Q 4: Was Jesus really Crucified?
Introduction
Imagine if you
will, the account of Jesus; after the resurrection in Jn. 20:19-20, when he
appeared to his disciples. Instead of telling them that he is the resurrected
Christ, he would say, “April Fools!” How different would their lives be if
Jesus had, in fact, faked his own death?
There are many skeptics out there,
even today, who believe that Jesus never really died on the cross. We will look
at a few of them.
The Swoon Theory
The idea here
is that Jesus didn’t die but merely passed out on the cross. And that later,
when he was placed in the tomb, he managed to escape. He would then clean
himself up and then appear to his disciples on the first day of the week.
To understand
everything that Jesus went through, including the burial, we consult the scriptures:
1. Scourging—Matt.
27: 26
2. Crown
of Thorns—Matt. 27: 29-30
3. Carrying
cross—John 19: 17
4. Piercing
of Hands and Feet—John 20: 25
5. Spear
in Side—John 19: 31-34
6. Burial
Spices—Approx. 100 pounds
7. Airless
tomb—Matt. 27: 60
8. Great
Stone—Matt. 27: 60
Jesus would have to overcome all of
these things, and get healed, to be able to appear to His disciples on the
first day of the week. We also have to keep in mind that the tomb was guarded
by Roman soldiers (Matt. 27:65-66). This theory is nonsense as even Jesus wouldn’t
have been able to survive through all of this.
The Wrong Tomb Theory
Given that GPS
wasn’t invented in the 1st century, it is suggested that the women
went to the wrong tomb, found it empty, and declared that Jesus had risen. The
biggest error of this theory is that in Matt. 27:59-61, it is said that the
women accompanied Joseph of Arimathea to the tomb when he was buried. I’m sure
they knew from this where to find it again. If they know that Jesus’ tomb was
guarded, it would be easy to find also as no other tomb were have sentries
posted. Also, if they went to the wrong tomb, someone would go to the right
tomb and find the body and bring it before the Sanhedrin.
Jesus had a Twin Brother
This is the
most absurd of theories. Having done research on the crucifixion for a sermon,
I came across a theory that Jesus had a twin brother and they were separated at
birth. His brother stumbled into Jerusalem at the time of the crucifixion and,
seeing his double upon the cross, created a messianic mission for himself. He
steals his brother’s body and hides it and then, upon inquiry, discovers the
hidden disciples and announces that he’s been resurrected.
We know from
scripture that Jesus was a single birth and was prophesized as such in the Old
Testament. To say that another would take Jesus’ place as the resurrected
Christ, would define the limitations of God’s deity; unable to raise a person
from the dead. If this were true, then our hope in the resurrection would be in
vain as well (see 1 Cor. 15:12-19).
The Plain Truth
There are other
theories as well, but these will suffice to prove the lengths that man will go
to disprove something miraculous. If you read the account of the resurrection
in Jn. 20: 1-18, you have the simple gospel truth of Jesus’ being raised from
the dead. If you read the rest of that chapter; it tells of his appearing to
the disciples and proof to Thomas that he’s real.
People want to
disprove these things because, if they are true, then they realize that they are
not living their lives the way they should. Most do not want to be told how to
live their lives.
Conclusion
The last two
verses of John chapter 20 read as follows: 30-31, And
truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are
not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus
is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His
name. (NKJV)
If you believe
in the scriptures as God’s Holy Word, then you believe everything that the
bible said has happened in the past. Just as man puts faith in those who write
history books, so must we; as Christians, must put our faith in the bible.
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