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Category: Jesus’ death

Was Jesus Predicted in the Dead Sea Scrolls?

Was Jesus Predicted in the Dead Sea Scrolls?

Was Jesus Christ being born in Bethlehem, foretold, or predicted, in advance? Many of the Dead Sea Scrolls have been accurately dated to before Jesus was born.

“Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms”—Luke 24:44 NIV

 Critics claim that Jesus was just an ordinary man, and that predictive prophecy is impossible, and therefore deny that Jesus fulfilled any Old Testament prophecies. Since there are so many prophecies that Jesus actually fulfilled, critics resort to claiming that the prophecies in the Old Testament were written after the fact, so as to conform to what happened to Jesus, and also that the New Testament recordings of these fulfillments are frauds, that is, written to conform to Old Testament predictions.  read more

“THE SACRIFICE OF THE BODY OF JESUS CHRIST”

“THE SACRIFICE OF THE BODY OF JESUS CHRIST”

Different resurrection appearances
Was Jesus’ body resurrected? What about the sacrifice of Jesus’ body?

We hear much about “the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ,” but very little about the sacrifice of Jesus’ body. Why? Out of 31,000 verses in the Bible, not one of them mentions a resurrection of Jesus’ body. But, how about the sacrifice of Jesus’ body?

“We have been made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time”—Hebrews 10:10 NIV

Most Christian churches and preachers claim that Jesus’ physical body was resurrected. However, the Bible, as we can see above, says that Jesus’ body was sacrificed. What does that mean? read more

DID JESUS CHRIST DIE IN HIS “DEITY”/”DIVINITY”?

DID JESUS CHRIST DIE IN HIS “DEITY”/”DIVINITY”?

Jesus, not God
Did Jesus die only in his body, but not his deity, or divinity?

It is asserted by many that Jesus Christ was God a “God-man” in the flesh while on earth, and that he “died in his body, or flesh, but not in his deity or divinity.” Did Jesus die in his deity or divinity? 

“Surely you, Yahweh, are from ancient times, my holy God, who never dies”—Habakkuk 1:12 NJB

“My God, my Holy One, you will never die”—Habakkuk 1:12 NIV

“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God”—1 Timothy 1:17 NIV read more

Did Jesus Claim To Be God, or God’s Son, In Court?

Did Jesus Claim To Be God, or God’s Son, In Court?

Did Jesus claim to be God when he was in court, on trial for his life? Like Jesus’ enemies, Trinitarians often assert that Jesus was “claiming to be God” (John 10:33 REB). However, Jesus flatly refuted that false charge by saying, “I am God’s Son” (John 10:36). Like Jesus’ enemies, once again, Trinitarians also falsely assert that Jesus “was claiming equality with God” (John 5:18 REB). Jesus flatly refuted that false charge also, by saying: “In all truth I tell you, by himself the Son can do nothing; he can do only what he sees the Father doing” (John 5:19 NJB). 

When, finally, Jesus was brought before the Jewish Supreme Court, the Sanhedrin, what was the real issue that they were concerned about?

“The high priest said to him, ‘I order you to tell us under oath before the living God whether you are the Messiah, the Son of God'” (Matthew 26:63 NAB). 

This was the real issue, whether Jesus claimed to be “the Messiah, the Son of God.” They obviously knew he never ‘claimed to be God’. Notice Jesus’ response:

“The words are yours. But I tell you this: ‘from now on you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of the Almighty and coming on the clouds of heaven'” (Matthew 26:64 REB). read more

Is It True That Jesus Did Not Really Die On the Cross, As Critics Claim?

Is It True That Jesus Did Not Really Die On the Cross, As Critics Claim?

“But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water” (John 19:33,34 NIV).

Some skeptics claim that Jesus somehow survived his crucifixion, and was unknowingly placed alive in the tomb, where he revived, and early on Sunday morning escaped from the tomb alive. This is quite a far-fetched story, but nevertheless, many people believe it. However, when we carefully consider all the known and pertinent facts, such a theory flies in the face of all the evidence. read more

Do the Twelve Minor Prophets Support Trinity Doctrine?

Do the Twelve Minor Prophets Support Trinity Doctrine?

It is often stated by those in authority in churches that God is a Trinity, and evidence of this is found throughout the entire Bible. There are twelve Bible books that aren’t used as much as other Bible books, called the Minor Prophets. Is the Trinity doctrine found in the Twelve Minor Prophets?

“The Father eternal, the Son eternal, the Holy Spirit eternal. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. And yet, there are not three Gods, but one God”—Athanasian Creed

The statement quoted above is said to be the primary belief of most Christian groups. If this is true, then we should find some evidence of it throughout the Bible.

