Where Are You Christmas?

So as I was watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas, I realized that one of my favorite Christmas songs is in this movie. I love when Cindy Lou Who sings, "Where Are You Christmas?" This is a question I have asked myself frequently throughout the years. It's weird to think that I'm 21 years old already. It doesn't even seem like it should be Christmas time. I feel like I have lost the joy that I once had when waking up on Christmas morning to find presents underneath the Christmas Tree, however I have discovered an even greater joy that comes with Christmas. As I start to look at my life I realize that I easily relate to the lovely Cindy Lou Who who sings, "Do you remember The one you used to know I'm not the same one See what the time's done Is that why you have let me go" It's weird.. There are lots of excuses I could point to in life to explain why I might feel that Christmas, and this time of giving and love didn't have the same feeling as before. Living in America we are quick to find people who care more about the "things" that go along with Christmas. We care more about presents, cookies, spending time with family, catching up with lost friends, that we are quick to forget the real reason for Christmas. In Galatians 2:20-21 Paul tells us, "I was put to death on the cross with Christ, and I do not live anymore- it is Christ who lives in me. I still live in my body, but I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave me and gave himself to save me. By saying these things I am not going against God’s grace. Just the opposite, if the law could make us right with God, then Christ’s death would be useless.” Without the birth, perfect life, and crucifixion of Christ you would be going to hell. This sounds pretty bold and harsh, but unfortunately it is the truth. None of us deserve eternal life. Every time we sin, it is punishable by eternal death and suffering. Luckily we have a God that intimately loves you, and created you and everyone on this earth uniquely. There is not another Chris Arians on this world, same can be said putting your name into that equation, and even better, He loves you so much that He gave His only son so that you can get out of the consequences of sin. So as we embark upon Christmas, lets remember what Christmas is all about. It is an epic History where the God of the Universe loves us all so much that He sent His only Son to die for us. Once we realize this and become a Christian (which means follower of Christ), we must commit our lives to serving Him. Paul says in Philippians 1:21 "For me to live is Christ and to die is Gain." At the end of Matthew Jesus tells us to go out and make disciples of all nations. Feeling this new wave of love for the first real time this year, I feel that I have found Christmas. Like Cindy Lou Who says, "I know I've found you You never fade away The joy of Christmas Stays here inside us Fills each and every heart with love" I just want to encourage anyone reading this, don't lose the joy that Christmas brings. It brought new life and opportunities to each and everyone of us. The joy of Christ should always stay with us today, tomorrow, four months from now and forever. Even if the world rejects you and tells you, you can't, remember that God loves you. There is light at the end of the tunnel for those that can finish the race. Don't slow down, hit the gas, and as we drive into the new year of 2011 remember to fill each and every heart with the love that Christ has shown you.

“The fullest expression of Christian living has to be a combination of God’s truth entering the head, igniting the heart, and outworking through the hands.”

-Thabiti Anyabwile

Have a Merry and Blessed Christmas everyone!

In Christ,

Chris

Urgent Message to Iowa

On Thursday September 1, 2022, I received some news that infuriated me. The information I received was that the University of Iowa Hospitals had made the decision to eliminate their inpatient treatment for patients with an eating disorder. This hit close to me, as my sister is currently in treatment at the hospital in her battle with Anorexia Nervosa. Now before I get any further in this blog, I want to make one thing clear, I understand U of I Hospitals are their own independent hospitals and I support their freedom to make their decision, I just want to take a moment to bring light to the bigger issue facing our state.

With the closure of this treatment center, our state now has no inpatient treatment center available to the people battling eating disorders. I would like to point out that yes, the University of Iowa will still offer something called Partial Hospitalization (PHP). However, this treatment is not suitable for patients, such as my sister, that are deemed medically unstable. With PHP patients meet for groups Monday-Friday and then they are sent home or to their own hotel at night and on the weekends where they are not always supervised. 

Eating disorders (ED) is a rapidly growing mental health issue in our state and our country. It is estimated that roughly 9% of American Women will suffer from Anorexia in their lifetime. With that being said, take a moment right now and write down the names of 11 women you care about. 

If you haven’t already done the math, one of those eleven women you wrote down will suffer from Anorexia at some point in their life. Out of those who suffer from Anorexia 20% of them will die from suicide due to the strangling depression that typically goes hand in hand with the ED. In addition to that very upsetting statistic, another 20% of them will die without treatment as opposed to only 2-3% of patients who receive treatment dying.

