"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in His love." (John 15:9-10)
Who is Jesus saying this to?
This statement by Jesus was spoken directly to his close followers at the 'Last Supper.' This illustrates the intimate nature of Jesus' relationship with the Supreme Being and his followers.To expand this statement by Jesus outside of its context can lead to misinterpretation.
There is a specific type of relationship between God and His representative, and the followers of God's representative. This relationship has been honored for thousands of years and was the principle behind the relationship between Moses and Joshua, Eli and Samuel, Samuel, Saul and David, David and Solomon, John the Baptist and Jesus, Jesus and his disciples, and many others.
This is a pure relationship that stands above political positions held by officials appointed or elected to their posts. This is confirmed by Jesus' criticism of the Pharisees and institutional temple priests.
Thus we find this relationship misconstrued over the centuries. This has served to keep its true existence outside of the view of the public.
Sectarian translations and transliterations of the Torah and Biblical scriptures have also missed much of these relationships, as many have been misinterpreted to be either father/son relationships or successive kingships.
Both of these interpretations have missed the lineage of devotional relationships tracked through the Bible.
What is the Messiah?
Contrary to misinterpretation, "Messiah" is a position. This is the role of being God's representative. It is not a specific person. This is why the "Messiah" is spoken of in the third person throughout the Torah and Biblical manuscripts.This misinterpretation is the basis for so many disagreements, especially between Jewish and Christian sects. While many Christian sects say Jesus is the Messiah, many Jewish sects say the Messiah hasn't come yet. What they both don't realize is they are both right. Jesus is the Messiah, and there will be other Messiahs. And there were other Messiahs before Jesus as well. For example, Abraham and Moses were Messiahs. Jacob (Israel) was a Messiah. Solomon was a Messiah. David was a Messiah. Isaiah was a Messiah and so on.
We might compare this to the use of the word "Captain" in a book about boating. The word "Captain" refers to anyone who takes on the role of governing a ship. A verse in such a book might say, "the Captain will be in charge of the sailors."
Now if someone wanted to misconstrue this to mean there is only one Captain throughout history, they might then say that the verses discussing the "Captain" are prophetic - predicting the rise of a singular "Captain" who will rule every ship. The problem with this - just as the problem with the use of "Messiah" - is that there have been many ships in the past, long before such a "Captain" was born. Who governed the ships before this "Captain" was born?
This is the same problem that ecclesiastical churches driven by the ambitions of Constantine and successive Roman emperors and their appointed bishops and elected popes - had with the discussion of "Messiah" - drawn from the Hebrew word משיח (mashiyach), literally translated to "anointed one" or "messiah".
This is the same problem that ecclesiastical churches driven by the ambitions of Constantine and successive Roman emperors and their appointed bishops and elected popes - had with the discussion of "Messiah" - drawn from the Hebrew word משיח (mashiyach), literally translated to "anointed one" or "messiah".
Because they wanted to control the population by controlling religious worship, they dictated that Jesus was the only messiah. In order to accomplish this, they had to misconstrue every verse mentioning "messiah" in the Old Testament as prophetically predicting Jesus' arrival - thereby relegating these great teachers to the position of "prophet."
Yet this is not supported by scripture. Consider this verse, spoken directly by God:
The Essene scriptures found among the Dead Sea Scrolls also illustrate this position of "the Teacher" as God's personal representative ("messiah" or "savior").
Accepting and learning from God's representative is the true means for coming to know God because God is ultimately a person. He is the Supreme Person. He is the Original Person.
Otherwise, how could one love God? Can a person follow Moses' and Jesus' instruction of loving God while they accept God as a vague impersonal force?
Love means to cherish someone. Love means caring about someone more than we care about ourselves. This is love. We see a glimpse of this type of love when someone does things to please someone they care about - even though doing that is an inconvenience. Could they do something to please someone else if that someone were a stone or a cloud or some other impersonal thing?
