| FLOYD HAYES |
| RELIGION |
| Nearly two millenia ago, during the fifteenth year of the reign of military governor Tiberius Caesar (c. 27 AD), a Jewish man in his early 30s, named Jesus, began traveling throughout Judea, then under the jurisdiction of the Roman Empire, and ministered unto crowds of followers, teaching them about a better way of life and promising them a better kingdom to come. Today virtually everyone is familiar with at least some of his exploits, including his virgin birth, walking on water, feeding of 10,000, healing the dead, and especially his tragic death followed by his ascension to heaven. The ranks of �Christians� who professedly follow him as their lord and savior currently number more than a billion. But who was this man? And why, after so many centuries, does he still attract so many adherents? Historical accounts. The bulk of our knowledge about Jesus�s life and ministry is derived from the biblical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. However, non-Christian historians from the first century also wrote briefly about Jesus, including Flavius Josephus (37-100 AD), Cornelius Tacitus (55-117 AD), Pliny the Younger (62-113 AD), Suetonius (69-140 AD), and poorly known Thallus, Phlegon and Mara Bar-Serapion. In Antiquities of the Jews, Book XVIII (93-94 AD), Jewish historian Flavius Josephus wrote: �Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.� Within a description of the burning of Rome in 64 AD and the subsequent persecution of Christians, Roman governor Cornelius Tacitus wrote in The Annals, Book XV (109-116 AD): �Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus.� Messianic prophecies. Clearly Jesus was a historical figure whose existence was no mere myth. But to fully understand the impact of Jesus on his followers, one most delve deeper into the ancient sacred scriptures of the Hebrews, which predicted that a �Messiah� (literally �annointed one�) would eventually be born and restore Israel to its former glory (for a compilation of these texts, click here). Orthodox Jews today are still anticipating the coming of their long-promised Messiah. Christians, however, claim that Jesus Christ fulfilled the messianic prophecies, and insist that his mission was misunderstood by the Jews. Turning to the Old Testament books of the Bible, written centuries before Jesus was born, we first read about an epic future battle in which Eve�s seed (the Messiah) would eventually bruise the head of the serpent�s (devil�s) seed, and the serpent�s seed would bruise the heel of Eve�s seed (Genesis 3:15). Later we read that the Messiah would be conceived by a virgin, and would be a male child who would restore the throne of David (Isaiah 7:14, 9:6-7, Psalm 2:6-7). The Messiah would be a Jew (Deuteronomy 18:15, 18), a descendent of both Abraham (Genesis 12:3, 22:18) and David (Jeremiah 23:5-6, 33:15). The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), but Galilee would be honored by his presence (Isaiah 9:1-2). The arrival of the Messiah would be preceded by a �messenger� who would �prepare the way before� him (Isaiah 40:3, Malachi 3:1). Christians believe this messenger was John the Baptist, whose baptism of Jesus inaugurated the Messiah�s ministry. Remarkably, the time of the Messiah�s arrival was boldly predicted. In Daniel 9:25 we read: �Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.� At the time of Daniel, Jerusalem had been destroyed and the Hebrews were toiling in captivity under a succession of Babylonian and Medo-Persian rulers. Obviously if we can ascertain when this commandment �to restore and to build Jerusalem� was given, we can judge whether the Messiah appeared 69 weeks later. Ezra recounts three decrees by Persian rulers to rebuild Jerusalem, first by Cyrus the Great in 538 BC (Ezra 1:1-3), then by Darius I Hystaspes in 519 BC (Ezra 4:24, 6:6-12), and finally by Artaxerxes I Longimanus in 457 BC (Ezra 7:7-21). The latter decree further commissioned the Hebrews to reestablish Jewish law and to appoint magistrates and judges, thus restoring Jerusalem. Nobody has claimed that Jesus or any other Messiah appeared 69 weeks after any of these dates; thus, we can conclude that Daniel�s prediction was mistaken. Or was it? Others have pointed out that when the prophetic principle of a day representing a year (Numbers 14:34, Ezekiel 4:6) is applied, 483 years after the third decree (69 weeks = 483 days or prophetic years) brings us to the fall of 27 AD. Jesus was baptized and began his ministry during the fifteenth year of Tiberius (Luke 3:1). Based on traditional Jewish reckoning of Tiberius�s first �year� as August 19 to October 14, 14 AD, his fifteenth year would have begun in the fall of 27 AD. Is this what Daniel predicted? When Jesus commenced his ministry, the Jews were travailing under the yoke of Rome and longed for a Messiah who would deliver them from bondage and restore Israel to national prominence. These views were shared by Jesus�s disciples, but to their chagrin he was more concerned with fulfilling messianic prophecies about his ministry that were overlooked by the Jews and his disciples. Instead of plotting with the Jewish leaders to overthrow Rome, he snubbed them by mingling with the lower classes�especially those regarded to be suffering for their sins��to open the blind eyes,� �preach good tidings unto the meek,� �bind up the brokenhearted,� �proclaim liberty to the captives,� and �comfort all that mourn� (Isaiah 35:4-6, 42:1-7, 61:1-3). Even more alarmingly, Jesus vexed the Jewish clergy by rebuking their hypocrisy. He proclaimed that his coming kingdom was not of this world. Envious of his popularity, the Jewish leaders conspired to kill Jesus. During the third Passover of his ministry (spring of 31 AD), when Jesus entered Jerusalem triumphantly and many thought he would be crowned king, they succeeded. Ironically they were so eager to kill him that during his trial before Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judea, they were even willing to sacrifice their aspirations of national sovereignty, claiming �We have no king but Caesar� (John 19:15). To appease the rioting mob, Pilate reluctantly ordered the execution of Jesus, who did not resist and was promptly crucified by Roman soldiers. Thousands of pilgrims attending the annual Passover rituals witnessed his death. But why did Jesus die? Was it merely the premature demise of yet another revolutionary? Or did he die for a more noble cause as Christians claim? The cross foretold. Turning once again to the biblical Old Testament, the manner of Jesus�s death was foretold centuries in advance. He would enter Jerusalem upon an ass (Zechariah 9:9), be betrayed by a friend who ate with him (Psalm 41:9), and sold for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12). His disciples would scatter during his arrest (Zechariah 13:7), after which he would be beaten and spat upon during his trial (Isaiah 50:6). His hands and feet would be pierced (Psalm 22:16, Zechariah 12:10), but his bones would not be broken (Psalm 22:17, 34:20). His clothes would be gambled for (Psalm 22:18). Even the date of the cross was foretold. Returning to Daniel�s prophecy, he stated that the Messiah would be �cut off� and would �confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease� (Daniel 9:27). The �midst of the week� would be three and a half �days,� or prophetic years, after he began his ministry (fall of 27 to spring of 31 AD). Perhaps the most remarkable predictions of the Messiah are presented in Isaiah 52:13 to 53:12. Herein is described a �servant� who was �despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief,� �wounded for our transgressions,� �bruised for our iniquities,� �oppressed� and �afflicted.� Furthermore, he �poured out his soul unto death,� was �cut off out of the land of the living,� and �made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death.� Why would he die? The answer is supplied: for �the iniquity of us all,� to �make his soul an offering for sin,� to �bear their iniquities,� and make �intercession for the transgressors.� An atoning sacrifice. Such prophecies of a suffering and dying Messiah clashed with those of a mighty kingdom cherished by the Jews. However, further evidence of the Messiah�s ultimate death can be inferred from the ancient Jewish system of ceremonial sacrifices, described in Exodus and Leviticus. Perhaps intentionally, Jesus died during Passover, which was instituted to commemorate the Hebrews� deliverance centuries before from Egyptian bondage. On the eve of their departure from Egypt, the Hebrews spread the blood of a lamb on their doorposts as a signal for the Lord, who killed the firstborn of the Egyptians, to �pass over� their house and spare the occupants inside. The focal point of the sacrificial system took place within the �sanctuary,� a veiled temple containing the �ark of the covenant� and other items. Animals were sacrificed daily to make atonement for their sins. Even though the sanctuary was destroyed and the ark of the covenant lost when the Babylonians invaded Jerusalem in 586 BC, the sacrifices did not cease. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement (see Leviticus 16), the High Priest entered the �most holy place� of the sanctuary to sacrifice two goats. The blood of the Lord�s goat was sprinkled on the cover of the ark of the covenant, thus atoning for the sanctuary as well as for the sins of the people. The high priest then took upon himself the sins of the sanctuary and symbolically transferred them to the scapegoat, which was led into the wilderness, thus removing the sins of the people from the sanctuary. As barbaric as the system of sacrifices may appear to us, it was instituted to teach God�s people that sin was unacceptable to God, requiring blood. In each substitutionary sacrifice the innocent animal was to be perfect, without blemish. However, it was not the blood of the animals themselves that atoned for the sins of the people, but rather their faith that God would forgive them. According to Christians, the ceremonial sacrifices pointed forward to and ended with the ultimate sacrifice of an innocent savior--in this case Jesus, the Messiah--who died the death that we deserved. One of his disciples later referred to Jesus as �the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world,� implying that his death was planned long before (Revelation 13:8). Through faith in his sacrifice, sinners could obtain victory over sin and receive eternal fellowship with God. The resurrection. The most controversial aspect of Jesus�s life was his alleged resurrection within two days of his death. Again, his resurrection was predicted by Old Testament prophets, who declared �neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption� (Psalm 16:9-11), �he shall prolong his days,� �see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied� (Isaiah 53:10-11). Crushed by the loss of their beloved teacher, the disciples initially refused to believe reports that Jesus had risen until he appeared to them on several occasions prior to his ascension to heaven. During one such appearance, �beginning at Moses and all the prophets,� Jesus �expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself� (Luke 24:27). After contemplating the messianic prophecies pointed out by Jesus, the disciples retrospectively understood his true mission, which they enthusiastically preached to the Jews. But as predicted in Isaiah 49:6-7, most Jews rejected the message, which was then broadcast to the Gentiles. And ever since, Christians have relied heavily upon these prophecies as evidence for their faith in Jesus Christ as the long-anticipated Messiah. Critics respond. Some skeptics contend that these messianic prophecies were added to the Old Testament texts after Jesus died. But these were ancient Hebrew scriptures, faithfully copied through the centuries by Jewish scribes who rejected Jesus as their Messiah and would not allow Christians to insert such passages. Furthermore, most of these prophecies, including Isaiah 53, are found among the Dead Sea scrolls, which apparently predate Jesus since no mention is made of him. Secular scholars concur that the scrolls were transcribed during the first or second century before Christ. Others assert that the events of Jesus�s life as recorded in the gospels were simply twisted to fit the messianic prophecies. But if so, early historians corroborate at least a few key events in his life that could not have been concocted, such as the timing of his ministry prophesied by Daniel, his agonizing death as foretold by the psalmist, Isaiah and Zechariah, and his rejection by the Jews and general acceptance by many Gentiles as predicted by Isaiah. A few even deny that Jesus ever existed. But if so, physician Mark Eastman entreats, �Why would the Roman government brutally persecute peaceful followers of a non-historical figure? Why [would] tens of thousands of first century Christians (almost exclusively Jewish believers in Jesus), who lived within forty years of the �mythical events,� willingly suffer the loss of all possessions and status, and be murdered for a myth? Why would Saul of Tarsus, a Jewish Pharisee, a leader of the Jews, be willing to give up everything and join the crowd that he had admittedly been persecuting?� Your decision. In conclusion, was Jesus really the long-anticipated Messiah, or was he an imposter? Was he merely a social revolutionary, perhaps deluded, who failed to deliver on his promises of a new kingdom? Or was he precisely who he claimed to be: the son of God, sent to save a fallen race from its iniquities? If you haven�t made up your mind yet or wish to reconsider, hopefully your decision will now be better informed. |
| WHO WAS JESUS CHRIST? |
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