The Real Jesus

(The picture depicts Nicholas 2019, when he was 11 years old).

I have prayed since childhood, after hearing about Jesus in church. My faith has come and gone, so I didn't talk much about Jesus and God with Nicholas. But when Nicholas recovered after his first surgery, I told him that God became man in Jesus, and that we therefore have hope for a connection with God. He said "beautiful" in response.

After his cardiac arrest, we had him baptized. The day after, when I told him that he had been baptized, a single tear ran down his cheek. He couldn’t speak. When the doctors had removed his nutrition, I played worship songs with the Lord's Prayer for him. After his death, his younger sibling said that Nicholas had told in confidence that he wanted to become a Christian.

That’s why I after his death felt obligated to honour him with a very clear view on Jesus. And my view is according to the Bible - this is The Real Jesus:

The Creation is full of contradictions. Tender care and cold exploitation exists side by side in every living Kingdom.

Jesus can be described as a representation of the potential for cultivating the Creation through love. He sought to initiate us into the understanding that reality is shaped by our perception:

He taught that by connecting with the eternal source of life, we can clear the slate of our past and become the architects of our own happiness - through love.

Though he presented his teachings within the framework of Jewish faith, he was, in essence, an initiated mystic—a person who understood the deeper, esoteric truths of existence.

His message was carefully veiled, intended to awaken those who were ready to perceive the divine nature within themselves and the world around them.

By recognizing this inner truth, he believed that we could transcend the limitations of the material world and align ourselves with the infinite source of all life.

To defend the idea that Jesus' teachings reflect a mystic understanding of reality and that he encouraged the idea that reality is shaped by our perception, one can draw on several examples from the Gospels that align with mystic themes of inner knowledge, spiritual rebirth, and the pursuit of divine truth:

1. The Kingdom of God Within:

   - In Luke 17:21, Jesus says, "The kingdom of God is within you." This statement reflects a core mystic idea that the divine reality is not an external kingdom but an inner state of consciousness. It suggests that our perception and understanding of reality are deeply connected to our inner spiritual condition. For Mystics, the true reality is found within, through self-knowledge and spiritual awakening.

2. Rebirth and Renewal:

   - In John 3:3, Jesus tells Nicodemus, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again." This concept of being "born again" can be seen as a metaphor for the mystic idea of spiritual awakening—a process of shedding old perceptions and embracing a new, enlightened understanding of reality. It’s about clearing the slate of one’s old self (or false perceptions) and aligning with the eternal source of life.

3. The Parable of the Sower:

   - The Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-20) illustrates how the "seeds" of divine truth are received differently depending on the state of one’s inner being. Those who are receptive and prepared—who have the "eyes to see and ears to hear"—can perceive the deeper truths and allow them to take root. This parable reflects the mystic belief that spiritual truth is not universally accessible but requires inner readiness and perception.

4. The Light of the World:

   - In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus tells his followers, "You are the light of the world." This can be interpreted as an acknowledgment of the divine spark within each individual, a key mystic concept. By recognizing and embracing this inner light, individuals can transcend ordinary perception and connect with the eternal source, thereby becoming the creators of their own reality—"the architects of their own happiness."

5. The Veiling of Truth:

   - Jesus often spoke in parables, a method that, according to the Gospels, was used to convey deeper truths to those who were spiritually prepared while veiling them from those who were not (Matthew 13:10-17). This aligns with the mystic practice of concealing esoteric knowledge from the uninitiated, suggesting that Jesus’ teachings contained hidden, mystical meanings meant to guide those ready for spiritual initiation.

6. ”I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life”:

   - In John 14:6, Jesus states, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." From a mystic perspective, this could be interpreted as a call to follow the path of inner enlightenment, to seek truth not just in external forms but within oneself, and to realize the divine nature that connects all life. It emphasizes the transformative power of love.

These examples suggest that Jesus’ teachings, while presented within the framework of Jewish tradition, often pointed to a deeper, more mystical understanding of reality.

To further explore the idea that Jesus embodied a more mystical and universal message, we can look at examples where he challenged or disregarded traditional Jewish laws, ethnic taboos, and physical punishment, suggesting a focus on the inner spiritual essence rather than strict adherence to external rules.

1. Disregard for Kosher Laws:

   - In Mark 7:14-19, Jesus makes a radical statement: "There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him." This directly challenges the kosher dietary laws, which were a central part of Jewish identity. By declaring all foods clean, Jesus shifts the focus from external ritual purity to the purity of the heart and mind, aligning with a mystic emphasis on inner spiritual state over outward observance.

2. Interaction with the Samaritans:

   - In John 4, Jesus speaks with the Samaritan woman at the well. Samaritans were considered heretics and enemies by the Jews, yet Jesus engages with her openly, breaking ethnic and religious taboos. He reveals deep spiritual truths to her, including the notion that "true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth" (John 4:23). And he explain for here that he can give her water from an eternal well.

John 4:13-14: ”Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

This interaction underscores his disregard for ethnic boundaries and his focus on spiritual truth accessible to all, not just a particular ethnic or religious group.

