3. First Christmas Morning?”
Who Was in the
Manger on that
First Christmas Morning?”

4. “Your invited to consider Why Christmas matters?
Key Point of Series:
“Your invited to consider
Why Christmas matters?
Beyond the Holiday Traditions
lies the truth…it is more
compelling than you think!”

5. Key Outcome of Series:
We can be confident
in the reliability
of the Gospel Accounts
of Jesus’ Birth!

6. Books Background Story: The Delgado’s Witness! Two Year Investigation

7. THE EYEWITNESS EVIDENCE:
Can the Biographies
of Jesus
Be Trusted?
Luke 2:

8. Power of
Eyewitness Testimony!
Story of Leo Carter

9. Do we have any records from first-century “journalists” who interviewed eyewitnesses of Jesus’ life and faithfully recorded the Truth?

10. actually written by the
1. Were the Four Gospels
actually written by the
people whose names
are attached to them?
YES!

11. 2. Can we be assured that the events they record are based on either direct or indirect eyewitness accounts?
YES!

12. 3. Ancient Versus Modern
Biographies…
Why the Difference?

13. 4. The Unique Perspectives
of Each Author

14. Luke—beloved physician, theologian of the poor and social concern
Matthew—Disciple, theTax Collector, Christianity seen through eyes of Judaism
Mark—John Mark, companion of Peter
John—Beloved Disciple, a Higher Christology

15. The Time Line of the Authors
5. BREAKING News!
The Time Line of the Authors

16. Standard Scholarly Dating Mark—70sAD; Matthew/Luke—80sAD; John—90sAD
Within 50 years of Jesus’ Death!

17. However, Possible Dating:
Luke—Acts, written prior to Paul’s death, 62AD
Gospel of Luke then early 60s
Mark—Possibly written
in late 50s AD

18. Places the Synoptic Gospels within 30 years of
This Possible Dating
Places the Synoptic Gospels within 30 years of
Jesus’ Death & Resurrection!

19. Key Outcome of Series:
We can be confident
in the reliability
of the Gospel Accounts
of Jesus’ Birth!

20. Holy Communion