One of the fundamental
beliefs of Christianity is that Jesus had died and allowed for the
shedding of his blood for the sake of granting forgiveness to people.
In other words Jesus had died on the cross as a sacrifice for our
sins. 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.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".
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of Contents Next--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One of the fundamental
beliefs of Christianity is that Jesus had died and allowed for the
shedding of his blood for the sake of granting forgiveness to people.
In other words Jesus had died on the cross as a sacrifice for our
sins. 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.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".
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