Certainly not. The only way a person can care about an inanimate object is if they see the inanimate object as something they utilize for themselves. A person might say they love a car, but that love is actually lust - they want to have the car, ride in the car, or enjoy looking at the car. They don't care for the car as though it is a person.
Jesus' and Moses' teachings tell of a personal love - not what passes for love amongst the citizens of the temporary physical world who see everything as objects for self-enjoyment. The love for God and others that Jesus and Moses taught of can only be applied towards a person that we know intimately:
And the easiest way to know someone we don't know now is to be introduced. While the Supreme Being is our closest family member in the true sense, we have been estranged from Him due to our past desire to chase our self-centered dreams.
Yet this is not supported by scripture. Consider this verse, spoken directly by God:
"Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so they may serve Me as priests. Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue for all generations to come." (Exodus 40:15)This word "anoint" is derived from the Hebrew word משח (mashach), which is the root word for משיח (mashiyach) - meaning "messiah." In other words, one must be "anointed" (verb) in order to become "an anointed one" (noun - "messiah"). And this verse clearly states that a person who is "anointed" is a "priest" (not in the ecclesiastical sense, but in the true sense), and such a person serves the Supreme Being: And serving God means representing God - thus one who is "anointed" as a "messiah" is God's representative, and thus our savior.
The Essene scriptures found among the Dead Sea Scrolls also illustrate this position of "the Teacher" as God's personal representative ("messiah" or "savior").
Accepting and learning from God's representative is the true means for coming to know God because God is ultimately a person. He is the Supreme Person. He is the Original Person.
Otherwise, how could one love God? Can a person follow Moses' and Jesus' instruction of loving God while they accept God as a vague impersonal force?
Could we love God if He wasn't a person?
We must know a person to love them. This contradicts the notion - held by many who have chanted empty phrases such as "God is love" and even nonchalantly stated, "Oh, I love God" when they do not even accept that God is a person.Love means to cherish someone. Love means caring about someone more than we care about ourselves. This is love. We see a glimpse of this type of love when someone does things to please someone they care about - even though doing that is an inconvenience. Could they do something to please someone else if that someone were a stone or a cloud or some other impersonal thing?
Certainly not. The only way a person can care about an inanimate object is if they see the inanimate object as something they utilize for themselves. A person might say they love a car, but that love is actually lust - they want to have the car, ride in the car, or enjoy looking at the car. They don't care for the car as though it is a person.
Jesus' and Moses' teachings tell of a personal love - not what passes for love amongst the citizens of the temporary physical world who see everything as objects for self-enjoyment. The love for God and others that Jesus and Moses taught of can only be applied towards a person that we know intimately:
“ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matt. 22:37-38)This is a personal love. In order to love the Supreme Being in this way, we must come to know the personality of God.
And the easiest way to know someone we don't know now is to be introduced. While the Supreme Being is our closest family member in the true sense, we have been estranged from Him due to our past desire to chase our self-centered dreams.
This is why we are in the physical world, wearing a temporary physical body: Because we wanted to chase our self-centered desires, and thus get away from Him (because we can't be self-centered and have a relationship with the Supreme Being - the two are polar opposites).
For those who have a sincere desire to come to know the Supreme Being again, God sends His representatives. Jesus was His representative. So was Moses, and so were many of the other 'prophets.'
Thus Jesus' disciples understood and saw Jesus as God's representative. They honored him as such, because Jesus was following God's instructions and passing along to them what God wanted them to know. This is what a messenger does.
Jesus confirms this here in this statement when he says:
And Jesus is saying that he himself is also doing this. He is living to please God. He is loving the Supreme Being and doing what pleases the Supreme Being.
This is what love is. Love is not just having some emotional sentiment for everyone to see. Loving someone with our heart, mind, and soul means working on their behalf. It means arranging one's life in such a way that pleases the one they love. And in this case, Jesus' disciples' knowing what pleases God came from Jesus' teachings.