It is clear. Treatment for eating disorders makes a positive impact on its patients. The new reality that Iowa now faces is there is no place for people to get inpatient treatment. I understand that there are multiple different forms of treatment and therapy, but for patients who have severe ED’s, inpatient is truly the only effective form to 1.) Keep them alive, and 2.) learn how to change the current path of destruction they are on. With the closing of the U of I’s treatment center, our state (Iowa) is left with no inpatient treatment centers, causing many of our citizens to travel out of state, and more than likely having zero insurance to cover them causing many families to make the difficult decision of getting the proper treatment, or running the risk of destroying one’s body (Look up what anorexia does to your body's organs, bones, and muscles if you don’t already know).  

The point of this blog is simple. We have a problem. ED’s are growing at a rapid rate, more than likely due to the constant comparison our youth and young people are putting on themselves from social media, and tracking their calories, and steps on Apple watches. It easily becomes an obsession, maybe one of the only things one feels they can control, and with time, the ED controls them and those they love. 

So overall, without getting too personal and sharing too much, I ask of anyone reading this, please sign the petition. Please talk to your local hospitals, talk to your local, state, and federal politicians. I assure you if we just let our state go with no inpatient treatment centers, we will have thousands of women suffer, and unfortunately probably thousands of women die, not to mention the men who also suffer from ED’s at a very high and alarming rate which I barely even addressed in this blog. This is preventable, and I ask that you take the time to help ensure it does not happen. You may think it will never effect you, but I assure you, ED’s are growing, and it will be knocking on the door of those you love. Act before it is too late. Thank you. 

**Edit: If you are interested in signing a petition for this cause, this link https://www.change.org/p/save-the-eating-disorder-program-at-university-of-iowa-hospitals-and-clinics?recruiter=962514446&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&utm_term=psf_combo_share_initial&recruited_by_id=09471950-79a5-11e9-a66d-cfb764a00698&share_bandit_exp=initial-34319469-en-US&utm_content=fht-34319469-en-us%3A2&fbclid=IwAR2Vq0-qKpcAqGK4hAWEx-2miX-nbB4m-20oarXWMJOX15U1zgmeWNm6PAI will take you to the petition that has been started, click the google redirect link and you'll be there.**

References for statistics/additional resources to look into:

https://balancedtx.com/blog/anorexia-nervosa-facts-statistics

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/26743https://mirror-mirror.org/facts-staticstics/anorexia-statisticshttps://www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/conditions/anorexia/symptoms-signshttps://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/eating-disorders.htmlhttps://anad.org/education-and-awareness/about-eating-disorders/eating-disorders-statistics/ https://www.healthline.com/health/kidney-failure

A blog for WSR students

Today marked the first Monday in 2012 when I was not walking through the doors at WSR high school.  The past three and a half months have been amazing.  I don't think the students at WSR realize how great of a school they have.  Their teachers, coaches, administrators, and extra-curricular activities are absolutely fantastic.  Throughout my student teaching experience, there has been three things I have not spent enough time teaching with in my lessons, so that is what this blog is about.  One final lesson for my students. 

Sure, technically I'm suppose to teach you about history, econ, psychology, etc, but if there is one thing I hope you remember for the rest of you lives moving forward, I hope it is the next three things I'm going to write about, whether you pursue college, work, or the military.

The first is always work hard.  Hardly anything in this world is free.  If you sit back, and expect someone else to do everything for you, you will struggle greatly.  Take the initiative to make sure that you are always learning, and always growing.  When you hit road blocks along the way don't hesitate to talk to one of your teachers.  I'm sure they would all be more than willing to help you grow into the person you are meant to be, and if they are not willing to do so, then Google Mr. Arians Classroom and find my contact info on my website.  I will help.

The second thing builds off the first.  Don't let anyone say you can't.  In this life there will be people that will want to tear you down, as well as many people who will want to build you up.  Sometimes life will throw you a curve ball and you will need to pull yourself up by your bootstraps, and continue to pursue your dreams.  I am a firm believer that anyone of my students I had the privilege of teaching has the potential to be whatever they want to be, but you have to work for it, and sometimes believe in yourself when no one else believes in you.  If you don't agree with me, or continue to think "you can't" then read my blog from last June A Note To Those Who Say They Can't.  After you read this,  if you still think you are incapable of overcoming events in life that people think you'll never conquer, I dare you to talk to me.

