began as a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee.

Matthew, also called Levi, is described as a tax collector before becoming a follower of Jesus.

Tax collectors were widely disliked because they worked within the Roman taxation system.

Crucifixion was a Roman method of execution designed to be both brutal and humiliating.

The early movement began as a relatively small network of believers meeting in homes and other spaces.

From Rome in the west to India in the east, later traditions associate Jesus' followers with an enormous geographical area.

This is important.

The New Testament explicitly records James' death.

Other apostolic martyrdom stories come from various later sources, and scholars caution that these accounts cannot simply be treated as equally reliable historical reports.

Think about what happened after Jesus was executed.

From a purely worldly perspective, it looked like failure.

His movement was small.

His followers were frightened.

Their leader had been publicly executed.

The Roman Empire was enormous.

And yet the movement survived.

It spread.

It crossed languages and cultures.

It traveled across continents.

And eventually it became one of the most influential religious movements in human history.

That's why Jesus belongs in Men of History.

Not because everyone must agree about who he was.

But because the historical consequences of his life are impossible to ignore.

Jesus didn't leave behind a fortune.

He didn't leave behind a military empire.

He didn't leave behind a palace.

He left behind a message and a movement.

His followers carried that message from Jerusalem into the wider world.

Some died violently.

Some disappeared into history.

Some became the founders of communities that still exist today.

And nearly 2,000 years later, billions of people still read his words.

You can believe he was the Son of God.

You can approach him as a historical teacher.

You can study him as a religious figure.

But whatever your personal beliefs may be, the historical impact of Jesus is extraordinary.

A carpenter and teacher from a small corner of the Roman Empire became one of the most influential figures who ever lived.

THAT'S A MAN OF HISTORY.

BibleProject — New Testament Overview

https://bibleproject.com/videos/new-testament-overview/

BibleProject — What Are the Gospels?

https://bibleproject.com/articles/what-are-the-gospels/

Biblical Archaeology Society — Where Jesus Walked

https://library.biblicalarchaeology.org/collections/where-jesus-walked

Religious Studies Center — First-Century Sources on the Life of Jesus

https://rsc.byu.edu/how-new-testament-came-be/first-century-sources-life-jesus

Oxford Academic — Archaeology of Jesus' Nazareth

https://academic.oup.com/book/45361

National Geographic — Archaeology and the Historical Jesus

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/jesus-tomb-archaeology

Oxford Academic — The Many Deaths of Peter and Paul

https://academic.oup.com/book/32420

THE WELLNESS OF MEN TEAM

History gives us something priceless:

PERSPECTIVE.

We can look backward at the men who came before us, study what they endured, understand what they accomplished, and ask ourselves what we can learn from their lives.

Some men conquered nations.

Some changed science.

Some built businesses.

Some explored the unknown.

And one is the true King of Kings.

KEEP LEARNING.

KEEP QUESTIONING.

KEEP BECOMING A BETTER MAN.

THE WELLNESS OF MEN TEAM