Did Jesus Redeem Mankind? — Page 240
? 233 underground and should not disclose his hide-out even to the disciples. In short, it is clear beyond doubt, from the accounts of the New Testament that the Messiah did not die on the Cross; that, on the contrary, he remained alive on it, remained alive in the sepulchre and rose alive from there and told the disciples that he was alive. It is very revealing indeed when the New Testament says that when Thomas learnt that the Messiah was alive, he said he would not believe until he had seen in his hands “the print of nails" and had put his fingers into them. Thereupon, the Messiah called Thomas and said, “Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side," to see for himself whether he was the self-same Messiah and was not a spirit (St. John, 20:24-29). MESSIAH MAKES GOOD HIS ESCAPE All these events make it plain that the prophecy of the Messiah that "no sign shall be given this generation but the sign of Jonah" was fulfilled to the letter. A Messiah of flesh and bone was hanged on the Cross, but he remained alive on the Cross, alive he entered the sepulchre, and alive he rose from it. Subsequently he remained in hiding from the people as the law of the land did not permit his stay there any longer. And this was the hidden device of