Did Jesus Die on the Cross?

As the world prepares to celebrate Jesus’ (peace be on him) resurrection, it also brings the question of whether he really did die on the cross. Christians and Muslims both share a great love for Jesus (pboh), but Muslims regard him as a prophet of God, sent to deliver his message to the tribes of Israel. Christians however, believe he was crucified and died on the cross, butthere are some compelling verses in the Bible that refute this. In the New Testament it states that Pilate, the Roman governor of Palestine, was sympathetic to Jesus (pboh) and believed him to be innocent of all charges brought against him (John 19:12). He wished to release him, but the Jews threatened to report him to Caesar, so he decided to take secret measures to save him from death.
In the Gospel of John we read that it was Pilate who chose Friday afternoon for Jesus’ crucifixion, knowing that the next day would be Sabbath and he would not spend more than a few hours on the cross before being taken down before Sabbath began. John 19:39 also states that Nicodemus (chosen by Pilate to help save Jesus from death), brought a great amount of myrrh and aloes to Jesus on the night of his crucifixion to help bring him into consciousness. John 19:14 also tells us that on the 9thhour of the day, he regained consciousness for a short while.
The most compelling evidence from the Gospels that Jesus (peace be on him) did not die on the cross is in John 19:34. It states, “But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water”. Jesus (pboh) appeared dead so they did not break his legs, as they did with the other two thieves crucified. Modern science tells us that while blood may leak out of wounds of a deceased person, blood will set within 6 hours of death. Only a beating heart would be able to push blood with such force as to “gush” out of a wound.
Ahmadi Muslims believe that Jesus (peace be on him) was saved from an accursed death by Pilate and his accomplices and secretly traveled to India. His work was not done that God had sent him for, which was to deliver his message to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24).
So, while we enjoy the chocolate eggs and Easter baskets that this time of year brings, it is also worth pondering on whether Jesus (peace be on him) really did die on the cross, given all the evidence to the contrary put forth in the Gospels.