Resurrection or Deception?
The story of Jesus’ resurrection is a compelling one, but is it true? How can we in the twenty-first century account for this Gospel story?
Possible Explanations:
Mass Hallucinations
Could it have been a mass hallucination? That’s not a likely answer. Too many people saw the resurrected Jesus over too long a period of time to dismiss it as a mass hallucination. Besides, hallucinations don’t have physical bodies to touch, and they don’t eat and carry on prolonged conversations. Moreover, mass hallucination does not explain the empty grave. No, mass hallucination is not a satisfactory answer.
Swoon Theory
Some speculate Jesus was still alive when taken down from the cross. He had merely fainted and gone into a coma. Aroma from the burial spices revived him in the tomb. He got up, rolled back the stone, and walked away.
Somewhere along the way, he happened to find some clean clothes. Dressed in his new apparel, he ran into Mary Magdalene and her friends. They were startled, so much so, they ran off and spread conflicting rumors about his return from death.
Then Jesus dropped in on his disciples. They misinterpreted the entire event thinking he was a ghost. Jesus attempted to convince his friends he was still a man. He even had them touch his crucifixion wounds. Despite his efforts, they would not be persuaded. Eventually he gave up and set out for some unknown destination where he lived the rest of his life anonymously. He never taught, preached, or performed another miracle. And no one ever discovered his true identity.
It’s a wonder, Hollywood hasn’t picked up on this idea and made a film about “The Great Deception.” Maybe they have and I missed it.
That theory has a few holes in it, large gaping holes at that. It is rather apparent that Jesus did die on the cross. That’s what the soldiers breaking legs said, and that’s what the soldier with the spear made sure of. That is also what the centurion reported to Pilate.
These men were familiar with death and they were well-acquainted with crucifixion. They could tell the difference between an alive and a dead man. Furthermore, they knew how to make sure a man is dead. In other words, the crucifixion detail knew its grisly task.
But just for the sake of argument, let’s say Jesus wasn’t dead, even after the spear thrust in his side. In that case Joseph and Nicodemus placed an unconscious, badly damaged, bleeding body in a cool tomb and wrapped spices around him. But he still wouldn’t have a chance. Shock would more than likely kill him; if not, he would certainly bleed to death. Those large nail holes through his wrists and heels would render his hands and feet useless. He wouldn’t be able to move himself, to say nothing of the heavy stone at the entrance. No, the “swoon theory” doesn’t work.
Let’s go back to Friday. Friday evening before 6 pm, Joseph rolled a heavy stone closing the entrance to the tomb. Inside is Jesus’ disfigured dead body wrapped in linen and covered with seventy-five pounds of myrrh and aloes. Early Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene, her companions, the apostles Peter and John, and even the guards and the chief priests all seem to agree: The body is missing. So what happened to Jesus’ body? There are only two possible answers. Either someone removed the corpse, or Jesus arose from death.
Someone Stole the Corpse
Let’s consider the first possibility. Someone took Jesus’ body away. Who would want it? Certainly not the religious or civil authorities. They were the ones who had the tomb secured, specifically so no one would tamper with the body. What about the disciples or maybe even grave robbers? Could they have stolen the body? No. The sealed tomb and guards were adequate protection against theft.
But didn’t the chief priests and soldiers claim, “the disciples stole the body while the guards were asleep”? (Matthew 28:12-13) That’s what they said; but it doesn’t make sense. How would the guards have known the disciples took the corpse if they were asleep? And how could the disciples have rolled back a sealed, or even an unsealed, heavy stone without awaking the guards?
Remember the chief priests spoke of shielding the guards should Pilate hear that they slept on duty? (Matthew 28:14) Those were Roman soldiers. The usual punishment for a Roman soldier who fell asleep at his post was death. Considering those consequences, it’s very unlikely they were all asleep at the same time.
If they had been asleep, they would be the last ones to admit it. What’s more, why should the same Jewish leaders who asked for the guard detail be eager to cover-up for the guards who went to sleep on their requested assignment? The most that can be said for it is that it is an awkward story that doesn’t pass scrutiny. Nobody got past the guards and the sealed tomb to steal the body.
Disciples Bribed Guards and Took Corpse
If that idea doesn’t fly, let’s try something more plausible. Maybe the disciples bribed the guards and got Jesus’ body out with the help of the Roman soldiers. Certainly, the Jews proved the soldiers could be bought for a price.
Bribing the Roman guards has its own set of problems. The first problem is the disciples themselves. They were frightened and disillusioned. They were not in a frame of mind to bribe the guards for Jesus’ corpse. Even if they had been, the disciples were not noted for their wealth. And the guards risk their own lives by taking a bribe of that sort. It follows they would require a very large payoff to take such a gamble.
Let’s face it, offering a bribe to the guards would be risky business. If negotiations with the soldiers broke down, the guards might well decide to turn the disciples over to the chief priests. After all, the chief priests did have money, and they would definitely be interested in anyone who wanted Jesus’ body.
There would probably be a nice fat reward for nabbing those disciples. And equally appealing, the guards would not be placing themselves in jeopardy. Would the disciples take such a risk? Apparently not, they seemed to prefer the safety of staying behind locked doors. (John 20:19)
Let’s not forget, the disciples and the guards were not the only ones involved in this story. The chief priests play a part too. What do you think the Jewish leaders would do if they really believed the apostles had Jesus’ body? Those chief priests showed they understood Jesus when he said he would rise on the third day. They also knew the importance of preventing that deception. (Matthew 27:62-64)
I suspect they would have hunted down Jesus’ followers and bribed or tortured them one by one until someone talked. And someone would talk. One of them would tell the chief priests where to find the body. The Jews would exhibit the corpse, and the rumor about his resurrection would quickly fade. But none of this took place. That fact leads us to believe the Jews knew the disciples did not have the body of Jesus.
