The evidence portrayed here will demonstrate the uniqueness of the individual Jesus of Nazareth, thus proving he was & is God’s only Son. No one else in the history of mankind has been able to predict their own death & bodily resurrection and then make it happen.
Some folks have stated that Jesus wasn’t dead on the cross but was only unconscious and was later revived. To that we can counter with Mark 15:44-45, John 19:32-34 & John 19:38-40 (all seen below) ...
“Pilate couldn’t believe that Jesus was already dead, so he called for the Roman officer and asked if he had died yet. The officer confirmed that Jesus was dead, so Pilate told Joseph he could have the body.”
“So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they didn’t break his legs. One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out.”
“Afterward Joseph of Arimathea, who had been a secret disciple of Jesus (because he feared the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate for permission to take down Jesus’ body. When Pilate gave permission, Joseph came and took the body away. With him came Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night. He brought about seventy-five pounds of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes. Following Jewish burial custom, they wrapped Jesus’ body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth.”
Regarding the ladies visiting Jesus tomb some say these women made a mistake by going to the wrong tomb ... also some unknown thieves stole Jesus’ body ... or simply that his disciples stole Jesus body. This evidence is found in Mark 15:47, Matthew 27:59-61
“Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where Jesus’ body was laid.”
“Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left. Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching.”
The other Mary with Mary Magdalene is listed in Mark as ‘Mary, mother of Joseph’. Not finding any evidence to back up her connection with Joseph of Arimathea, I will still sgo out on a limb and say it’s Mary, mother of Joseph of Arimathea, since it was that Joseph who supplied the new tomb to house Jesus’ dead body. The very same tomb Mary was ‘sitting across from’.
There was also speculation that the religious leaders stole Jesus’ body to produce it at a later date. Now the disciples would not have stolen the body of Jesus, for at some point when the true of it came out, it would have diminished their faith, thus making it virtually meaningless. If the religious leaders really HAD taken Jesus’ body they would have produced it to the public to stop all the rumors of his resurrection.
Did Jesus REALLY die on a Roman cross as scripture says?
What was crucifixion?
“Crucifixion is a death sentence, a nailing or tying of the hands and feet to a wooden beam and being left to hang there until death by exhaustion or asphyxiation. The crucifixion Jesus endured was even more brutal than the typical punishment for criminals. He was given a crown of thorns, beaten along the way, mocked and humiliated. Sometimes the legs of the criminals are broken to speed up the process, but Christ was pierced in the side and determined to be dead already, so His legs were not broken. While a crucifixion was an execution, it was also a humiliation, by making the condemned as vulnerable as possible.” [1]
“Let's summarize what we've learned about Jesus from this examination of ancient non-Christian sources. First, both Josephus and Lucian indicate that Jesus was regarded as wise. Second, Pliny, the Talmud, and Lucian imply He was a powerful and revered teacher. Third, both Josephus and the Talmud indicate He performed miraculous feats. Fourth, Tacitus, Josephus, the Talmud, and Lucian all mention that He was crucified. Tacitus and Josephus say this occurred under Pontius Pilate. And the Talmud declares it happened on the eve of Passover. Fifth, there are possible references to the Christian belief in Jesus' resurrection in both Tacitus and Josephus. Sixth, Josephus records that Jesus' followers believed He was the Christ, or Messiah. And finally, both Pliny and Lucian indicate that Christians worshipped Jesus as God!” [2]
Okay, so we’re relying on the word of people we’ll never know, trusting they were being truthful. I can see where Christian writers may speak of these things as a means of pushing their belief system, but secular people? Why would they speak of Jesus in any sort of way at all. If he was deemed as a problem in society, why would anyone tie their name to his existence? At some part it simply comes down to a faith and trust issue. In other words, based on what I know and what I’ve seen, heard, and read during my 68 years on planet earth I have CHOSEN to believe in the existence of God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit ... the birth, ministry, death, and resurrection of the Son of God. Do I HAVE TO believe this? NO, but having a free will it is my God given right to believe as I please and I choose to believe in Christ and follow him into eternity.
Up next is the Gospel of Luke. Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.
In His name & for His glory,
Richard Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
[1]https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/what-was-the-crucifixion-of-jesus.html
[2]https://www.bethinking.org/jesus/ancient-evidence-for-jesus-from-non-christian-sources
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