JESUS NO PHANTOM

ARITHMETICAL CONUNDRUM

The two from Emmaus,

“rose … and returned to Jerusalem, and found the ELEVEN gathered together, and those who were with them”

(HOLY BIBLE) Luke 24.33

Which “eleven?” They “found the eleven.” Did they include themselves in the number they FOUND? Even then the disciples there (of the elected twelve of Jesus) could never be more than 10 altogether. Because on this first visit of Jesus to that upper-room. Judas and Thomas were definitely not present. But Luke was not an eyewitness to this scene. He is simply copying verbatim from Mark 16:14 who said. “he (Jesus) appeared unto the ELEVEN as they sat eating.”

Now listen to Paul,. the thirteenth self-appointed apostle of Jesus. He says that after three days of hibernation. “(Jesus) was seen of Cephas (meaning Simon Peter), then to the TWELVE” — (1 Corinthians 15:5). Which “twelve?” The word “THEN” here, excludes Peter! But if you add him on, and with all good luck, you can still never get the “CHOSEN TWELVE” together to see Jesus, because the traitor Judas had committed suicide by hanging — (Matthew 27:5), long before Jesus1 alleged resurrection.”

We are dealing here with a strange mentality, where “Eleven” does not mean ELEVEN — (Luke 24:33).”Twelve” does not mean TWELVE, and “Three and three” means TWO AND ONE!’ Jesus would truly sympathise with us:

“it is hard for you to kick against the pricks” —

(HOLY BIBLE) Acts 9:5 2

1. This conundrum is discussed further on, under the heading: <!a href=”http://www.jamaat.net/jonah/SignOfJonah.html”>”What was the Sign of Jonah?”<!/a>

2.Paul says that these words were spoken to him by Jesus, originally in the Hebrew tongue — (Acts 26:14).

ENTER JESUS

Whilst the two are telling their sceptical audience about their encounter with a physical, living Jesus (one who was eating food with them), “IN WALKS JESUS” (these are my words) 1 the doors being shut for fear of the Jews. The Christian controversialist says: “No! our records state that Jesus simply ‘STOOD IN THEIR MIDST2; he did not WALK in!” It was a question of disappearance from Emmaus and a reappearance in Jerusalem — like the “Invisible Man”, like the “Indian Rope Trick”, like “Star Trek” ( a science-fiction fantasy where people are “beamed” from Space Ships to planets and back again). You acutally “see” people disappearing in your very sight and materialising in another place. People who believe this to be real are victims of their own delusions. They have seen too many films and viewed too many TV programmes.

1. “Came Jesus and stood in their midst” — (John 20:19).

2. In John 20:79, 24. 26, the word “CAME”, “CAME”, “CAME”, contradict the notion that he simply appeared, meaning that he materialised out of thin air.

THE HARE AND THE TORTOISE

But why did it take Jesus (pbuh) so long to reach the upper-room? He had “vanished” before the “two” made a beeline for Jerusalem, and yet Jesus had not preceded them. He was late in coming. It reminds one of the story of the hare and tortoise. Could it be that he was nursing his wounds on the way?

The cultists imagine that Jesus was floating around from place to place, appearing and disappearing at will. Jeffrey Hunter, the handsome young actor, playing the role of Jesus Christ in the film, “King of Kings”, made a very sensible observation after climbing Mount Zion for the scene of the “temptation” of Jesus by the Devil. After heaving and hoving, sweating and panting for breath while climbing the hill, he remarked, “FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I REALISED HOW HUMAN JESUS WAS!”

Neither Luke nor John, who record this episode of Jesus’ visit to the upper-room, venture to tell us that he simply o-o-z-e-d through the key hole, or that he oozed through crevices in the wall. O! But why did they deprive us of this vital information? Because no oozing happened! But the problem remains — how did he get in when the “doors where shut’? — (John 20:19). Amazingly, Luke 24:36, who also records this incident word for word did not think fit to add,” the doors were shut.” It was unimportant to him! Why? Because it was irrelevant! Claiming an “orderliness” and judiciousness for his writing, he would not confuse the issues – (Holy Bible, Luke 1:3)

THE UPPER-ROOM

This abode in question, is alternatively described as a “guest chamber” and as a “large upper-room” — (Mark 14:14-15). It is not the whole residence. It is part of a mansion. Do I have to prove this to you? Could this be the only room upstairs? Taking into account that this particular room contained a table big enough to seat at least 14 people on 14 clumsy chairs — Jesus and his 12 disciples making the “unlucky thirteen”, and John the “diciple whom Jesus loved” being the owner of the house and “leaning on Jesus’ bosom” (John 13:23) making fourteen in all.

Can you imagine the size of this “guest room”? — With pantry, and kitchen, and other facilities; and downstairs, where the owner’s family and servants resided. It was like a small palace! Jesus was familiar with this mansion. He had visited Jerusalem often for the feast of the Passover. Remember how he directed his disciples to find the place? — (Luke 22:10).

