There is no good reason to doubt the authenticity and reliability of what the gospels say about Jesus. Knowledgeable people, people who knew Jesus well, reported the events and happenings of the life of Jesus. The gospels were written at a time when Jesus was still remembered and at a time when misstatements about Him could have easily been challenged and proven false. The books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were accepted by most, while early Christians and others rejected many incredulous books about Jesus. The consensus of the centuries has been that the gospels' portrait of Jesus is true. It is easy to see how such an awesome and divine figure as the Jesus presented in the gospels would influence the world with His life and teachings. By contrast, it is beyond belief that one who is the mere figment of one s imagination could be thought to be so real and so influential. We may be confident that in reading the gospels, we meet the real Jesus — the Christ, the Son of the Living God!
And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name (John 20:30,31).