Jury Duty

Hey you. I’m so glad you’re back.

In the last few posts, we talked about the most important question you’ll ever ask:

What if God is real?

And that question led us somewhere deeper—

Not to some fluffy guy in the clouds,

but to an actual, eternal, omnipresent force

who stepped into reality to show us the way.

Hi, I’m Talmida T, and this is The Little Why—where we break down the big 'who, what, and whys’ of God in a little way, through digestible micro-sessions. And today, we step into the courtroom.

The case?

Jesus of Nazareth.

Who He really was—and what that means for the rest of us.

Because the story goes—He didn’t just speak for God.

He claimed to be God.

He entered our world,

was crucified,

and then—rose from the dead.

And if that’s true… it changes everything.

Now, in any real court case—whether it’s a traffic dispute or a capital trial—the jury doesn’t just jump in cold.

They’re given a set of rules before the case begins.

A judge looks them in the eye and says:

“You are here to listen.

You must remain open-minded.

Don’t jump to conclusions.

Don’t rely on hearsay.

And your verdict?

It must be based on the evidence—not emotion, not rumors, not outside influence.”

Well guess what?

You’re the jury now.

And this isn’t small claims court.

This is the biggest case in history.

We’re putting Jesus of Nazareth on trial.

Not for what He did—but for who He is.

Was He just a man?

A myth?

Or—as Christians believe—God in the flesh?

Over the next few weeks, we’ll walk through the evidence.

And at the end, you will render the verdict.

But before the case begins…

We need to lay out the rules of the court.

RULE 1: You must keep an open mind.

You may have prior beliefs—or doubts. That’s okay.

But like any juror, you are required to withhold final judgment until all the evidence is presented.

Real jurors are instructed:

“You must not be influenced by sympathy, prejudice, or public opinion. Keep an open mind throughout the trial, and do not decide the case until all evidence has been presented and arguments made.”

That applies here.

Don’t let internet memes, assumptions, influencer opinions or your own comfort level shut your ears before the case even starts.

RULE 2: You must base your verdict on evidence, not emotions.

In court, jurors don’t get to vote based on “gut feelings.

”They are told to make decisions based on the evidence presented — testimony, documents, reliable sources — not assumptions or personal preference.

That means you can’t say,

“Well, I just don’t like religion…”

or

“I’ve never personally experienced God, so He must not be real…”

That’s not a verdict. That’s a bias.

You must evaluate the evidence objectively — as if eternity depended on it.

Because… it might.

RULE 3: You will be presented with real-world, historical evidence.

This is not blind faith.

We will examine:

• Eyewitness accounts

• Non-Christian sources

• Ancient documents

• The behavior of key figures under pressure

• Prophecies

• And the explosive spread of Christianity under Roman persecution

• 
  

We will also fairly consider the counter-arguments:

Skepticism. Other religious beliefs. Secular objections.

You will hear the Cross-Examinations after each major claim.

This will be a real trial — not a one-sided sales pitch.

RULE 4: You are not required to reach absolute certainty — only reasonable certainty.

In most courts, the standard is “beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Not beyond all doubt — because that would be impossible.

No one has video footage of Julius Caesar, Plato, or Alexander the Great — but we trust in their existence because of historical records, multiple sources, and the effects they left behind.

The same method will be used here.

You will not be asked to believe blindly.But you will be asked:

“Is it reasonable to believe this is true, based on the evidence?”

RULE 5: The verdict is yours alone to render.

I’m not here to force your hand.

There’s no preacher waiting to dunk you in a baptismal font at the end of this series.

I’m just presenting the case.

You are the jury.

You decide what’s credible.

You decide what makes sense.

You decide what to do with Jesus.

So if you’re ready…

take your seat.

Get comfortable.

But stay sharp.

This isn’t entertainment.

This is a question that billions of souls have lived and died for.

And you’ve been called to weigh it — with courage, humility, and truth.

In our next post, we open the first case file: the historical evidence of Jesus.

Was He even a real person?

Or just a legend that got out of hand?

Court resumes next Friday at 3PM Pacific—The Hour of Mercy.

Come back for our next post then.

See you in court.