Jesus, The Imperfect Beacon--For two thousand years Christians have alleged that Jesus of Nazareth is God incarnate, the sinless being, the embodiment of perfection.
1Pet. 2:22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.
Isa. 53:9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet, the New Testament has many statements and acts by Jesus which prove the contrary. He, like Paul, repeatedly made false statements and inaccurate prophecies. Here are a few examples:
John 7:8-10[KJV] Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast: for my time is not yet full come. When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee. But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.
John 7:8-10 RSV Go to the festival yourselves. I am not going to this festival, for my time has not yet fully come. After saying this, he remained in Galilee. But after his brothers had gone to the festival, then he also went, not publicly but as it were in private. Jesus broke his promise [word] by going up secretly after saying he wouldn't.
(B) In John 13:38 Jesus said: "...Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou (Peter-ed) hast denied me thrice."
And yet, what actually occurred is shown in Mark 14:66-68: "And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest: And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth. But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew."
According to Jesus' prophecy the cock was not to speak until after the third denial, not after the first.
(C) Jesus told the thief on the cross: Luke 23:43 "... Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise." This prophecy could not have been kept unless Jesus went to heaven that day, in which case he would not have been buried for three days.
(D) Jesus told a man: Mark 8:34 "... Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."
This statement was made early in his ministry. Yet, the cross could not have become a Christian symbol until after the Crucifixion. There would be nothing to pick up. This utterance would have made no sense whatever to the man being addressed.
(E) In Matthew 5:22 he said:
Matt. 5:22 "...but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire."
Yet, Jesus repeated called people fools: Matt. 23:17,19 "Ye fools and blind..." Luke 11:40 "Ye fools,..."
(F) In Matthew Jesus said: Matt. 12:40 " For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
Mark 15:37 and 15:42 show Jesus died on the day before the sabbath which would be Friday. Mark 16:9 and Matthew 28:1 show he allegedly rose sometime during Saturday night or Sunday morning. Friday afternoon to Sunday morning does not encompass three days and three nights. His prophecy failed.
(G) John 3:13 Jesus falsely stated: "And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven." This verse is not only inaccurate historically as 2 Kings 2:11 shows: 2 Kings 2:11"...behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven." but also absurd on its face. If the son of man (Jesus-ed) is down here on earth speaking, then how could he be in heaven?
(H) And in Matthew 27:46 Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying: " Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
How could Jesus be Savior of all mankind when he couldn't even save himself? These aren't the words of a man who went to the cross willingly to die for our sins. These are the words of a man who could think of a hundred places he would rather be. They certainly aren't the words of someone who has the situation under control.