Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Faith & common sense: "And now that Easter with its Bunny is over, we can tell people the truth."
Jesus survived the crucifixion and eventually went on to fulfill his stated mission to “gather the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel,” which were scattered throughout the near east in places like Afghanistan, India and Kashmir.
Ahmadiyya Times | News Staff | Excerpts
Source: KCAA Radio | “Understanding Islam” with Imam Shamshad
By Jonathon M.A. Ghaffar | April 6, 2010
Crucifixion: How could Jesus have survived that kind of ordeal?
Source: KCAA Radio | “Understanding Islam” with Imam Shamshad
By Jonathon M.A. Ghaffar | April 6, 2010
Crucifixion: How could Jesus have survived that kind of ordeal?
Like most people growing up, I just took it for granted that Jesus must have died on the cross. Before I was Muslim, I just looked at it like a political assassination. It didn’t occur to me that anyone could actually survive crucifixion. But after becoming an Ahmadi Muslim, I learned what really took place and why Jesus had to survive....
As you know, we don’t believe that Jesus, a true prophet of God, became accursed of God and died as a criminal and a false messiah. Jesus, being a beloved spiritual “son” of God most certainly would be saved from being proven false by dying on the cross. And now that Easter with its Bunny is over, we can tell people the truth....
The biggest contradiction in Christian theology is the stated purpose of Christ to willingly die for our sins, with the actual words and behavior of Jesus which deny this repeatedly. For instance, in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prays to God to “take this cup away from me.” “This cup” is the cup of death from crucifixion that he knows the Jews want to kill him with, to prove him false.
If Jesus was meant to die for our sins, why doesn’t he want to fulfill his own purpose? We’ve all heard reports of mothers who willingly sacrifice their own lives to save their children without a second thought. Are we to believe that God Himself as Jesus is weaker than a mother? How many soldiers in war-time have willingly thrown themselves on grenades to save their buddies without a second thought? Are these soldiers braver than Jesus? And why, on the cross, does Jesus say:
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Doesn’t he know he’s God in the flesh? Apparently not. And then he tells God: “Forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Who are ‘they”? The Jews, of course....
We believe that God saved Jesus through a variety of means. The New Testament is full of these clues, if you take the time to find and recognize them. For instance, take the case of Pontius Pilate and the dream his wife had, warning him not to have anything to do with the death of “that innocent man” Jesus (as). Where did this dream come from? There are only two choices: God or Satan, right? Whenever I ask a Christian this question, they always say it was from God, not Satan. Why would God be sending a dream to Pilate’s wife to save Jesus?...
Wasn't God’s plan to have Jesus – God in the flesh – be crucified to pay for our sins? Is God not consistent? In Islam, we believe God is always consistent, that’s why the dream of Pilate’s wife is perfectly consistent with God’s plan to save Jesus. Pilate gets his wife’s message and then does everything he can to save Jesus.
First, Pilate says he will have Jesus scourged and then release him. The Jews say, “Yes, whip him, but you still have to crucify him.” Pilate then tries to get Jesus freed based on the Jewish custom to free one prisoner before the Passover Feast. Pilate offers to release Jesus, but the Jews say “No, release Barabbas,” who was a thief and a murderer, no less – but Pilate must crucify Jesus.
The Jews, sensing Pilate is not on their side, eventually tell Pilate they will report him to Rome for failing to put a seditious rebel to death who claimed he was the King of the Jews. But when Jesus himself is asked this question, he doesn’t answer him with a resounding “Yes!’ but tells Pilate “Thou sayest” or “that’s what you say.”
Older Bible commentaries are at a loss to explain this sarcastic response by Jesus. In my opinion, Jesus should have said: “Absolutely, now let’s get on with the crucifixion – I’ve got 4,000–years’ worth of people’s sins to pay for.” But he doesn’t say anything like that, does he? Seeing the writing on the wall, Jesus seems to be saying that he knows he’s getting a raw deal and justice will not be his this day – at least not the justice of men. Maybe that’s why new Bibles don’t say “Thou sayest” but now translate this as: “Yes, it is as you say.” That way there’s nothing there which they have trouble explaining.
Jonathan M.A. Ghaffar serves as the local Interfaith Outreach Secretary for the Los Angeles East Chapter of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. He is a professional essay editor, proofreader, and graphics artist; and he writes on many subjects including comparative religions and Historical Jesus.
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