Crucified
AND Stoned??!!
Within the past
year or so, I have come across a new idea being floated into the realm of
belief in Yeshua. I don’t know what year
it started, but when a teacher I generally agree with supported the idea, it
really bothered me.
There is a teaching
that claims that the reason Yeshua died SO early on the cross that day was
because he was also stoned by the Jews while hanging there!
Now I know there
are scholars who can quote books and other authors and sound very smart. They are most likely way more educated than
me and more intelligent. No argument on
that. But, with all my faults, I have
the Spirit of the Living God within me. The Spirit guides us into all Truth and
from my experience leads us away from false teachings – if we are open to His
leading.
I’m not claiming
some extra special anointing on me that makes me better than others. I am just a regular believer in Yeshua who
has also had his eyes open to the truths of the Torah. As I’ve learned and grown in my understanding
of the Torah, it has helped me understand things of the Bible way more than
just knowing the New Testament. I also
believe that the more of the Bible that we know and believe, the more the
Spirit can use to teach and guide us. If
you only read the book of John for example but nothing else, you can learn some
things of God, but there is SO MUCH more that you are missing.
Anyway, back to
this topic of Yeshua being stoned. The
moment I first read this, immediately my spirit within me seemed angry. I mean “my”
spirit, but maybe it was “The Spirit” – I don’t really know. Either way, I just felt this HAD to be wrong!
Partly it made me
angry to think that any people would be so hate-filled to do that to a man who
was already condemned to death and suffering.
He had no where to go and was stuck there for cowards to hurl stones at!
I still get mad just thinking about it.
I think if I had
been an angel in heaven looking down on that, I would have begged Yehovah to
let me take a small band – say 50,000 angels – down there to put a stop to
this!!!! It would have been a horrible
slaughter, but they would have deserved it.
Obviously, there are reasons why Yehovah is God and I am not.
Later, after
months passed and I came across this again, I looked online for the original
article that started this. It took a bit
to actually find, but when I did, I realized that the first parts of it were
based on guessing and speculating. You
know, when we have an idea that we think is AWESOME or NEW, we look for ways to
prove it to others? I’ve seen this several times and the arguments are often ridiculous. But if we repeat them over and over you just
might believe it.
Some of the points
that were presented are as follows: (I
may look at more later)
1. There had to be some reason why Yeshua died
so quickly on the cross.
2. He was a healthy strong man and should have
lasted longer than the two criminals.
3. Pilate didn’t give Yeshua the normal harsh
beating that the Romans usually did, because he wanted to go easy on him.
4. The amount of blood that (we are told in
the NT) was spilled would not have come from a normal crucifixion.
5. The Jews/Sanhedrin took over the control of
his death making it a completely Jewish event. (????)
6. He was killed on a live tree (hanged) not
on a cross.
Below I want to
address these points above – my opinion only – based on my understanding of
scripture (so far):
1. There had to be some reason why
Yeshua died so quickly on the cross.
2. He was a healthy strong man and
should have lasted longer than the two criminals.
One obvious thing
to me was that he died according to prophecy – according to the plan of
God. He was not to have any bones broken
– per the Torah. If he had been on the
cross when the Jews wanted the bodies taken down his legs would have been
broken also. This was all timed out according the Feasts of Yehovah. He was nailed to the cross at about 9:00 am
which was the time of the morning sacrifice; then he died around 3:00 pm the
time of the evening sacrifice. These
were the times of the continual burnt offerings every day.
Since this
happened on Passover, the following day would have been a high sabbath (not the
weekly one). It was the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread – which is a
picture of the Bread from Heaven; the sinless – without leaven one; and a
continuation of the story of the Passover/Exodus that Yeshua was
fulfilling.
On top of this,
Yeshua had said the “only sign” he would give was that of Jonah. He had to be in the grave (as he promised)
for 3 Days and 3 Nights. He also had to
rise on the Day of Firstfruits – which again, was all part of the Plan! None of this took God by surprise. He had planned this event from the “foundation
of the World”. This was HIS production
(for lack of a better term), His tapestry and HE decided how it would all play
out.
We don’t need to
look for other “possible” reasons why Yeshua died so early. Period.
3. Pilate didn’t give Yeshua the
normal harsh beating that the Romans usually did, because he wanted to go easy
on him.
This one was silly
to me. Yes, some authors argued with reasons why Pilate “might” have gone easier
on Yeshua. History doesn’t paint Pilate
as this nice, kindly man. He was
supposedly as brutal as any Roman governors and had to be in order to keep his
position.
These authors use
many Greek words and definitions from the gospels to “show” that he only got a “little
chastising” not an actual scourging.
Good grief. To me, this is trying
to force an idea that doesn’t fit.
The NORMAL Roman scourging or beating was
horrific and would have taken a lot out of any man. We don’t even know if the criminals received
the scourging – it isn’t mentioned.
It makes perfect
sense that after being kept up all night after being arrested in the garden –
he didn’t sleep, it was the disciples who did.
They took him from one trial to another, the high priest, Pilate, Herod,
back to Pilate, then beaten and mocked by the Roman soldiers. Don’t tell me Yeshua wasn’t TOUGH!
