Welcome to the Eternal Life Podcast, a series looking at Seven Questions every Intelligent Skeptic should ask about Jesus of Nazareth. This is a special free podcast series, created for anyone who genuinely seeks truth, but sometimes struggles to believe in the miraculous and supernatural elements of the Christian faith. I am Rory Vaden, and I hope this is a safe space for you to belong, without necessarily having to believe. I aim to objectively explore the logical, historical, and academic facts and circumstances surrounding Jesus's life, whom many have come to call, Christ. I aspire to convince each and every listener, my sons included, to dive in deep and spend time exploring this topic. Delve into and research the foundational elements of Christianity, which include exploring whether Jesus was a real human living on the earth, that He truly was the Son of God, and that Jesus indeed was raised from the dead (dead in human form). This series is an exploration of the facts, from my source of truth, the Bible. I strongly believe that the Bible contains confident and clear answers to questions many of us have. 

As we embark on this journey of critical thinking, exploration, and the pursuit of truth, we will delve into seven pivotal questions. Each episode will contain a factual investigation into potential solutions for the following thoughts:   

1. What is Your Strategy for Defeating Death?

2. What Evidence is there that Jesus was a Real Person?

3. Was Jesus Just a Good Teacher or Something More?

4. What Evidence is there that Jesus was a Deity?

5. What Evidence is there that Jesus Rose from the Dead?

6. How do you get into Heaven?

7. What do we know about Heaven?

So as we dive into our first episode, we take a look at the first of the seven questions: What is Your Strategy for Defeating Death? Another rendition of the same question could be, "Is it Worth the Time to Explore Eternity?” Allow me to guide you through three compelling reasons that, in my opinion, make a strong case for at least considering the exploration of Christianity. We will look at each of these reasons in more detail, and they encompass:

Reason 1: It could carry eternal implications for you. 

Reason 2: The Bible provides answers and can be a source of truth for your life.

Reason 3: If the story of Jesus is real, and there truly is a resurrection, then that means there is a heaven; an eternity. In short, should the account of Jesus prove to be accurate, then it’s possible you’ll never be separated from those you love.

I am not a pastor, nor a studied theologian. I am a New York Times bestselling author, an 8-figure entrepreneur, a Hall of Fame speaker with a TEDx talk that has more than 4 million views, a researcher, and simply, a husband and a father. So, from the perspective of a curious entrepreneur, a lifelong student, a pragmatist, and skeptic, and someone who believes this is a topic we need to look at, I dive into an exploration of the facts. I may have minor discrepancies in the things that I share on the podcast, and I will try to use plain, non-jargon terminology, however, I have taken a great deal of time to verify the factual stability of what I plan to present in this series. I want you to know that I will always seek truth — even when it’s inconvenient or it creates conflict. I highly encourage you to proceed with an open mind and supplement this with your own exploration of the truth. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Eternal Life Podcast Resource

Andy Stanley

Rory Vaden

Rory Vaden on X

Welcome back to Eternal Life, the podcast exploring the life of Christ through seven questions that hard-core Christians and anyone who may find it difficult to believe in the miracles of God should ask. Today we delve into question number two: Was Jesus a real person? This is a simple question but a very important one for Christians to explore because ultimately, if there was no Jesus, then there could be no Christianity. 

Before we question if Jesus was the son of God, if He did truly have powers of healing, or if Heaven exists, we need to figure out if He was actually a real person. There are three different types of corroboration that prove Jesus’ existence: historical documentation, archeology, and prophetic predictions. Whether Jesus was the son of God comes down to a decision of faith but after this exploration of evidence, it is clear, that the question of his existence has been corroborated a million times over! 

• What historical documents corroborate the existence of Christ and why we can believe that they are true. 
• Archeological facts suggesting that the Bible is historically accurate and therefore a trustworthy source of fact. 
• Who wrote the gospels and how they help us accept the Bible as a source of truth. 
• How the minor discrepancies in the Bible make it easier to trust, believe it or not!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Free Resources
The Case for Christ

The Annals of Imperial Rome

Josephus: The Essential Writings

The Iliad

The Antiquities of the Jews

The Verdict of History

Rory Vaden 

Rory Vaden on X

Welcome back to Eternal Life as we continue to explore the seven questions that when answered, will ultimately reveal the true wonder of our Lord, Jesus Christ. This series is for anyone who is looking for facts and evidence about Jesus and His life, from the hardened skeptic to the emphatic believer. Today, we dive into the third of our seven questions: Was Jesus just a good teacher or something more? 

Three things set Jesus far apart from other prophets, thought leaders, and respected speakers of the time: What Jesus said, how He lived, and how the world responded to Him. After examining these three areas of His life, you will find that Jesus was indeed far more than we could ever imagine. But, what do you think?  

• What Jesus said, and how His words prove that He was more than just a good teacher.
• How Jesus’ proclamations of being God confirm that He’s always been so much more.  
• Taking a look at how Jesus lived and how that pertains to His character as better than good. 
• What we can learn from the way people and the world responded to Jesus and His teachings. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Eternal Life Podcast Resource

Dr. Gary Habermas

Rory Vaden 

Rory Vaden on X

In the Eternal Life series thus far, we have wrestled with three of the seven questions that every intelligent skeptic should ask themselves about Jesus of Nazareth to try to understand the facts and historical accounts that support the narrative we’ve been told. Admittedly, there are some things that are very difficult to believe and understand on the surface about Christianity and Jesus is the lynchpin and cornerstone of it all. That’s why, in today’s episode, we tackle question four: What evidence is there that Jesus was a deity?

