Did Jesus die on the cross or did He only
swoon? Who should we believe: Jesus or Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani?
1. The biblical evidence demonstrates Jesus died on the cross.
Jesus taught He would die
Matthew 16:21
From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he
must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief
priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third
day be raised to life.
The Gospels record that
Jesus died
John 19:32-35
The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been
crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other.
But when they came to Jesus and found that he was 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.
The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows
that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe.
The Apostle John was an
eyewitness to Jesus' death
John 19:16-30
Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.
Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic
is called Golgotha).
Here they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in
the middle.
Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF
NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was
near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek.
The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of
the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”
Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into
four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This
garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.
“Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will
get it.” This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, “They
divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.” So this is what
the soldiers did.
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of
Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing
nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,”
and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple
took her into his home.
Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be
fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”
A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge
on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips.
When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he
bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Pilate ascertained that Jesus
was dead
Mark 15:42-45
It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening
approached,
Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself
waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’
body.
Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the
centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died.
When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to
Joseph.
2. The medical evidence demonstrates Jesus died on the cross.
After looking at crucifixion in the ancient world an article in one
of the most prestigious medical journals in the world concluded:
Clearly,
the weight of historical and medical evidence indicates that Jesus was dead before
the wound to his side was inflicted and supports the traditional view that the
spear, thrust between his right rib, probably perforated not only the right
lung but also the pericardium and heart and thereby ensured his death.
Accordingly, interpretations based on the assumption that Jesus did not die on
the cross appear to be at odds with modern medical knowledge. [1]
See: The Medical Evidence: Was Jesus’
Death a Sham
3. The historical evidence demonstrates Jesus died on the
cross.
Ø
Josephus (Jewish historian born around 37 AD and died 100 AD)
refers to Jesus’ death (Antiquities
18.3.3).
Ø
Tacitus (AD 55-120), a renowned historian of ancient Rome wrote
around 115 A.D. that Christ was “executed” by Pilate (Annals 15.44).
Ø
The early enemies of Christianity (e.g., Celsus and Lucian),
conceded that Jesus was put to death.
Since Hazrat Mirza Ghulam
Ahmad Qadiani claimed Jesus did not die on the cross but only swooned, can he
be the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi?
Please email me if you have
any comments, questions or corrections.
[1] William D. Edwards, MD; Wesley J. Gabel, MDiv; Floyd E. Hosmer, MS, AMI; “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ”; Journal of the American Medical Association 21 March 1986; Volume 255, 1463.