A Historical and Medical Perceptive
on the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Juan Manny [email protected]
about.me/juanmanny
Table of Contents
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………,.i
The Passion of the Christ…………………………………………………………….1
The Death of the Christ………………………………………………………………7
The Resurrection of the Christ………………………………………………………13
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………..ii
Bibliography………………………………………………………………………...iii
Introduction
Jesus of Nazareth has been the most controversial name in all of history, known for his good
deeds, known for his great teachings but more importantly but more importantly known for the
question of his divinity. Some argue either he was the Christ or just another person in history. As
the writings about Jesus found in the four Gospels, discuss and explain the death and resurrection
of Jesus, much discussion is examined as we come to question if he actually died and if he
actually rose from the dead. In this investigative report, we will study in depth the understanding
of the medical and historical perceptive of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We will unravel the mysteries of the passion with a detailed look though the eyes of history and
medicine. With the blood drops that dripped from his forehead like sweat in the garden of
Gethsemane to the mystery behind the death on the cross, to discover what really happened on
resurrection Sunday. During this investigation we propose that the evidence that is given about
his passion, death and resurrection confirm the deity of Jesus as the Christ. Through this
investigative report we will configure and confirm that Jesus is the Christ through the evidence
found in medical journals and in the historical books.
The Passion of the Christ
he Passion of Jesus Christ can be better understood as his final days alive. And can
be classified as the road, from the Garden of Gethsemane to the Cross at Calvary. He
showed the obedience that was put upon him1 and the chastisement of God that was
given to Him2 that was demonstrated as he went towards the cross. The events leading to the
death of Jesus named the Christ are essential to determine if he really was the Christ. For
throughout the Bible, there is a mention of a “messiah” or “savior” to come to the Jewish people
to free them from oppression. The time leading up to the one of the most important event of
Jesus‟ life is known as the time that he spent praying the night that He was betrayed by Judas in
the Garden of Gethsemane3, a garden between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives.
As we start the investigation of Jesus as the Christ we
must understand what really happened to Jesus before
the deity was challenged through the historical and
medical perceptive. The Garden of Gethsemane is
important to determine the deity of Jesus as the Christ
for as he prayed before being betrayed, He prayed
earnestly that his sweat became like great drops of blood
falling to the ground (Luke 22:44). We must determine whether or not this is actually possible in
a human being or was a miracle in itself. After the betrayal of Jesus that happened in the Garden
1 Philippians 2:8, (NKJV): And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to
the point of death, even the death of the cross. 2 Isaiah 53 (NKJV)
3 Luke 22:39-44 (NKJV)
T
Figure 1; the Mount of Olives
of Gethsemane, He was turned over to the Sanhedrin court for a Jewish judgment but since the
court had no power to put Jesus to death the sentence was sent over to a Roman Governor named
Pontius Pilate. After going through the judgment of Herod and Pontius Pilate, Pilate gave the
final order to have Jesus brutally scourged and let loose. But as the Jewish crowd insisted by the
leadership of the Jewish High Priest, he was sent to be crucified. On a hill named Golgotha or the
Place of the Skull, Jesus was sent to be crucified around the third hour of the day4 and in the
sixth hour of the day a great darkness came over the land until the time that Jesus died on the
cross5 that was placed under the order of Pontius Pilate.
The Garden of Gethsemane
The Garden of Gethsemane is said to have been located at the foot of the Mount of Olives
located outside the city of Jerusalem6, where we can still find to this day. If we can travel to
Jerusalem today at modern day Israel, we can find the Garden of Gethsemane still standing. The
Mount of Olives can also be known as Mount Olivet, or Har HaZetim; Jebel ez-Zeitum in Arabic
or the “Mount of the Summit”, it is given its name due to the Olive Trees that cover the garden.