3. Healing on the Sabbath:

   - Jesus frequently healed people on the Sabbath, much to the dismay of the Pharisees who viewed this as a violation of the law. For instance, in Matthew 12:9-14, Jesus heals a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath and justifies it by saying, "It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." Here, Jesus places human need and compassion above strict legalism, challenging the rigid interpretation of the law and emphasizing the primacy of love and mercy—key mystic virtues.

4. The Adulterous Woman:

   - In John 8:1-11, Jesus famously confronts the crowd about to stone a woman caught in adultery. Instead of endorsing the traditional punishment of stoning, he says, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." By this, Jesus undermines the legitimacy of physical punishment, advocating instead for self-reflection and forgiveness. This reflects a deeper spiritual understanding that emphasizes compassion and inner transformation over external judgment and punishment.

5. Touching the Unclean:

   - In Mark 5:25-34, a woman with a hemorrhage (considered ritually unclean) touches Jesus' garment and is healed. Instead of reprimanding her, Jesus commends her faith, saying, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." By engaging with those deemed unclean and affirming their faith, Jesus challenges the notion of ritual impurity and underscores the importance of spiritual connection over ritual law.

6. Eating with Sinners and Tax Collectors

   - Jesus frequently dined with those considered sinners and outcasts, such as tax collectors. In Mark 2:15-17, when criticized for this by the Pharisees, Jesus responds, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." This act of sharing meals with those deemed impure by Jewish law shows his disregard for social and religious taboos, prioritizing the inner moral and spiritual state of individuals over their social or religious status.

Through these examples, it becomes clear that Jesus often set aside traditional laws and practices when they conflicted with the deeper spiritual truths he sought to convey. His actions suggest a focus on inner transformation, universal compassion, and the elevation of spiritual principles over rigid adherence to external religious customs. This approach aligns with mystic ideas, where the outer forms of religion are seen as secondary to the inner experience of divine truth and knowledge.

God's Unconditional Love: Overcoming the World Through Love

In a world filled with suffering and challenges, it’s natural to question the nature of God and the source of the trials we face. However, the teachings of Jesus Christ offer profound insights into the nature of God, revealing a divine love that is pure, unyielding, and wholly good.

Through His words, Jesus demonstrates that nothing evil comes from God, that God does not seek to punish us, and that we have the power to overcome the world through love.

God is Pure Goodness:

One of the most reassuring aspects of Jesus' teachings is the affirmation of God’s goodness. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says, “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit” (Matthew 7:18). Here, Jesus uses a simple yet powerful metaphor to illustrate the nature of God. Just as a good tree can only produce good fruit, so too can a good God only bring forth goodness. Evil, therefore, cannot originate from God.

Jesus further emphasizes this in the Gospel of John, where He proclaims, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). The imagery of light and darkness is striking—light, representing God, dispels all darkness, which signifies evil and suffering. This highlights that God’s presence is synonymous with goodness, not evil.

God Does Not Punish or Judge:

The idea that God does not punish but instead desires mercy and love is central to Jesus’ teachings. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus shares the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). In this story, a son squanders his inheritance on reckless living but is welcomed back by his father with open arms and a celebratory feast. The father in this parable represents God, who does not punish the wayward son but instead forgives him and rejoices in his return.

Jesus also teaches, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). This call to mercy reflects the character of God as one who is compassionate and forgiving, not one who seeks retribution or punishment. The message is clear: God’s nature is not one of vengeance but of endless mercy and love.

Further emphasizing this point, Jesus explicitly states, “For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world” (John 12:47). This declaration makes it clear that Jesus’ mission was not to condemn or punish but to offer salvation and love. In Jesus, we see a God who seeks to save rather than judge, to heal rather than harm.

Overcoming the World Through Love:

Perhaps one of the most powerful teachings of Jesus is His message that love is the force by which we can overcome the world. In the Gospel of John, Jesus comforts His disciples with these words: “In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Jesus acknowledges that challenges and suffering are part of the human experience, but He also reassures us that these trials can be overcome.

The way to overcome, according to Jesus, is through love. He commands, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:27-28). This radical call to love—even in the face of hatred and adversity—transforms our hearts and, by extension, the world around us. Love is not just an emotion but an active force that has the power to change circumstances, heal wounds, and bring about true peace. This doesn’t mean we should accept evil or stop making boundaries. But the Holy Spirit teaches us to focus on the constructive path - and gives us strength to feel inner peace.

Jesus even goes further by giving His followers a new commandment, often referred to as the “eleventh commandment”: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34).

This commandment encapsulates the essence of Jesus’ teachings. By loving one another as Jesus loves us—with unconditional, sacrificial love—we manifest God’s presence in the world and overcome all forms of darkness and division.

Conclusion:

Jesus’ teachings offer a vision of God as a being of pure goodness, one who does not inflict suffering or punishment upon His children. Instead, God’s nature is rooted in love and mercy, and it is through embodying this divine love that we can overcome the challenges of the world. As Jesus Himself declared,

He came not to judge the world, but to save it, offering us a new commandment to love one another as He has loved us.

By following this commandment, we align ourselves with the true essence of God—a force of pure love that overcomes all darkness. Through love, we find the strength to face the trials of the world, knowing that God’s goodness will always prevail. We stop clinging to the past, stop being victims, start embracing our opportunities and focusing on creating a better life for ourselves aswell as others.