My own humble abode has four entrances. Perhaps John’s “GUEST CHAMBER” had only one main-entrance with 2 doors. But was there a need to seal it off from the rest of the house? For the visitor, the front doors were sufficient for all their needs — entry and exit. And Eastern guests do not pry into passages, attics and apartments of their hosts! They are easily gratified with every little hospitality bestowed. But Jesus was no stranger to the house. He was like a member of the family of the disciple Jesus loved. He had no need to knock at bolted doors to terrify his timid flock. There were more ways than one of getting in. If there was any misgiving on the part of the disciples for his sudden appearance in their midst, he was quick in dispelling it.

“Peace be unto you”, he cried; but his little lambs “were terrified!”

(HOLY BIBLE) Luke 24:36-37

OPPOSITE REACTIONS ON RECOGNISING JESUS

Remember at the break of dawn that very morning, a lone woman, Mary Magdalene, was mad with glee on recognising him around the tomb. And she had to be stopped in her stride from embracing him. But these ten heroes who were rattling sabres in this very room were now petrified on recognising their Master. Why was there opposite reactions between the men and the woman? — Men terrified, woman not afraid? The reason is that the woman was an eye-witness to all the happenings around calvary, whereas the men were nowhere in sight. Therefore the woman went to the tomb with the intention of meeting a LIVE Jesus, and her joy on meeting him. But the ten were not witnesses to the happenings, hence their supposition about seeing a ghost. They were physically and emotionally on the verge of breaking down. Luke succinctly describes their condition:

“But they were terrified and affrighted and supposed that they had seen a spirit.”

(HOLY BIBLE) Luke 24:37

REASON FOR FEAR

The reason for their terror was that they thought that the man they saw standing in their midst was not Jesus himself but his ghost. Ask your “BORN-AGAIN” friends who want to share heaven with you, the reason for the disciples thinking that Jesus was a spirit. Ask them, “Did he look like a spirit?” And though misguided as they may be, you will hear their answer — “No!” Then why did the disciples of Jesus think that Jesus was a spirit, when he did not look like one? There is no answer! They are speechless. Please help them. Free them from their infatuation. If you don’t, they will harass us and our people till kingdom come. They will steal our children (as they are doing now in Muslim lands), in the guise of feeding hungry children, and at times with our own money: Have you heard of “World Vision” and the like? Crusades once more but with arms invisible.

The reason the disciples of Jesus were afraid was that they had learned by hearsay that their Master was killed by being fastened to the cross — that he was crucified. 1 They had learned by hearsay that he had “given up the ghost”: that he had died. They had learned by Hearsay that now he was –”DEAD AND BURIED” for three days. A man with such a reputation, would be expected to be decomposing in his tomb. FOR ALL THEIR KNOWLEDGE WAS FROM HEARSAY! — What they had heard! Because none of them was there to witness what was really going on with Jesus at Golgotha. In the most critical juncture in the life of Jesus:

“. . . THEY ALL FORSOOK HIM AND FLED.” 2

(HOLY BIBLE) Mark 14:50

1. “Crucified”: Later on, ‘”CRUCIFIED OR CRUCIPLAYED” is discussed. The Gospel writers had not known the use of inverted commas to imply, that this is what other, say, or this is the ”so-called”.

2. Even more explicit, is Mathew “…Then all the disciples forsook him and fled.” Mathew 26:65

THE GENUINE DISCIPLES

Mark is talking about the chosen “twelve”. Not about Jesus’ “secret” devoted ones like the other John who took Mary the mother of Jesus home, and Nicodemus1 and Joseph of Arimathe’a and the like. In view of the dastardly desertion by the other “twelve”, I am loathe to call these “men” disciples. Or is Mark lying? When he said all, did he not mean “All”? There was no come-back with these heroes. The author of the fourth Gospel lists a number of women from Jesus’ entourage. Among them three Marys, “and the disciple whom Jesus loved”. He repeats this phrase a number of times without actually identifying him as JOHN their benefactor in Jerusalem. Why? If that John is the author himself of the fourth gospel, then why does he not say so. Why is he so shy? He was not very bashful when asking Jesus to make him and his brother sit: “One on thy right hand, and the other on thy Jeft hand in thy Kingdom” – (Mark 10:37). The reason for his reticence is that the “beloved disciple” is his namesake, i.e. his name is also lohn! The rest of the disciples were nowhere to be found when he (Jesus) was most in need. They all had, as Mark says, “forsaken him and fled!” — (Mark 14:50).

1. Nicodemus: A selfless soul, who, having risked his all in associating with a man (Jesus) condemned by a Roman Court for treason, is deliberately blotted out of the 26 Books of the N.T. “It is difficult to avoid concluding that the omission in the synoptic tradition of the mysterious disciple was intentional,” says Dr. Hugh J. Schonfield, one of the world’s leading, one of the world’s leading Biblical scholars.

WHAT WOULD YOU CALL THIS – “CRUCIFIXION or CRUCI – FICTION ? ”

CHAPTER 14