New Testament writings state that not only was Jesus raised from the dead.

But many righteous people came back from the dead also. These righteous people would have had to be Jewish as the gentiles had not yet been redeemed.

These people that rose up out of their graves happened at the same time that Jesus died on the cross, and the graves opened up due to an earthquake. Matt.27:52-53. This claim is startling. It's bad enough that we have no record of Jesus resurrection outside of the New Testament. We don't have a record of this event either. If a large number of people got out of their graves and strolled around Jerusalem somebody would have mentioned it surely. Philo and Josephus are silent about it and the other books in the New Testament don't mention it. In a way this event surpasses that of Jesus resurrection, yet it is not mentioned in any of the other gospels or epistles. Were these people resurrected before Jesus? It appears so by about three days. Did these people ascend up to heaven? Or did they die again like Lazarus, meaning that they died twice and New Testament writings say that it is appointed for men to die once and then the resurrection.

How much credit can we give this story. According to the gospels Jesus rose in the flesh. The epistles say that he rose in the spirit and not in the flesh. You would think that because this is an important issue the New Testament writings would be able to agree.

The resurrection of the Messiah figure is also not found anywhere in Tanach, and there is also no mention in Tanach that the Messiah would be God.

The Tanach says in Jeremiah 31:34 that no man will need a teacher and every man will know God, Christians say that this is when Jesus comes a second time. The Tanach makes no reference to the messiah coming twice.

As unpleasant as it may sound, anyone who worships Jesus should look into the matter very carefully. Jesus as shown in the New Testament writings bears a strong resemblance to many pagan gods whom predate Christianity.

1 Tim.2:5-6 "For there is one God and mediator between God and men, The man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time." Matt. 20:28. Jesus say's "Just as the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many."

God looks upon a human sacrifice in the Tanach as an abomination. Where does Jesus stand?

Jim Lee.