The crucifixion of Jesus in approximately 33 AD was witnessed by hundreds of Jews and Romans. The Jews of ancient times as well as the Jews of today have earned a well deserved reputation as accurate record keepers. The Romans, known for their able governing which included taxing of all the conquered nations of their empire, the planning and execution of immense public projects, and for the maintenance of large armies, were of necessity also sufficient record keepers. The actual means of record keeping were also sufficient. Language, numbering, writing, tools, procedures and educated manpower were all adequate for the keeping of accurate records.
While the Romans may not have had much immediate interest in the religious crimes Jesus was accused of, they certainly were interested in any person who might be a threat to their government. Thus the reason Jesus was accused of claiming to be "King of the Jews" by the Jewish leaders and which easily got the attention of the Roman governor. The fact of Jesus' execution by the normal Roman process of crucifixion has never been disputed by any reputable contemporary source. Nor is it disputed today by any reputable and knowledgeable source.
You may ask why the laying of this foundation of record keeping. Simply this, Jesus' crucifixion was foretold in detail by a Jewish prophet a thousand years before the fact. That prophet was none other than the renowned King David of Israel. Before the fact of Jesus' execution, Psalms chapter 22 was without doubt a riddle of little interest, unexplainable, and with no connection to David himself or the times in which he lived. But, after the fact, in hindsight of Jesus' crucifixion, it is one of the most astonishing fulfilled prophecies of all time. In reality, nothing compares to it. It is as if the person experiencing the crucifixion himself gave to David his own first person account. These details, the piercing of the hands and feet for example, defy natural explanation. Unexplainable detailed foretelling of the future is a hallmark of God's self chosen means of proving His existence and His claim to be the creator and owner of all that we call the universe.
Read it below and compare it to the contemporary accounts recorded in all four gospels of the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
"Psalms 22 (NKJV)
1 My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
Why are You so far from helping Me,
And from the words of My groaning?
2 O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear;
And in the night season, and am not silent.
3 But You are holy,
Enthroned in the praises of Israel.
4 Our fathers trusted in You;
They trusted, and You delivered them.
5 They cried to You, and were delivered;
They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.
6 But I am a worm, and no man;
A reproach of men, and despised by the people.
7 All those who see Me ridicule Me;
They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
8 “He trusted[fn] in the LORD, let Him rescue Him;
Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”
9 But You are He who took Me out of the womb;
You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts.
10 I was cast upon You from birth.
From My mother’s womb
You have been My God.
11 Be not far from Me,
For trouble is near;
For there is none to help.
12 Many bulls have surrounded Me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me.
13 They gape at Me with their mouths,
Like a raging and roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water,
And all My bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It has melted within Me.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And My tongue clings to My jaws;
You have brought Me to the dust of death.
16 For dogs have surrounded Me;
The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me.
They pierced[fn] My hands and My feet;
17 I can count all My bones.
They look and stare at Me.
18 They divide My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.
19 But You, O LORD, do not be far from Me;
O My Strength, hasten to help Me!
20 Deliver Me from the sword,
My precious life from the power of the dog.
21 Save Me from the lion’s mouth
And from the horns of the wild oxen!
You have answered Me.
22 I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
23 You who fear the LORD, praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But when He cried to Him, He heard.
25 My praise shall be of You in the great assembly;
I will pay My vows before those who fear Him.
26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the LORD.
Let your heart live forever!
27 All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the LORD,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.[fn]
28 For the kingdom is the LORD’s,
And He rules over the nations.
29 All the prosperous of the earth
Shall eat and worship;
All those who go down to the dust
Shall bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep himself alive.
30 A posterity shall serve Him.
It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation,
31 They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born,
That He has done this."
This Biblical passage is one of many evidentiary fingerprints that point to the identity of the Messiah but there are many more. A well researched resource and enjoyable read that details many of the most important prophecies concerning the Messiah is The Case For Christ by Lee Strobel.
Let me know what you think. Your comments to me concerning this blog are welcome. Also, if I can help you in your journey of discovery contact me, Bro. Jerry, through email at apcofarizona@protonmail.com or text at 928-522-4292. You are invited to join us online for prayer on Thursdays at 6:30 PM MT (8:30 CDT) and for church on Saturdays at 6:30 PM MT (8:30 CDT) via the Zoom links found on the services page. If you would like to share this blog use this link: https://www.apcofaz.org/post/finger-prints-and-dna-can-convict-or-exonerate
An online scriptural resource accessible for anyone without a copy of the Holy Bible is:
Comments