The name “Gethsemane” comes from the Hebrew word “Gat,” meaning “a place of pressing”
and “Shemanim”, which means “oils” and according to tradition in the garden of Gethsemane is
the place where the olives from the Mount of Olives were pressed into oil. To this day there are
eight olive trees in this garden that may be at least 2,000- 3,000 years old. According to history
and archeology the place of the Garden of Gethsemane cannot be disproven and thus the witness
of history remains that Jesus named the Christ could have visited this site before his death.
4 Mark 15:25 (NKJV)
5 John 23:44-46 (NKJV)
6 Elizabeth Knowles. "Garden of Gethsemane." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. Oxford
University Press. 2006. Encyclopedia.com.(November 5,
2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-GardenofGethsemane.html.
While he was in this garden, he prayed all night until His sweat became like drops of blood
(Luke 22:44). Alexander Metherell, M.D., PH.D., challenges this medical condition can be
known as hematidrosis7 or hemachromatosis which is
associated with a high degree of psychological stress.
Metherell mentions that during a severe anxiety of this
magnitude it releases chemicals that break the capillaries in
the sweat glands which results in bleeding into the glands or
sweat becoming as though it were blood. According to the
medical journals, this is a rare disease that is an excess of iron deposits throughout the body
which results in cardiac failure.8 Another condition comes as a result of sickle cell anemia
9, a
condition in which there‟s not enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the
body. Some of the symptoms that this causes are fatigue, periodic episodes of pain or crises, and
jaundice, which is known as liver dysfunction, causing a yellowing of the skin and the whites in
the eyes. Sickle cell anemia also may cause stroke, chest pain, and pulmonary hypertension,
resulting in cardiac arrest. So there could be no way that during this extreme pressure that Jesus
could have actually survived through this pain that is believed to have occurred during this
process. So it could have been possible that Jesus could have suffered cardiac arrest during his
prayer in the garden. So why is it that he didn‟t die in the garden and instead of the cross? And,
how could one man suffer all this and still live?
7 Lee Stobel, The Case for Christ, p. 195 8 hemochromatosis, p . 856, Mosby’s Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing & Health Professions
9 Mayo Clinic Staff, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER); (2009)
http://mayoclinic.com/health/sickle-cell-anemia/DS00324
Figure 2: Sickle Cell Anemia
After Jesus had prayed in the Mount of Olives, he was betrayed by one of his closest students,
Judas Iscariot, with him accompanied the Roman Soldiers and the Temple Guard to arrest Jesus.
They took him into the judgment of the High Priest, Pontius Pilate, Herod, then back again to
Pontius Pilate, where Pilate decided to have Jesus Christ scourged and then crucified. Before we
go into detail of the Roman process of scourging, we must first ask ourselves if Pontius Pilate
actually existed and which of the Herod Dynasty passed judgment on Christ.
Who is Pontius Pilate?
According to the gospel according to Luke, Pontius Pilate was a governor of Judea under the
reign of the Roman Emperor, Tiberius Caesar10
.
“The best known of the Roman governors of Judea was Pontius Pilate (26-36 CE),
under whom Jesus was crucified. He was not a good administrator, and he
angered the Jews by setting up votive shields in Herod‟s palace. He also put to
death many Samaritans, as a result of which an embassy was set to Vitellius, The
Roman legate, complaining of his actions. Pilate was ordered to go to Rome to
answer before the emperor, and he was removed from his governorship.” 11
Josephus the Historian gives us a witness of the existence of Pontius Pilate in his writings,
Antiquities of the Jews.
“Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a
man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the
truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the
Gentiles. He was [the] Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal
10
Luke 3:1 (NIV) 11
ADRIAN CURTIS, HERBERT GORDON MAY, “Oxford Bible Atlas”, Oxford University Press, 2007, p.56.
men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the
first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the
divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things
concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at
this day.”12
Pontius Pilate made the decision to have Jesus Christ scourged and then to be crucified. So
History can tell us that Pontius Pilate existed to make this judgment on the Christ.
