Please humor me and answer the question in the title. Did George Washington, America’s first President, really exist? And tell me, how do you KNOW he existed?
“Well, of course he existed. The history books tell us he existed.”
How do historians know he existed?
“Well, they’ve done the research. People who lived back then saw Washington, talked to him, heard him, touched him, wrote about him, told us he existed.”
Ok, I’ll buy that. And I agree 100%. Now, another question--did Jesus Christ come out of the tomb? Was He resurrected the third day?
“That which was from the beginning, which we have HEARD, which we have SEEN WITH OUR EYES, which we have LOOKED UPON, and OUR HANDS HAVE HANDLED, concerning the Word of life -- the life was manifested, and we have SEEN, and BEAR WITNESS, and DECLARE TO YOU that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us -- that which we have SEEN and HEARD we declare to you” (I John 1:3, emphasis added).
John: “We saw Him, we heard Him, we touched Him, we looked at Him...and we are telling you about Him.”
What is the difference between that and the evidence we have for the existence of George Washington? And, of course, John wasn’t the only one who claims to have seen, heard, touched, etc. Jesus after His resurrection.
Do you believe George Washington existed? Of course you do. Because people saw him, heard him, touched him, looked upon on, and told us about him.
We have the exact same evidence that Jesus came out of the tomb that we have for the existence of George Washington!
And we have the historians who told us. One of them wrote: “It seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write unto thee in order...” (Luke 1:3, American Standard Version).
“Having traced the course of all things accurately from the first.” That is exactly what an historian is supposed to do. He even tells us when it all happened (Luke 2:1-2; 3:1-2).
Even atheists believe that George Washington existed. On the basis of historical evidence. But they will deny the same kind of historical evidence when it comes to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.
Indeed, “the legs of the lame are not equal” (Proverbs 26:7).