Easter Story is not on Thin Ice
By J. James Estrada (04/10/06)
University of Arizona scientists have determined that a 1,700-year-old text known as the Gospel of Judas is authentic. It portrays Judas Iscariot as a hero rather than the greatest traitor in the Christian world. The Coptic-language text depicts him as the most special of Jesus' apostles, chosen by Jesus to hand him over to authorities so he could fulfill his redemptive mission.
The above appeared in an article in the Arizona Republic on April 7th. On April 4th, an article that claims that Jesus walked on “spring ice,” and not water, was carried by a number of news outlets around the country. And the movie The Da Vinci Code, which portrays Jesus as being married with children, will be in theatres next month.
This is not exactly what Christians look forward to in the Easter season. But, not to worry, non-believers have tried to discredit the Bible for years.
Scientists once made the claim that the waters of the Red Sea, at certain times of the year, were only ankle deep. This would allow Moses and the Jews to pass through without acknowledging the miracle of the “parting of waters.” Of course, what giddy atheists failed to realize, was that soon after the children of Israel passed through to the other side, Pharaoh had his army give chase to kill the former slaves. It was then that God caused the waters to fall on the chariots and drowned all the Egyptian soldiers. Quite a neat trick in ankle deep water!
So U of A scientists say Judas was a hero? The writings they’ve authenticated claim that Judas knew all about the plan of salvation and “betrayed” Jesus because Jesus asked him to. If true, why did Judas, distraught with guilt, hang himself soon after the crucifixion of Jesus? Why didn’t he wait until Resurrection Day, three days later, and celebrate with the Risen Lord?
Jesus walked on ice? Here’s a little snippet of that report: "As natural scientists, we simply explain that unique freezing processes probably happened in that region only a handful of times during the last 12,000 years," Nof said. "We leave to others the question of whether or not our research explains the biblical account."
Doran Nor is a Florida State University Professor of Oceanography. Like the group at U of A, Nof is blinded by science. In the biblical account of Jesus walking on water, the disciples had rowed their boat over three miles into the Sea of Galilee when Jesus made his amazing appearance, at night, no less. How is it that they rowed that far if the waters were frozen?
The Da Vinci Code? If Jesus did marry, he would have done so against biblical prophecy; which is not possible. Isaiah 53:2 says “he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.”
Happy Easter!
J. James Estrada
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