3. Do you really know what the Koran claims about the crucifixion? I admit it's unclear as to what really happened but it says "it was made to appear so". Is this deceiving the people? No it's not. Jesus prayed to God the night before and God answered him. Why did he have to pray so much, huh, if he was god and knew what would happen? God saved him from death and thus he cheated death. The test was to see if the Church would make up their own man-made explanations of this - and they did. They failed the test. They made up their doctrine of a Lamb of sacrifice
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+53&version=NASB
This is the description of Christ according to Isaiah.
But He was [
h]pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our [
i]well-being
fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all
To [
j]fall on Him. He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He did not open His mouth;
Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,
And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,
So He did not open His mouth.
By oppression and judgment He was taken away;
And as for His generation, who considered
That He was cut off out of the land of the [k]living
For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?
His grave was assigned with wicked men,
Yet He was with a rich man in His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.
The Messiah, the Christ, was "cut off out of the land of the living."
Because He poured out [
r]Himself to death,
And was numbered with the transgressors;
Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,
And interceded for the transgressors.
Yes, Christ had to die. But he was not murdered. He went willingly, as the soldiers could not force death upon Him. Rather, He took death, defeating Death by Death, so that we can be free, as the ancient hymn sings:
Christ is risen from the Dead
Trampling down Death by Death
And upon those in the tombs
He has granted life!