The last thing I pray my students know is by far the most important, because it is needed to achieve the two things prior.  That thing is Jesus.  Whatever you do with your life, do it for Christ.  If you don't know who this Jesus guy is, then I invite you to talk to me, talk to your pastor, come to Pulse Wednesday nights (youth group I work with), etc.  When you live for Jesus and give Him the glory in everything you do, you will achieve amazing things.  I challenge you to live for Jesus, when you do, you'll find yourself working hard, and overcoming obstacles people never saw possible, because the only place it points to is not you, me, your teachers, parents; the only place it points to is Jesus, and he is all you need.

"Because you have so little faith.  I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible for you." -Matthew 17:20

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart! I have overcome the world." -John 16:33

"The man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-he will be blessed in what he does." -James 1:25

In Christ,
Chris (Mr. Arians)

The Trial and Crucifixion of Jesus Christ (In a much smaller form)

“Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires.  But on what did we rest the creations of our genius?  Upon force.  Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for him.”  -Napoleon Bonaparte

The Easter holiday has inspired me to write the following blog.  Forewarning this blog is massive, and to be quite honest if you only read, and take to heart the final four paragraphs of this blog, I will be very pleased.  All the words from here to there are simply providing other sides of the argument, for what my final point is.  I pray that this blog may be a small beacon of light, that will lead to open up their Bible and read God’s Epic Story themselves.  However, if anyone is similar to myself, I had a hard time accepting the Bible’s word for much of my life.  This is why I chose to do my Capstone Paper on the Trial and Crucifixion of Jesus Christ last Spring.  A large part of this blog is chunks from my final paper, that is why it may seem sporadic as you are reading it.  It is important to note that I have only looked at a pinprint of the sources of information on this topic out there. If there is anyone who would like to read my final paper in its entirety do not hesitate to contact me, and I would love to e-mail them the final product.  The same goes to anyone who does not understand a point that I am trying to make, I would love to talk to you about my Savior who rose from the grave roughly 2000 years ago!  Well, I’ll call that enough of an intro, enjoy.

The earliest source of information one can find this day with references to Jesus Christ comes from the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus.  Many historians claim that Josephus is the most important historical source in regard to the biblical era apart from the Bible itself.  Josephus was born in A.D. 37 to a priest named Matthias.[1]  His upbringing in a Jewish family laid the foundations for much of his work.  Josephus has been accused of having a strong Jewish bias in his work.[2]  In Josephus’ Jewish Antiquities, many Christians are able to find references to Biblical stories found in the New Testament.[3] 

            Josephus has a reference to James the brother of Jesus getting stoned to death in the book of Acts.  In the opening sections of Jewish Antiquities, Josephus actually highlights many of the popular Old Testament stories found in the Bible like Moses, Saul, King David, Solomon, etc.  Many people have came to take Josephus’ word on many of the issues in regards to Christianity, and some have gone as far as to say that he was converted to Christianity from Judaism.[4] 

            The problem with Josephus, is that people in the present believe that Christians got a hold of Josephus’ work and had it translated it into a more favorable reading from their point of view.  This belief comes from the most famous passage in Josephus, which is also known as the most controversial for this reason.  The originally founded text of Antiquities translated from Greek states,

            “About this time lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man.  For he was the achiever of extraordinary deeds and was a teacher of those who accept the truth gladly.  He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks.  He was the Messiah.  When he was indicted by the principal men among us and Pilate condemned him to be crucified, those who had come to love him originally did not cease to do so; for he appeared to them on the third day restored to life, as the prophets of the Deity had foretold these and countless other marvelous things about him.  And the tribe of Christians, so named after him, has not disappeared to this day.”[5]

            There is historical evidence showing this passage being translated from Greek  this way as early as A.D. 324.[6] The problem with this particular translation people believe is, if Josephus is truly a Jew, as he makes it clear up until the end of Antiquities, then he would not have believed Jesus was the Messiah and had resurrected.  This realization led historians to start questioning who Jesus was.  Did He really die and then resurrect on the third day?  These discoveries led to changes in the wording of Josephus’ translation in the present day to,

            “At this time there was a wise man called Jesus, and his conduct was good, and he was known to be virtuous.  Many people among the Jews and the other nations became his disciples.  Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die.  But those who what become his disciples did not abandon his discipleship.  They reported that he had appeared to them three days after his crucifixion and that he was alive.  Accordingly, he was perhaps the Messiah, concerning who the prophets have reported wonders.  And the tribe of the Christians so named after him has not disappeared to this day.”[7]

            This version of translation provided by Paul L. Maier is the accepted translation of Josephus’ controversial section in Antiquities.[8]  Considering the Jews don’t believe that Jesus was the messiah, the version is much more in line with the ideas a person of the Jewish faith, which Josephus was.[9] 

            By using Josephus’ work, historians are able to have an additional source apart from the Bible to prove that Jesus was a real person and died on the cross.

