Jesus/Mary's Tomb Found? Yeah Right!
Posted by James MacDonald on February 28, 2007 06:55 AM | Comments (15)Will we never tire of the sordid and sensational? People are sadly so susceptible to the sizzle and the 'sell.' That's why I'm mildly irritated by all this talk in the media about Discovery Channel's featured documentary THE LOST TOMB OF JESUS where they try to make the case that the 2000-year-old Tomb of the Ten Ossuaries belonged to the family of Jesus of Nazareth.
Here are five quick reasons this is: ummmmmm, the word I'm looking for is . . . ummmmmmm, ahhhh, I know it's not S?????, it's ummmm, not very smart!
1) Jesus is alive, haven't you heard? The tomb is empty, the disciples died as martyr's for the gospel, even suffering painful deaths without recanting their claims of having been eyewitnesses to the resurrection. I kinda doubt they did that with an awareness of Jesus' cemetery location in the back of their mind.
2) Are we to believe that all stories of changed lives, all sermons, all answered prayers, all reported comfort in affliction, all miracles of all kinds--ALL of it is made up for 2000 years? Now that's hard for me to believe, but that is what you're asserting if you say we found Jesus' bones in a box.
3) I called this guy Josh (Joshua is the OT equivalent of Jesus) at my church to ask him what he thought. He's a lawyer and pretty smart so I thought he could help me. Anyway he wasn't there but his wife Mary answered the phone. She's a doctor, too sweet to debate this issue, but we did have a discussion of the statistical probability of another couple having the two most common names of that day. I love Josh and Mary. :)
4) These bone boxes were discovered 20 years ago. Why didn't we hear about the proof that Jesus was 'just a man,' back then? Ahhhhh, I've wasted 20 years, I didn't know . . . Or more likely our steady slide into secularism and shameless marketing technique has reached an all time low. It's not that they found more evidence, it's that after 20 years of boredom with this supposed 'discovery' someone discovered a level of integrity that allows them to feel good making money this way.
5) I'm gonna save my best argument for Easter Sunday, only a few weeks away now. But rest assured, this has not rocked me. Not even a little bit. Not even as much as my rocking chair, where I hope to be sitting reading my Bible when this happens:
"And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." (Revelation 19:11-16)
I think Jesus will have a lot to say to those guys who fabricated stuff about Him being dead and all. I think I'll let Him do the talking. If you are still struggling with this, there are a lot of links you can follow on Matthew's blog on this site. Read about the input of some wonderful scholarly believers who are refuting these claims from an academic perspective.
Then if this is still bothering you, contact Matt Westerholm at our church maybe he can have you over for dinner to discuss evidence for the resurrection with he and his wife Lisa, and his brother Joshua, and his sister-in-law, Mary (all very uncommon names). Yeah right!
james
Comments
Posted by: Mike Foote | February 28, 2007 07:49 AM
I think my 10-year old son summed it up pretty well when he said "There is no way this is true. If it was true, it would be in the Bible." AMEN!
Not bad for a kid....
James, Thanks for knocking down another weak attempt by our wonderful media to lead people astray.
Posted by: Brandt | February 28, 2007 08:23 AM
Jesus is DEAD? I just spent time with Him yesterday!
And I was just about to drop in again this morning and say hi. Man, Pastor James, ya haveta keep me updated. :)
Blessings in His powerful name.
Posted by: Britt | February 28, 2007 09:36 AM
Thanks James. I was anxious to see your thoughts on this. I thought it was kinda.....(dare I say it?)...Stupid. I'm relieved to know that your thoughts echo my own.
Posted by: Matthew Westerholm | February 28, 2007 02:32 PM
Why would Jesus' family have a tomb in JERUSALEM? Aren't they from Nazareth?
Posted by: Pastor Hughes | February 28, 2007 03:29 PM
How about this for all of those Christians who justify having cable or satellite tv in their homes and justify all of it by saying "well it isn't all bad, I just watch the Discovery Channel" HAH!
When the Discovery Channel is the biggest propagator of anti-Christan rhetoric and lies you better get rid of it all and pickup the Word of God and meditate upon it, not the dare I say, stupid box in the living room.
Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
(2 Timothy 2:19-22)
Sorry for the edge to my post but I know so many Christains with so many real problems asking why they have all of their problems, most of it is because they choose to dwell in media hypnosis rather than deal with their problems in the peace, power & presence of God & His Word.
Posted by: Cornelius | February 28, 2007 05:19 PM
"Here are five quick reasons this is: ummmmmm, the word I'm looking for is . . . ummmmmmm, ahhhh, I know it's not S?????, it's ummmm, not very smart!"
it's STUPID...there I said...whew, the pressure is off.
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Posted by: Mike | February 28, 2007 07:57 PM
James I really want to hear your message on this. I just take it as more evidence of the end times as more of this misdirection comes out.
Jesus Lives
Posted by: James M. | March 1, 2007 01:27 AM
I don’t know much about the names given at the time other than what I read from the Bible. With 7 Mary’s mentioned in the New Testament, and 2 of them having 2 identically named sons (James, Joseph) in the same book, it seems these names were quite common.
It is cool that you keep a blog Pastor James.
May God Continue to Bless and use your ministry.
Posted by: BD | March 1, 2007 04:50 PM
I'm looking forward to hearing that message. Keep it up!
-BD
Posted by: Julie Rowan | March 2, 2007 05:59 PM
LOL! My Bible Survey teacher just told us about this a few days ago. It's scary and sad how Satan uses these lies and people just believe them without looking for the Truth on their own.
Posted by: Darla | March 5, 2007 12:26 PM
I watched the special last night. (I needed the entertainment.) Anyway, I also watched the critial survey done after the program. I appreciated that the archaeological experts were not buying this ruse either. I enjoyed most the theological experts, one of which was from Dallas Theological Seminary. They put it plainly. There were more issues NOT answered than there were those that were answered. The gal from Virginia Theological Seminary stated it best. She said there is a difference between film-making and jounalism. And this was not journalism. Also, she pointed out that Christians need to view programs like this with a critical eye.
I am still wondering why, if they did a DNA test between "Mary Magdalene" and "Jesus" - why did they not do one on "Juda" the child of this alluded to marital relationship. Maybe because they didn't find a link?
Anybody's ears being tickled yet?
Posted by: Timothy Brown | March 6, 2007 11:24 AM
All you need to do is read Luke chapter 24:39, "Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have." Our Savior took His bones with Him when He returned to prepare a place for His faithful followers.(period)
Posted by: Keith Newman | March 7, 2007 11:12 AM
I KNOW that this is NOT the burial box of Jesus!!!!
If it was, it would have said on the side of the box,
"Took an early flight. See you at home....Your room will be ready for you."
Signed
Jesus
Posted by: Matthew Westerholm | March 14, 2007 06:02 AM
by the way, this just got destroyed . . .
Now, the major scholars are saying the Mary inscription implies there were two different sets of bones in the same casket. It reads "MARIAMEKAIMARA" (Mary and Mar[th]a) rather than MARIAM(E)NEMARA (or MARIAMENOUMARA), “Mary, known as master,†like the Discovery Channel announced.
http://www.biblicalfoundations.org/?p=100
Posted by: AC | June 29, 2007 05:58 PM
I love reading your blog Pastor MacDonald .I have a problem watching the Naked Archaeoligist now after the Jesus Tomb. I thought they were supposed to expose Bible truths not perpetrate lies.
Why do some people believe that Michael is Jesus how do I explain to them?