By Steve Stricker
Columnist

On Palm Sunday 2017, after years of restoration by a team of 50 scientists, the tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, believed to be the final resting place of Jesus Christ after his atrocious crucifixion by the Romans, was opened to the public.

After years of prayerful scrutiny, the Vatican astonishingly disclosed this Ash Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, that a “black box” was found buried under the marble slab where our Lord was placed. The box was sealed, seams smooth, laser scanning determined it was made of an unknown metal they named “Magnaloy,” composed of a substance like magnesium, laced with gold, silver and other unknown minerals.

X-Rays revealed the box was empty.

As a scientist lifted the box from beneath the tomb, a sharp object scratched her. Analyzing the protrusion, it was discovered to be from the plant, Euphorbia milii, native to Madagascar and brought to the Middle East before the time of Christ – the plant from which the Romans fashioned the crown of thorns and placed on Jesus’ head.

This scientist, suffering from a rare genetic disease (retinitis pigmentosa) causing slow and permanent vision loss, immediately regained her vision after suffering this cut which instantly healed, and the amazed scientists had no explanation as how this thorn of “wood” could have penetrated this box of remarkably strong metal, or how this miraculous cure occurred.

Further baffling was the presence of a USB port – 33 AD? Convinced this was a hoax, scientists in the Vatican’s laboratory connected a computer to the port and data immediately began streaming. After hours of downloading, mouths agape, Pope Francis was summoned and he too was stunned by the revelations.

Miraculously, the life of our Lord from the Blessed Virgin Mary’s “Fiat,” (Yes) to Archangel Gabriel’s announcement (annunciation) that she had been chosen to be the mother of Jesus incarnated (fully human, fully divine), conceived by the Holy Spirit, his birth in Bethlehem, St. Joseph, his youth, three years of healing ministry beginning with the miracle at Cana, the apostles, riding triumphantly, peacefully on a donkey into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, then five days later his torture, crucifixion on the cross at Calvary (Golgotha), burial, resurrection on Easter Sunday, was recovered – especially the last agonizing moments of his life.

The cause of our Lord sweating blood in the Garden of Gethsemane prior to Judas’ betrayal, capture by the Romans – was excessive stress known as “hematohidrosis” where the capillary blood vessels that feed the sweat glands break down and blood mixes with the sweat.

Pontius Pilate ordered Jesus to be scourged with a whip consisting of strips of leather, sheep bones, and heavy lead balls causing deep bruising, breaking of ribs, great blood loss, failing blood pressure and shock.

A crown of thorns was placed on Jesus’ head to mock him along with a robe which stopped the blood loss until ripped off resulting in more blood flow, pain, weak and dying, Jesus fell three times – unable to carry his cross, Simon of Cyrene was forced to help.

Nailed to the cross through his wrists and feet with 6” nails, between two common thieves, Christ’s actual death after three excruciatingly painful hours, was caused by suffocation, internal bleeding from the cracked ribs, burst sac around the heart from beatings by the Roman soldiers, and falls while carrying his cross, leading to heart failure.

A lance thrust by Roman soldier, Longinus through Jesus’ heart to assure he was dead, released blood and water surrounding it and pouring into Longinus’ eyes, his failing eyesight was immediately healed, became a Christian, and later too was martyred.

At the end of the download was the announcement by our Lord – “I came, I suffered, I died, because I love you.”

Have a blessed Palm Sunday, Easter, and please never forget – Jesus loves you.

Steve is an Oxford resident, received his Ph.D. in Counseling from Ole Miss, and can be reached at sstricke@olemiss.edu.