There are two major reasons that someone might believe that Jesus is indeed the son of God and not simply delusional. The first is that He performed miracles, at least 35 of which are recorded in the New Testament, and the second is that He not only fulfilled numerous prophecies but even accurately predicted His own death. At some point, it requires more unfounded realism to believe that Jesus was not the Messiah than it does to believe that He was but take a listen and decide for yourself!

• Why you can’t discredit the existence of miracles just because you’ve never seen one.
• Reasons that you don’t have to be a Christian to believe in the supernatural.
• Accounts of healing and other phenomena that can’t be explained by naturalistic causes.
• Recorded predictions about Jesus’ life, death, and birth that were ultimately fulfilled.
• Perspective on the truly awe-inspiring odds of these prophecies coming true.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Eternal Life Podcast Resources

The Verdict of History: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Jesus

Dr. Gary Habermas

Science Speaks: Scientific Proof of the Accuracy of Prophecy and the Bible

Rory Vaden 

Rory Vaden on X

Welcome back to Eternal Life, a special series that explores the life of Christ through seven questions and is created for anyone earnestly seeking truth, even if they grapple with accepting some of the more miraculous and supernatural aspects of Christianity. Today we delve into the first part of question number five: What Evidence is there that Jesus Rose from the Dead? 

Did Jesus truly rise from the dead? How can anyone believe it? How can I believe it? These are crucial, fair, and honest questions, and perhaps the most important when examining the evidence for Jesus as a savior, messiah, or divine figure distinct from all others in history. The resurrection is central to Christianity and since the entire Christian faith hinges on this event I believe it is worth exploring. There are eight reasons underpinning my belief that Jesus rose from the dead. Today I examine the first three so that you can learn more about this event and decide what you believe for yourself! 

• The fact that Jesus’s tomb is still empty, the four theories as to why that is, and the evidence this provides for His resurrection.
• Jesus’s predictions about His own death and resurrection and why this matters.
• The power Jesus demonstrated over death while He was alive.
• What the Bible tells us about the many documented eyewitness sightings of the resurrection.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Eternal Life Podcast Resource

The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus

Rory Vaden

Rory Vaden Blog

Rory Vaden on X

Welcome back to Eternal Life, the for-everyone and free podcast series that objectively explores the historical, logical, and academic evidence of the life of Jesus Christ. Today, we are continuing with part two of question five: What evidence is there that Jesus rose from the dead? Our previous episode explored the first three reasons why we cannot deny Jesus’ resurrection, and today we thoroughly unpack reason number four.   

There are four astonishing conversions that prove to me that Jesus rose from the dead. These are men who denied Jesus as divine and even launched crusades against Christians, before witnessing a miraculous resurrection that forced them to believe. So, let’s take a closer look at why Thomas, Paul (Saul), James, and the Roman officer chose to denounce their beliefs and assume the Christian faith instead. 

• What the conversion of four skeptics tells us about Jesus rising from the dead. 
• How God doesn’t need us to believe in him for us to start our relationship with Him. 
• Why you should put your faith in God and not in Christians. 
• The true definition of repentance. 
• How adequate Biblical research is the only thing separating believers from nonbelievers.  

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Eternal Life Podcast Resource 

The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus

Rory Vaden 

Rory Vaden on X

Welcome back to the Eternal Life Podcast, a safe space for you to ask reasonable questions about the existence of Jesus, without judgment. Today we are continuing with part three of question five: What evidence is there that Jesus rose from the dead? Previously, we discussed the first four pieces of evidence of the resurrection and in this episode, we delve into reasons five through seven proving that Jesus rose from the dead. 

Not only were Jesus’ disciples tortured and murdered for their beliefs, but many Jewish people broke away from traditions in favor of Jesus after this event. The Christian church also became massively popular after the resurrection. These are just a few of the pieces of evidence of the resurrection. So let’s dive into these three reasons to believe that Jesus rose from the dead. 

• The people who were closest to Jesus, His disciples, were willing to die gruesome deaths for their belief that He rose from the dead. 
• How we know that the disciples didn’t make the resurrection up after the fact. 
• Some Jewish people made radical changes to their traditions in favor of Jesus, putting them at risk of eternal damnation and being ousted by society. 
• Following the resurrection, there was massive growth and spread of the Christian church suggesting that people wholeheartedly believed that He rose. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Eternal Life Podcast Resource 

Rory Vaden 

Rory Vaden on X

In the Eternal Life Podcast, we fearlessly explore the most profound questions surrounding the life and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In today’s episode, we continue our journey into Question 5, Part 4, as we delve into Reason 8: an exploration of the Bible as a historical and non-fictional record of Jesus' resurrection. 

The Bible is a rich tapestry of stories, teachings, and parables. We dive into the complexities and enduring debates surrounding its interpretation, offering insights into the diverse lenses through which it has been viewed throughout history. What does it truly mean to be Christian, and how does the Bible serve as the foundation of faith? Tune in to reflect on the profound connection between Christianity, God’s word, and how it guides believers on their spiritual journeys and shapes the world around us.

• Basics of what the Bible is and the differences between the Old and New Testaments.
• Insights into the complexities and debates surrounding the interpretation of the Bible.
• What it means to be Christian and how to use the Bible as your source of truth.
• How the Christian faith has shaped and molded the modern world.
• The story of the Bible, the rise of the Christian faith, and what it all means.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Andy Stanley

Your Move With Andy Stanley

Your Move With Andy Stanley App

The Bible for Grown-Ups

Procrastinate on Purpose

Take the Stairs

Rory Vaden 

Rory Vaden on X