Effect of Seeing the Resurrected Jesus
The most remarkable thing about the claims of seeing Jesus is the effect it had on the one making the claim. We have already looked at Paul’s conversion. He did a complete flip flop. Paul went from being the number one persecutor of Christians to becoming the number one spokesman for Christianity. And it happened overnight. What reason did he give for the sudden change? He tells us the reason; he saw the resurrected Jesus. That’s the road to Damascus Experience.
The effect on the other apostles is no less dramatic. In my earlier article “Apostles: Legendary Heroes or Real Men?” we took a look at the way the Gospels depicted the apostles. They weren’t zealots; they were just normal men with normal flaws and shortcomings. Sometimes they were quarrelsome; sometimes they were petty; and often they were just ignorant of things Christ expected them to know.
Occasionally, they were cowards. At a critical moment, they deserted their master. Peter even denied knowing Jesus three times. And after Jesus’ death, his disciples were leaderless and frightened. Afraid of the Jews, they stayed behind locked doors.
Suddenly, these frightened little men do a complete about-face. Paul and the apostles spearhead the Christian movement. These men rapidly spread the Good News across Palestine, through Europe, and into Africa. They are fearless and tireless in converting both Jews and gentiles to Jesus Christ.
No longer are they afraid of the Jews. In fact, they seem to welcome persecution. They count it as a blessing that they are considered worthy to suffer for Christ. They teach and preach the Good News of Jesus and his resurrection. Beatings don’t stop them; prisons don’t stop them; even death doesn’t slow down the spread of Christianity. Others praise them for the way they face death and step in to take their place.
What happened? What turned those demoralized, fearful men into dynamic heroes in such a short time? They say they saw the resurrected Jesus. In him they found their reason for living and even a cause worth dying for.
If they are telling us the truth, that is, Jesus actually arose from the grave and appeared to them, their reaction is logical. They are willing to follow the One who conquered death and promised eternal life. On the other hand, if the resurrection story was a hoax, it doesn’t make any sense at all.
Apostles Didn’t Take the Body.
Look at it from the disciples’ point of view. Say they had somehow gained possession of Jesus’ body and concealed it from the authorities. Next, they fabricated the story of Jesus’ resurrection. And from that point on, the disciples dedicated their lives to spreading what they knew to be a lie. They knew for a fact that Jesus was nothing but a fraud. Likewise, they knew that there was no real hope for life beyond the grave.
Yet the disciples faced suffering, abuse, and even death all to perpetuate a cynical hoax. Not one of them cracked. They never admitted their deception, and no one else uncovered it. Does that sound reasonable? No, not a bit of it! Real people just don’t act that way.
You have heard it said, there are two things you can count on in this life: death and taxes. I will give you a third. No man, past or present, is willing to die for what he knows to be a lie. There’s no exception. Then again, men throughout history have shown they are willing to face death for what they honestly believe to be the truth.
The apostles weren’t fools. They were practical men who were not easy to persuade. There was no doubt in their minds they were seeing and talking to the resurrected Christ. Christ’s victory over death inspired them to face abuse, hardship, and death. The turnaround in the lives of Paul and the apostles is the most clear-cut evidence we have of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Science, History, Natural Laws, and Jesus
I have heard people say they cannot accept the story of Jesus’ resurrection because it has no basis in science. But surely that is not a reasonable objection. We accept a wide variety of information everyday which has no scientific backing. For instance, we accept or reject stories in the newspaper or television based on our estimate of the news media’s reliability. We can’t very well hook them up to a lie detector to see if they are telling the truth.
Tell me, how do you know if your friend is telling you the truth? I suspect you don’t shove him in a test tube, pour in a few chemicals, and shake him up to see if he’s lying. No, you accept or reject what he says based upon his past honesty.
Likewise, you either trust your spouse or you don’t depending upon your estimate of his or her past behavior. Very unscientific it’s true; but that is the only reasonable way you can make most decisions in life.
Someone might say, “Oh, but those are personal matters. We would not expect to apply scientific analysis to friends, family, or even our tastes in newscasters.”
Where should we require scientific proof then? How about geography? I have never been to London, England. But I believe there is such a place. I accept it based upon authority: authority of maps which show the city, books which tell about the city, teachers who assure me London exists, and eyewitnesses who have been there. It is not a scientific method, but we all accept it anyway.
Now consider history. How do we know there was ever a Julius Caesar, a Napoleon, or a Lord Horatio Nelson? In so far as that goes, how do we know the Spanish Armada was defeated or that the Battle of Waterloo ever took place?
We “know” and accept it based on authority, the authority of history books which tell us those men lived and those battles took place. The people who wrote our history books never saw those men nor witnessed those events either. Caesar, Napoleon, and Nelson all died long before our current historians were born.
The only reason we know of those famous men and long ago events is because they were recorded by eyewitnesses of their day. Written firsthand accounts have been passed down to our present generation. That too is not a scientific method. But this isn’t science; it’s history. And that is the way we document historical events. If that were not acceptable, we would be forced to discard all history before the age of photography.
Then we turn to Jesus Christ. He too was a historical character. We know that the same way we know Caesar, Napoleon, and Nelson were historical figures. Numerous eyewitnesses, both friend and foe, saw and heard him, and some wrote about him.
Jesus lived and died. Scholars and historians agree; that much is not an issue. Jesus was a great moral teacher too. Again, we find widespread agreement. That is not an issue either. Then we get to Jesus’ miracles, and here is where we find the skeptics. “Miracles,” they say, “run counter to the laws of nature. Therefore, by definition, they cannot be true.”
