Crucifixion Or Cruci-Fiction
CHAPTER 6
TRIALS OF JESUS
GONE IN HIS HOUR OF NEED
In the history of the world, there is no parallel of such a
contemptible betrayal. From the beginning to the end, Jesus (pbuh)
received the most shabby response from his chosen ones. Professor
Momerie succinctly sums up the "Disciples" and their response to
the Master:
"HIS IMMEDIATE DISCIPLES WERE ALWAYS MISUNDERSTANDING HIM AND HIS
WORKS. WANTING HIM TO DECLARE HIMSELF KING OF THE JEWS: WANTING HIM TO
CALL DOWN FIRE FROM HEAVEN, WANTING TO SIT ON HIS RIGHT HAND AND ON HIS
LEFT HAND IN HIS KINGDOM; WANTING HIM TO SHOW THEM THE FATHER, TO MAKE
GOD VISIBLE TO THEIR BODILY EYES: WANTING HIM TO DO, AND WANTING TO DO
THEMSELVES, ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING THAT WAS INCOMPATIBLE WITH HIS
GREAT PLAN. THIS WAS HOW THEY TREATED HIM UNTIL THE END. AND WHEN THAT
CAME, THEY ALL FORSOOK HIM. AND FLED."
If Muhummed (pbuh) was the "Most Influential Man in History" -
Michael M. Hart;
If Muhummed (pbuh) was the "Most Successful of all Religious
Personalties" - Encyclopaedia Britannica 11th Ed;
If Muhummed (pbuh) was the "Greatest Leader of all Times" - Jules
Masserman in the "TIME" Magazine;
If Muhummed (pbuh) was the "Greatest Man that ever Lived"
- Lamartine in his "History of the Turks";
THEN IT CAN BE CLAIMED WITH JUSTIFICATION THAT Jesus Christ (pbuh)
was the "Most unfortunate of all of God’s Messengers".
The disciples of Jesus always misunderstood him. His nation,
the Jews, always misrepresented his utterances, AND his
so-called followers are always misinterpreting his teachings,
even to this day. If Jesus were a Japanese instead of being a Jew, he
would most assuredly have committed honourable "HARA-KIRI" (suicide)
rather than endure the fickleness and infidelity of his followers.
PREDETERMINED JUDGEMENT
The fate of Jesus (pbuh) was already sealed. Caiphas
the High Priest, at the head of the Sanhedrin (a Religious Board of
Jewish Deputies), was a man who would have recused himself in any
civilised Court-of-Law, because of his prejudice against the defendant.
He had already condemned Jesus to death without any hearing. He had
recommended to his Council, even before the case that:-
"… it is expedient for us that one man die for the people, and the
whole nation perish not."
(HOLY BIBLE) John
11:50
Jesus had to be liquidated! There was no question of
right or wrong; Justice or injustice; it was "EXPEDIENT"! The trial was
a farce. By hook or by crook they would have Jesus convicted and done
away with. In the middle of the night, what we might call at 2 o'clock
in the morning, the Jews had mustered up false witnesses to testify
against Jesus. A trial, past midnight was against Jewish practice; but
who cares? Despite sympathetic and encouraging prosecutors and jurors,
the false witnesses could not tally in their evidences.
It was too much for Jesus. He could not hold his
peace. He had to remonstrate. He made a telling plea in his own
defence, saying:
"... I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue,
and in the temple, where the Jews always gather; and in secret have 1
said nothing."
(HOLY BIBLE) John 18:20
In essence, he said that he expounded no secret or
esoteric doctrines. He did not teach anything in private which he would
not be prepared to proclaim in public. In which case, the Jews would
have been able to line up an army of witnesses to testify against him.
But what a farce! The Jews could not get even two to agree1 in their
allegations! "But neither did their witness agree together" - (Mark
14:59). His argument was so potent that an
officer standing by was provoked to strike him in silence. Did that
intimidate Jesus? No! Instead, he protested further:
"... if I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil. But if well,
why smitest thou me?"
(HOLY BIBLE) John 18:23
The victim was slipping out from between their
fingers. It was now or never. Legally they could not incriminate him.
