Jesus was a historical figure, but his "character" has been greatly exaggerated. The Gospels of Luke and of John contained evidence that would be impossible for the authors of these gospels to have known and, thus, have used. The Gospels of Matthew .
And Luke contradict one another in describing events that preceded Jesus" birth, which should have been well-documented for such a miraculous event. .
Josephus is a very credible author, since he lived during the era following the death of Jesus, from 37-100 AD. "For he was one who wrought surprising feats and was a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly. He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks" (Josephus, Antiquities 18.63). It is not surprising that Jesus won over many Jews, since he was Jewish himself and often opposed Rome, which frequently condemned them to death. However, the vagueness of the statement suggests that he was writing to a Christian audience. He does not explain what the "surprising feats" are. He assumed his audience would automatically know what he was referring to.
The gospel of Luke foretells the birth of Jesus. Luke wrote his story between 80 and 130 AD (van Minnen 1). In the introduction, he admits, "many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word " (Luke 1: 1-3). His gospel is based upon second-hand accounts. Although he claims to have verified those accounts, Luke is very unreliable as a source. Furthermore, he gives a very detailed account of the Annunciation. If Luke verified those accounts, as he said he did, there should have been some conflicting evidence because people can have different memories of the same event. .
Unfortunately, details of Jesus" birth are contradicted in two gospels. According to Matthew's gospel, the news of Jesus' impending birth is conveyed to Mary's husband, Joseph, in a dream, while according to Luke it is told directly to Mary by the "Angel Gabriel" (Andrews 1).