If nature and the laws of nature were all that existed, then miracles (defined as exceptions to the law of nature) should not occur. On the other hand, if God created the universe and established the “laws of nature,” it’s reasonable to believe that he has the power and authority to supersede his own laws, if he so chooses. That is exactly what Christians believe he did to prove the deity of Jesus and to establish his church.
There is another problem with questioning Jesus’ miracles. Namely, the same four sources who give us Jesus “the great moral teacher,” are also the ones who present “Jesus the miracle worker.” Why accept the teachings and reject the miracles reported by the same men?
We have, in fact, good reason to believe Jesus did perform miracles. Matthew and John were themselves eyewitnesses to Jesus “miracles, signs, and wonders.” Mark records Peter’s eyewitness accounts. And Luke passes on the firsthand reports of other eyewitnesses. These are credible witnesses. They saw Jesus’ miracles.
Many others at the time saw Jesus perform miracles. At Pentecost, Peter appeals to the crowd’s knowledge of Jesus’ power to convince them that he was both Lord and Christ. And it worked. Three thousand of them were added to the Christian movement that day. Even Jesus’ enemies did not question the fact that he performed miracles. They merely questioned the source of his power.
We have reviewed the evidence. We know the story. It’s time for our decision. Long before Jesus’ birth, Hebrew prophets detailed the life, death, and resurrection of the coming Messiah. The prophecies were specific and to the point. Coincidental fulfillment was (and is) out of the question.
The translation of the Hebrew text into the Greek Septuagint around 275 B.C. assures us those prophecies proceeded Jesus by several hundred years. Jesus intentionally carried out and completed each prophecy pertaining to the Messiah. Others unintentionally played their roles in the prophecies related to the Messiah. No one before or since has come close to these prognostications. Old Testament scriptures clearly point to Jesus as the Christ.
Jesus was a real historical man who claimed he was (and is) the Son of God. He said he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He offers us no other alternative. He emphatically said, “No one sees the Father except through me.”
Jesus backed up his claims with his authoritative teachings, his numerous miracles, and his resurrection from death. No one before or since has made claims of that sort. And certainly no one else has offered such convincing proof of divinity.
Testimony from church bishops in A.D. 130 and 177, plus comparisons of papyrus documents of the period, and internal evidence from the Gospels themselves all argue for early dates for Matthew, Mark, and Luke. We have good reason to believe these three Gospels were first century reports from men close to the original sources.
The oral tradition proceeded the written Gospels by twenty to thirty years or less. Matthew and John may well have relied on their own recollections for most of their books. Furthermore, the Gospels were composed during a period when many people of Jesus’ generation were still alive and could remember the “real” Jesus. The Gospel writers would have lost all credibility with their readers if they contradicted public knowledge of the events.
Textual critics assure us that the Gospel stories are basically the same today as when the authors composed them. In fact, the reliability of the New Testament text compares favorably with that of other ancient writings.
The supernatural element was not a later addition of the Gospels. We find it was an intricate part of the original story. Peter used the Jews’ knowledge of Jesus’ miraculous powers as well as his resurrection to convert them to Christianity. Paul spoke of Jesus’ resurrection in an attempt to persuade King Agrippa.
The early writers Irenaeus and Tertullian say that John the apostle wrote the Gospel that bears his name. John’s detailed realism leads us to believe his Gospel is to a large extent a report on events and conversations he witnessed himself. Luke’s meticulous historical approach reads like a report of actual events. His style and content support his claim of objectivity. He investigated eyewitnesses and reported what they had to say.
But the basic integrity of all four Gospels is evident throughout their works. These narratives have that certain odd, nitty gritty quality about them which is often found in real stories. They are not smooth nor good enough to be fiction. The authors frequently include puzzling or even damaging bits of information. They don’t seem to embellish their accounts, and they certainly don’t cover up their blemishes.
And then there is that mysterious missing body and the five hundred people who claimed they saw the resurrected Jesus. Mass hallucinations do not explain the empty grave, nor the numerous individuals who reported they saw him, nor the physical body that welcomed the skeptic’s touch.
Credible Witnesses
Jesus died from crucifixion. His disciples did not remove his body. The inactivity of the chief priests leads us to believe they understood the body was beyond recovery. The disciples dramatically turned from cowards into courageous spokesmen for the risen Christ. The early church claims Matthew, Mark, and Luke all died martyrs’ deaths. The apostles too, say sources ranging from obscure to credible, paid the ultimate price for spreading the word of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Here is how they are said to have died:
Peter – Early Christian apologists Tertullian and Origen tell us Peter was crucified upside down in Rome under Nero in A.D. 64.
Andrew – According to extracanonical tradition, Andrew suffered crucifixion in Achaia.
Matthew – John Foxe in the Book of Martyrs states Matthew died as a martyr in the city of Nadabah in A.D. 60.
John – Exiled to the Isle of Patmos by Emperor Domitian but believe to have died a natural death.
James, son of Alphaeus – Tradition says James was crucified in Persia.
Philip – Tradition says he died by crucifixion.
Simon the Zealot – Tradition says he died by crucifixion.
Thaddaeus – Tradition says he was killed by stones and clubs.
Thomas – Tradition says he was martyred in India.
Bartholomew – According to Eusebius, he died as a martyr by being drowned.
James, son of Zebebee and older brother of John – He was put to death by a sword in A.D. 44 under orders of Herod Agrippa I.
Other early martyrs:
Stephen – Stoned by the Jews in A.D. 36.
James, brother of Jesus – Stoned in A.D. 62.
Paul – Beheaded somewhere between A.D. 62 and 68.
