Crucified devotees spent several painful minutes nailed to crosses in Pampanga province while thousands of tourists took photos of the spectacle. Earlier that day, hooded male penitents trudged through the province's villages under the blazing sun while beating their bleeding backs with makeshift whips. Others carried wooden crosses to reenact Christ's sacrifice and suffereing.
Devotees undergo the hardships in the belief that such extreme sacrifices are a way to atone for their sins, attain miracle cures for illnesses or give thanks to God.
Alex Laranang, a 58-year-old vendor who was the first to be nailed to a cross Friday, said he was doing it "for good luck and for my family to be healthy."
It was the 27th crucifixion for sign painter Ruben Enaje, 52, one of the most popular penitents from San Pedro Cutud village. He began his yearly rite after surviving a fall from a building.
Enaje screamed in pain as men dressed as Roman soldiers hammered stainless steel nails into his palms and feet. A wireless microphone carried his voice to loudspeakers for everyone watching to hear.
His cross was raised and he was hanged there for several minutes under the searing afternoon sun before the nails were pulled out and he was taken on a stretcher to a first aid station.
"It's intriguing and fascinating what makes people do something like this, how you can believe so much that you make yourself suffer to that extent," said Dita Tittesass, a tourist from Denmark.
Remigio de la Cruz, the chief of San Pedro Cutud village, explained that the practice began in his village in the 1950s.
Archbishop Jose Palma, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, told the church-run Radio Veritas that the practice is "not the desire of Jesus Christ."
"We are aware that this has been practiced long before ... but we still hope that this will not be done any more," he said. "We should all concentrate on prayers."
Jesus' Death
His death is equally a controversial affair with the Jews, the Christians and the Muslims. The Jews believe that Jesus died on the cross because he was a false prophet. In this Connection they quote the Bible.
- "And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree" is "the accursed of God".
(Deut.21:22-23).
- "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree".
(Galatians 3:13).
On the strength of their belief that Jesus was a false prophet the Jews, Particularly the Pharisees of his time brought serious political charges against him alleging that he was disloyal to the Roman Emperor, and that he claimed himself to be the King of the Jews. The governor, Pilate was not convinced of his guilt but being influenced by the tumult of the multitude he delivered Jesus to be crucified. They put him on the cross where he remained, at the utmost, for three or four hours only and then was taken down in a swoon and placed in a sepulchre in a garden nearby.
Now in those days it took several days for criminals to die on the cross. They suffered the pangs of hunger and thirst and in most cases their legs were broken. They died a lingering death extending over several days. But it was not so in the case of Jesus Christ. Incidentally, he was put on the Cross on a Friday afternoon. The following being the Sabbath - day a day of religious observance by the Jews - no criminal could remain on the Cross on that Holy day, so he was taken down from it after about three or four hours. The loss of blood from the wounds caused him to fall into a swoon. He was taken for a dead man. His body was placed in a spacious sepulchre in a garden by Joseph of Arimathaea, his own disciple. Jesus being still alive in the sepulchre, left it on the third day in disguise, met his disciples at Galilee and ate with them. His wounds were healed by the application of an ointment especially prepared by his disciples for the purpose.
This is the natural story of Jesus's Crucifixion but the Christians gave a strange version of his death which is not only unnatural but also against historical evidence as well as logic. They believe that Jesus actually died on the Cross but on the third day he rose up to the heavens. What a paradox! What a myth! Modern Christianity rests on the belief that Jesus died on the Cross. But if it is proved that he did not die on the Cross nor did he rise from the dead, then the whole edifice of Christianity tumbles to the ground. Paul, who is the real founder of modern Christianity, himself says:
- "And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain and your faith also vain".
(Corinthians 15:14).
- "If our belief in the death of Christ on the Cross is wrong then the whole of Christianity is a farce".
Now we proceed with our arguments from the Bible itself to show that Jesus did not die on the Cross. We read in the New Testament:
- "And when the people were gathered thick together, he (Jesus) began to say, this is an evil generation: they seek a sign: and there shall no sign be given it but the sign of Jonah the prophet. For as Jonah was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man to this generation".