The Scourging
Jesus before being crucified was scourged, until it was said that
his face was unrecognizable, that “his appearance was so
disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond
human likeness13
,” that he didn‟t look human in his appearance
is a image that none can imagine on a human being. Eusebius
gives reference to the scourging that would happen under Roman
rule, “the sufferer‟s veins were laid bare, and the very muscles, sinews and bowels of the victim
were open to exposure.”14
Scourging was practiced by the Romans for cruel punishment, usually before being crucified.
Normally there were between one and six trained Roman officers called lictors, who were
responsible of punishing the victim. The instrument used for scourging is a short whip called a
flagrum or flagellum to which was attached short braided leather like material of different
12
Flavius Josephus, The Antiquities of the Jews, 18.3.3. 13
Isaiah 52:14 (NIV) 14
Eusebuis, Historia Ecclesiastica, IV, 15
Figure 3: Roman Flagellum
lengths. Knots were tied in the ends of each braided leather, and sheep bone or iron balls were
inserted into the knots at the end of each braid. The person was stripped of his clothing and his
hands are tied to a post. Roman soldiers repeatedly strike the victim‟s back, butt and legs with
full force causing deep cuts. Blow cuts would go deep into muscles and rip the overlaying skin of
the back to a point where it hangs as ribbons of bleeding flesh. Once the victim fainted, the
Roman soldier or lector would check his pulse and detect sufficient respiration or breath, the
beating would continue, once the prisoner was near death, the beating would stop. According to
Jewish law15
the prisoner was to receive no more than 40 lashes, the Pharisees always making
sure the law was strictly kept, insisted that only 39 lashes be given in case of a miscount. But the
Roman law did not have a limit set on the number of blows one could give. The main objective
of the scourging was to weaken the prisoner to a state near to death, were the name was given
“half death.” Many did not survive this cruel punishment, and due to the extent of blood loss
would determine how long the prisoner would survive on the cross.
“[Roman] Slaves were continually punished by flagellation. Whips of various
types were used. The terrible Roman flagellum, made of thongs of ox-leather, cut
into the flesh like a knife. According to Horace, the sadistic cruelty and
vindictiveness of some judges let them to order floggings with were so excessive,
and continued so long, that the executioner often enough, through sheer
exhaustion, was obliged to desist before the sentence was completed. Many slaves
died under the whip. The thongs were knotted with bones and pieces of metal;
sometimes lead balls, cruel hooks or spikes were affixed to the ends. Ladies who
could not wield the whip themselves hired the public executioner or compelled
other slaves to flog their servants.”16
15
Deuteronomy 25:3 16
George Ryley Scott, History of Torture Throughout the Ages, p. 48-49.
Alexander Metherell, M.D., PH.D., describes that when someone would be flogged, „the victim
would experience tremendous pain and go into Hypovolemic Shock, which is 1/5 blood- loss in
the body. Some of the symptoms are anxiety or agitation, confusion, pale skin color, and rapid
breathing17
. Which gives us a brief description of what Jesus went through as he made his way to
Golgotha. Without a doubt Jesus would and could have died on the wiping post, but the question
still remains if he is who he said he was?
The Death of the Christ
he death of Jesus named the Christ is the one of the most essential parts to determine
the deity of the Jesus as the Christ. If his death did not happen, the basic Christian
doctrine would be of no worth. The Gospels give us a description of what happened
as Jesus died on the cross, we must first examine the location, the
process and the detailed death of Jesus named the Christ.
The Place
Before we can start examining the acts, we must first determine the
place. The exact place where Jesus died was called Golgotha,
named place of the skull18
, and according to some scholars and
historians this could have been the exact place where the temple
mount was built and the place where the Abraham tried to off up
17
University of Maryland Center (UMMC), 16 November 2009, available from http://www.umm.edu/ency/article/000527all.htm; Internet; accessed 16 November 2009. 18
John 19:17
T
Figure 4: Golgotha
Isaac his one and only son, as a sacrifice19
, still some argue these two were to different
locations. Golgotha is said to be located outside the wall of Jerusalem near the Mount of Olives.
