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Sakshyam Education
JESUS WAS PUT ON CROSS: WAS IT HIS WILFUL SACRIFICE?
Jesus was sent to Israelites for their reformation. Reformative work generally falls against to the prevalent practices that are invented by wrong notions.
Thus we read from the following passage (Matthew 15:1-13)
Then came to Jesus Scribes and pharisees, which were of Jerusa- lem, saying, why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, why do ye also transgress the Commandement of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me: And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites ,well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in
vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the command- ments of men. And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand. Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man: but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the pharisees were offended after they heard this saying? But he an- swered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. -Matthew 15:1-13
From the above passage we notice that Jesus gave the correct inter- pretation of the law regarding the washing of hands. And in various places, it can be seen that how Jesus gave correct interpretations regarding the observance of sabbath day and suchlike various other doctrines. He also quoted the prophet Isaias’ prophecy- that how the people wastefully worship God with their traditions leaving his commandments.
For these reasons, the Israelites thought him to be an imposter only, but not really a man of God. However,they found the mission of Jesus flourishing day by day and great multitude of people following him. Thus they began to predict that their Judaism would soon vanish away. So to protect their religion from decay, they made a strategy to make an end of Jesus himself. But they could not dare attack him openly for fear of mul- titude of people that were following him. Jews succeeded in provoking rage of the rulers against Jesus accusing him as a traitor. Knowing all this he went underground and remained in disguise. So the Jews and the rulers failed to track him down.
Satan enters into the field.
And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people.
Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscoriot being of the number of the twelve.
And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them.
And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money.
And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude -Luke 22:2-6
Satan is an open enemy of man. He tries always to mislead by making him disobey God and thus deprives him of the God’s bliss. In whatever act, deed, or occasion his (satan’s) involvement is found, one must understand,that it is purely designed for man’s destruction only. He is not our benefactor. He helped Jews in betraying Jesus by instigating evil desire in one of his disciples1, which act ultimately resulted in getting the sentence of crucifixion passed against Jesus. Did Satan really help the Jews? No, but he made them all enter into ever lasting hell for having betrayed the innocent Jesus with false accusations such as a traitor etc;
There was really no enmity between Jews and Jesus on their per- sonal grudges. But Jews did not like the reformations which were being made by Jesus. As a matter of fact, it was not Jesus that they wanted to get rid of, but it was the mission of Jesus. They opposed not Jesus, but the divine mission. Thus they all-all Jews who succeeded to put Jesus on cross became liable of God’s indignation and for enternal punishment in Hell. This is how Satan plays his role in making man in violating God’s commandments.
Defensive measures-resorted by Jesus.
Jesus prepared his apostles with swords to attack the enemy if pos- sible or at least for self defence if necessary.
Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword; let him sell his garment, and buy one. -Luke 22:36
He led them to his usual hiding place, where he appointed them to guard watchfully praying God for their safety.
And they said, Lord behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough. And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of olives: and his disciples also followed him. And when he was at the place, he said unto them, pray that ye enter not into temptation. -Luke 22:38-40
1. None from among the twelve apostles. But one disciple from among multitude of disciples who left following Jesus for fear of Jews. We have explained this point in our another book under caption-“ Is Atonement Necessary for salvation?”
Jesus himself prayed God to save him from the ignominious death awaiting for him.
And he was withdrawn from them about a stones cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,saying, Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup [death] from me: nevertheless not my will, but Thine be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. -Luke 22:41-44
Situation being thus, the enemy being led by one of his disciples approached them in a large number.
And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him. But Jesus said unto him, Judas,betrayest thou the son of man with a kiss? -Luke 22:47-48
Jesus ordered his disciples to run away while he himself too tried - seeing the great multitude.
Rise, let us be going :behold,he is at hand that doth betray me.-Matthew 26:46
But in vain. They could not move from there even an inch; as the enemy already came upon them.
And while he yet spake, lo Judas, one of the twelve came and with him a great multitude with swords and staves from the chief priests and elders of the people. -Matthew 26:47
“And while he yet spake...” means, the words of Jesus to his disciples ordering to run away were hardly completed than the enemy surrounded them.
Judas kissed Jesus- not as his last tribute- but to disclose his identity.
Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. -Matthew 26:48
Does this not prove that Jesus disguised himself so as not to be betrayed of ?
.........nor let me go. -Luke 22:68
This is the last clause of the verse Luke 22:68.
This clause is excluded from urdu and telugu versions. However these words were spoken by Jesus when he was being interrogated by the enemy after his betrayal. These words unequivocally prove that he was not willing to be crucified but wanted to be set free.
(And further when he was put on cross) he cried saying -My God, my God, Why hast Thou forsaken me? -Matthew 27:46
If it were God’s command or Jesus’ wilful sacrifice for the redemption of mankind, there could have been no place for such utterances.
From the foregoing points, it is evident that the act of putting Jesus on cross was not a wilful offering of Jesus to fulfil the decree of God, but it was imposed as a punishment for the false accusations made by Jews who wanted to get rid of Jesus.
The involvement of satan in carrying out this act of crucifixion is a clear evidence that it was not divine sacrifice for the redemption of man- kind offered by Jesus as a ransom, but a horrible device of Satan. But Paul preached the crucifixion of Jesus as a divine sacrifice for the re- demption of people.
All disciples had been carrying out the mission of preaching in strict accordance with the instructions they had been commissioned with by Jesus.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. -Matthew 28:19-20
From above we see that Jesus ordered the disciples to preach what all he had exhorted them to do.
Now let us examine what he had exhorted his disciples to do, in brief.