(Luke 11: 29, 30).
- "But he answered and said unto them; an evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign: and there shall be no sign given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah: for as Jonah 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: 39, 40).
- "Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly. And said, l cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest, my voice".
(Jonah 1:17-2; 1,2).
II - Pilate's Wife Sees a Dream
- "When he (Pilate) was set down on the Judgement seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have you nothing to do with that just man (Jesus): for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him".
(Matthew 27:19).
III - The Roman Governor's Sympathetic Attitude
The Jews presented the case of Jesus Christ to Pilate, the Roman Governor of Palestine. He held a judical inquiry into the case and declared that he was not guilty of the charges brought against him. He said unto them:
- "Ye have brought this man unto me as one that perverteth the people: and behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things where of ye accuse him".
(Luke 23:14).
"He went out again unto the Jews and said unto them, l find in him no fault at all. But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye, therefore, that l release unto you the King of the Jews? Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas.".
(John 18:38,40).
And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesars friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar".
(John 19:12).
IV - Pilate's Scheme to Save Christ
Pilate, the Governor, was thoroughly convinced of the innocence of Jesus Christ, he therefore, had a pre-planned scheme to save Jesus's life. As a responsible official of the Roman Empire he could not openly come to the forefront, but he was the master-mind behind the whole scheme and the chief actor in the drama. Other characters of the show were Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable councillor and disciple of Jesus Christ. He had already had a sepulchre hewn out in a rock garden nearby. Another actor in the drama was a learned Jew named Nicodemus who was also in the know of the whole matter. We read of him in St. John:
- "And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes about a hundred pound weight".
(John 19: 39).
V - Duration of Crucifixion
The duration of crucifixion or the period of time for which Jesus remained on the Cross was not long enough to warrant his death on the Cross. Criminals generally took several days to die a lingering death on the cross on account of the loss of blood from the wounds on hands and feet, the physical pain and the pangs of hunger and thirst. The minimum time of death on the cross ranged between 24 and 28 hours, but in some cases it took several days to die on the cross. In such cases it became necessary to break the legs of the criminals so that death may be hastened and consumated.
Let us now probe into the matter of Jesus's crucifixion. The New Testament tells us that Jesus remained on the cross for a few hours only. The actual duration of time Jesus remained on the cross was not more than three or four hours. Jesus Christ who was in the prime of his youth (33 years) and enjoyed excellent health, could not be expected to have died within so short a time. Especially as his legs were not broken as was done in the case of the two robbers crucified with him on the same day.
It may not be out of place here to note that, according to the Roman calendar the day began with the rising of the sun and ended with its setting. The same custom is in vogue even to this day in Arab countries. According to John (19:14) it was about the sixth hour of the day (Friday) that Pilate spoke last to the Jews vis-a-vis Jesus crucifixion and handed him over to them.
- "And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, LAMA SABACHTHANI, My God, My God why hast thou forsaken me?"
(Mark 15:33, 34).
None of the writers were present on the spot to stand as eye-witness. The 'swoon' was taken to be 'death' and 'death on the cross' means an accursed death. Do we not read in the Bible,
- "for he that is hanged is accursed of God". (Deut. 21: 23).
VI - Coming Out of Blood and Water
- "Then came the soldiers and break the legs of the first and of the other which was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they break not his legs. But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water".
The soldiers did not break the legs of Jesus for they took him for a dead man while actually he was in a state of swoon, or just to silence the angry Jews he was declared be a 'dead' man. But one of the soldiers incidentally "pierced his side and forthwith there came out blood and water", which is a surer sign of life for blood and water do not come out of a dead man's body. There is much food for thought here for those who care to ponder over it.