In Hebrew, the word "Golgotha" means, "the PLACE of the skull" or "Skull Hill"2021
the
emphasis was on a place where a skull would be found. This skull can still be seen today at the
face of the mountain, but the question still remands if his is the exact place where Jesus was
crucified?
The Cross
One of the details that we find in the Gospel According to Luke is the importance of two
criminals also being crucified with Jesus, showing us that Jesus was not the only one in history to
be crucified. Even though some historians argue that there was no mention of other crucifixions.
Biblical Scholar Raymond Brown writes, “as for crucifixion by Jews, one of the earliest
references to the practice is the execution in the early first century B.C. of 800 prisoners by
Alexander Jannaeus. As Roman armies began to interfere in Judea, crucifixion of Jews became a
matter of policy, e.g., the governor of Syria crucified 2,000 Jews in 4 B.C. In the first century
A.D. Jesus is the first Jews whom we know to have been crucified. Otherwise Josephus records
no crucifixions of Jews during the first part of the Roman prefecture in Judea (A.D. 6-40),
though there is an ample attestation of crucifixion during the second part of the prefecture (A.D.
44-66).”22
So we can see and understand that the practice of crucifixion was practiced during the
time of Jesus. But the process of death by crucifixion was known to be the most agonizing pain
19
Genesis 22 20
Luke 23:25 21
Golgotha (gŏl’gəthə) definition found: http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Golgatha 22
Brown, The Death of the Messiah, vol. 2, p. 946.
ever felt. The origins of crucifixion could have started with the Persians23
and then expanding the
custom by Alexander the Great, as he introduced the practice, to the Egyptians. It also appears
that the Romans learned this practice from the Carthaginians. Even though the Romans did not
invent crucifixion, they perfected it as a perfect form of torture and punishment, their goal was to
cause the most pain possible while the prisoner slowly died.
As Jesus was crucified in the place called Golgotha, some historians say that is the place where a
man would suffer the worst pain injected upon a human being. Cicero called death by
crucifixion, “the most cruel and hideous of tortures” and the “extreme and ultimate penalty for a
slave.”24
“The pain was absolutely unbearable,” relates Alexander Metherell, M.D., Ph.D. “In
fact, it was literally beyond words to describe; they had to invent a new word: excruciating.
Literally, excruciating means „out of the cross.‟”According to the accounts that are written in the
Gospels, the pain that Jesus suffered on the cross was unbearable until he gave up his last breath,
meaning that he willingly gave up his life willingly. So how did the Christ suffer?
If Jesus was crucified, just as the Gospels explain, historians agree on some of the following
discoveries; such as the hands and feet being pierced and death by respiratory complications that
would soon follow. One of the important medical discoveries about the cross is the way they
would hang the body on the cross, horizontal, vertical, or upside down. The Romans configured
the human anatomy in such a way to conflict the most pain possible. The procedure that the
Romans used is still known but for this investigation we will start investigating the hands and
feet of those crucified and the way the prisoner was hung on the cross.
23
Friedrich G:Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, p. 572, 573, 632 24
Cicero, V in Verrem.
As the prisoner would be hung on the cross, the Romans would first by law would give the
prisoner would be given a drink of wine mixed with myrrh (gall) as a analgesic or pain killer.25
Than the Romans would secure the hands to hold the body in place, and for this they used five to
seven inch long spikes. Now, much controversy has been brought up about this point due to the
fact that the depiction of Jesus is him being crucified in the palm of his hand but according to
studies shown, the palm of the hand would not be a wise decision due to the fact that the hand
could not support such body weight so studies show that through the wrist would be the
reasonable location of the nails. Alexander Metherell, M.D., Ph.D., speaking of the crucifixion
of Jesus, comments that, “through the wrist, this was a solid position that would lock the hand; if
the nails had been driven through the palms, his weight would have caused the skin to tear and
he would have fallen off the cross. So the nails went through the wrists, although this was
considered part of the hand in the language of the day. And it is important to understand that the
nail would go through the place where the median nerve runs. This is the largest nerve going out
to the hand.”26
It is said that the nails were placed about one to a inch and half below the palm of
the hand, and through this part of the wrists is located the median nerve. Dr. Smalhout describes
the pain that resulted from this: “One of the principle nerves, the median, crosses the wrist
joint… The nail almost always came into contact with this nerve. Touching or damaging a nerve
would cause the maximal amount of pain possible.”27
This would have caused the body to
experience some of the worst pain ever felt. After the piercing of the hands they would go to the
feet.
