Truth About The Crucifixion — Page 122
The second was at the hour of his trial in Jerusalem, when he referred to Daniel: and behold with the clouds of heaven, there came one like a son of man . 1; and the third was on the cross, when he quoted the first line of the Psalm of David. . •. Jesus knew beforehand exactly what he must do to prove he was the promised Messiah. This is what is meant by his sacrifice for us. If people had believed him, it would not have been necessary; but because men had not believed he had to prove by the. Crucifixion that what he had told them was the truth, for only then would it be possible to identify him with David's prophecy. . As it was already put there in the scriptures Jesus knew he must. go through with it to fulfil them. . And now we may all look back to this supreme act of sacrifice and know of a certainty that it is possible for us all to attain to everlasting life through belief in God. Jesus, in effect, died for the truth². . Supposing Jesus had been too exhausted to utter this cry?. The whole significance of the crucifixion would have been lost to us. . Today the Crucifixion is the symbol of Christianity and an image of Jesus pinned to the cross stands upon the altars of our churches throughout the world. It is a pity; for the supposed death of Jesus on the cross represents one man's fight against the evil of his day and the triumph of his word overcoming the centuries; it also represents his defeat and the triumph of evil over good, of ignorance over knowledge, of sin over virtue. It accuses us, while his deliverance from the cross encourages us, and it is for this reason misrepresented and mistaken by so many people of other religions. . Muslims say that every word of the Quran is the Word of. God. It is like saying that every word of the Bible is the Word of. God, when we know that in the latter there are borrowed teachings, the story of the Flood for example from the Epic of Gilgamesh, and Moses calling upon the Laws of king Hammurabi, who lived some six hundred years previously, for his ten commandments. We cannot write about Jesus without attempting to interpret the writings of St. Paul, without whom Christianity would not have survived. 1 Daniel 7:13. 2 Where is the man who will openly admit today to believing in angels, spirits, demons and evil spirits: THE ‘TRUTH' OF JESUS. 126