Death of Jesus
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| Part of a series on the Death of Jesus |
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| Views | |
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| Hypothesis | |
| Misc | |
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Jesus Christ and Christianity |
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Non-religious aspects |
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Perspectives on Jesus |
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Jesus in culture |
The death of Jesus is a controversial topic. Christians believe that Jesus' death was the necessary atonement for the sins of mankind. Muslims do not believe that Jesus actually died on the cross, but that Allah allowed people to think that this is what occurred. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus was not killed on a cross, but rather on a stake.
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[edit] Views
[edit] Traditional Christian
The death and resurrection of Jesus are two events in the New Testament in which Jesus is crucified on one day (the "Day of Preparation", i.e. the day before the Sabbath, the last day of the week), then resurrected on the third.[1] These two events form the heart of all Christian faith, and are remembered by Christians, the one on Good Friday and the other on every Sunday, but especially Easter Sunday.
[edit] Islamic
The issue of Jesus' death is important to Muslims because it differentiates their concept of Jesus from Christians, to whom the death of Jesus is paramount. While there is some dispute, most Muslims believe Jesus did not die but was raised to heaven by God. God gave the man who betrayed Jesus his appearance, causing everyone to believe Jesus did die. The basis of any of these beliefs is the verse 4:157-158 in the Qur'an.
[edit] Jehovah's Witnesses
The Jehovah's Witnesses view of Jesus' death differentiates itself from the Christrian view in that they do not consider Jesus to have been crucified on a cross, and present a number of arguments to support their stance. The reason for this is Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe in the worship of the cross.
[edit] Clinical causes of Jesus' death
Many clinical, historical studies have been made that try to give a more scientific description of Jesus' death. There is still some debate as to the cause of death, but it is the most often said that asphyxiation was the ultimate cause: the position of the body suspended on the cross constricts the thorax, making it difficult for the lungs to take in sufficient oxygen. In the case of Jesus, prior torture could have cause internal bleeding and the presence of blood and other fluid on the lungs, swiftening an otherwise more prolonged asphyxiation. This hypothesis could explain the citation of John that, after Jesus' side was pierced with a spear, blood and water flowed from the wound.
[edit] Hypothesis
[edit] Vision hypothesis
The vision hypothesis is a term used to cover a range of theories that question the physical resurrection of Jesus, and suggest that sightings of a risen Jesus were visionary experiences. As the literal bodily resurrection of Jesus is a cornerstone of Christian belief, the vision hypothesis is controversial and not accepted by many Christians. However, for example, it is accepted by the Jesus Seminar.
[edit] Swoon hypothesis
The swoon hypothesis refers to a number of theories that aim to explain the resurrection of Jesus, proposing that Jesus didn't die on the cross, but merely fell unconscious ("swooned"), and was later revived in the tomb in the same mortal body. Although this hypothesis has not been widely held by scholars, it has had noteworthy advocates for hundreds of years.
[edit] Stolen body hypothesis
The stolen body hypothesis is a theory which attempts to solve the problem of the empty tomb, suggesting that Jesus was not resurrected, but the apostles in fact stole the body, later fabricating the resurrection.
