Who Stole Jesus?
QUESTION?
Who foiled the Jewish stolen body theory?
ANSWER!
St Longinus - the centurion (Commander in charge of 100 soldiers)said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54). He was in command of the Roman soldiers who presided over the Crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Golgotha. He was also the centurion who pierced Christ’s side with a spear, in order to confirm his death – after which the wound discharged a rush of blood and water that healed an eye infection which was causing him to go blind. Longinus played a major role in helping to establish the truth about Christ’s Resurrection. The Jewish elders who had ordered the death of Jesus bribed the Roman soldiers to spread the lie that Jesus’ disciples had stolen his body under cover of darkness and made off with it. Longinus ruined their devious plan, by refusing to accept the bribe. He instead began telling the world the true story of how Jesus Christ’s body had risen into the glory of the Resurrection. Since Longinus the soldier wanted no part of their conspiracy or their money, the Jews decided they would simply murder this truth-telling centurion in cold blood. But the solider was a man of courage and integrity – and as soon as he heard about the plot to kill him, he took off his military garb, underwent baptism with several fellow-soldiers and then hurried off to Cappadocia and was now a Christian. But the treacherous Jews were not finished with him – they convinced Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea under the emperor Tiberius Caesar, to issue a strict order to his troops to find this Christian centurion and behead him immediately! Longinus was arrested, he prepared himself for his execution by praying throughout the night and then clothing himself in spotlessly white burial garb. The Roman soldiers protested his execution because of his noble character, honesty and courage. In the end, St. Longinus and the two fellow-soldiers who had stood with him at the foot of the cross were taken to Jerusalem and beheaded, and the centurion’s destiny as a martyr for Jesus Christ was fulfilled. The story of the Roman soldier who participated in killing Jesus Christ and was then martyred himself lives on as a treasured story that there is forgiveness of sins for every sinner at the foot of the cross -http://almoutran.com/2011/10/4339.