From Jesus To Christ:
I watched this program on PBS.org tonight, and it has convinced me totally, about the real identity of the Jewish man called Jesus. And how his self proclaimed mission to save those un-believing Jews to listen and follow his warnings, and atone for their secular way of living.
This he stressed vehemently throughout his self-proclaimed ministry, until he was arrested by the Roman soldiers, and put to death. Even his arrest and execution was probably arranged by the Jewish temple Rabbis/Authorities, because he embarrassed them, or may have un-necessarily caused them to be fearful for their own lives, for the things he was saying about their overlords, the Romans.
Under the regime of Rome, anyone who publicly declared himself or herself to be a God, was indulging in sedition, according to Roman Law. And when Jesus was telling his fellow Jews that his God was not of this world, he was in the light of Roman Law, discounting Caesar as a false God.
Therefore, would have been perceived as an anarchist and a threat to Roman Law, Rule, and authority. Such persons, Jew Or Roman had to be silenced, and silenced quickly by Rome, in order to maintain the Peace and Stability of the province/s. Even his so-called resurrection in the flesh was mis-understood for a miracle. He may have been un-conscious, or in a coma, when he was taken down from that cross and buried.
I presume that he somehow was able to extricate himself when he recovered, and was seen by Mary Magdalene, who he had to convince that he was not dead. He probably performed levitation in her presence in order to appear resurrected. This had to be done in order to convince his followers that he will come again some time in the future. Because if word got to the Romans that he was not dead as expected, they would try to re-capture him again.
Remember Jesus was a member of the Essene Order, (an ascetic Jewish sect). These people were fanatic or apocalyptic believers in the end time, or the kingdom of heaven to come on earth. I also learned from this documentary that Jesus lived at a time and in regions, that were multi-lingual and multi-ethnic in composition. He may have spoken more than one language too, in order to relate to so many different people.
He also spoke in riddles or parables. That was necessary, because Rome had spies everywhere, to monitor seditious agitation, and open resentment to her administration. So anyone who is political or controversial in ideas, had to be as diplomatic as possible, in order to communicate, and promulgate his message, or be deemed seditious.
Therefore, those who spread his message covertly, were seen as Jesus followers. They would have been people of different ethnicites, languages, and cultural backgrounds. Many of those who may have heard Jesus messages directly, or from his followers would have told it to friends, family, and relatives as they travelled. In time, these messages took on different flavors, content, interpretations, and cultural identities.
Christianity, was just a word to identify those who believed, and told those messages. And probably used the name Jesus as their source or idol of reference.
Om Shanti.
Derryck S. Griffith.
Educator & Advocate.
Yahoo IM: derryckgrifith
and derryck_mimbari
AOl IM: Ecmimbari
