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Jesus Christ’s martyrdom has held everyone in awe It is a strange and fantastic story of a ragged carpenter with a short life, who changed the world. A man who dragged fishermen, women and tax collectors along dusty backroads to rebel against a tiny, but powerful group of leaders, who claimed superiority and rights to block the common man’s doorway to their God. Here’s an in-depth analysis by Lisa.
Today is the beginning of one of the most celebrated and misunderstood events in Holy Scripture: the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. As their Messiah (from Hebrew:māšīaḥ meaning “anointed”) or Christ (/kraɪst/; Ancient Greek: Χριστός, Christós, meaning “anointed”),Christians certainly believe the martyrdom of Jesus is historic. Despite great and often violent differences of opinion on the subject, Islam and Judaism as well as many secular experts note its impact on human history. It is a strange and fantastic story of a ragged carpenter with a short life, who changed the world. A man who dragged fishermen, women and tax collectors along dusty backroads to rebel against a tiny, but powerful group of leaders, who claimed superiority and rights to block the common man’s doorway to their God. No rational political marketers would leave the story as it is: he came, he cried out, he was betrayed by his own man and died the most ignoble death ever conceived in the evil mind of man. One of the strongest secular arguments for the truth of Jesus’ story is what legal scholars call “statements against your own interest” – why would a claim to Messiahship be based on such powerless humiliation and failure?
For Christian believers, the answer is straight-forward if not easy. Jesus, as the Christ, was never the central figure of the story. His one and only job was to bring the children of Israel back to their Father (“Abba”) God. His entire life was prophesied in scripture existing thousands of years prior to his birth. His death, too, was described in great detail in Psalm 22, down to the casting of dice by the Romans for his “seamless garment” in verse 18. Jesus famous cry “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” is the opening line of Psalm 22, and the subsequent verses summarize his fleeting life and violent death, the Pesach Lamb at Passover.
Jewish and Christian scripture agree the Messiah comes for the salvation of his Jewish brothers, not to bring forth one of the world’s greatest religions. He comes pleading, he comes arguing; he comes railing for a renewal of a lost passion with the God Who Saves. The great mistake about Jesus is that he also came for Gentiles or non-Jews. He did not. When begged by a Gentile-woman for help, he explains his role bluntly. “I was commissioned by God and sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matthew 15:24). When she continued to ask him to heal her daughter, he replied, “It is not good (appropriate, fair) to take the children’s bread and throw it to the pet dogs.” (Matthew 15:26). The Greek wordkuón (dog) was a derogatory term referring to Gentiles. Jesus used the word kunarion (little dog, or pet). There was a happy ending, but his meaning is certainly clear.
“She said, ‘Yes, Lord; but even the pet dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their [young] masters’ table.’Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, your faith [your personal trust and confidence in My power] is great; it will be done for you as you wish.’ And her daughter was healed from that moment.” (Matthew 15:27)
Jewish scripture foretold a powerful Savior that would deliver them from their continual and overwhelming
Christians read about the Passion, beginning in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed for deliverance to his Father, that this “cup would pass” from his path. They hear the story, but they misunderstand the event. This complicated carpenter was born directly from the hand of God, his mother impregnated by the Holy Spirit. Why? What a mess. A betrothed girl found pregnant in a time when such a thing could easily have led to her death. Why not drop him into a human form and get on with it? Because
Good Friday was the beginning of the end. Chaos reigned in those three days. His followers scattered and hid. His mother was left alone with only one disciple and Mary of Magdalene to stand for her son at his execution. A sad story of human failing, betrayal, cowardice and loneliness. In this way, God delivered his children from the seduction of the flesh, the pressure of world, and the Liar, the Accuser. It was misunderstood then, and it continues so today. Jesus lived not to die, as Christians may s
Friday is the beginning of a long weekend of reflection. A well-known Christian saying summarises it all. “It’s Friday now, but look out! Sunday is coming.” Christianity serves the Living God, who rose on that Sunday and broke the curse of spiritual death that had plagued man since Adam’s sin. In the last lines of Psalm 22 (verses 30-31), we hear from the prophet thousands of years before Jesus, reassuring us all that the Messiah’s life and death were not to be in vain:
“Posterity will serve Him; they will tell of the Lord to the next generation. They will come and declare His righteousness to a people yet to be born—that He has done it [and that it is finished].”
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i(Jerajani, H. R., Jaju, B., Phiske, M. M., & Lade, N. (2009). HEMATOHIDROSIS – A RARE CLINICAL PHENOMENON. Indian Journal of Dermatology, 54(3), 290–292. http://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5154.55645)
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Good Friday & Easter Theme
On the solemn occasion of Good Friday and Happy Easter, Different Truths features two Cover Stories. The story of Christ’s martyrdom has many layers. A subaltern rose with a small band of his followers against the power structure of that time. He was tortured and crucified. It’s not just a story of the past. Such wrongs continue, in various parts of the world, to this day. Men discriminate against men. And when these suffering men ask for breads, they get stones. They are put to death. In Jesus’ sacrifice we seek deliverance and also the terrible agony of humankind to this day. We wait for Revolution. We wait for Second Coming. ~ Editor
Here’s the link of the other Cover Story: