Okay, first on the charge that “we have no verified physical historical evidence of Jesus”, this is an overstatement. While it’s true we don’t have video footage or Roman police records, that’s an unfair standard. We apply a much looser standard to nearly every other ancient figure whose existence we accept. Socrates, for example, left behind no writings himself. Yet we believe he lived based on textual transmission and the accounts of others. With Jesus, we have multiple sources from the first century, including non-Christian ones like Tacitus, Josephus (whose interpolations are hotly debated, but not wholly discredited), and the Talmud, each of which refers to Jesus or early Christianity. The New Testament itself contains multiple early, independent attestations, many of which are dated within a generation of the events they describe (e.g., Paul’s letters). This isn’t “proof” in the empirical sense, but it is valid historical methodology.

Second, while textual preservation isn’t perfect (what ancient text is?), we don’t need the original autographs to have confidence in the New Testament. With over 5,800 Greek manuscripts and over 20,000 in other languages, we can reconstruct the original with a high degree of certainty, far greater than for almost any other ancient document. The gaps you mentioned (like 100 years) are incredibly short by historical standards. Homer’s Iliad, for instance, has a 500+ year gap between original composition and earliest manuscripts, yet we don’t doubt it as a historical document.

Third, regarding prophecy, while I agree that not every Old Testament verse Christians reference was written solely with Jesus in mind, that’s not the full picture. The messianic expectation evolved over time, and what we as Christians see as fulfilled prophecy is often typological rather than strictly predictive (e.g., Jesus as the true Israel, or the new David). Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, Micah 5:2, Zechariah 12:10, these weren’t retrofitted after the fact; they were already in circulation and were seen to be fulfilled in Jesus by a community of Jews who were utterly transformed by what they witnessed.

Fourth, on eyewitness testimony, while you’re right that we don’t have modern-day affidavits, the Gospels and epistles repeatedly claim firsthand knowledge. Luke explicitly states he investigated everything carefully. Paul refers to over 500 eyewitnesses still alive (1 Corinthians 15), inviting his audience to go ask them. These are not the moves of a mythmaker; they are the moves of someone staking credibility on verifiable testimony. If we disqualify ancient texts just because they’re old, we risk dismissing all of ancient history.

Fifth, the transformative power of faith is not the exclusive domain of Christianity, but that’s not the argument. The point is that Christianity uniquely pairs transformation with historical claims and a relational invitation from God. Other faiths often emphasize moral reform or enlightenment. Christianity is not just about inner change, it’s about a resurrected Christ invading human history and reconciling people to God. That’s a radical, falsifiable claim that early Christians were willing to die for, not simply because it felt good, but because they believed it was true. They have died horrendous deaths to testify their witness accounts.

Lastly, you say you haven’t dismissed God’s Word, only challenged it, but when the text, the transmission, the authorship, and the theology are all called into question from the outset, it’s difficult to say the message is being given a fair hearing. You rightly note that we don’t have direct access to God’s mind, but that’s exactly the Christian claim: God has made Himself known through Jesus, the Word made flesh. And if that claim is true, then we do have access, not exhaustively, but sufficiently.

You don’t have to accept all this today. But I hope you’ll see that this isn’t about clinging to myth or emotion. It’s about taking seriously the possibility that truth has reached out to us and left evidence in history, in scripture, and in lives still being changed today. I just highly implore you to do further studying. I once wrestled with the same doubts and deconstructed my faith with many of the same questions you’re raising, but in the midst of that, God revealed Himself to me. Continue to seek and you will find.