Newsflash!

Good evening! We interrupt the series on "Beginnings" with news of a dramatic event outside the city of Jerusalem. Actually, the event occurred almost 2,000 years ago, but its effect is still felt throughout the world today. I refer, of course, to the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, who had been crucified, and entombed, just a couple of days earlier. This was stupendous news then; it is equally stupendous news now. Well, it is if it is true! But what if it is what would nowadays be termed "fake news"?

There have certainly been those who have made that claim, and offered alternaive "theories" for what happened at the time. For example, there are those who claim that Jesus didn't actually die. What really happened, they claim, is that He swooned and, in the cool atmosphere of the tomb, He revived, made His way out, and claimed that He had risen from the dead!

Well, it may sound reasonable - but let's look a little more closely. This is a man who, prior to His crucifixion, suffered beating and lashing. The latter consisted of a whip, like the (in)famous "cat o' nine tails" (the true origin, by the way, of the saying: "There isn't room to swing a cat" - nothing to do with cruel treatment of our feline friends!). However, the Roman equivalent had the pieces of bone, and of metal, tied into the thongs. These cut deeply into the back of the victim - and many died from that treatment alone. Jesus was then forced to carry the crossbeam od the very cross on which He would be crucified, to the place of the execution of the death penalty. He was already, in His physical body, so weak that He was stumbling, and the Roman soldiers - not renowned for the pouring out of "the milk of human kindness" - eventually forced an onlooker to carry it for Him. It certainly wouldn't do for the condemned Man to die before His time! At Golgotha, the crossbeam was attached to the vertical post; the victim was thrown down on to it (not gently laid!) and by the use of ropes and nails, fastened to it. The cross was then raised, dropped into a prepared hole (try to imagine the physical agony thus generated!), and made steady with heavy stones that were put into the hole. 

The victim was left hanging, naked (the loincloth which Jesus is usually portrayed as wearing is a matter of respect, not authenticity!), while the soldiers of the execution squad shared out the belongings among themselves. Death could take as much as three days - and two days were apparently common - but, because it was close to Shabbat (that commenced at sunset), the Jewish hierarchy asked that the Roman soldiers speed things up. This was done by the simple expedient of breaking the legs of the victims. which meant that the victims could no longer push themselves up, and allow themselves release from slow suffocation. However, it wasn't as easy to do as one might think and, when they came to Jesus, they realised that He was already dead. Of course, just to make sure, they stabbed Him with a spear. An eye-witness account states that "... when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water." (John 19:33-34). 

Now, I confess that, when I was a great deal younger, and much less knowledgeable, I pictured that as being similar to the Mr Softee Ice-cream Machine with a choice of vanilla flavour, strawberry flavour, or a combination that issued from the appropriate nozzle as a single flow that was half of each flavour. However, modern medical science indicates that what John saw - from a distance of several yards - was blood that had gathered in the space between the chest wall and the lung. This, in a dead body, would have separated with the heavier red blood cells at the bottom, and the lighter, clear, plasma above. The red cells would have issued first, followed by the plasma which would have looked (certainly to a 1st century fisherman!) just like water! The point is that, unwittingly, John provided irrefutable evidence that Jesus was dead!

There can be no doubt about it. The Jesus Whose wonderful resurrection we remember, in a special way, today, was dead when Hios body was laid in the tomb.

Tyere are a number of other theories offered - but not one of them stands up to inspection. This post is now quite long enough, so I shan't look at any others. However, I may manage, if the Rapture is delayed, and I am still alive and well, to look at another one (or two!) next year! For now, I end with the age-honoured  declaration: "Jesus is risen!" "He is risen indeed!". "Glory, Hallelujah!"