Deliverance from the Cross — Page 44
and shall place those who follow thee above those who disbelieve, until the Day of Judgment; then to Me shall be your return and I will judge between you concerning that wherein you differ’. (al-e-’Imran, 3:55-56) The plan of God was bound to be carried out successfully, it could not be frustrated. Soon after his supplications in the garden of Gethsemane Jesus was apprehended, whereupon one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest and smote off his ear, on which Jesus rebuked him and said: "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and He shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be'. (Matt. 26:51-54) All this makes it clear that Jesus supplicated most earnestly to be delivered from death upon the cross and was reassured in answer to his supplications that God would deliver him from such a death. A question, however, arises that calls for an answer from those who believe that Jesus was a partner in the Godhead and had appeared in human form to lay down his life on the cross so as to become an atonement for the sins of mankind. If that were so, his death upon the cross would be the fulfilment of the very purpose 44