We even know from
3 out of the 4 gospels that Yeshua didn’t carry the cross-piece himself (not
because he fell) because they had Simon the Cyrenian carry it. Yeshua had to be
pretty wiped out.
4. The amount of blood that (we are
told in the NT) was spilled would not have come from a normal crucifixion.
To be honest, I
had wondered about this aspect. Not that
we think gallons were spilled, but it’s hard to picture how much he might have
bled, until the spear was shoved into his side.
We know blood and water came gushing out, so maybe that is what is
referred to most often?
5. The Jews/Sanhedrin took over the
control of his death making it a completely Jewish event. (????)
The authors quoted
give their reasons why the Sanhedrin would have wanted to do it “their way”. It is odd because this sounds like it another
way to place the blame squarely on “the Jews” and none on the Romans. Of course, the Bible say He died because ‘all
of us had sinned and fallen short of the glory of God’. This has been a theme repeated in church
history as the Jews are called “Christ killers”. I’m not crying ‘anti-semitism’ but this idea
bothers me some.
On one hand,
Pilate turns Yeshua over to the religious Jewish leaders to ‘deal with him
according to their law’ but they say, “We aren’t allowed to kill a man.” They
apparently meant that the Roman rulers would not allow them to carry out killings
based on their law.
They insist on
having Pilate crucify him and push until he finally gives in. Why are we now claiming that that is not how
it happened???
If the Sanhedrin
had carried out a stoning of a man hanging on a cross while being guarded by
Roman soldiers – including a centurion – I think that would have been mentioned
at least ONCE in the four Gospels!! If soldiers are ordered to do something,
they are not going to stand by and let a crowd take over and do something
else. There is no mention of a scuffle,
a riot, or anything.
The only hurling
we hear about is of “insults”. People passed by and laughed, mocked and spat on
our Messiah while he hung there completely helpless. Grrrrr.
That makes me angry enough. Don’t
tell me people also threw sharp shale-type stones at him cutting his flesh even
more, and some even throwing at his face (as that was supposedly the practice)!
Wouldn’t Mary,
John or one of the other women who were there have tried to stop it? Couldn’t they go to the soldiers and ask them
to stop it? The soldiers were just sitting around gambling for Yeshua’s clothes
and didn’t seem too concerned about any rioting.
Again, if it had
happened, where is the evidence in the Gospel accounts. That is too HUGE of a thing to leave out of
this horrible event. I don’t buy it no
matter how many “scholars” write books.
6. He was killed on a live tree
(hanged) not on a cross.
By now, even
though it was one of the points made, it seems small in comparison to the
others. Yes, there are verses in scripture
where it says he was “hanged on a tree”.
I get that. We know there was a
cross piece that someone had to carry to the crucifixion site. That could have
been attached to a live tree, or it could have connected to a regular old Roman
cross (the standing part).
Where this bothers
me, is when I think about the find of Ron Wyatt in Jerusalem. He found Jeremiah’s grotto and the Ark of the
covenant buried underneath. He also
discovered directly above the Ark, a place that had 3 square holes for crosses
to sit in.
The place was at
the “place of the skull” which today is by an Arab bus station, but adjacent to
the Garden Tomb.
Ron Wyatt found
that blood could have dripped down from the cross, through a crack that was
caused by the earthquake at the time of Yeshua’s death. The blood apparently
seeped down and when the cover over the ark was broken, it was able to land on
the ‘mercy seat’.
Ron was able to
take a sample of the blood and have it tested by experts – some were Israelis. Apparently, it was found to be alive, but
also had some missing chromosomes (I’m
not medical expert on this).
There were chromosomes from the earthly mother, but not from the Father
(if I remember correctly).
Now I know, if you’ve
never heard this, it sounds wildly bizarre and unbelievable! I get that.
But I have watched several videos where Ron has described this find and
all that it entailed. To hear his voice
when he describes the blood and how it was analyzed is amazing. He got choked up
telling it, and I did just hearing it.
Truth has a way of being KNOWN by the Spirit of God – you can just tell
when you are hearing it.
This find by Ron
Wyatt will one day be shown to be true or false. I can’t prove it one way or the other.
If Yeshua died on
a regular cross or somehow was nailed to a tree, doesn’t really change it for
me. The main facts and points are the
same.
But, when people
come along and claim that he was ALSO stoned while hanging there, just doesn’t
ring true for me. Now maybe, if a Hebrew
manuscript of one or more of the Gospels is found and it says that, I will
consider it. I won’t like it. I will still be very angry that people would
do that, but I’d consider it.
You do your own
research and decide for yourself. So far, the Gospel accounts and the rest of
the written Bible are good enough for me.
The article I am
referencing is found here:
I don’t know
anything about the group ‘Hope of Israel’, and am not attacking them. I am not even clear whether they wrote the
article in question, or just posted it to their site.
From their
website, we probably agree on more than we disagree. I just don’t agree with this article.
If you read it and
are convinced that it is true, so be it.
I am only expressing my opinion on the topic.
Compiled by G.E. Walker April 2019
