JESUS A Fictional Character?
Let us first assume what the critics are saying—that Christ was not really a historical figure, but merely a fictional character or a product of the imagination of the gospel writers. If this claim were true, what can we say about it? In Christianity: Opium or Truth? (Gooding and Lennox, 2014), the authors examined this issue and showed that such a claim is unreasonable. They pointed out several things worth reflecting on:
1. The authors must be extraordinarily clever if Christ was only a fictional character.
If Christ were just imaginary, then the gospel writers must have been incredibly skilled! What they wrote about Christ’s life was so convincing that people in their time believed it, even though they could have easily confirmed whether what the writers said was true or not. The original readers could verify the details, interview eyewitnesses, visit the places mentioned, and expose the writings as false—if they truly were false. It is rare to find even one author capable of creating such a detailed and believable story. Take note, there were four different writers who recorded the life of Christ!
2. The personal encounters with Jesus cannot be reasonably explained if He were only imaginary.
Throughout the centuries, countless people have testified to experiencing Christ. How incredible would it be if the gospel writers had simply invented a character who, up to this day, people claim to experience as alive and active? Some might object: “But followers of other religions also say the same thing!” or “Maybe they were just mistaken.” Those objections can be valid, but the point is this: if Christ were pure fiction, no writer in history has ever created a character so powerful that even modern people could claim a living relationship with him.
People may sacrifice their lives for something they believe is true, but no reasonable person would willingly die for something they knew was false. If the early Christians knew Jesus was only a product of imagination, why would they choose martyrdom for Him? I myself am a big fan of Batman, but I would not die for my favorite superhero. The reasonable explanation is this: the disciples and early believers did not invent Christ. They encountered Him. Even today, Christians make sacrifices and exert effort for Christ because each of us has our own story of how we came to know Him.
3. Jesus does not fit the image of a hero in ancient times.
The more we study ancient history, the clearer it becomes that Christ was the opposite of what Greeks, Romans, and Jews imagined as a hero.
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For the Greeks, the ideal hero was either Epicurean—avoiding pain and suffering—or Stoic—calm and almost emotionless. But the Gospels present Jesus as someone willing to suffer and someone who expressed deep emotions (Jn 11:35; Mk 3:5; 11:15; Lk 19:41, etc.).
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For the Romans, the ideal hero was political and powerful, like their emperors and military champions. According to the records, however, Jesus was humiliated, tortured, and executed by the Romans.
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For the Jews, their expected hero (the Messiah) was a strong, military leader with religious ideals—like the Maccabees of the 2nd century BC—who would free them from oppression. But Jesus died at the hands of Israel’s enemies.
As Paul said, Christ appeared foolish to both Greeks and Jews (1 Cor. 1:23). If the story of Jesus were just invented, no one in their right mind would create such a character—someone who did not defend Himself against His persecutors, who suffered shame, and who was executed like a criminal. He did not match the concept of a hero in any culture.
Even today, think about it! A superhero who gets defeated in the end, then resurrects, but leaves without destroying the villains who hurt him—this would not even make a great movie plot, even if Marvel produced it. And not only Jesus suffered, but His followers as well! No reasonable writer would invent such a story for a hero, whether in the ancient world or in our time. The best explanation is simple: Christ’s story is true. The gospel writers had no interest in reshaping Him into the perfect hero people expected.
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The idea that Christ was only imaginary cannot stand under reason. Beyond the points above, there is plenty of available evidence and many more arguments that could be made. The record of Christ’s life preserved for us is more than enough for us to decide whether or not we will believe in Him. “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:30–31). Stay Curious.
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