Easter: Message of Jesus?

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April 5th, 2017 at 8:43:25 PM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25010
Quote: Evenbob
Here's one take on it:

"Pilate ordered the words "Jesus of Nazareth: King of the Jews" affixed to his cross. This indicates that there was no getting around the fact that Pilate had crucified Jesus because his preaching was seen as a direct threat to the sovereignty of Rome. He was crucified as a political rebel.".


Notice they didn't write 'Son of God' on the
sign. The Romans could care less about that.
We do know that Jesus did not go from town
to town for 3 years preaching he was the
son of god. The Jews didn't take that lightly,
it would be blasphemy and they would stone
you to death over it. Jesus wouldn't have
lasted long.

Indeed, he didn't last long when he started
proclaiming it at the end of his ministry. The
priests were going to stone him but turned
him over to the Romans as an example to
other end of times preachers not to go too
far in their claims.

Ironically, dying on the cross was meant to
be a humiliating and shameful way to die.
And it was hard for the early Xtions to
deal with Jesus embarrassing death. Leave
it to the Church to take this artifact of shame
and degradation and elevate it to the
highest levels in their churches. How they
can look at it and not feel disgust is amazing
to me. Every time I see Jesus still hanging
there I avert my eyes out of respect for
anybody who had to die that way. The same
way I would avert my eyes on somebody
strapped into an electric chair.
If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.
April 16th, 2017 at 1:20:10 AM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25010
If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.
April 16th, 2017 at 8:05:00 AM permalink
zippyboy
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 2
Posts: 665
Hey Bob, do Jesus vs. Santa next.
April 16th, 2017 at 1:31:18 PM permalink
FrGamble
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 67
Posts: 7596
Quote: Evenbob
Notice they didn't write 'Son of God' on the
sign. The Romans could care less about that.
We do know that Jesus did not go from town
to town for 3 years preaching he was the
son of god. The Jews didn't take that lightly,
it would be blasphemy and they would stone
you to death over it. Jesus wouldn't have
lasted long.


Please read the Gospels and pay attention how many times the religious authorities wanted to stone or kill Jesus.

Quote:
The priests were going to stone him but turned
him over to the Romans as an example to
other end of times preachers not to go too
far in their claims.


No, the Romans executed Him because He claimed to be God and King or Messiah, which is both kind of rolled up together. There was one divine human person and that was the Roman Emperor. This was a competition between two God kings. The whole world celebrates Jesus' Resurrection what happened to the other guy?

Quote:
Leave it to the Church to take this artifact of shame
and degradation and elevate it to the
highest levels in their churches.


Leave it to God who alone can bring good out of suffering and evil.

Quote:
I avert my eyes out of respect for
anybody who had to die that way.


I think the point is to have us face the suffering of others and ourselves. When you strip off all the fluff we all experience sorrows and sufferings. We spend so much time averting our gaze to entertainment and pleasure that we are uncomfortable when we have to face our own crosses. Jesus is right there with you in your suffering, He too knows what it is like to be abandoned, forgotten, betrayed, unloved, humiliated, feel helpless - the only way to deal with these things is to face them and realize that you are loved in the midst of them. Next time you look at a crucifix don't look away and instead see arms outstretched and desiring to embrace you even in your sinfulness, shame, and brokenness. That is how much God loves you.
“It is with the smallest brushes that the artist paints the most exquisitely beautiful pictures.” (
April 16th, 2017 at 1:48:37 PM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25010
Quote: FrGamble
Next time you look at a crucifix don't look away and instead see arms outstretched and desiring to embrace you


But that's not what's there. What you see
is a pitiful man being killed in what was
meant to be a humiliating and insulting
way at that time. I always feel sorry for
the man on the cross, that to this day
they won't let him down from there,
and his humiliation and degradation
goes on and on. It's a very bad thing
the Church did, glorifying this means
of capital punishment. Much better to
see what some churches have when you
enter, a risen symbolic Jesus in robes
with his arms outstretched, a halo over
his head. That's a universal message.
If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.
April 16th, 2017 at 2:31:44 PM permalink
FrGamble
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 67
Posts: 7596
No, what we see is God became man who entered into our suffering and pain and still does so today. We see love incarnate and the ultimate victory. It is His love for a people still suffering that keeps Him there not nails nor anything else. There is no empty cross before the Lord's glorious return. Christ continues to suffer with and for you, me, the whole world. He is constantly offering us His love and His life to set us free and give us hope. Again don't avert your eyes and allow the Lord to embrace you, accept His love even in the midst of your troubles.
“It is with the smallest brushes that the artist paints the most exquisitely beautiful pictures.” (
April 16th, 2017 at 2:45:38 PM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25010
Quote: FrGamble
Christ continues to suffer with and for you, me, the whole world..


Surely you see the confusion in your message.
Either he rose and is sitting beside god in the
myth, or he is still on the cross suffering, waiting
to rise. You really can't have it both ways. I
suppose I am inadvertently arguing the Protestant
side, but your side is baffling. And that miserable
guy on the cross doesn't look like he loves anybody.
If anything he's majorly feeling sorry for himself,
who wouldn't be. If anything I would offer to help
his sorry plight, rather than ask him for something.
If you're asking things of men dying on crosses,
something is wrong with you.
If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.
April 16th, 2017 at 3:24:07 PM permalink
rxwine
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 188
Posts: 18556
The resurrection is one of the weakest stories.

Why didn't his previously dead body go say hello to the Romans who had crucified him days earlier?

Go say hello to Pontius.
You believe in an invisible god, and dismiss people who say they are trans? Really?
April 16th, 2017 at 3:49:44 PM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25010
Quote: rxwine

Go say hello to Pontius.


Good question. The myth says he no longer
had an earthly body, they couldn't kill him
again. The people who made the story up
later didn't think the same as we do. If
you really did rise from the grave immortal,
it's your enemies you go and see to make
the most impact, not just your friends. You
want it set in the official records of Rome.
If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.
April 16th, 2017 at 8:44:45 PM permalink
FrGamble
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 67
Posts: 7596
Quote: Evenbob

If anything he's majorly feeling sorry for himself,
who wouldn't be. If anything I would offer to help
his sorry plight, rather than ask him for something.
If you're asking things of men dying on crosses,
something is wrong with you.


He is not feeling sorry for Himself, He is more feeling sorry for those who can't see sacrifice as the highest form of love there is. There is no greater love than to lay down your life for someone.

There is a way you can offer help. You can refrain from mocking His sacrifice and you can accept at the very least that Christians understand that this man is God incarnate who came from Heaven to save us through His death and Resurrection. What I ask every day from Jesus is the strength to give myself to others like He did for me.

Something is wrong with you if you continue to say such wrongheaded ideas about Christianity without bothering to understand the supreme significance we place on the loving sacrifice of God for all of humanity. It hurts me to hear such things. I get that you don't get it and that you don't seem even at all interested in learning what we teach but a modicum of respect I don't think is too much to ask.
“It is with the smallest brushes that the artist paints the most exquisitely beautiful pictures.” (
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