A) Then spake Jesus to the multitude and to his disciples, Saying The scribes and the pharisees sit in Moses’ seat : All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and do: but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
-Matthew 23:1-3
From the above passage one can understand that Jesus never preached an other religion such as christianity but he himself followed and exhorted to follow the religion that was existing in his time. And this is the reason why he commanded his followers to obey the scribes and pharisees and to do according to their biddings. The only difference is that the Jews did not believe on Jesus as a prophet sent for their reforma- tion. This is why he ordered his disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, the Holy Spirit and of himself (Matthew 28:19) but not in the sense to preach a new religion of his own.
Now let us have a glance over the reformations.
‘Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, Judgment, mercy and faith: These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone . Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat and swallow a camel. -Matthew 23:23-24
Nowhere Jesus had said that he would ransom his life for the sins of people. We have discussed in our foregoing arguments that how Jesus insisted upon observance of the law and righteousness to get eligibility to enter into the kingdom of God. This convincingly prove that the doctrine of Ransom-Redemption etc. as professed by Paul is in contrast with the teachings of Jesus and his apostles.
Let us have a glance over false teachers:
And again Jesus fore- warned his disciples to be careful about the false preachers and to be saved from being deceived of them.
Thus we read
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit: But a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire; wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. -Matthew 7:15-20
This is to say that many people would come in guise of followers of Jesus and mislead people. So whosoever preach against or that which does not conform with the teachings of the twelve apostles cannot be the real teachings of Jesus. Exactly as has been prophesied, Paul began to preach all contrary to the teachings of Jesus claiming himself to be an apostle of Jesus appointed for Gentiles. What more pitiable than rediculous is the attitude of present christianity, who verify the authenticity of any point in the teachings of Paul keeping aside the teachings of Jesus.
Thus in the churches of Peter, Paul might have entered and preached the doctrine of cross and death of Jesus as Ransom and Redemption.
Knowing this Peter (or his people) went to all those places where their people had been found attracted to the teachings of Paul-and mended them by showing all these points which we have pointed out. As they were the immediate disciples of Jesus who followed him right from the beginning and who knew all about his real teachings and about the truth what really had happened, could be able to convince them.But the matter ended not there by itself. To get them back on his side Paul,of course did not personally visit there for anticipatory manhandling, but wrote the epistles convincing his dogmas1. The following verse is taken from his letter to Galatians as an example which testify to our argument.
O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? -Galatians 3:1
1. Paul wrote letters repeatedly so as to attract the believers towards his Church. Colossians 2:1+4:16 Philippians 3:1 + 18 2nd Corinthians 10:9-10
D o c t r i n e o f J e s u s ’ R e s u r r e c t i o n a s p r e a c h e d b y p a u l .
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. -Romans 10:9
Who [Jesus] was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification. -Romans 4:25
Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead: and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you is Christ -Acts 17:3
Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel. -II Timothy 2:8
For if we belive that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. -I Thessalonians 4:14-18
From the foregoing passages we understand Paul to have preached the doctrine of Resurrection of Jesus from the dead. And it is not general resurrection but the immediate resurrection of Jesus from his (supposed) death on cross, after three days. And at the same time he speaks of the General Resurrection also,on which day according to him those that slept (died) in Jesus,shall be raised first and those that remain alive shall ac- company him. He did not say any thing about the non-christians.However, he means as saying that those christians that remain alive by the time of general resurrection will be caught up in the air to receive their Lord along with those that slept in Jesus who would have been raised first. Thus those that remain alive will remain for ever and ever without undergoing the general process of death and resurrection. Before we think of the
Resurrection of Jesus, let us first think about General Resurrection as proclaimed by him. According to Gospel of John, Jesus’ second manifes- tation is appointed, to raise the dead for judgment.
Thus we read in John.
Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth: they that have done good unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation. -John 5:28-29
The above verses prove that Jesus would come on the day of Resur- rection to raise the dead from the graves for judgment. A known fact is that General Resurrection will take place only after the end of the world (Matthew 24:14). On that day every living being and every thing will be destroyed .No life can escape from death. All mankind dies on that day with no exemption. After this, the general resurrection takes place. If this be the fact, where is the chance for some christians to be present alive on the day of Resurrection so as to be caught up in the air to meet their Lord and to be alive with him for ever without under going the process of death as advocated by paul?
Not only Paul preached this rediculous doctrine that some christians those that remain alive, accompany Jesus together with the resurrected christians, and remain with him for ever in this mortal body, without un- dergoing the general process of death and resurrection, but also indi- rectly suggested to preach this among christians by saying in the last verse of this passage which reads as follows.
“Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
This is an open blunder which paul committed, which worked as a fuel to fire and perturbed the church of peter.
Now let us examine about the Resurrection of Jesus:
It is recorded by John in his gospel that Jesus to have said as below.
Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
-John 10:17-18
Thus we find the doctrine of Paul about the wilful death of Jesus, and his resurrection after three days, as to have been justified by Jesus him- self.
But his attitude was contray:
Jesus earnestly prayed God to save him from death.
Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little farther,and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup [death] pass from me: nervertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. -Matthew 26:38-39
If he were the man appointed as ransom for the sins of people, when that good opportunity of getting it fulfilled had attained, could he ever have said-
‘My soul is exceeding sorrowful?’ No. But should have said, “the hour for which I have been sent into this world- has approached. It is a pre- cious day for me. So I am very happy. Let it be fulfilled with no obstacles.” On the contrary he prayed God to save him from the death awaiting.
If this be the attitude of Jesus, can the words such as have been recorded in the passage under discussion1, be regarded to have been really spoken by Jesus?
