Session 18

In the Gospel of Mark chapter 15 and verse 45 we read, "So when he found out from centurion, he granted the body to Joseph." Dr. Nagy, my question is what was report that led Pilate release the body of Jesus to Joseph?
Pilate got a confirmation from the centurion that Jesus was dead. He had to make sure in order to release the body of the Lord Jesus Christ and the ones crucified with Him, and before he gives the command to take them off the cross. If they took them off the cross alive, it would be considered a felony according to Roman law, and negligence in a Roman soldier duty record that would cost the negligent soldier, who was in charge of watching over the crucified ones, his own life
How did the centurion make sure that the Lord Jesus eventually died?
As the Jews were in a rush and the bodies of the Lord Jesus and the other crucified ones were still on the cross, the soldiers in order to make sure that the three were dead, came and broke the legs of the two thieves who were crucified with Lord Jesus. This process was to quicken their death through bleeding before the Sabbath comes. They did not want the bodies to stay on the cross on the Sabbath because this would defile the land. When they tried to break the Lord Jesus legs, they found Him dead. But in order to confirm His death, one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear. The wound was so big to let a human hand go through, and from His side blood and water came out.
Dr. Nagy, where was this story mentioned? Why wasn't it mentioned in the book of Mark? 
The story of breaking the two thieves legs and the stabbing of the Lord Jesus side was mentioned in the book of John chapter 19 and verse 34. The reason why it was mentioned in John was to expose a heresy saying that the Lord Jesus had no real body that He was like a ghost living on earth, and that He left no traces as He walked on earth. Of course this heresy was rejected by all religions not only Christianity; as for the Gospel according to Mark, the scriptures only mentioned the simple facts without going into details.
Dr. Nagy, what other evidences affirm the death of Christ, all Glory belongs to Him, before they take Him off the cross? 
In addition to the evidences, I already mentioned the fact that water and blood came from the side of the Lord Jesus, proves His death before they take Him off the cross. The separation of blood and water -or what is known in medicine by the plasma- cannot take place inside a living human being. It does not happen inside the human body unless it was dead.
Dr. Nagy, why would the four gospels stress on the death of Lord Jesus Christ on the cross? After all it is well known that the Romans would never take a crucified one off the cross unless they made sure he is already dead? 
The enemy is always seeking opportunities to bring doubt into human minds concerning the story of the cross of Jesus, blessed be His name. This is the first war against those who are seeking to believe in the Lord Jesus. Many writers tried to twist these truths to the point that some theory claimed that the Lord Jesus was unconscious on the cross. The one who claimed this theory was trying to justify the word, "But they killed him not, nor crucified him. Only a likeness of that was shown to them." He could not deny the fact that Jesus was crucified as he faced dozens of evidences spiritual, historical and archeological, so he came up with this theory. He claimed that the meaning of those words, "But they killed him not, nor crucified him" was that Jesus did not literally die on the cross. The words "They did not crucify Him" here, according to him, means they did not kill Him on the cross. The sentence in this case would be as follows': they did not kill Him, which would not make sense and would result in a non-logical repetition. He could not claim that the Lord Jesus was not crucified, and he could not claim that He came off the cross alive. So he claimed that He came down the cross unconscious.
Assuming He was truly unconscious, blessed is His name, or in a coma, how did the people who were watching find out? And how did He regain consciousness? 
This same writer says that the stabbing of the Lord Jesus in His side brought Him back to consciousness. This of course is unbelievable because if the Lord Jesus went unconscious because of exhaustion, fatigue and bleeding, how would the wound in His side that led to excessive bleeding and to the separation of the red cells blood from plasma, brings Him back to consciousness? And why didn't He resist the people who were embalming Him alive and refuse to be placed in a tomb? If He was truly conscious in the grave, how could He move the huge rock that was blocking the tomb, and how could He overcome the six soldiers who were watching the tomb? Assuming He was able to escape the guards, it was normal for Him to go to His mother or to john the disciple, but He did not as we see them coming to the tomb. In verse 16 of the gospel according to Mark and all the four gospels as well, we read that the disciples met Him before the tomb after He was resurrected. If He was unconscious and came back to life on the cross or in the tomb, then the most natural reaction would be to hide from the tomb area not to be found by the Jews. The author of this theory did not consider the analytical implications of his theory. All he wanted to do was to prove that the Lord Jesus did not die on behalf of mankind. He did not even show evidence of his theory, or how he found out that the Lord Jesus was unconscious on the cross.
Dr. Nagy coming to the end of our detailed study for the story of the cross, would you like to address a final word concerning the Cross? 

Coming to the end of the crucifixion story, I would like to say to every one, if you believe that the Lord Jesus can redeem you from your sins and forgive your past and future transgressions, and He is the only way to heaven and that there is no other name given to men by which they can be saved, you gain eternal life and you become one of the closer ones to God. Otherwise, you would be a looser of your eternity and deserve hell and the torment of the grave. So open your heart to the Lord and tell Him "I believe in what was given by Moses, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Christ, and I will follow Him. So have mercy on me Most Merciful One."

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