The Gospels are Downright Embarrassing
Have you ever noticed that the Gospels contain an unusual amount of embarrassing material? It’s all over really. When you think about it, including this data seems counterintuitive to the spread of Christianity. After all, if the disciples’ goal was to reach more people with the Gospel, wouldn’t it have made sense to leave out the gaffes? Wouldn’t it have been in their best interest to portray themselves only in a positive light?
WHY THE EMBARRASSING MATERIAL IS SIGNIFICANT
The embarrassing material is significant for two particular reasons. First, this material indicates that the story of Jesus isn’t fantasy. Think about it. If they contrived the entire story to gain a following, they wouldn’t have made themselves look cowardly or ignorant. Nobody willingly admits humiliating facts just for the sake of it.
Second, the embarrassing material indicates that the disciples were trustworthy sources. They were committed to telling the entire truth, even if it meant making themselves look bad. If they only communicated the glamorous details, we might have a difficult time believing everything they say.
TEN EMBARRASSING DETAILS FROM THE GOSPELS
Each of these details rings of authenticity because of their embarrassing nature. Historians refer to this as the criteria of embarrassment — the notion that the embarrassing material is true because the authors had no motivation to make themselves look bad. At this point, you might be wondering about these embarrassing details. Here are ten examples.
1. JESUS WAS BAPTIZED BY JOHN
The ministry of John the Baptist included calling people to repentance and receiving baptism as a symbol of their repentance. That is to say, John baptized sinners. Each of the four Gospels, however, tells us that Jesus submitted himself to John’s baptism. Why would the Gospel writers include this story? Wouldn’t this make it look like Jesus was a sinner or less than divine? At the very least, the baptism gives one the impression that John was greater than Jesus. The disciples certainly recognized this dilemma, yet they included this story anyway.
2. JESUS APPEARS TO BE INSENSITIVE
No doubt, following Jesus required a lot from a person — it still does. Jesus said things like, if you want to be my disciple, deny yourself daily, take up your cross, and follow me. Jesus avoided sugar-coating. Nevertheless, when one person told Jesus he wanted to follow him, but he needed to go bury his dead father, Jesus told him to forget his father. Let the dead bury the dead, Jesus told him (Lk 9:60). Wait, isn’t this the gentle and compassionate Jesus? Didn’t the disciples want to give the impression that Jesus was full of grace? This kind of statement doesn’t help their cause.
3. THE DISCIPLES LACKED FAITH
I could list several examples here, but I’ll only mention one from Mark 4. The disciples went into a frenzy when a violent storm started rocking their boat on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus, of course, was in the boat with them which should have alleviated any of their fears. They should have been calm, cool, and collected. Yet the exact opposite was true. They went so far as to judge Jesus for not caring they were about to die. Jesus rebuked them for their lack of faith and then rebuked the storm as well. Let’s remember, these same disciples are the ones spreading the message of Christianity. They could have easily left out these details to not make themselves look bad, but they didn’t.
4. JESUS DIDN’T KNOW WHEN HE WOULD RETURN
Jesus is God right? The disciples proclaimed early on that Jesus was the risen Lord and worshipped him as such. Yet, they tell us that Jesus didn’t know the time of his future return to earth (Mk 13:32). Wouldn’t that mean he wasn’t omniscient? And if he’s not omniscient, doesn’t that have implications for his divinity? I believe there are good explanations for Jesus’ lack of knowledge here, but the disciples had to know by including this material they were opening up a can of worms. So why include material that made Jesus look less than divine? The only explanation is that Jesus must have said he didn’t know when he would return to earth.
5. JESUS’ OWN FAMILY DIDN’T BELIEVE IN HIM
In John 7:5, we read that while Jesus was still living, his brothers didn’t even believe in him. That is, the people who lived in the same house and knew him the best didn’t think he was God’s Son. In fact, in Mark 3:21, Jesus’ family goes so far as to say that Jesus is crazy. Now if they didn’t believe, surely nobody who has less access to Jesus should believe in him either. I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t strike much confidence in me. The Gospel writers had to know that including this detail might turn some people away from following Jesus.
6. JESUS COULDN’T DO MIRACLES IN HIS HOMETOWN
In Mark 6, we read that after Jesus taught in the synagogue, the people of Nazareth scoffed at him. They questioned his identity. They asked, isn’t he the carpenter’s boy? Aren’t his brothers and sisters here with us? What makes him so special? Not only do they reject him, the text tells us that Jesus was hampered from doing miracles in his hometown because of them. Wait, doesn’t that mean Jesus’ power was limited? It gives that impression, which is why the disciples wouldn’t have made up this story.
7. ONE OF JESUS’ DISCIPLES BETRAYED HIM
Judas Iscariot, the most infamous traitor of all time, handed Jesus over to the Jewish authorities. This doesn’t make Jesus look good at all. How could one of his own — a disciple who sat at his feet for three years — be unconvinced that Jesus was the promised Messiah? If the disciples made up the Gospel narrative to make Jesus look like a hero, why would they say that one of his closest followers turned his back on him? This is an embarrassing detail the disciples wouldn’t make up.
8. PETER DENIED JESUS THREE TIMES
If there was one disciple who rose to the top as the leader of the early Christian movement it was the apostle Peter. He was the one who preached at Pentecost and three thousand people were saved. Yet, we read near the end of the Gospels, that Peter was so cowardly that he denied Jesus three times. This is the leader of the Christian movement mind you — portrayed in the worst imaginable light. Can you imagine the shock on people’s faces when the disciples told this story to the earliest Christians who had looked up to Peter as their leader? Talk about embarrassing for Peter.
9. JESUS WAS CRUCIFIED
In a culture that puts cross bumper stickers on our cars, it’s hard to imagine how grotesque ancient crucifixion truly was. Crucifixions were reserved for the most despicable human beings — the lowest of the low. One would think that the early Christians would want to keep quiet that their hero was crucified because it was so repulsive. Yet, they do the exact opposite — they boasted in the cross. This would be similar to people today boasting that their hero was executed for being a serial rapist. You don’t brag about those things. You’re revolted by them. There is no way Christians would have invented the story of Jesus’ crucifixion because only the most despicable people were crucified.
10. WOMEN WERE THE RESURRECTION EYE-WITNESSES
A woman’s word in the first-century Jewish milieu didn’t carry much weight. In fact, the Talmud tells us that a woman’s testimony was on par with a robber. Knowing this, why would the Gospel writers state that women were the first eye-witnesses to the empty tomb and the risen Jesus? Their testimony wouldn’t have convinced anyone that Jesus rose from the dead. Wouldn’t it have made more sense for Gospel writers to give credit to prominent apostles like Peter, James, or John? Don’t you think their testimony would have been more convincing? If you’re a first century Jew inventing a story to gain a following, you don’t say that women are your credible witnesses.
EMBARRASSING DETAILS POINT TO THE TRUTH
The early Christians had no motivation for making up these embarrassing stories. We have good reason, therefore, to believe they are true. And if the authors were careful to give us the truth in the embarrassing details, it seems reasonable to give them the benefit of the doubt with the other details. As a Christian, I find it comforting that the writers wanted to give us the truth at all costs, even if it meant their egos took a hit. Based on all the embarrassing material, we can be confident that our Gospels are reliable sources for Jesus’ life and ministry.
