Did Jesus Really Exist?Sýnishorn

Do we have good reasons for believing or rejecting the claims made by the Gospel writers? Today and tomorrow we’ll look at two features of the Gospels that strongly suggest they’re telling us true stories. These are undesigned coincidences and embarrassing details.

An undesigned coincidence is when two writers describe the same event and give different details that corroborate one another. Imagine two kids are in trouble and their teacher talks to them one at a time. If each kid says exactly the same thing, word for word, the teacher would be justified to suspect that they’ve rehearsed it. If they each come up with different stories that can’t be reconciled, they’re lying. If one says, ‘he chased me out the sports hall’, and the other says, ‘he kicked a basketball into my face’, the two details corroborate, and the stories ring true.

The Gospels are full of undesigned coincidences. We’re going to look at one today. John tells us about a time when Jesus fed five thousand people with five loaves and two fish. Before feeding the people, Jesus asks Philip for a good place to buy bread. Why is Philip singled out? Why not Judas, the guy with the money bag? Is Philip some kind of expert on Galilean bakeries?

Luke tells us the same story, minus the chat with Philip about bread shops. Luke gives us a different detail: Jesus fed the five thousand somewhere near a town called Bethsaida. If we jump back over to John, a few chapters before the feeding of the five thousand, Philip is introduced for the first time, and we’re told he’s from Bethsaida.

Why does Jesus ask Philip where to buy bread? Because they’re near Philip’s hometown, Bethsaida, and Philip will know if they can buy bread nearby.

If you want to know more about undesigned coincidences in the Gospels, you could read Hidden in Plain View by Lydia McGrew or Undesigned Coincidences by J.J. Blunt.

As you consider the reasons you have for the views you hold, don’t let it just be head knowledge. If the Gospels tell us true stories, then Jesus is calling us to follow Him instead of ourselves. Believing in Jesus isn’t just agreeing with His existence, it's putting our trust in Him and allowing His teaching to shape our lives.