VII - No Eye-Witness of Crucifixion
Three writers of the Gospels state that there was darkness over all the land from the sixth to the ninth hour and that there was an earthquake and the rocks were rent and the veil of the temple was rent in twain. It is a matter of common experience at the time of a severe dust-storm accompanied by an earthquake, people generally hasten to go home and they do not enjoy the luxury of a bloody sight-seeing. Now imagine for a moment, who could stand as an eye-witness to tell the story that Jesus actually died on the cross. The Jews, if, at all, there were any on the spot, must have run away at the sight of the rising storm and the shaking of the earth must have frightened them to turn on their heels and hasten to their homes. As to the disciples they had already fled from the scene of the crucifixion.
- "Peter began to curse and to swear saying, l know not this man (Jesus) of whom you speak"(Mark 14:50).
"And they forsook him (Jesus) and fled" (Mark 14:71).
VIII - Jesus's Mission to the Lost Sheep of Israel
- "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost". (Luke 19:10).
"And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd". (John 10:16)
"And he said unto them, l must preach the Kingdom of' God to other cities also; For therefore l am sent". (Luke 4: 43).
"But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of israel". (Matthew 15: 24).
IX - Jesus's Victory Over His Enemies
Addressing his disciples Jesus says :
- Before, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world"
(John 16:32,33).
But is we believe that he was taken down from the cross alive (in a state of swoon ofcourse) and he entered the heart of the earth alive, then he can rightly be said to have overcome his enemies and frustrated all their evil designs. Jesus says : "For as Jonah was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation".
In other words Jesus said to the Jews that God Almighty would save him from the clutches of death in the same way as He had saved Jonah from the belly of the whale. The similarity between the two incidents can be real and genuine only when Jesus enters the heart of the earth (grave) alive and comes out alive.
X - His Prayer Was Heard
From study of the Bible we learn that God listens to the prayers of his apostles and saves them from trials and tribulations. Says the New Testament:
- "The effectual fervent prayer of a religious man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again and the heavens gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit".
(James 5: 16-18).
- "And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said father I thank Thee that Thou hast heard me. And I knew that Thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it that they may believe that Thou hast sent me"
- And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto Thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what 1 will but what Thou wilt".
From the quotations given above it is clear that Jesus was terribly afraid of being put to the cross, so he fervently prayed that the bitter cup be taken away from him. Jesus passionately and fervently prayed to God that he might be saved the accursed death on the Cross, how could he then, say that he had overcome the world; in case he died on the Cross, the mission of his whole life would come to naught and wrongdoers could challenge his claim to prophethood. The thought of death on the cross was simply grating upon his soul. Being a righteous prophet he was not afraid of mere death: he was certainly afraid of dying on the cross as such a death could be interpreted to mean an accursed death which was the very negation of his prophetic mission. He:
- "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".
(Hebrews 5:7).
These arguments prove that the idea of the crucifixion of Christ cannot be justified even from the Biblical point of view. Therefore, it is evident that the present Christian faith based on that erroneous idea, cannot hold ground. Indeed if Ruben Enaje can be crucified 27 times why then could Jesus Christ (as) have not survived his single crucifixion?
This is tantamount to saying that they failed to crucify him. When we say this, we express ourselves exactly as we would in any other case of attempted murder. If an attempt is made on someone’s life and the attempt fails, it cannot be said that the intended victim was murdered. For instance, if such an attempt is made with a sword, and the attempt fails, no one can say that the intended victim was put to the sword. So we believe, as Ahmadi Muslims, that only an attempt to murder Jesus was made; crucifixion being the instrument of the attempted murder. After a few hours of intense suffering upon the cross, before death could overtake him, he was taken down from the cross in a state of deep coma from which he was revived later on. As no state can permit a person who is condemned to death, a legal cover and protection to his life if he somehow escapes execution, so also under the Roman law, no immunity could be extended to Jesus beyond the point of the Crucifixion. That provided Jesus with enough cause to escape from Roman territory to a land of freedom. But he also had to perform a commission and had a prophecy to fulfil. There were those lost sheep of Israel, who after their exodus under the Babylonian and Roman invasion, scattered in many eastern lands, were awaiting his ministry. This was the other very strong reason for Jesus to have immigrated from the land of Judea to those foreign lands where the Jews had settled over a period of many centuries.
