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A-G:There is no way these empiricists ("I can only trust my physical senses and reasoning") would have understood Jesus to mean that He was physically 2,000 years old.

K:I don't think the Pharisees were empiricists.

Hmmm, what becomes of John 6:49 - 6:52...?

("How can this man give us his flesh to eat?")

And a bit later in John 6:62, where Jesus says ""Does this seem incredible to you? What then if you were to see the Son of Man ascending again where He was before?"

Or of John 14:11 "Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me; but if not, believe me for the works' sake themselves."

Or for that matter, past the mere polemics, to action -- John 12:10-11 :

"So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus. "

Or during the crucifixion itself, Matthew 27:42:

"He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him."

And this kind of thing continues even after the resurrection, as evidenced in Acts 4:14-16 :

" When they saw the man who had been cured standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. So they ordered them to leave the council while they discussed the matter with one another. They said, "What will we do with them? For it is obvious to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable sign has been done through them; we cannot deny it."

And of course the writings of St. Paul, see 1 Cor 1:22 :

"For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom..."

The point being, they wanted, asked for, and were chided by Christ, with references to *evidence*.

Sounds like empiricists to me!

Cheers!