Jesus In India — Page 33
CHAPTER ONE 23 God forbid, this could never be. Thus how then can we say that he became, God forbid, accursed? What a pity, that once a man has expressed some opinion or taken his stand on a certain doctrine, he never wishes to abandon it, no matter what manner of evil of this belief may be exposed before him. It is praiseworthy indeed to entertain the hope of salvation if it is based on some authentic reality, but where is the sense in a desire for salvation which mur- ders a truth and countenances the belief regarding a holy prophet and perfect man, that he passed through a state in which he was totally estranged from God Almighty, and instead of unreserved and single-minded submission, there appeared in him a strange- ness and alienation, even enmity and hatred, and that darkness filled his heart in place of light? It should be remembered also that such a thought is not only opposed to the dignity of prophethood and stature of the messengership of Jesus, the Messiah, may peace be on him, but goes also against his claim to spiritual eminence, holiness, love, and knowledge of God, to which he gives repeated expression in the Gospels. Read the New Testament and see that Jesus, may peace be on him, claims clearly that, I am the Light of the world, that I am the Guide, that I have a relationship with God that is of a high grade of love, that I have been blessed with a pure birth from Him, and that I am the beloved son of God. How then, in spite of these inalienable, pure and holy ties, can the unholy attributes of a curse become truly applicable to the heart of Jesus, the Messiah. This could never be so. Thus, without a doubt, this much is established that Jesus, the Messiah, was not crucified, that is to say, he did not die on the cross, for his person did not deserve the stigma of death on the cross. And since he did not die on the