Direct intervention was necessary. The High Priest interjects with a
side thrust. Tell us then:
"… Art thou the Christ, the son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am
. . . "
(HOLY BIBLE) Mark 14:61-62
1. It reminds one of the 5000 (so-called original) Greek
Manuscripts of the New Testament of which "NO TWO ARE PERFECT
DUPLICATES", say the Jehovah's Witnesses. The "cultists" are now
claiming the discovery of a staggering 24 thousand Manuscripts; to
which of course the same stricture will apply. See <!a href="http://www.jamaat.net/bible/BibleIntro.html">"Is the Bible God's
Word?"<!/a> for further information.
"SON OF GOD"— NO BLASPHEMY
There was nothing blasphemous or treasonable in the
simple avowal of Jesus (pbuh). "Christ" is the Greek translation
of the Hebrew word "Messiah," which meant the ANOINTED ONE or
the APOINTED ONE. 1 Nowhere was the word Christ equated with God. We must
divorce this notion from the paganised Christian doctrine of the
incarnation, wherein God becomes man. The Jewish expectation of a
Messiah, did not identify the Messiah with God. Indeed, the nature of
Jewish monotheism wholely excludes such pagan connotations. "Son of
God" is also another harmless expression in Jewish theology. God
seems to have sons by the tons in the Jewish Bible. But if you are
looking for trouble, you do not have to go far. You will find it round
the corner. The High Priest was exultant. He felt that his rapier
thrust had ripped open the defence of Jesus. To dramatise his contrived
victory, he began renting his clothes.
"What need have we for any
further witnesses? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death."
—
(HOLY BIBLE) Mark 14:63-64
1. "Christ':
For further references, see "Christ in Islam"
in which you will get Biblical quotations of "priests" and "pots"
and "pans" and "pagans" who are called CHRISTS!
GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY — "JESUS MUST DIE!"
The Jews falsely charged that Jesus had blasphemed,
which is like treason in the spiritual realm. The Christians are "ONE"
with the Jews regarding this "blasphemy" of Jesus, but contend that he
was not guilty, because as God, he was entitled to "blaspheme" — it was
no blasphemy. Between the two (Jews and Christians) they want poor
Jesus to die. One for "GOOD RIDDANCE" and the other for "GOOD
REDEMPTION".
The verdict was quick and unanimous. It was cut and
dried! But without the Roman consent, they could not hang him. In the
morning they took their victim to Pontius Pilate, because, as they said:
"It is not lawful for us (Jews)
to put any man to death". —
(HOLY BIBLE) John 18:31.
PILATE "PASSES THE BUCK"
On discovering that Jesus was a Galilaean, the
most troublesome of his subjects, Pilate felt it advisable to "pass the
buck" to Herod. 1 You remember, the
oldest game in the world. It started in the Garden of Eden according to
the Christian Scriptures. But it did not work. After a fruitless
attempt to elicit co-operation from Jesus, Herod sends him back to
Pilate.
The Jews had condemned Jesus for blasphemy. A man
claiming to be God, they alleged. This would not hold water before
Pilate. He had his man-gods beyond counting. His Jupiter and Pluto, his
Vulcan and Eros, his Mars and Neptune, his Appollo and Zeus, to name
just a few out of his Pantheon. One more, or one less, would not
make any difference to him. This the Jews very well knew. So they
changed their charge from blasphemy to treason. They began accusing:
". . . We found this fellow perverting the
nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he
himself is Christ, a king."
(HOLY BIBLE) Luke 23:2
1. Luke 23:7
SECOND FALSE CHARGE
The charge was absolutely false. Contrary to what
they are alleging, he had said, on the subject of taxation:
"Render unto Caesar the things that are
Caesar's, and unto God, the things that are God's"—
(HOLY BIBLE) Matthew 22:21.
What is subversive about this? Like the Christians,1 the
Jews too, before them had invented a new meaning for the word "Christy,"
viz. "A KING!" So that he could be more easily presented as a challenge
to their Roman overlords. Pilate got the message. But this poor man,
meek and passive, seemed to be no threat. He did not look like a
Zealot, a political agitator, a subversive person, a terrorist!
1. The
Christians equate the word "Christ" to "A GOD!"