The Gospels are the “accepted” version of what exactly took place throughout Jesus’ entire life.  To address the question of why Jesus had to be sentenced to death, it is important to look at the differing views of the trial of Jesus. The Gospel’s interpretation of the events of the trial and crucifixion are believed to come from the book of Mark, which was the first Gospel to be written, and believed to be the source for much of the information in Luke and Matthew.[10]  With that in mind I will focus on Mark’s interpretation of the events of the trial and crucifixion of Christ. 

Mark starts out the trial scene by having Jesus arrested and brought to the chief priests and the Sanhedrin.  They tried to find Jesus guilty of a crime, but were struggling to find something to accuse him of.  Eventually one of the chief priests asked Jesus if He was really the Christ, and Jesus answered that He was.  Jesus’ statement made the high priest tear his clothes and accuse Jesus of blasphemy and determined that it was punishable by death by the morning.  Then the chief priests took Jesus to Pontius Pilate to stand trial. 

            Pilate asked Jesus if He was really the King of the Jews, and Jesus replied by saying yes.  It was Passover and it was a custom to release a prisoner who the people requested.  Mark goes on to bring out a criminal by the name of Barabbas who had committed murder.  The people with the influence of the chief priests elected Barabbas to be the prisoner to be set free.  After Barabbas was set free, Pilate asked the crowed what he should do with Jesus, and the crowd shouted to crucify Him.

            According to Mark, Pilate then does what the crowd wants and ordered Jesus to be flogged and crucified.  The roman soldiers then began to mock Him and put a purple robe on Him and a crown of thorns on His head and began to beat Him on the head with a staff and spit on Him.  After this, they took Jesus to Golgotha to be crucified, but Jesus was too weak to carry His cross so the soldiers ordered a man by the name of Simon to carry Jesus’ cross for Him. 

            Once they arrived to Golgotha, they crucified Him.  While He was on the cross people walked by and insulted Him.  Then at the ninth hour Jesus yelled out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”  Then a soldier became frightened and got a sponge and filled it with wine vinegar and offered it to Jesus to drink, but Jesus rejected it.  Then Jesus let out a loud cry and died, leading to the curtain in the temple being torn in two.  Later in the evening Jesus was taken down from the cross wrapped in linen cloth and placed the body in the tomb cut from the stone, causing Pilate to issue the tomb be guarded so the disciples of Jesus wouldn’t steal the body.[11] 

The bigger question within the trial is not the process of the trial, but rather who was responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus.  There have been other historians that have looked at the impact of who was responsible for the death of Jesus and the impact that had on the trial, and ultimately the crucifixion.  Lohse believed that the Jewish people were to blame for the death of Jesus, based on history addresses in the work of the historian Tertullian.  Tertullian who is believed to have lived a couple centuries after Jesus makes the claim that Pontius Pilot was actually a Christian.  This claim can be found in his famous, Apologeticus, which in it he states, “…This whole story of Christ was reported to Caesar (at that time it was Tiberius) by Pilate, himself in his secret heart already a Christian.”[12]

            Does the claim that Tertullian makes, claiming that Caesar was secretly a Christian solidify the idea that the Jewish people were solely responsible for the death of Jesus?  Historians John Dominic Crossan and Gerard S. Sloyan would disagree.  In 1994 and 1995, Sloyan and Crossan came out with books arguing that the Jewish people were not responsible for the death of Jesus; rather it was strictly an act of the Roman government to crucify Jesus. 

            In Sloyan’s book The Crucifixion of Jesus, Sloyan acknowledges the role of the Temple officials in the arrest of Jesus, but places the main blame of the crucifixion of Jesus on Pilate’s fear as a political instigator.[13]  Sloyan goes on to establish that the Jews were given the power to sentence people to death by the Roman government, so if they wanted to kill Jesus they could have easily done so.[14] 

            Sloyan believes that the idea of crucifying a criminal would have never gone through the Jew’s mind.   Sloyan argues that that the Jews would not crucify their criminals based on the Deuteronomy Law that they followed.  “If a man guilty of a capital offense is put to death and his body is hung on a tree, you must not leave his body on the tree overnight. Be sure to bury him that same day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God's curse. You must not desecrate the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.” (Deut. 21:22-23)