The 12 relatively short Bible Books called “the minor prophets”, from Hosea to Malachi, make many references to Almighty God “Yahweh”, but no references to Jesus Christ by name, and some references to God’s spirit, or the holy Spirit. There is one famous reference to Jesus, in a verse which predicts his birthplace, and mentions something very significant about his existence in doing so:

“But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days”

(Micah 5:2 NRSV). read more

Is the Trinity in Colossians?

Is the Trinity in Colossians?

Is the Bible reliable?
Is the Trinity in the book of Colossians?

Is the Trinity doctrine in the book of Colossians? Let’s examine all the verses in this Bible book where God and Jesus are mentioned in relation to each other. Also. let’s look for any references to the holy Spirit, which is said to be the third person of the Trinity. Then, let’s see whether what Bible says agrees with Trinitarianism, or proves it to be false. Notice all the references in this letter to the superior position of Almighty God toward his Son, Jesus Christ, and the subordinate position of Jesus Christ in relation to his heavenly Father. read more

Importance of Eyewitnesses of Jesus’ Death & Resurrection

Importance of Eyewitnesses of Jesus’ Death & Resurrection

Critics of the Bible often say there are no eyewitness accounts recorded in the Bible of Jesus’ death and resurrection. This article examines the facts of the issue of whether there are eyewitnesses of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus.” (Luke 1:1-3 NIV)

New Testament writers, especially in the Gospels and Acts, were very careful to record that they were relaying the testimony of eyewitnesses, many of whom were still alive when the most of the Testament was written. Their accounts were not fabrications or hallucinations or legends. They were real!

Let’s look at some of the testimony about eyewitnesses of the resurrected Jesus.:

“Then he appeared to more than =&0=&

For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” (2 Peter 1:16 NIV)

God exalted him at his own right hand as leader and savior to grant Israel to repentance and forgiveness of sins. We are witnesses of these things, as is the holy Spirit, that God has given to those who obey him.” (Acts 5:31,32 NAB)

The importance of being actual eyewitnesses of Christ cannot be overstated. Notice the following proof texts concerning witnesses of his death and after his resurrection.

His death:

Many women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and ministered to Him were there, looking on from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.” (Matthew 27:55,56 HCSB)

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were seated there, facing the tomb.” (Matthew 27:61 HCSB)

After his resurrection:

He is not here! For He has been resurrected, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay.” (Matthew 28:6 HCSB)

Then go quickly and tell His disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead. In fact, He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see Him there.’ Listen, I have told you.” (Matthew 28:7 HCSB)

When they saw him they fell down before him, though some hesitated.” (Matthew 28:17 NJB)

His death:

There were also women looking on from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.” (Mark 15:40 HCSB)

Now Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were watching where He was placed.” (Mark 15:47 HCSB)

After his resurrection:

When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; they were amazed and alarmed.” (Mark 16:5 HCSB)

His death:

All the crowds that had gathered for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, went home, striking their chests. But all who knew Him, including the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.” (Luke 23:48,49 HCSB)

“One of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ =&1=&

The certification of his death:

“Pilate was =&2=&

What Are John 3:16 & The Gospel About?

What Are John 3:16 & The Gospel About?

“For God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”—John 3:16 NKJV

On November 8, 2018, an article was posted on Patheos entitled, “Why John 3:16 Isn’t About The Crucifixion“:

In preparation for an upcoming online debate about PSA [Penal Substitutionary Atonement] Theory, I started wondering whether or not Jesus, or any of the Gospel authors, specifically communicated the Gospel as being about Jesus dying on the cross for our sins, or to appease the wrath of God, etc.

In the process of exploring this question, I started with John 3:16 because, growing up, I had always equated it with the crucifixion. However, I realized that this entire conversation has nothing to do with the crucifixion, nor does it even mention the death of Jesus at all.

Here’s what the verse actually says:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.”

Now, I think most of the time we have been told to read the word “gave” in this sentence to mean that “God laid Jesus down on the cross as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world and sacrificed Him for us.”

But, quite obviously, it does not say any such thing.

What it says is that God loved the world. He loved the world so much that he gave us Jesus and that if anyone would trust in him, and his teachings, he would live and not die.

I’ve also started to realize that whenever Jesus talks about “eternal life” or “will not perish”, he is not talking about the afterlife, or about what happens to us after we die.

In a very practical way, John 3:16 is a verse about how those who follow the path of Jesus will escape the coming destruction of Jerusalem and live beyond that event.

Here’s the deal: Jesus showed up as the promised Messiah at a time when the Jewish people were seeking a violent, revolutionary hero who would lead the uprising against their Roman oppressors. Instead, Jesus tells them to repent of this desire for violent revolution and warns them that if they live by the sword they will all die by the sword. He teaches them to love their enemies, turn the other cheek, walk the extra mile, and seek to overcome evil with good.

