Is the Shroud of Turin 'Real' — and Why Are People Still Talking About Jesus 2,000 Years Later? Pastor's Candid Response

With the forthcoming CNN series "Finding Jesus: Faith, Fact, Forgery" set to premiere on March 1, the network brought a pastor involved with the production on-air and asked whether he believes the Shroud of Turin — a relic that many believe was Jesus' burial cloth — is authentic.

That preacher, Erwin Raphael McManus of Mosaic Church in Las Angeles, California, offered a candid response before offering some additional views on the intrigue surrounding Christ.

"I think, no," he responded. "But I don't think that necessarily matters."

Despite his view that the shroud likely wasn't used during Jesus' burial, McManus said that the relic's authenticity or lack thereof has little impact on the continued quest to understand Christ — an investigation that has continued among believers and skeptics, alike, through the ages.

"I think the exploration and the search for who Jesus is — and that 2,000 years later we're still trying to figure out who He was and did He really rise from the dead," McManus said. "And I think, for me, the answer is 'yes' and that's why we're talking about Him today."

Watch the clip below:

As TheBlaze previously reported, “Finding Jesus: Faith, Fact, Forgery” will explore whether or not Christ left any physical traces behind,promising to offer “fascinating new insights into the historical Jesus, utilizing the latest state-of-the-art scientific techniques and archaeological research.”

The series will be a docudrama that takes viewers through explanations of artifacts, while also exploring biblical characters and stories that help to frame these items. From Christ’s baptism to his resurrection, the gospels’ biggest events will be highlighted.

“Each episode of the six-part series investigates the value and authenticity of a historical object which could shed new light on Jesus: the Shroud of Turin, relics venerated as part of the True Cross, the gospel of Judas, relics believed to be of John the Baptist, the burial box of Jesus’ brother James and the gospel of Mary Magdalene,” read a press release announcing the show.

Set to premiere on March 1 at 9 p.m., “Finding Jesus” will include media personalities and experts who will discuss these matters in detail, including MacManus and Huffington Post religion editor Rev. Paul Raushenbush.

Read more about the docuseries here.

--

Front page image via Shutterstock.com