Shiraz meets Jesus

In March 1992 a very strange thing happened to a young Moslem businessman, staying overnight in a British “Travelodge.” Having turned on his TV, he expected to see the Nine O’clock News on BBC 1. Instead, he found himself watching a drama that lasted all night. It only faded away as light dawned through the windows. He then realised that he’d been sitting there, watching a film. But it was more than a film. He said afterwards that it was almost as though he had been a part of the film.

The effect of that “film” was to change his life dramatically. He had seen a large part of the actual story of the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth, and it had blown his mind.

In relating the events to a friend who called on him, he told how he had given his life wholeheartedly and completely to the One who had been the central focus of that film. That was the easy part.

What followed was consistent with the behaviour of many Moslem families, and based on modern Islamic interpretations of Mohammed’s teaching in the Koran. The man lost everything, and his life would have been forfeit, if his family could find him.

This part of the account is true, and I’ll set it down as best as I can within a story. All the main facts have been relayed to me by a dear Christian friend, who knows, and who wishes to remain anonymous. Furthermore, the name of the man has also been changed, to preserve his identity. I have given him the name Shiraz Ibrahim.

What I cannot know is the full story of what he saw. I know that it has been told by four evangelists in our Gospel records. I also know, from research, a number of other contributing factors to that story from one source or another. I have therefore felt the Lord constraining me to write an account of Shiraz’s experience, and use it to tell the tale of Passover in A.D. 33.

“Listen my children, and you shall hear

Of the tale of the Christ in the spring of the year . . .”

In using the story of Shiraz it has provided a most useful vehicle for conveying the gruelling circumstances of our Lord’s suffering in a new way, which might lend to help someone who would not be willing to read the Gospel stories, for a variety of reasons.

I first wrote this story in February 1995, and produced it as Prophetic Telegraph No. 63. In view of the distressing circumstances the world has just experienced at the hands of Moslem terrorists, I felt inclined to send it out once again, with a few minor modifications due to further research.

The more factual part of the story will be found in Part One, with the account of the trial and crucifixion in Part Two.

Arthur Eedle. September 2001 Go to Part One Go to Part Two