Video presentation of my post from January 18th, 2014 – “No one can take my life from me” – Was Jesus really killed?
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(If I say something that is right, then God has inspired me. If I say something that is wrong, then it is my own mistake.)
cru·ci·fy
To put (a person) to death by nailing or binding to a cross.
Part 1 : The Biblical account of the crucifixion
1) The Christian account of the crucifixion is that Jews demanded from Pontius Pilate the death sentence for Jesus, following which the Roman executioners carried out the crucifixion – a standard Roman execution procedure at that time. This implies that the Messiah, Jesus was killed at the hands of men – the Roman executioners who nailed him to the cross and more importantly, the Jewish priests who wanted him dead.
2) John 10:18 opposes the idea of Jesus having his life taken by men. Here Jesus makes a fascinating declaration, that he – with God-given authority – was in charge of his own life and that no man could take his life away from him. The exact verse is as follows :
No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. – John 10:18
3) The implications of John 10:18 is that Jesus could not have been truly “killed” by men, whether the Roman executioners or the Jewish priests. If it were so, then Jesus’ declaration that no man could take his life would be severely contradicted. In light of John 10:18, Jesus would have laid his life down on his own, only to take it back in the tomb after which, he ascended to God, but he did not die of the crucifixion, and nobody killed him.
Part 2 – The Islamic account of the crucifixion compared to the Biblical account.
1) The Koran assertively declares that Jesus was not killed, but that Allah raised Jesus up to himself.
That they said (in boast), “We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah”;- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow for of a surety they killed him not. Nay! Allah took him up to Himself; and Allah is Mighty, Wise. – Koran 4:157-158
(“They” and “them” refers to the Jews.)
2a) The above verses are often (mis)interpreted as meaning that Jesus was not personally taken up to the cross, and that somebody else was transformed to look like Jesus and mistakenly crucified in place of Jesus. This happens to be the popular interpretation of the Korans statement on the crucifixion. However, what if the above verses are actually fully in line with the sayings of Jesus and the Biblical account of the crucifixion? I will comment on the underlined parts of the verses, (But only Allah best knows the meanings)
2b) “they killed him not, nor crucified him” : Lets be clear first that to “crucify” is to KILL. It doesn’t mean to merely nail someone to a cross and leave it open ended. The 2 thieves died of the crucifixion and stayed dead. You could legitimately say that they were “killed / crucified”.
Jesus however, is exempt from falling the same category as the thieves for 2 reasons:
First, his own declaration in John 10:18 holds that no one could take his life from him and that he could lay down life on his own. And according to the Gospels, Jesus indeed laid down his life after he said “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46). Second, Jesus had authority to take back his own life. His resurrection in the tomb and ascension are well known. Putting the two together, we see that it echoes the Koranic statements that “they killed him not, nor crucified him…Allah took him up to Himself”.
2c. “but so it was made to appear to them” : To the Jews (and everybody else) looking on, it would have appeared as if he “died” as a result of the crucifixion But unbeknownst to them, Jesus had laid his own life, as he said he could and therefore, unlike the 2 thieves, did not die as a natural result of the crucifixion.
2d) “but only conjecture to follow” : The Jews remained convinced that Jesus was dead, and even spread rumors that Jesus “dead body” was stolen from the tomb by his disciples. Matthew 28:11 says that this story “has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day”. The Talmud supposedly contains a reference to the crucifixion and Jews continue to believe they executed a false prophet, but Christians know that was resurrected and ascended to God.
2e) “Allah took him up to Himself” : This does not need any further commentary, because its also the Christian view that Jesus ascended to God (John 20:17).
Part 3 : Conclusion
1. Jesus’ statement in John 10:18, “no man can take my life” corroborates the Korans statement that he was not killed/crucified.
“No man can take my life” = Jesus could NOT have been killed by men.
“I lay it down on my own” = Jesus did NOT suffer death by crucifixion like the thieves.
“I can take it back” = Jesus took it back in the tomb, or rather God returned his life back to him.
Reading the crucifixion in light of John 10:18, Jesus laid his own life and did not die by the hands of men carrying out the crucifixion. Nailed to the cross, yes. Died of the crucifixion, no. Jesus came back to life and ascended to God.
2. Hence, the Korans few sentences on the crucifixion, “they killed him not” … “but it was made to appear to them” … “having only conjecture to follow”…”Allah took him up to Himself”… elegantly summarizes the Bibles long account of Jesus’ “death”, the Jews storymongering and his ascent. We see that the Koran does not contradict the Bibles account of the crucifixion, but instead condenses it to a few short, crisp and poetic sentences.
Related verses from Bible : John 10:18, Luke 23:46, Matthew 28:11, John 20:17
Related verses from Koran : Koran 4:157-158
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