The promise, then, that Jesus makes is that they will have life that extends beyond the end of the age [that is, the end of the Jewish age], if they follow His teachings. If they refuse, then they will be slaughtered along with the destruction of the Temple, the end of the daily sacrifice, and the death of the Jewish Priesthood. [Which, by the way, is exactly what happened to those who rejected the message and path of Jesus].

So, the promise of John 3:16 is that those who trust in Jesus [that’s what the word “believe” really means], and put his teachings into practice, will not reap the fruit of rebellion [which is death], but survive the end of the age which Jesus promises will come within a single generation.

Forty years later, that prediction came to pass.

And, just as Jesus promised, those who followed the Way of Christ, escaped the “wrath of God” – which was simply the reaping of a harvest of rebellion against Rome – and the Christians who were in Jerusalem fled to the city of Pella months before the Roman army surrounded the city and began to lay siege to it.

In this way, the promise of John 3:16 was fulfilled: Those who put their trust in the Way of Christ – which was to love their enemies, bless those who cursed them, and do good to those who hated them – escaped the horror of AD 70. They did not perish but inherited life beyond the end of the age [or “eternal life” that extended beyond the present age].

Jesus never communicated the Gospel as saying a prayer so you could go to heaven when you die, or as a human sacrifice that would appease the wrath of God. What Jesus said the Gospel was is simply this: “Change your way of thinking! The Kingdom of God is here, right now! You can live under the rule and reign of God today. No need to wait until you’re dead. The Good News is for your life now, not for after you die.”

Here are just a few examples from Scripture:

“I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” (Luke 4:43)

“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15)

“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.” (Matt 9:35)

“Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom..” (Matt 4:23)

Jesus taught this Gospel, and so did the Disciples, and the Apostles, including Paul and Peter and Philip, etc.

Why are we teaching any other Gospel than this one?

That’s a great question. (And another blog post).

Now let’s see what the Bible really says about John 3:16 and the Gospel:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NIV)

The writer of the Patheos article falsely claims that John 3:16 isn’t about Jesus’ sacrificial death and his followers getting eternal life. He takes John 3:16 in isolation from its context. Not only taking the verse out of context, he also twists its meaning into something foreign to the writer’s intent, by claiming that doing what Jesus taught would enable them to live beyond Jerusalem’s destruction in 70 CE, without any promise of eternal life. A.nd, yet, eternal life is exactly what Jesus promised to those who are faithful, not just for those people who were living in the Jerusalem area back then, but for all people living at all times through history.

No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.(John 3:13-15 NIV)

These verses prove it is all about God’s love for humankind, manifested in Jesus being put on the cross, or execution stake, and it also has to do with our response to it, resulting in our ETERNAL life or death!

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:17 NIV)

This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.(Ephesians 3:6 NIV)

These verses show that Jesus’ death is not just for Jews living back then before 70 CE, but is for all time, and is for the salvation of the entire world of mankind, for whoever will believe, and ‘do the will of God’ (Matthew 7:21).

By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.(1 Corinthians 15:2-4 NIV)

The writer of the Patheos article claims that ‘believing in Jesus Christ doesn’t save us from the wrath of of God’. However, the Bible indicates that it does, by saying:

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains upon him” (John 3:36 NIV). Believing in God’s Son is contrasted with rejecting God’s Son. Of course, the ‘belief’ mentioned here is not just mental acknowledgment, but an active doing. Jesus made this very clear. 

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21 NIV).  read more

Why Jesus – Not God – Died For Our Sins

Why Jesus – Not God – Died For Our Sins

The Bible says God cannot die. Yet Trinitarians assert that Jesus must be God himself in order to die for the sins of mankind stands in stark contradiction to all scriptural evidence. It was Jesus, not God, that died.

Jesus, not God
It was Jesus – not God – who died for the sins of mankind

“LORD [Yahweh], are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, you will never die” (Habakkuk 1:12 NIV)

From this scripture, we can see that it is impossible that Jesus could be the God who would die for the sins of mankind, since the prophecy of Habakkuk was written over 600 years prior to Jesus and clearly states that God will never die.

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. ” (1 Peter 1:18,19 NIV)

Again, contrary to the Trinitarian assertion that without Jesus being God, then his blood is “ordinary” and could not atone for the sins of but one person, we see clearly stated that Jesus’ blood is precious. Why? Because he is the only one who died as a human without ever committing a sin, not because he is God. the Bible says that Jesus was “fully human in every way” (Hebrews 2:17 NIV).

“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned.”  (Romans 5:12 NIV)

Using Trinitarian logic that Jesus has to be God to take away the sins of all mankind, then Adam would have to be God, since his one sin caused sin to spread to all mankind. But just like Adam is not God – Jesus is not God.

“For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:19 NIV)

We see here how Jesus the “one man” counterbalances what the “one man” Adam lost by making many righteous, rather than sinful.

“See my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. But

he was pierced for our transgressions read more

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