Was Jesus Sent To Be Crucified?
In this article, you will find the answer to your burning question: “Was Jesus Sent To Be Crucified?“
The crucifixion of Jesus occurred in 1st-century Judea, most likely between AD 30 and 33. Jesus’ crucifixion is described in the four canonical gospels, referred to in the New Testament epistles, attested to by other ancient sources, and is established as a historical event confirmed by non-Christian sources, although there is no consensus among historians on the exact details.
The Crucifixion darkness is an episode in three of the canonical gospels in which the sky becomes dark in daytime during the crucifixion of Jesus.
Christian apologist Tertullian in AD 197 considered this not an eclipse but a portent, which he claimed was recorded in Roman archives. The third-century Christian commentator Origen offered two natural explanations for the darkness: that it might have been the eclipse (presumably of AD 29) described by Phlegon of Tralles, or that it might have been clouds.
One of the fundamental beliefs of Christianity is that Jesus had died and allowed for the shedding of his blood for the sake of granting forgiveness to people. In other words Jesus had died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. Let us investigate this topic from the Bible, and find out whether Jesus was sent to be crucified or that he was crucified:
1. Willingness of Jesus Christ to Die for Our Sins:
Peter and the two sons of Zebedee were with Jesus Christ before the elders of the people and the chief priests came to take him to crucify him. Jesus at this point talked to Peter and the two sons of Zebedee as in Matthew 26:38 “Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.” Then Jesus went a little further away from them and prayed to God as in Matthew 26:39 “And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”
It is very clear from the above verse in Matthew 26:39 that Jesus had no intention of dying. In this verse, it is shown that Jesus was praying strongly (Matthew mentions that Jesus repeated these prayers three-time) to have this death removed from him. Had Jesus Christ been sent to be crucified he would not have hesitated to be killed at all. When I relate this to my Christian brothers, they tell me that this hesitation comes from the flesh side of him (in other words he was tempted), and that his soul which is godly does not have this hesitation at all. When we look at Matthew 26:38 we see that Jesus is contradicting this idea by saying, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death.” (Matthew 26:38). He himself says that it really his soul that is hesitating and not his body. These are Jesus’ own words.
2. God Answered the Prayers of Jesus Christ:
After Jesus made the above mentioned prayer he was answered by God according to Hebrews 5:7 “Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared.” These words clearly show that when Jesus was praying strongly to God, God would grant him his request. The word “heard in that he feared” (Hebrews 5:7) mean that God granted him what he requested. So the above verse shows that when Jesus asked God to “let this cup pass from” (Matthew 26:39), God respond to his prayer and saved him from death or crucifixion.
3. The Post Crucifixion Prophesied Events never happened:
When the people were asking Jesus Christ if he was going to show them a sign, He replied by saying that the only sign that they should expect is the sign of Jonas. Jesus also made sure to specify what exactly this sign was. The details are shown in the following verses:
Matthew 12:38 “Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.”
Matthew 12:39 “But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:”
Matthew 12:40 “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
Jesus here emphasized what will happen to him by specifically saying that he will be like Jonas in terms of the number of days and nights he will be in the heart of the earth, ” For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matthew 12:40). Now let us see if this prophecy came to pass.
Jesus was crucified on Friday, this is certainly known among all Christians, and that is the reason for calling that Friday by “Good Friday”. Jesus was buried on Friday night. Now let us start counting:
1.Friday night Jesus was buried. This is night number 1.
2.Saturday day Jesus was still in the grave. This is day number 1.
3.Saturday night Jesus was still in the grave. This is night number 2.
Mary Magdalene, very early in the morning before sunrise and after the Sabbath (Saturday), went to see Jesus, and he was not there. The following verses relate this event:
Mark 16:1 “And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.”
Mark 16:2 “And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulcher at the rising of the sun.”
Mark 16:3 “And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulcher?”
Mark 16:4 “And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.”
Mark 16:5 “And entering into the sepulcher, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.”
Mark 16:6 “And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.”
The number of days and nights that Jesus had spent in the heart of the earth is 1 day and 2 nights. This clearly challenges what Jesus had prophesied. When we discuss this subject some of the Christian theologians responded by saying that what Jesus wanted to really say was that he will be gone for a while, and not that he will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. This is clearly not the case. Had Jesus meant that he would have said it, but it is clear that he wanted the people to know that this was a sign (miracle) and that it will be like Joan’s sign, and that he will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. These were his own words