These men were eyewitnesses of Jesus Christ. They say the miracle worker from Galilee did what he set out to do: He defeated death. He kept his word. In their minds, Jesus proved beyond reasonable doubt that he was (and is) the Son of God. That was their testimony, and they were willing to die for it. Such are credible witnesses.
Who among us is willing to die to perpetuate a hoax? A logical assumption is that the martyrs: Stephen, James, Peter, and Paul died firmly convinced they were telling us the truth about Jesus and his resurrection. A blind faith? No, a reasoned faith. For Christianity was established by credible eyewitnesses willing to die for their testimony.
Note: All Scripture References are taken from the New International Version.
Jerry Richard Boone
http://www.articlesbase.com/religion-articles/resurrection-or-deception-131150.html
Did anybody know article about "The Disciples Stole Jesus' Body And faked his resurrection"?
If yes, please summarize the article as follwing orders.
1. The disciples would need to concoct an elaborate plan.
2. A sufficient motive would have to be offered to account for the disciples’ intended deception?
3. The guards at the tomb would need to be bribed.
4. The body of Christ would need to be disposed of to prevent disproof of his resurrection.
5. Various witnesses would need to be arranged.
i think i kinda of heard something like that but i don’t think its true
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Actually, the Romans put guards on His tomb to prevent that.
But it’s said, that was only after they let Jesus get switched with
another guy already. And it mentions it in the Word, so they
say. Because one verse says, "So the second mistake won’t be worse than the first!" HMMMMM!!!!!!
Don’t believe it though!
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THAT OUGHT TO GET YOU HEATHENS GOING!!!!!
That was mentioned in the Bible….
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It sounds far more plausible , but it wouldn’t make such a good story as the other explanation
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The disciples were too afraid of the Romans to attempt anything like what you’re suggesting. After the Resurrection the Apostles, the women who were with them, and five-hundred others witnessed the Resurrected Christ. Most of the Apostles were killed for what they believed.
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Christians believe that he did come to the earth, met his eleven Disciples on the hill of Galilee secretly as a ghost and delivered his message to them, and so on.
What is that riddle?
The riddle is, in fact, related to the Satan’s trickery__ spell-bounding trickery__ whereby he deceived the Christian-world quiet easily. At first, he deceived the Disciples of Jesus and took them over in his total control. Thereafter the Disciples deceived the whole Christianity at massive scale. And as such, the Disciples, the unfair and illoyal Disciples of Jesus, proved themselves as the fair and loyal disciples of Satan. To apprehend the Satan’s trickery, however, we will have to go back in the age of Jesus.
After his glorious entry into Jerusalem, Jesus visited the God’s Temple and dismantled the shops and the business corners therein. Because__ he wanted to cleanse the Temple from the Jewish traders and their commercial activities. At that time he was loudly announcing:-
“It is written in the Scripture that God said:
My temple will be called a House of
Prayer but you are making it a hideout
For thieves”
(Matthew 21:13)
The incident was seriously viewed by Jewish chief priests. They treated it as a threat to their monopoly over the Temple. So, they decided to plot against Jesus in terms of the famous contempt-case of God’s Temple. All the witnesses whereof were fake and false.
The case was based on the blame that Jesus had committed a great sin by saying the words that he was able to tear down God’s Temple and rebuild it in three days.
Whereas Jesus had never spoken the likewise words at all. But the Jewish chief priests managed several witnesses and presented them in the court. The people present in the court were also persuaded by the Jewish chief priests and the case was, ultimately, decided against Jesus. Death-sentence in terms of crucifiction was announced against Jesus. Roman Governor, Pilate wanted to release Jesus but the persuaded crowd did not let him to do so.
The Disciples of Jesus were of course, aware of the fake and false nature of the case as it is written in the Gospel by Matthew:-
“The chief priests and the whole council tried to find some false evidence against Jesus to put him to death.”
(Matthew 26:59)
Gospel by Mark, also contains the same view:-
“Many witnesses told lies against Jesus but their stories did not agree. Some men stood up and told this lie: we have heard him say: I will tear down this Temple which men have made and after three days I will build one that is not made by men.”
(Mark 14:56-58)
Accordingly, the Disciples had to unfold the fake and false nature of the contempt case. But they responded in highly strange terms, rather, perverted terms. Firstly they let the Jews crucify Jesus and then they said that Jesus had not talked about the God’s Temple. Instead, he had talked about the bodily temple of his own self. Whereby he wanted to declare that he was able to revive his dead body, just after three days of his death on the cross.
To make this very interpretation true, the Disciples were constrained to steal away the buried body of Jesus from graveyard. And, they did so at night before the arrival of the third day. While on the third’s day morning, they spreaded the fake news of the revival of Jesus, from his tomb.
To conceal this very theft of the buried body of Jesus and to hide facts, two false references were planed as record in the Gospel by Matthew under the following headings:-
“The Guard at the Tomb.”
(Matthew 27:62 to 66)
“The Report of the Guard.”
(Matthew 28:11 to 15)
Satan was watching the whole situation closely. He, at once, stepped forward, took over the charge of situation in his own hands and began to apply his well-planned trickery, directly.
Firstly he sat in the empty tomb on Sunday morning (the third day’s morning after crucifiction) in the guise of an angel. When three women came to anoint the body of Jesus, they saw him (Satan) and became afraid. The Satan, in turn, responded in the following way:-
“You must not be afraid. I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, he has been raised just he said. Come here and see the place where he was lying. Go quickly now and tell his Disciples, he has been raised from death and now he is going to Galilee, ahead of you. There you will see him. Remember what I have told you.”