            Even if the people took Jesus down from the cross at the end of the night, Jews did not even take the risk of using crucifixion as a method of punishment.  There was a fear of God cursing their land, which would result in the Jewish people never shouting to crucify Jesus like the Gospel accounts claim the Jews did.[15] 

            With this in mind Sloyan makes it clear that Pilate was the reason why Jesus was crucified.  Sloyan believes that in Pilates’ eyes, Jesus was “spearheading a movement of the liberation of Jews from Roman rule.”[16] In Crossan’s book, Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography one will find a lot of the same arguments as Sloyan, but Crossan really focuses on the aspect that Pilate’s profile doesn’t fit the Biblical description of who Pilate was.  Pilate was known for treating his criminals harshly and never being able to put a potential uprising down.[17]  In Antiquities, Josephus describes an event where Pilate executed hundreds of people, ultimately leading to the Samaritan council talking to the governor of Syria, and accusing Pilate of a massacre.[18]

            The idea of having Pilate being a man who wasn’t sure if he was willing to crucify a man that claimed to be the King of the Jews, seems historically ignorant.  Pilate feared that any form of an uprising could potentially make him look weak, and would put that uprising down.  Sloyan goes on to argue that the Gospels simply blamed the Jews for the crucifixion of Jesus in an effort to protect their communities from Roman reprisal.[19]

What if the crucifixion never took place?  There are two groups that believe that the crucifixion never even happened.  The first group to come up with this idea is the Gnostics.  Historians know that Gnostic writing started showing up in the 2^nd and 3^rd centuries.  However, in Acts 8 there is mention of Simon Magus who is known as the “Father of Gnosticism” which may indicate Gnostic presence earlier than historians expect.[20]

 Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.”  They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery.  But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.  Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.  Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”

Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”

After they had further proclaimed the word of the Lord and testified about Jesus, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages. (Acts 8: 9-25)

            Gnostics believe that humanity is trapped in the material world or the human body.  They believe that all matter is evil and has its source in an evil creator who fell from and betrayed the true God.  The Creator seeks to mislead humans by keeping them blind to the spiritual reality of the ultimate Father of All.  They believe that Christ came on to this world, but only appeared to be human because the world is evil.[21] 

            The Gnostic belief was solidified when historians found the Gospel of Peter in a winter dig in 1886 at Akhmîm in Upper Egypt.  Historians believe that the book was dated to be written around the 8^th century. [22] When the Gospel of Peter gets to the last words that Jesus spoke on the cross, Jesus cries out, “My power, my power, you have forsaken me.” (GPeter 5:19)[23]  If Peter is correct in his version of the gospel, historians may come to have a deeper appreciation for Gnostic beliefs. A Gnostic would believe that Jesus’ power had left His body on the cross, which leads Gnostics to believe that Jesus never actually suffered on the cross.[24]

            The second group that denies that the crucifixion took place, denies every aspect of it completely, unlike Gnosticism was members of the Islamic faith.  They get this belief from what they read in the Quran, (a supplement to the Bible).  The Quran stated,

"That they rejected Faith; That they uttered against Mary A grave false charge; That they said (in boast):  'We killed Christ Jesus The son of Mary, The Messenger of Allah.'  But they killed him not, Nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not.  Nay, Allah raised him up Unto Himself; and Allah Is Exalted in Power, Wise.  And there is none of the people of the book (Jews and Christians) But must believe in him (Jesus) Before his death; And on the Day of Judgment He (Jesus) will be a witness Against them." (Quran 4:156-159)

            It is believed that the Quran was written around the time of 610-632 A.D.  As one can see the first real denial that the crucifixion took place didn’t come until nearly 600 years after it had taken place.  People of Islamic faith believe that God was speaking through the angel Gabriel to tell Muhammad this.  If you ask historians, 99 out of 100 will agree that the crucifixion of Jesus Christ took place, it is usually the few Islamic historians who do not accept the crucifixion story of Jesus.