25
Stroud W: Treatise on the Physical Cause of the Death of Chlist and Its Relation to the Principles and Practice of Christianity, p. 28-156, 489-494. 26
Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ, p. 197. 27
Smalhout, The Terrible Easter of A.D. 33, p. 4.
As the hands were pierced the feet also followed, this was important for the crucifixion to fulfill
its purpose. The Romans would place one foot above the other, bending the legs, knees, and
placing the nails in the second metatarsal space. This would happen to cause the purposed effect
of excruciating pain. As the process of death by crucifixion had taken its route, the worst pain
was soon to come.
Alexander Metherell, M.D., Ph.D. helps explain what would happen as Jesus would be hung on
the cross:
“Once a person is hanging in the vertical position, crucifixion is essentially an
agonizingly slow death by asphyxiation. The reason is that the stresses on the
muscles and diaphragm put the chest into the inhaled position; basically, in order
to exhale, the individual must push up on his feet so the tension on the muscles
would be eased for a moment. In doing so, the nail would tear through the feet,
eventually locking up against the tarsal bones. After managing to exhale, the
person would then be able to relax down and take another breath in. Again he‟d
have to push himself up to exhale, scraping his bloodied back against the coarse
Figure 5: Nailing of wrists
wood of the cross. This would go on and on until complete exhaustion would take
over, and the person wouldn‟t be able to push up and breathe anymore. As the
person slows down his breathing, he goes into what is called respiratory acidosis-
the carbon dioxide in the blood is dissolved as carbonic acid, causing the acidity
of the blood to increase. This eventually leads to an irregular heartbeat.”28
As this punishment continued some say that they would eventually break the prisoner‟s legs to
secure the death of each prisoner. Frederick Farrar gives this explanation about death by
crucifixion:
“For indeed a death by crucifixion seems to include all that pain and death can
have of horrible and ghastly- dizziness, cramp, thirst, starvation, sleeplessness,
traumatic fever, tetanus, shame, publicity of shame, long continuance of torment,
horror of anticipation, mortification of unintended wounds- all intensified just up
to the point at which they can be endured at all, but all stopping just short of the
point which would give to the sufferer the relief of unconsciousness. The
unnatural position made every movement painful; the lacerated veins and crushed
tendons throbbed with incessant anguish; the wounds, inflamed by exposure,
gradually gangrened; the arteries- especially at the head and stomach- became
swollen and oppressed with surcharged blood; and while each variety of misery
went on gradually increasing, there was added to them the intolerable pang of a
burning and raging thirst; and all these physical complications caused an internal
excitement and anxiety, which made the prospect of death itself- of death, the
unknown enemy, at whose approach man usually shudders most- bear the aspect
of a delicious and exquisite release.”29
Death by a cross was literally unbearable and painful; this would have without a doubt had killed
Jesus. But the one issue remains either he was the Christ as he said he was. Was He the Christ or
just another man?
28
Lee Strobel, The Case of Christ, p. 198-199. 29
Josh McDowell, The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict, p. 222-223, quotes, Fredrick Farrar, The Life of Christ, p.440.
The Resurrection of the Christ
he Resurrection of Jesus is the most controversial discussion to ever be discussed,
for as understandable it is that Jesus could have died, the issue of him coming back
to life from the death leaves many in doubt. Even the apostle Paul wrote of what
have been if Jesus would not have resurrected from the dead.30
Still atheists to this day argue
over this mere part of the life of Jesus, to see if he was actually dead, or if his body was stolen, or
was he the Christ?
