Did Jesus plan his own demise?

[heidler1]

[Skarbrowe]

1. Years ago, I did read a book that claimed that to be possible.

Sorry, it was so long ago that I can't remember the author or the title. It had something to do with Joseph the rich property owner of the area. Also, how "the sect" knew how to make a person appear to be dead when they were not. Something about it all being set up to point of the tomb area being on this Joseph's land. Can't remember now if that was the book that claimed Jesus probably died at Masada years later.

Then again, I also read a book that claimed Christianity was a cover for a mushroom worshiping cult. It was written by one of the men who had been working on the Dead Sea Scrolls. Lots of interesting stuff out there. I wish I could read that one again! Really strange stuff. But, who knows?

EDITED to add link to The Sacred Mushroom and The Cross in case anyone wants to take a glance.

http://www.csp.org/chrestomathy/sacred_mushroom2.html

[shain from kane]

4. I think that book is "The Passover Plot".

The death of Jesus Christ was staged to conform to Old Testament prophecies. I seem to remember that the reasons for the subterfuge were not really plausible. It was easier to believe in divinity.

[davidwparker]

6. He pretty showed his divinity by raising from the dead too.

[shain from kane]

8. According to the book, He did not actually die, but was drugged

to appear to be dead. It was all part of the plot.

[davidwparker]

9. Jewish historian Josephus has him being cruxified. He lived during those

times. I've listened to the proclamations that the book is making today and roll my eyes. People can believe what they want.

[Skarbrowe]

11. That's probably it shain from kane. But I did read another one that

had Jesus living until he was an old man. Probably marrying and fathering children and supposedly dying in with the Jewish sect at Masada. I have no idea what that book was. I Googled The Passover Plot and that one does sound exactly like what I was thinking about and it's also from the right time period when I was reading all these different Jesus interpretations or theories or whatever they are called.

The one I most enjoyed was The Sacred Mushroom. That one really blew my mind. :)

As you can tell, I'm not very religious. But, I do love reading about all different types of religious beliefs. I've just gotten to a point (age) that I can't remember what I've read. It's all getting a bit jumbled together.

[shain from kane]

12. Of course, there is also "The Last Temptation of Christ', in which

Satan confronts Jesus Christ on the cross, and offers him a vision of a normal life as a man with a wife and children. Christ rejects the temptation and dies on the cross. This was a continuation of the temptations offered to Christ by Satan in the desert setting.
However, I do not believe that there was any reference in the book to Christ being at Masada when Jewish soldiers agreed to commit mass suicide rather than surrender to the Romans.

[Xeric]

2. Maybe

I've often wondered if Jesus, (assuming there is any historical accuracy to his existence, of which there is much doubt) was a David Koresh type of guy who set himself up for a fall. A suicidal fanatic who began to believe his own hype. The so-called "Gospel of Judas" in the news today doesn't really answer the question, as it was probably written a hundred years after his death, but it adds fuel to the fire (pardon the pun).

[bee]

7. megalomania.

thats all Im gonna say.

[dipsydoodle]

10. Well at least

a 100 years later beats the version<s> heavily edited by the Catholic church a thousand or so years later and subsequent re-edits in the 1700's.

Closest anyone is going to get the are the Dead Sea Scrolls some of which go back to within 30 years after the event. And who knows - maybe one day someone will find a another bunch of those scrolls.

[fond DU]

3. I rather thought he did.

Reading the politics of the time, I think he accurately saw his time was up--and he sensibly made the most of it.

[davidwparker]

5. Yes. Before he created the world knew he would have to die to save

it. Just because a document is old, doesn't mean it is <clearing throat> the gospel.

[Skarbrowe]

13. Article in today's paper says a Dead Sea Scroll says Judas was told

by Jesus to turn him in. I'll see if I can get a link.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/hc-judas.artapr07,0,738483.story?coll=sfla-newsnation-front

Let's see if that works.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

14. Of course

If he was God, he knew it was coming and knew it had to come in order for the scripture to be fulfilled. He was not a victim.

[SilentMajority08]

15. He knew what he was doing

Jesus knew why he had been sent and thus on some level planned his own demise, thats why the whole the jews killed Jesus no the Romans did no the apostles did debate is a waste of time. Because no matter who killed him had to do it and isn't at fault by a necessary force in the fulfillment of his life

[TallahasseeGrannie]

16. I agree

and welcome to DU.

[heidler1]

17. Do you suppose that 36% of the people believe that Bush knows that

he was sent to destroy the US with deceit and lies? 36% is the quantity of those who believe that Bush is doing a good job. IMO If it is known that this God uses lies and trickery to promote believing the quantity of people that follow will shrink very quickly. Who in their right mind would chose to spend eternity with a early version of * ?