            Another famous historian who began to question the crucifixion was Martin Hengel.  Hengel wrote a book named Crucifixion in which he broke down the process of crucifixion from sources outside the Bible.  Hengel concluded that when a crucifixion took place it was almost always used only on the lower class, an example would be slaves.[25] However Hengel later notes in his book that crucifixion was also used as a political and military punishment.[26]

            Hengel also brought up some interesting arguments of how the Gospel’s accounts differ from what we know historically happened during a crucifixion.  Crucified victims were quite often never buried.  They would often be left on the cross after they died as food for wild beasts and birds of prey.  By leaving a crucified victim up on the cross, it was believed they were experiencing the ultimate shame.[27] 

            Another large aspect of the crucifixion that is questioned by Hengel is the process of the crucifixion.  Hengel argues that when a person was sentenced to crucifixion they would go straight into being whipped and flogged.  Following this brutal act the person would be racked, which means to be tied spread eagle and be stretched by spreading the parts.  After this, they were often blinded, by having their eyes removed.  To end this horrific experience the person would be impaled on the cross, which means their genitals would be nailed to the cross as well as their arms and feet.[28]

            Hengel comes to a conclusion at the end of his book, that the Gospels account of the crucifixion is more than likely accurate.  He says that the Gospels are the most detailed account of crucifixion that historians have been able to find.   He argues that no ancient writer would want to dwell on such a cruel procedure too long.   Hengel’s final argument is that the crucifixion of Jesus matches up with the Jesus that Paul talks about in his many letters and books in the New Testament.[29] “Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God.  He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form.  And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal's death on a cross.” (Phil 2:6-8)

The Jesus that Paul talks about did not just die any death.  He was given up for the world.  He took the position of a slave for His Father.  He obeyed what his father ordered Him to do, resulting in Him dying a slave’s death on the cross, so that the world had the possibility to inherit eternal life.  When looking at the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, there are two things that I would bet nearly 90% of historians, regardless of religion will agree upon.  1.) Jesus Christ was a man and died from crucifixion.  2.) The tomb where Jesus lay was empty on the third day after his death.

There are many different theories that try to answer the why question to the second statement above.  Some believe Jesus’ disciples took the body, (doubtful, because the two guards on watch would have been sentenced to death by Pontious Pilot), Jesus was never dead and simply walked out (Honestly the guy had three nails in his body, his lung pierced with a spear just two days prior?), and the third theory I will present, he rose from the dead. 

Throughout all of my research in to this subject, I can’t believe anything else.  Jesus had to have ascended into Heaven.  It simply makes the most sense.  The real “Historical” Jesus has to be the Jesus that Paul tells us about in Philipians 2:6-8 “Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God.  He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form.  And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal's death on a cross.” (Phil 2:6-8)

If anyone has more questions about this subject, please do not hesitate to ask.  I pray that if there is any part of this blog that you take to heart, it is the previous paragraph.  Today is a special day.  It is that day that we celebrate Jesus, our Savior conquering death so that we may have eternal life.  It is important that we must always remember his final words in Matthew,

            “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Matthew 28:18-20

When tomorrow comes, remember the sacrifice Jesus made.  Remember he took the humble position of a slave, and died a criminal’s death for you, me, and anyone who chooses to love Him.  Remember His sacrifice, and fulfill what he calls us to do; Make disciples of All nations.

In Christ,

Chris

---

[1] Flavius Josephus, Josephus: The Essential Writings, ed. Paul L. Maier (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Kregel Publications, 1988), 10.

[2] Ibid., 11.

[3] Ibid., 13.

[4] Ibid, 10.

[5] Ibid., 265.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid., 264.

[8] Ibid., 265.

[9] Ibid.

[10] John S. Kloppenborg Verbin, Excavating Q: The History and Setting of the Sayings Gospel (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2000), 2.

[11] Mark 14:53-15:47

[12] Tertullian, Apologia de Spectaculis, ed. T.E. Page, E. Capps, W.H.D. Rouse, A. Post, and E.H. Warmington, trans. T.R. Glover (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1931), 113.

[13] Gerard S. Sloyan, The Crucifixion of Jesus: History, Myth, Faith, (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1995), 43.

[14] Ibid.

[15] Sloyan, The Crucifixion of Jesus, 32.

[16] Ibid., 31.

[17] John Dominic Crossan, Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography (San Francisco, CA: HarperCollins Publishers, 1994), 140.

[18] Josephus, Josephus, 266.

[19] Sloyan, The Crucifixion of Jesus, 31.

[20] David M. Scholer, “In the Know,” Christian History and Biography 96 (Fall 2007): 12.

[21] Ibid, 13.

[22] Paul Foster, “The Gospel of Peter,” Expository Times 118 (May 2007): 319.

[23] Ibid, 321.

[24] Ibid, 324.

[25] Martin Hengel, Crucifixion: In the Ancient World and the Folly of the Message of the Cross (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1977), 34.

[26] Ibid., 86.

[27] Ibid., 88.

[28] Ibid., 25-6.

[29] Ibid., 89.