Facts And Fables Poem by zaheer uddin

Was Jesus Sent to be Crucified? was Jesus crucified and offered infinite atonement for the sins of the world? . Let us investigate this topic from the Bible, and find out whether Jesus was sent to be crucified or that he was crucified:

1. Willingness of Jesus Christ to Die for Our Sins: Peter and the two sons of Zebedee were with Jesus Christ before the elders of the people and the chief priests came to take him to crucify him. Jesus at this point talked to Peter and the two sons of Zebedee as in Matthew 26: 38 'Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.' Then Jesus went a little further way from them and prayed to God as in Matthew 26: 39 'And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.' It is very clear from the above verse in Matthew 26: 39 that Jesus had no intention of dying. In this verse it is shown that Jesus was praying strongly (Matthew mentions that Jesus repeated these prayer three time)to have this death removed from him. Had Jesus Christ been sent to be crucified he would not have hesitated to be killed at all. When I relate this to my Christian brothers, they tell me that this hesitation comes from the flesh side of him (in other words he was tempted) , and that his soul which is godly does not have this hesitation at all. When we look at Matthew 26: 38 we see that Jesus is contradicting this idea by saying, 'My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death.' (Matthew 26: 38) . He himself says that it really his soul that is hesitating and not his body. These are Jesus' own words.

2. God Answered the prayers of Jesus Christ: After Jesus made the above mentioned prayer he was answered by God according to Hebrews 5: 7 'Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared.' These words clearly show that when Jesus was praying strongly to God, God would grant him his request. The word 'heard in that he feared' (Hebrews 5: 7)mean that God granted him what he requested. So the above verse shows that when Jesus asked of God to 'let this cup pass from' (Matthew 26: 39)him, God respond to his prayer and saved him from death or crucifixion.

3. The Post Crucifixion Prophesied Events never happened: When the people were asking Jesus Christ if he was going to show them a sign, He replied by saying that the only sign that they should expect is the sign of Jonas. Jesus also made sure to specify what exactly this sign was. The details are shown in the following verses: Matthew 12: 38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. Matthew 12: 39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: Matthew 12: 40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Jesus here emphasized what will happen to him by specifically saying that he will be like Jonas in terms of the number of days and nights he will be in the heart of the earth, ' For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.' (Matthew 12: 40) . Now let us see if this prophecy came to pass. Jesus was crucified on Friday, this is certainly known among all Christians, and that is the reason for calling that Friday by 'Good Friday'. Jesus was buried on Friday night. Now let us start counting: 1.Friday night Jesus was buried. This is night number 1.2.Saturday day Jesus was still in the grave. This is day number 1.3.Saturday night Jesus was still in the grave. This is night number 2. Mary Magdalene, very early in the morning before sun rise and after the Sabbath (Saturday) , went to the see Jesus, and he was not there. The following verses relate this event: Mark 16: 1 And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. Mark 16: 2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. Mark 16: 3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? Mark 16: 4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great. Mark 16: 5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. Mark 16: 6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. The number of days and nights that Jesus had spent in the heart of the earth is 1 day and 2 nights. This clearly challenges what Jesus had prophesied. When I tell this to my Christian brothers, some of them responded by saying that what Jesus wanted to really say was that he will be gone for a while, and not that he will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. This is clearly not the case. Had Jesus meant that, he would have said it, but it is clear that he wanted the people to know that this was a sign (miracle)and that it will be like Joans' sign, and that he will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. These were his own words.

4. Why Would Jesus Have to Die on the Cross? According to the Christian doctrine, Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. The idea here is that every human is born with sins, or that all humans will sin, and therefore it was necessary that someone as pure as Jesus would be the crucified to nullify these sins. The question is; why does anyone have to die for our sins when God, the All-Merciful, could as easily give us forgiveness if we ask for it? Isn't God the one who makes the rules? Why does He have to make someone suffer for our sins or for someone else's sins? Isn't that unjust of Him? According to the Bible the way to redemption could be obtained without the need for sacrifice. The Bible says: Ezekiel 18: 20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. Ezekiel 18: 21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. Clearly the soul that sins shall die. Clearly that no one shall bear the iniquity (sins)of others. So Jesus cannot bear the sins of others either. If one is righteous then it shall be upon him, and if one commits a sin then it shall be upon him, and not on Jesus. Finally, the way to repentance and forgiveness is by turning from all sins, doing what is right, and keeping the commandments. Also we see the same message given by Solomon. He says in the book of Ecclesiastes 12: 13 'Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.' This is the whole message, and this is the conclusion of messages. It is that one should fear God, and keep the commandments, and nothing else. Again in 2 Chronicles 7: 14 'If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.' This clearly states that to seek forgiveness from God we have to humble ourselves, pray and seek God, and turn away from wickedness. Finally the Bible says in Samuel 15: 22 'And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.' This clearly states that obeying God is better that sacrifice whether this sacrifice is of objects, animals, or humans, or any other type. What God likes is for us to heed and obey Him, and if that is what God likes then it is not of Him to come later and change his mind, and change his ways. God says in the Holy Quran, 'Verily God is All-Knowing, All-Wise' (Ch 9: Vr 28) . Now that we have seen this, Christians say that Jesus has changed some of these laws. Let's look at what Jesus says. In Matthew 5: 17 'Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.' Jesus clearly states that he was not sent to abolish the law, the law of which had already existed. So what is mentioned above cannot be discounted. Then Jesus continues to say, in Matthew 5: 18 and 19 'For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.' Jesus here states that not even as much as a dot (tittle)shall not pass from the law. Every thing is kept the way it was. That is why the previous laws cannot be removed or discarded, and those who willfully change these laws 'he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven.'