(Matthew 28:5-7)
That was the first step of Satan’s trickery. Whereby he deceived the three women in the same way as he had deceived the first woman, Eve in the garden of Eden.
In his second step he appeared before the three women, once again, but in the guise of Jesus. As such, he made them more certain about the revival of Jesus. This very incident is also recorded in the Gospel by Matthew:-
“Suddenly Jesus met them (the three women) and said: Peace be with you. They (the three women) came up to him, took hold of his feet and WORSHIPPED HIM. Do not be afraid, said Jesus to them. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee and there they will see me.”
(Matthew 28:9-10)
Here, the Satan’s trickery is UNVEILED and identified on account of two reasons. Firstly through his old way to trap the women at first and secondly through his objection less agreement to get himself WORSHIPPED by the three women. Whereas Jesus had never agreed to such a situation throughout his life. Instead, he had snubbed, even Satan, straightaway:-
“Go away Satan! The Scripture says;
Worship the Lord your God and serve only the Lord.”
(Matthew 4:10)
So, it was none else but Satan who, at first, appeared in the guise of an angel in the empty tomb and then, he appeared in the guise of Jesus before the three women on their way. And__ made them fully convinced about the revival of Jesus. The women, in turn, made the Disciples fully convinced about the revival of Jesus and asked them to go to Galilee and they all went accordingly. The event is recorded by Matthew under the heading:-
JESUS APPEARS
TO
HIS DISCIPLES
“The eleven Disciples went to the hill of Galilee where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped him, even though, some of them doubted. Jesus drew near and said to them: I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Go then to all people everywhere and make them my Disciples. Baptise them in the name of Father, Son and the Holy Spirit and teach them to obey everything, I have commanded you. And, I will be with you always to the end of the age.”
(Matthew 28:16-20)
Here, once again, the Satan is UNVEILED and identified on account of three reasons:-
FIRSTLY
When the Disciples worshipped him, he remained silent and did not snubbed or stopped them by saying,
“The scripture says!
Worship the Lord your God and serve only
The Lord.”
As Jesus used to say during his life-time. Jesus, according to his faith, was a slave of the Lord and always worshipped his Lord alone and never let anyone to worship him. Therefore, it is automatically confirmed that it was not Jesus but
THE DEMON,
Whom Disciples worshipped, on the hill of Galilee.
SECONDLY
On the hill of Galilee, he told the same lie to the Disciples as he had previously told to Jesus:-
a.During the Temptation of Jesus, the Demon had said,
“It has all been handed over to me, and I can give it to anyone I choose. All this will be yours, then, if you worship me.”
(Luke 4:6, 7)
b.During the Temptation of Disciples Satan said,
“I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.”
(Matthew 28:16 to 20)
During the Temptation of Jesus, Jesus had recognized the Devil and refused to worship him, but during the Temptation of Disciples, the Disciples could not recognize the Devil though they were alarmed__ and doubts arose in their minds__ and they also saw him as a ghost. But, even then, unlike Jesus, they knelt down before the Devil and worshipped him.
THIRDLY
Through his words:-
“I will be with you always to the end of the age.”
The word of “age” means the worldly age. So, “to the end of the age” means till the Last Day of the world or end of the world. While the Satan’s life-span is also limited till that day or the end of the world. Whereafter he will be casted into hell for ever. So by means of the wording under-reference,
“I will be with you always to the end of the age”
He has unveiled him by himself__ and we can easily identify him__ that he is none else but the Satan.
The other co-existing presence of Devil in the guise of Jesus is proved as per words of the two followers of Jesus. “They said to each other, wasn’t it like a fire burning in us when he talked to us?”
(Luke 24:32)
The very feeling of fire burning inside the two followers of Jesus was due to the presence of Devil who is made of fire.
That is why that some of the Disciples had correctly doubted__ that the person before them__ in the guise of Jesus__ was not Jesus.
Of course, their doubts were not based on their wisdom. Instead, they were based on their first hand knowledge about the following facts.
Firstly, the fact that they had stolen the body of Jesus themselves from his grave. Therefore they were not ready to believe any revival at all and this fact is unveiled from the following saying of Satan in the guise of Jesus:-
“He scolded them because they
did not have faith and
because they were too stubborn
to believe those who had
seen him alive.”
(Mark 16:14)
Secondly, the fact that they had given a fake and false interpretation to the contempt-case of the God’s Temple against Jesus but the same was now becoming true. Thirdly they had seen the revival of Lazarus in person:-
“He (Lazarus) came out, his hands and feet wrapped in grave clothes and with a cloth around his face. “Untie him!” Jesus told them and let him go.”
(John 11:44)
As such, they were well aware of the fact that how is the dead, after his revival.
The dead, after his revival, is always wrapped in is grave clothes, unless the clothes are untied. And he revives with his original body, the human body. His appearance, after revival is always natural and he walks and talks like the common men. And__ no one feels any fear from him. Besides that, the dead after his revival, always goes to his own people in human population. He does not go to some isolated place i.e. away from his home and the human population.
But the case, present in front of the Disciples, was a different case. The person in the guise of Jesus, was not in his grave clothes. Where had gone his grave clothes? While he was coming, directly, from the grave yard. His body was, also, not like the body of Jesus which was well recognized by the Disciples. His appearance, unlike Lazarus, was aerial & ethereal and the Disciples were feeling much fear from him.
Luke say’s:-
“While the two were telling them this,
suddenly the Lord (Satan) himself stood
among them and said to them,
“Peace be with you.” They were terrified,
thinking that they were seeing a ghost.
But he said to them, “Why are you alarmed?
Why are there doubts coming up in your mind?”
