Jesus was an actual man, Jewish male, who lived in early first century Palestine and died by crucifixion around 30 A.D. The main sources for finding out about Jesus are the four gospels of the NT, other NT writings and some early extra-biblical works such as the Gospel of Thomas. There are notices of Jesus and the primitive Christian movement in Roman writers of the time (including first century Jewish historian, Josephus). These witnesses are questioned and analyzed by scholars in quest for the historical Jesus. The 'historical Jesus' is a concept and research method aimed at providing a true and reliable portrait of Jesus, a word-picture that is scientific, not religious or faith-based.
Jesus, teacher and miracle worker, and disciples, started a movement that turned into a world-wide religion. This happened, the historian can say, because of the spiritual power and charisma of Jesus, which was transferred into the message about him carried by ardent followers like St. Paul. The Hellenistic world taken over by Rome was permeated by religious and philosophic currents (see Hans-Josef Klauck, The Religious Context of Early Christianity tr. Brian McNeil (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2003). Nascent Christianity flourished in that environment.
Since the eighteenth century Enlightenment, thinkers and historians try to uncover the base of Jesus' power and the gospel and disclose its truth or falsehood. Philosophical doctrines of rationality and empiricism underlie theories of knowledge that enter into post-enlightenment historical investigation. The sources for reconstructing facts about Jesus are full of talk of God, the Devil, demons and angels. Jesus is said to have performed miracles of healing and exerted effortless power over forces of nature. Such talk or information would mostly be ruled out in modern historiography. Since the 1700s, many, many books have been authored on Jesus and conclusions reached range from total skepticism, i.e., Jesus Christ did not exist, to historical portraits mostly supportive of the gospel gestalt. An excellent guide to historical study of Jesus is Albert Schweitzer, The Quest of the Historical Jesus (1906, 1911).
Looking at Jesus of Nazareth historically, one should also look at self. Do I believe in God? Am I Christian? What is my view on religion(s) generally? What sort of scientist am I or how scientific am I? Is the universe, on principle, understood without recourse to religion? Considering all that is unknown in the world, is it conceivable that it is all in principle, intelligible to human mind? What is the problem with cancer, why can't it be eliminated? Why are there bacteria and viruses inimical to large life-forms on Earth? How may quantum theory and relativity theory be unified? Why and whence, evil, why isn't it all good? Myriad questions pop up and so we explore, looking for answers. Will it always be so? Do we have need for a kingdom of God?
Gospel of Mark 1: 14-15
14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
The truth of what happened; the historian tries to get there. That search is worthwhile. With Jesus of Nazareth as subject, there is no way out. A time-machine is required.