30
1 Corinthians 15:12-19 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
T
Figure 6: Respiration during Crucifixion
The Tomb
According to the Gospels, after the death of Jesus on the cross, there was a man named Joseph, a
member of the Sanhedrin court from Arimathea, a Judean town31
. This man went to Pilate asking
for the body of Jesus and with his permission placed the body of Jesus in a tomb that was located
in a garden where He was crucified.32
William Lane Craig describes how archeologists have
found three different types of tombs during the time of Jesus:
“(1) kokim or tunnels perpendicular to the walls of the tomb, about six or seven
feet deep, three in each of the three inner walls of the tomb, into which the body
was inserted headfirst; (2) acrosalia or semi-circular niches two-and-one half feet
above the floor and two to three feet deep containing either a flat shelf or a trough
for the body; (3) bench tombs containing a bench that went around the three walls
of the tomb on which the body could be laid. Joseph‟s tomb is described as being
a bench or acrosalia tomb; these types of tombs were scarce in Jesus‟ day and
were reserved for persons of high rank. But such tombs of the Sanhedrin attest.
Near the Church of the Holy Sepluchre, the traditional site for Jesus‟ grave,
acrosalia tombs from Jesus‟ time have been found.”33
The Visitations
The Gospels relate that after three days of Jesus being placed inside the tomb, he rose from the
dead, and there were witnesses. On the day that Jesus was raised from the dead, he appeared to
his followers, even on one occasion, one of his closest students put his finger in his wounds. But
how did this happen? If Jesus were dead, how it possible is that one man would rise from the
dead after three days? According to medical journals the brain starts to die after 4 minutes the
heart stops beating, so if Jesus was pronounced dead the Roman Guard, than there would be no
possibility that he would rise from the dead. But the only solution is the visions that people had
about Jesus, would this be considered a mass prank or the truth?
31
Luke 23:50-53; John 19:38-42; Matthew 27:57-61; Mark 15:42-46 32
John 19:41 33
Josh McDowell, Sean McDowell: Evidence For the Resurrection, p. 171-172, quotes William Lane Craig, Assessing the New Testament Evidence For the Historicity of the Resurrection of Jesus, p. 186-187.
In the Gospels we can see that after that specific Sunday, Jesus appeared to more than over five
hundred different people, and this is in need of investigation to determine if Jesus is the Christ or
just another man. There at least has to be three different solutions; the story of the resurrection is
nothing but legend; it was nothing but hallucinations that the people saw Jesus walk again; or
Jesus who he said he was. The Story of the resurrection as a legend has been observed by Peter
Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli, “there was not enough time for myth [legend] to develop…several
generations have to pass before the added mythological elements can be mistakenly believed to
be facts. Eyewitnesses would be around before that to discredit the new mythic visions. We
know of other cases where myths and legends of miracles developed around a religious founder-
for example, Buddha, Lao-tzu and Muhammad. In each case, many generations passed before the
myth surfaced.”34
In other words, the theory of the story being a legend is physically impossible
since the story was written by first hand witnesses. The next theory of hallucinations has also
been observed before by Gary R. Collins, PH.D.:
“Hallucinations are individual occurrences. By their very nature only one person
can see a given hallucination at a time. They certainly aren‟t something which can
be seen by a group of people. Neither is it possible that one person could
somehow induce a hallucination in somebody else. Since an hallucination exists
only in this subjective, personal sense, it is obvious that others cannot witness
it.”35
Hallucinations could not have been the problem that all the followers of Jesus could see and
touch him. Another theory is the theory of the disciples stealing the body, but Josh McDowell
observes this point:
“Each of the disciples, except John, died a martyr‟s death. They were persecuted
because they tenaciously clung to their beliefs and statements. As Paul Little
34
Josh McDowell, Sean McDowell, Evidence for the Resurrection, p. 204 quoted Peter and Ronald Tacelli, Handbook of Christian Apologetics, p. 190-191. 35
Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ, p. 238-239 quoted Gary R. Collins, PH.D.
wrote, “Men will die for what they believe to be true, though it may actually be
false. They do not, however die for what they know is a lie.” If the disciples had
stolen the body of Jesus, they would have known that their resurrection claim was
false. Nevertheless, they never wavered in their commitment to the risen Jesus.