(Luke 24:36 to 38)
He had, also not come to the human population, instead, he had resorted to an isolated place, like the hill of Galilee. And__ after his meeting with the Disciples at Galilee, once again, he did not come to human population but vanished up; like an aerial or ethereal creature.
Therefore, some of the Disciples were correctly doubting, that the person before them, in the guise of Jesus__ was not Jesus. But as they had nothing in the name of wisdom__ the wisdom of the pure and the pious-ones. So, they could not realize the presence of Satan in front of them. Rather, a few hours later, they gave up all of their doubts about falseness of the person, present before the. Spell-bounding trickery of Satan, also, made them unmindful of their fake and false interpretation of the revival of Jesus. Which had now become a reality as they had met Jesus, in person. Who had told them about his all-encompassing authority in heaven as well as on earth. Whereas the said authority was already highly desired by the Disciples__ in order to present Jesus as God and the Saviour__ of the whole mankind. Moreover, they, themselves, had sloe become the authorized representatives of Jesus__ inspite of their disobedience and traitory to Jesus. What else they had required? So, they decided to preach the present teaching of the false Jesus__ with maximum zeal__ like that of the fake and false interpretation of the blame against, Jesus. And__ they did so__ so meticulously__ that the consequences are obvious.
Belief in Alone Lord is nowhere seen in the world of Christianity. It stands, replaced by Trinity. Many forms of Polytheism__ are prevailing everywhere__ since the last 2000 years. Even, an ordinary priest is now__ as authoritative as God. He pardons the sins of the confessing-sinners. And he also, declares them as the innocent-ones__ with every right__ to enter into the kingdom of Heaven. After such an authoritative license__ through the easy going process of confession__ the confessors feel no hesitation in committing the sins__ again and again. Because, they know that another confession before the pardoner__ will positively release them__ from the guilt of the new sins. And, as such, the reciprocal practice of confession and sins__ on the part of the confessing-sinners__ remain in progress till the end of their lives.
Jimmy Swaggart, on the other end, has further relaxed the situation. He has practically removed, even, the so called formality of Confession. He says that “to do this or not to do this” is not our problem as Christianity is not a religion or an ethical code. Instead, it is simply a way or style of life. Just believe in the Saviourism of Jesus (accept Jesus as your Saviour here in the world as well as in the Hereafter) and get rid of__ the stinging guilt of sins for ever. Thereafter, the question of fair or foul__ is out of question __ because you are saved for ever. Not only here in the world__ but in the Hereafter as well__ on account of your belief__ in the Saviourism of Jesus.
What a satanic approach is that? Can a true Christian reconcile to such type of life-style? Does it owns any relationship to the teachings of Jesus or his life-style? Jesus had led a highly pure and pious life. Worldly pursuits had no value before him.
In short, the present belief of Christianity has no relationship to the teachings of Jesus and the life-style of Jesus. It is, altogether, satanic in nature. Satan is the introducer of Trinity and the Disciples are the preachers of Trinity.
A true servant of the Lord should therefore, not rely upon any of the aforementioned agencies. Neither upon Satan, nor upon the Disciples, nor upon Clergy, nor upon the people, __ instead he should rely upon the teachings of Jesus and the teachings of the foregoing Prophets.
Jesus, himself says:-
“Do not think that I have come to do away with the Law of Moses and the teachings of the Prophets. I have not come to do away with them but to make their teachings come true.”
(Matthew 5:17)
Hence, a true servant of the Lord should essentially, lead a pure and pious life. Which must be based on Commandments of the Lord and the teachings of Jesus, Moses, David, Jacob, Ibrahim, Muhammad and all the Prophets. Otherwise he has no privilege to use the title of “the servant of the Lord” as his identity.
Now let us read the Verse-25, once again:-
“In the full assembly I will praise You
for what You have done.
In the presence of those who worship You.
I will offer the sacrifices I promised.”’
Third line of the Verse:-
“In the presence of those who worship You!”
is leading here to another reality. The reality__ that according to Jesus, the best people among the mankind are those, who praise, honour and worship the Lord, alone. And those, who do not praise, honour and worship the Lord, they are the worst of the mankind.
Hence, it is also, automatically, proved__ that Jesus was accustomed to praise__ honour__ and worship the Lord alone. That is why that he has preferred__ in terms of Verse-25__ to praise__ honour__ and worship the Lord__ in presence of those_- who are already well-known for their obedience and loyalty to the Lord__ the One God alone.
So, in presence of the Verse-25, one can not think that Jesus had not commanded his followers to praise__ honour__ and worship the Lord__ the One God alone. Jesus had, definitely, commanded his followers to do so. He had never commanded them to act vice-verse. And, this very fact is, positively, confirmed by his prayer on the cross (the Psalm-22) on the one end. And__ on the other end, it is confirmed by the Holy Quran__ in terms of an anticipated statement of Jesus before the Lord (to be starred by Jesus on the Day of Judgement):-
“I spoke unto them (the Christians) only that which you (O’ Lord) commanded me. (that) Worship God, my Lord and your Lord. I was a witness of them while I dwelt among them and when you raised me, you was Watcher over them. You are the Witness over all things.”
(Al-Quran 5:117)
Today’s Christianity is not praising, honouring & worshipping the Lord, the One God. Instead, they are worshipping the three Gods. Whereby, it is clearly proved that Christians are not following the teachings of Jesus based on the 1st Commandment of Torah.
Throughout the world, Mosques are the only places__ which are serving as the Houses of Prayers. And__ they are maintained strictly, in terms of the 1st Commandment of Torah. No idol or cross__ or the likewise image__ is seen therein. No pictures of Prophets__ or the Righteous-ones__ are hanged therein. Mosques are the Houses of Prayers & Worship__ in real sense. The Lord, the One God alone___ is worshipped therein. Who is not like anything__ any image__ or any sign__ or any picture at all. So, the Lord is worshipped in the Mosques__ exactly, in accordance with__ the imperative demands of the 1st Commandment. No one is glorified or worshipped therein__ beside the Lord, the One God.
