I want to assure you that we can be confident the events recorded in the Bible actually did take place, although they happened thousands of years ago. In fact, because of recent discoveries we can be even more confident of the Bible’s reliability.

Let me ask you a question: How do you know anything ever happened, if you weren’t there to witness it? How do you know the Roman Empire ever existed, or Napoleon actually lived, or the American Revolution took place? You know because even if you weren’t there to witness them, other people were, and they recorded the events in books and letters. You know it, too, because things left behind bear witness to their existence — buildings and carriages and weapons and documents.

The same is true of events in the Bible. People saw them, and then recorded them in books and letters. Often, too, things left behind bear witness to these events. Official documents from ancient Assyria, for example, have been unearthed telling about events that are also recorded in the Bible. Archaeologists continue to uncover ancient artifacts that confirm the Bible’s record. As the Apostle Peter wrote, “We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about … our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses” (2 Peter 1:16).

The real question, however, is this: Why is the Bible important? It’s important for many reasons, but most of all because it points us to Jesus Christ, who by His death and resurrection opened heaven’s door for us. Why not commit your life to Him?