Not only did they die for this „lie,‟ but as a testimony to the strength of their
convictions, they placed the resurrection of Jesus as the centerpiece of their
preaching.”36
If the disciples were all lying, wouldn‟t it be obvious for at least one to come out with the truth.
Only one would have ruined all credibility of Jesus but not one stood up. So what remains?
36
Josh McDowell, Sean McDowell, Evidence for the Resurrection, p. 218.
Conclusion
Is Jesus the Christ?
“I am trying to prevent anyone saying that the really foolish thing that people
often say about Him [Jesus]: „I‟m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher,
but I don‟t accept His claim to be God.‟ That is one thing we must not say. A man
who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great
moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic- on a level with the man who says he
is a poached egg- or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your
choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or
something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill
Him as a demon, or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us
not come up with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human
teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” 37
The only conclusion that we can come up with as we examined the thesis, using historical and
medical evidence can we prove the deity of Jesus as the Christ, we can come to the conclusion
that the Jesus had to be the Christ in order to suffer so much pain and still come back from the
dead. If Jesus would have been just another regular man, the impact that he had throughout the
generations would have faded. From the death of his followers to the continuation of the life and
teaching of Jesus, we cannot refute the deity of Jesus as the Christ. There can be no other
solution to argue that the Christ died on the cross and resurrected from the dead on the third day.
37
C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, p. 52.
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William Ramsay, Rodolfo Amedeo Lanciani: A Manual of Roman antiquities, Charles Scribner‟s
Sons, New York, NY, 1895.
Adrian Curtis, Herbert Gordon May, “Oxford Bible Atlas”, Oxford University Press, 2007.
Flavius Josephus, The Antiquities of the Jews, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tenn.,
1998. Josephus, the Complete Works, translated by William Whiston, A.M.
Clive Staples Lewis: Mere Christianity, HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, 1952.
Bibles
New King James Version
Holy Bible, The Chronological Study Bible, Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2008. New King James
Version, Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1982.
New International Version
Holy Bible, The NIV Student Bible, Revised, Compact Edition, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Mich,
1986, 1992, 2002. The New International Version, International Bible Society, 1972, 1978, 1984.
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Holy Bible, The Holman Illustrated Study Bible, Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tenn.,
2006. Holman Christian Standard Bible, Holman Bible Publishers, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003.
Pictures
Figure 1: The Mount of Olives
http://www.bibleplaces.com/mtolives.htm
Figure 2: Sickle Cell Anemia
http://mayoclinic.com/health/medical/IM01729
Figure 3: Roman Flagellum
http://www.instonebrewer.com/bpg2009/thumbs/la/world/lifestyl/measures/Denarius%20silver%
20c%20132%20BC%20%20%20Left%20-%20Rome%20and%20%20indic.jpg
Figure 4: Golgotha
http://www.ebibleteacher.com/images/golgotha.jpg
Figure 5: Nailing of wrists
http://www.frugalsites.net/jesus/crucifixion.htm#7
Figure 6: Respiration during Crucifixion
http://www.frugalsites.net/jesus/crucifixion.htm#7
Websites
Elizabeth Knowles. "Garden of Gethsemane." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable.
Oxford University Press. 2006. Encyclopedia.com.(November 5,
2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-GardenofGethsemane.html.
Mayo Clinic Staff, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER); (2009)
http://mayoclinic.com/health/sickle-cell-anemia/DS00324
University of Maryland Center (UMMC), 16 November 2009, available from
http://www.umm.edu/ency/article/000527all.htm; Internet; accessed 16 November 2009.
Golgotha (gŏl‟gəthə) definition found: http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Golgatha