Wrong are those who place idols, hang pictures of prophets or their graves and like wise other things in the houses of God.
Jesus has addressed to the descendents of Jacob and the people of Israel in his prayer on the cross in the following words:-
“Honour the Lord (the One God)
you descendents of Jacob!
Worship the Lord(the One God)
You people of Israel.”
(The Psalm-22:23)
But the words of Jesus have been__ properly heard__ only by those people __ who are populating the Mosques, at least five times a day. They are the people__ who are accustomed to honour and worship the One God__ in real sense of the words of Jesus.
The people who occasionally visit the Temples__ they are in habit of making artificial signs of worship__ on their foreheads. While the people__ who worship the Lord__ the One God__ in the Mosques__ they have natural signs of worship__ on their foreheads.
On every call-of-prayer, they rush to the Mosques spontaneously. Their trade/business can not stop them__ from their perpetual march towards the Lord__ the One God. They are the genuine followers of Ibrahim, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be upon all of them).
They are Muslims (servants) of the Lord__ in letter and spirit. Their ways of worship, do confirm their belief in one alone God (Allah). They trust in One God__ the Holy One alone. In the assembly of these people__ one can enjoy the praise of the Lord__ in real sense. Hence, Jesus was speaking about none else__ but these people__ while he was uttering the following words:-
“In the full assembly I will praise You
for what You have done;
in the presence of those who worship You.”
And__ the full assembly of these people in held in Mosques, at least, five times a day. Firstly, before the sunrise__ secondly, one hour after the mid-day__ thirdly, in the evening__ fourthly, just after the sunset__ and fifthly during the initial hours of night.
Some additional prayers are also maintained___ by certain bondmen of the Lord__ to ensure purity and piousness__ more and more. Besides that, there are the congregational prayers as well__ just as the Jumah-prayer__ Eid-prayers___ Death-prayer__ and so on. In short, these people do remember the Lord__ the One God__ on every occasion of life__ and on all turning hours of the day and night. So, Jesus was very right__ in respect of his ambition__ to praise the Lord__ in the full assembly of these people. Whose Mosques are perfectly free from all kinds of idolatry. They worship the Lord__ the One God__ with perfect dedication.
VERSE 26
OF
THE PRAYER
“The poor will eat as much as they want,
Those who come to the Lord will
Praise the Lord
May they prosper forever.”
(The Psalm-22:26)
The first line of this Verse is, in fact, complementary line of the previous Verse, the Verse-25. The last line of the previous Verse__ combined with the first line of this Verse__ completes the idea, presented therein:-
“I will offer the sacrifices I promised
the poor will eat as much as they want.”
Evolution of the idea, presented in the whole prayer, is also denoted thereby. Next lines are, however, about a prediction:-
“Those who come to the Lord will praise the Lord;
May they prosper for ever!”
Jesus is predicting here about the forthcoming generation which has not yet emerged on the globe. While Jesus is praying for the prosperity of that generation, in advance. It means that Jesus is having some specific attachment with the people of that generation. What is the actual reason thereof?
The actual reason thereof is the worship of Alone God. Jesus, himself, is a worshipper of Alone God. So, he likes those who believe in the worship of Alone God__ and act in terms of Monotheism. Lord has told Jesus that there will be a generation on the earth__ whose identification will be nothing else but the worship of Alone God and God has decided to raise him again in that future generation. Jesus, in turn, has at once decided__ that he will offer his sacrifices__ and praise the Lord__ among the people of that generation. Continued study of the Verse 22-23 and 25-26, does confirm the reason__ in a more elaborate way. Let us read these Verses one by one__ in continued order and witness the reason in person:-
“I will tell my people what You have done
I will praise You in their assembly (22)
Praise the Lord, you servants of the Lord!
Honour the Lord, you descendents of Jacob!
Worship the Lord, you people of Israel (23)
In the full assembly I will praise You for
What You have done,
In the presence of those who worship You
I will offer the sacrifices, I promise (25)
The poor will eat as much as they want
Those who come to the Lord
Will praise the Lord
May they prosper for ever (26).”
Highly important and notable fact in these verses are promises of Jesus:-
1.In the full assembly I will praise You for what You have done.
2.In the presence of those who worship You I will offer the sacrifices.
If it was Jesus who revived after his death and his soul visited the world again then his promised must have been fulfilled on the hill of Galilee but the disciples of Jesus have not reported or recorded any evidence of such acts in Gospels. Hence, it was not Jesus, as pointed out earlier, who met the three women and the eleven Disciples__ and got himself worshipped from the both.
Beware please! A Prophet can never go against his conviction and education. The conviction, as well as the education of Jesus__ was based on the worship of One & Alone God. How he could get himself worshipped__ instead of the Lord? So, it was hundred percent (100%) Satan__ who appeared before the three women, at first__ in the graveyard and then, on the way. Thereafter, he appeared before the Disciples__ on the hill of Galilee and got himself worshipped from them.
However, today that generation is being very much seen__ on the earth__ in whose presence and full assembly__ Jesus had desired to praise the Lord and offer the sacrifices. And__ the desired generation is Muslim generation__ whose worship does begin with the praise of the Lord:-
“Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds”
(Al-Quran 1:1)
During his preaching, Jesus had never called himself as God or Son-God. Now, look upon those people who consider Jesus as God or Son-God. They are, baselessly, blaming even those people who were present at the spot and knew that Jesus was not God or son-god. In other words, the people with the belief that Jesus is God or Son-god; are far more enemies of Jesus who tried to crucify him.