A MASTERFUL DEFENCE - AND A
JUST VERDICT
Incredulously he asks Jesus:
"… Art thou the King of the Jews?’ … Jesus
answered him, "MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD, if my kingdom was of
this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be
delivered to the Jews; but now is my kingdom not from hence.’ "
(HOLY BIBLE) John 18:33-36
A masterful defence! No Q.C. 1 could have done a better job. As a man of God, he could not
disavow his religious status. His was a spiritual kingdom, a ruler to
rescue his nation from sin and formalism. This was all nonsense to the
Roman Governor. The man may be deluded, mad; but of no danger to the
State. He was on no collision course with Rome. Pilate goes to the
waiting Jews and delivers an unequivocal verdict —
"... I FIND IN HIM NO FAULT AT ALL!"
(HOLY BIBLE) John
18:38
Though Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are supposed
to be writing independent records on the life of Jesus, it is
astonishing that the Synoptists 2, the first
three had never heard the words — "My kingdom is not of this world"
— at all. If God dictated these words exclusively to John, or if he had
been informed by some witness, then these words must have escaped the
lips of Jesus. A most telling defence against the false allegation of
the Jews. How did these words reach any ear, without Jesus opening
his mouth?
1. Q.C.
means Queen's Counsellor, previously K.C.
(King's Counsellor) The highest legal representative in English
Court-of-Law.
2. Synoptists:
meaning one-eyed; looking from one angle.
SPEAKING WITH CLOSED MOUTH?
The hot-gospellers are getting hoarse in the
throat, singing and shouting, that Jesus was led
"to the slaughter like a lamb, like a sheep
before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth" - (Isaiah
53:7).
Poor deluded souls, they hymn songs:
"Hy het sy monde nie oop gemaak nie! Hy het sy monde nie oop
gemaak nie!" (And he opened not his mouth).
Now, an Attorney-at-Law, claiming to be "re-born" has joined the
chorus of Bible-thumpers with the same senseless repetition. Let me
quote, word for word from his Book, to enable you to diagnose this new
sickness of cultism to which even people having undergone a dicipline
of Law are not immune. He says;
"Isaiah predicts about
Jesus Christ:- "
1. He would not defend himself at his trial
(Jesus did not): "He opened not his mouth"
When you meet these cultists in the flesh, please
ask them, "Did Jesus speak with his mouth closed?" How did the
following utterances which are attributed to Jesus, escape his lips
without him opening his mouth -
(a). Before Pontius Pilate: "My
kingdom is not of this world" —
(John 18:36).
(b). Before
the Sanhedrin: "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil,
but if well, why smitest thou me?" —
(John 18:23).
(c). Before
God in the Garden: "O my Father, if it be
possible, let this cup pass away . . ."
(Matthew 26:39).
We Muslims believe in the many, many miracles of
Jesus, but we would be reluctant to believe that he dabbled in
ventriloquism. 1
Again and again, whenever the need
arose, during his trials and tribulations, Jesus opened his mouth with
telling effect, "according to the Scriptures". But for those who refuse
to see or hear, we can only seek solace in the words of the Master:
". . . they seeing, see not; and hearing,
they hear not, neither do they understand"
(HOLY BIBLE) Matthew 13:13
1.
Ventriloquism: The art of speaking, or
uttering sounds in such a manner that the voice appears to come from
some other source than the speaker, like Charlie McCarthy and his doll.
THE BLACKMAIL
In the case under discussion, Pilate finds
Jesus — NOT GUILTY! His implacable enemies, blackmail Pilate, saying:
". . . If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend;
whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh agaist Caesar"
(HOLY BIBLE) John 19:12
While the trial was under way, Pilate's wife
sends him a message: "Have thou nothing to do with that just man
(Jesus); for I have suffered many things this day in a dream
because of him." —
(HOLY BIBLE) Matthew 27:19.
As reluctant as Pilate was to condemn an
innocent and harmless subject, and despite the pleadings of his dear
wife based on supernatural visions, he could not prevail against Jewish
pressure. He was forced to give in to the Jewish clamour of "Crucify
him, crucify him!". "Pilate took water, and washed his hands before the
multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man."
— (Matthew 27:24). You are culpable for this unjust crime. And he handed Jesus
over to be crucified.