was there any Ressurection? when Jesus returned to that upper room after his alleged crucifixion: 'And saith unto them, (his disciples) , 'Peace be unto you'' (Luke 24: 36) , and his disciples were terrified on recognizing him? '' When one recognizes one's long-lost friend or one's beloved, the natural reaction is to feel overjoyed, elated and one wants to embrace and kiss the hands and feet of the beloved. Why did they get terrified? ' they (the disciples)thought that they were seeing a ghost.: 'Did Jesus look like a ghost? ': 'No.' 'Then why did they think that they were seeing a ghost when he did not look like a ghost Disciples Not Eye Witnesses 'You see, the disciples of Jesus were not eye-witnesses or ear-witnesses to the actual happenings of the previous three days, as vouched for by St. Mark who says that at the most critical juncture in the life of Jesus: 'they all forsook him and fled.' (Mark 14: 50) . All the knowledge of the disciples regarding their Master was from hearsay. They had heard that their master was hanged on the Cross; they had heard that he had given up the Ghost; they had heard that he was dead and buried for three days. If one is confronted by a person with such a reputation then the conclusion is inescapable; they must be seeing a ghost. Little wonder these ten brave men were petrified.' 'To disabuse their minds from the fear that gripped them, Jesus reasoned with them. He said: 'Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself' in plain English this is how he told them: 'What is wrong with you fellows, can't you see that I am the same person - who walked and talked with you, broke bread with you - flesh and blood in all respects.' Why do doubts enter your minds? 'Handle me and see, for a spirit has no flesh and bones as you see me have.' (Luke 24: 39) . In other words he is telling them: 'If I have flesh and bones, then I am not a ghost, not a spook and not a spirit! '', Jesus is telling them, as recorded in this verse, in basic English, that what the disciples were asked to 'handle and see' was not a translated body, not a metamorphosed body and not a resurrected body, because a resurrected body is a spiritualised body. He is telling them in the clearest language humanly possible that he is not what they were thinking. They were thinking that he was a spirit, a resurrected body, one having been brought back from the dead. He is most emphatic that he is not! ' Spiritualization 'But how can you be so sure that the resurrected body cannot materialize physically as Jesus had obviously done? ': 'Because Jesus had himself pronounced that the resurrected bodies get spiritualised.' When did he say any such thing? ': 'Do you remember the incident as recorded in the Gospel of St. Luke, chapter 20, where the learned men of the Jews- 'the chief priests and the scribes with the elders'- had come to him with a number of posers, and among them was one about a Jewess who had seven husbands in turn, one after another according to a Jewish custom, and in time all seven husbands and the woman too died? ' The Reverend said that he did remember the occasion. I continued: 'The trap that the religious hierarchy was trying to spring on him was; which one of the seven husbands was going to possess the woman on the 'Other side'- at the resurrection? - since they reasoned with Jesus that the seven brothers had her. There was no problem while they fulfilled their obligation of trying to give her a child, because they had possessed her one by one in turn, and it was after the death of one that the other had taken her to wife. But since at the resurrection all seven will be brought to life simultaneously, there will be strife in heaven because all seven would want to get at her at the same time, specially if they had pleasure with her.' 'Jesus debunked their false notion of the resurrection, by saying that at the resurrection: 'neither shall they die any more' (Luke 20: 36)meaning that the resurrected persons will be Immortalised. They will not be subject to death any more, no more hanger or thirst, no more fatigue. In short, all the instruments of death will be powerless against the resurrected body. Jesus continues to explain: 'for they (the resurrected bodies)are equal unto the angles, ' that is, that they will be Angelised - spiritualised, that they will become spirit-creatures, i.e. Spirits; 'and the children of God, for such are the children of the resurrection.' (Luke 20: 36) . Jesus Not Spiritualised: . To assure them further after having offered his hands and feet for inspection and verification that his was a material, physical body, and that all their bewilderment and disbelief was unjustified, he asked his disciples: 'Have you here any meat? ' (Meaning something to eat) . 'And they gave him a piece of broiled fish and of a honeycomb, and he took it, and did eat before them.' (Luke 24: 41-43)A Drama? What was Jesus trying to prove by all his demonstrations of wanting his hands and feet to be handled and chewing and masticating broiled fish and honeycomb? Was all this a pretense, make-belief, an act or drama? 'No! ' Said Schleliermacher in 1819, . Albert Schweizer records him saying: 'If Christ had only eaten to show that he could eat, while he really had no need of nourishment, it would have been a pretense, something docetic.'(In Quest of the Historical Jesus, page 64) . No Resurrection? ' Jesus is telling you in the most unambiguous language that he is not a spirit - not spiritualised, not a resurrected person, and yet the whole Christian world believes that he was resurrected, i.e. spiritualised.. Now here are the verses discussed put together: '..Jesus himself stood in their midst, and said unto them, Peace be unto you...But they were terrified, and supposing that they were seeing a spirit... And he said unto them, .. 'Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me and see; for a spirit has no flesh and bones, as you see me have'... And showed them his hands and feet... And while they yet believed not for joy and wondered, he said unto them, 'Have ye here any meat? '.. And they gave him a piece of broiled fish

The Quran denies the crucifixion in the following verses

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, MOST GRACIOUS, MOST MERCIFUL

. That they said (in boast) , 'We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah.'; - But they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain)knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not: -

. Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise; -

(Chap 4. Verse 157-158)