•The people who say that Jesus is God or Son-God or in his guise, the Lord descended upon earth because of God’s love for humanity. They are, baselessly, blaming Jesus and the Lord of Jesus, the both.
According to Jesus, God, the Holy One; is the Saviour of the Whole mankind. God is capable (be God glorified as God is) to relive off every infliction. None of the human beings is saviour beside God. Jesus, himself is also, not a saviour at all. The people who have chosen him as their saviour__ they have denied the Holy One___ who alone is the saviour of Jesus and whole mankind and the act of choosing Jesus as saviour__ is equal to hate the Holy One___ as it is clearly written in the old Testament:-
“I am the Lord your God. Worship no God but Me. Do not make for yourself images of anything in heavens or on earth or in the water under the earth. Do not bow down to any idol or worship it. Because I am the Lord your God and I tolerate no rivals. I bring punishment on those who hate me, on their descendants, down to third and fourth generation.”
(Exodus 20:1-5)
Now, ponder over the point that whosoever says that Jesus is God___ Holy Spirit is God___ Mary is God; has he not made an idol beside the One God? While nothing is there in the earth and heavens which could be considered in terms of the One God.
Beware please! A father is a father__ a mother is a mother___ and a son is a son__ and they all are the creatures of God. They cannot be considered as God___ as god is their Creator__ and nothing is like the Lord.
Creatures of God are God’s Creatures they can never be considered as God or as the parts of God. Same is the case of Jesus who is a creature and, as such, can not be considered as God or a part of the Creator or the son of Creator.
•Jesus is not a Saviour. He is not capable, even, to save himself from his enemies. How he can be considered “All-Able” to save everyone on the earth. It is the Lord alone__ Who is the All-Able to save every creature of the universe including the mankind__ as the Lord is already saving__ each of them__ without any desolation and defect.
Jesus was born after Adam, Noah, Abraham, Ismael, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon, Moses and the numerous other Prophets (peace & blessings of God be upon all of them). If he were the Son-God, then, all of the foregoing Prophets, must have been the believers of Trinity. But the case is not like that at all. None of them was the believer of Trinity, rather, none of them, had, even, heard about the name of Trinity, in their times. Hence, Trinity is nothing else but an invented and artificial concept which has no existence, even, during the time of Jesus. It is, therefore, a rootless concept from all accounts.
Prior to Jesus, the Lord had created Eve, without mother__ and Adam, without mother and father, the both. Afterwards, the Lord created Jesus without father. So the creation of Jesus, without father, is the third instance of the Lord’s all-encompassing creativity___ which is free from all the channels or systems of the birth. Instead, all the channels or systems of the birth are subservient to the all-encompassing and unique creativity of the Lord.
The Lord is, therefore, Holy and the Lord must be believed in, as Holy. To ascribe a son unto the Lord__ is a direct assault on the Lord’s Holiness__ which is an unpardonable crime.
since Adam to Noah__ Noah to Abraham__ Abraham to David, David to Moses__ Moses to Jesus and Jesus to Muhammad (peace & blessings of God be upon all of them) all the Prophets were slaves or servants of the Lord. And, in their servant-n-master or slave-n-lord based relationship__ all of them had__ all the qualities of servants & slaves definitely. That is why that all of them stood as servants & slaves of the Lord__ throughout their lives__ and obeyed their Lord in the most positive terms.
In the lines:-
“Honour the Lord, you descendants of Jacob!
Worship the Lord, you people of Israel!”
Jesus is advising the descendants of Jacob and the people of Israel to honour and worship the Holy One. The same thing has been advised in Quran after Torah by the Almighty God to whole mankind. It means that God of Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be upon each of them) is One, the Holy One. Who alone, is to be honoured and worshipped ___ by the people of Jesus__ by the people__ of Muhammad__ and by the whole mankind.
Like Jesus, Mary and Moses every Prophet and every righteous person has praised__ honoured__ and worshipped the Lord, alone. So, the followers of all the Scriptures, should naturally praise__ honour__and worship the Lord alone as that__ and only that__ is the true faith and all of us should keep our Lord alone as our saviour with us here and hereafter.
Torah, Psalms, Gospel and Quran, all the Scriptures are saying that God is One, the Holy One. So whosoever does not believe in One God, he is definitely denying all the Scriptures. Such a person can not be considered as a believer at all.
No Prophet or a righteous-man has ever dared to say that he, himself, should be honoured like God or worshipped like God. Satan, of course, had certainly said to Jesus to worship him in place of God but Jesus had responded in the following way:-
“Go away Satan! The Scripture says: Worship the Lord you God and serve only the Lord.”
(Matthew 4:10)
In the same way, Jesus has responded in his prayer on the cross while uttering the following lines of the Verse No.23:-
“Praise the Lord, you servants of the Lord!
Honour the Lord, you descendants of Jacob!
Worship the Lord, you people of Israel!”
No doubt, it is a matter of simple common-sense that when God is One__ the Lord is One__ the saviour is one__ the Holy and Only One__ then, how his slaves or servants__ can be held as worthy of the honour & service__ which is meant for the Holy One alone. But alas! The people are honouring and serving the slaves and servants__ just like the Lord. Rather, they have chosen them as God & the Lord__ in place of the Holy One. And__ Christians are the pioneers of such ideas. They have straightaway declared Jesus as God & Lord and the Saviour. Rather, they hold Jesus as the sole sovereign of the Day of Judgement, instead of the Lord, the Almighty God, the Holy One.
References :
http://gospelbyjesus.blogspot.com