Even at the last moment Jesus stood firm to his protestations:
‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachtani?,’
How deeply tragic, how painfully expressive of his disillusionment. How subtly pointing at some earlier promise and assurance which God the Father must have given him, otherwise, no sense whatsoever can be read in this exclamation. It is a denial both of his wish and willingness to carry, by volition, the load of other people’s sin and of the view that he was looking forward to that hour of death. Why this deep cry of anguish when the punishment was demanded by him in the first place. Why should he reproach God, or even pray for deliverance? It should be read in the context of what happened before. He was praying to God throughout to take the bitter cup from him.
We also observe from the Bible that when his body was taken down his legs were not broken. Whereas the legs of the two thieves, hanging along with him, were broken to make sure that they died. This act of sparing Jesus would certainly have helped his revival from the coma. It cannot be ruled out altogether that the sentries had been instructed by some emissaries of Pilate, not to break the legs of Jesus Christ. Perhaps as a mark of respect for him and the innocent Christian community.
Again according to the Bible, when his side was pierced blood and water gushed out.
But when they came to Jesus and found him already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. (John 19:33,34)
If he was dead and his heart had stopped beating, such active bleeding as causing the blood to rush out or gush out would be impossible. At most coagulated blood and plasma could have passively seeped out. But that is not the picture which the New Testament presents, it says that blood and water rushed out. As far as the mention of water is concerned it should not be surprising for Jesus to have developed pleurisy during the extremely exacting and punishing hours of trial that he spent upon the cross. Also, the stress of the Crucifixion could have resulted in exudates from the pleura to collect likes bags of water, which is medically termed as wet pleurisy. This condition, which is otherwise dangerous and painful, seems to have turned into an advantage for Jesus because when his side was pierced the swollen pleura could easily have played the role of a cushion protecting the chest organs from being directly penetrated by the spear. Water mixed with blood rushed out because of an active heart.
Another piece of evidence is as follows. According to the Biblical account, after the body was handed over to Joseph of Arimathea, it was immediately removed to a secret place of burial, a sepulchre with enough room not only for Jesus but also for two of his attendants to sit and take care of him.
That is not all, we are informed in the New Testament that an ointment, which had been prepared in advance was applied to Jesus’ wounds. This ointment, prepared by the disciples of Jesus, contained ingredients which have properties of healing wounds and subduing pain etc. Why was there all this fuss about going through the laborious exercise of collecting twelve rare ingredients to prepare an ointment at all? The prescription used is recorded in many classical books such as the famous medical textbook Al-Qanun by Bu Ali Sina. So what was the need of applying ointment to a dead body?
Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad (ra) goes on to say. That from this it should become very clear to the reader, that God did not play any fatherly role at all in the birth process of the human embryo and the entire corporeal body with all its cardiac, respiratory, elementary, portal, cellular and central nervous systems were the unaided product of the human mother alone. Where is the element of sonship in Jesus who was merely a receptacle for the soul of God and no more? This new understanding of the relationship between God and Jesus can be sensibly described as anything but a father-son relationship.
And thats why it rasies the common sense question: If 52 year old sign painter Ruben Enaje, 19 years older than a younger and fitter 33 year old Jesus Christ (as) the Carpenter from Nazareth, can survive a crucifixtion 27 times compared to Jesus's once for a few hours. why couldnt Jesus Christ (as) a Holy Priophet of God have survived his Crucifixtion?
Christianity: A Journey from Facts to Fiction by Mirza Tahir Ahmad
http://www.alislam.org/library/books/christianity_facts_to_fiction/index.html (Read the book online in HTML format.)
Other References:
Holy Bible: Matthew 27:19, Matthew 27:15–17, Mark 15:44, Matthew 27:62–66, John 19:31,32, John 19:39–40, John 20:19–27, Ibid 24:41–42
By Ansar Khan, Regional Nazim Taleem, Tahir Region London. To read more articles by this and other interesting writers visit www.tahirregion.weebly.com/blog. Please feel free to comment and share this article with your friends.