This is also what Jesus did with his life, and what he was asking his disciples to do as well. The fact that Jesus practiced this is confirmed by his prayer to God:
Jesus represents the Supreme Being. As such, he is of the highest magnitude. Accepting Jesus as God's representative does not diminish Jesus' stature. Rather, it increases it. By accepting Jesus as God's perfect lover, we can begin to enter the relationships that exist within the spiritual world.
This is why Jesus stated that he sits at the right hand of the Supreme Being in the spiritual realm. The expression "right hand" - as in "right-hand man" - refers to someone who is assisting someone in a greater position. The boss's "right-hand man" is the boss's assistant - someone who executes the boss's requests.
Jesus is also trying to enlighten his students because this is pleasing to God. Why would God want to enlighten us? Because the Supreme Being wants us to come home. He wants us to be happy. He knows that the only way we will find happiness is in His arms. The only way we will be satisfied is when we are enveloped with love for God.
We are creatures of love, but we are all searching around for real love and not finding it here in this world because our true love - our Soul Mate - is the Supreme Being. He is the "One" we are looking for.
This expression - "is he/she the one?" - is the expression that we often use as we communicate to someone that we might have found that perfect person we've been looking for all of our lives. The problem is, no one here satisfies "the one" quest we have. Anyone we find here will turn out to have many faults. In a year or two - maybe more or less - we will discover they aren't "the one." We may end up settling down with them or not - but they will not satisfy our need for "the one."
"The One" we are looking for is the Supreme Being. He is the Perfect Person. He is the most loving. He is the most beautiful. He is the most caring, the most intelligent, the most giving, the most fun and the most exciting person. He is "the One" we have always dreamed of. He is our Best Friend. He is the light of our lives. A loving relationship with the Supreme Being will never get old. It will never fade. This is what is referred to as "eternal life."
We may be selfish, dishonest, mean and cruel, but our Best Friend will always love us. He will always be there for us. This is why, even though we have been so ugly in so many ways, He continues to call us back to Him. He continues to send His representatives and He continues to put His scriptures in front of us. He never gives up on us.
This is God, our Best Friend and Lord. He is "the One" each of us is looking for.
*Here is the translation of Jesus' statement from the Lost Gospels of Jesus:
For those who have a sincere desire to come to know the Supreme Being again, God sends His representatives. Jesus was His representative. So was Moses, and so were many of the other 'prophets.'
What is the role of God's representative?
Jesus is God's representative. The role of God's representative is to personally guide those who are serious back to the spiritual realm. This was Jesus' role, and Jesus' disciples were being guided.Thus Jesus' disciples understood and saw Jesus as God's representative. They honored him as such, because Jesus was following God's instructions and passing along to them what God wanted them to know. This is what a messenger does.
Jesus confirms this here in this statement when he says:
"If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in His love."The word "commands" comes from the Greek word ἐντολή (entolē), which is better translated to "precepts," "injunctions" or "teachings" according to the lexicon. It is not as though Jesus is some kind of boss shouting commands. He was giving instructions to his disciples. He was teaching them how to manage their lives in a way that was pleasing to the Supreme Being.
And Jesus is saying that he himself is also doing this. He is living to please God. He is loving the Supreme Being and doing what pleases the Supreme Being.
This is what love is. Love is not just having some emotional sentiment for everyone to see. Loving someone with our heart, mind, and soul means working on their behalf. It means arranging one's life in such a way that pleases the one they love. And in this case, Jesus' disciples' knowing what pleases God came from Jesus' teachings.
This is also what Jesus did with his life, and what he was asking his disciples to do as well. The fact that Jesus practiced this is confirmed by his prayer to God:
"My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as You will." (Matt. 26:39)This is not the statement of someone who is the Supreme Being - as many proclaim about Jesus. God does not ask someone else to take over and offer to do someone else's will. God does His own will. This is what God means.
Jesus represents the Supreme Being. As such, he is of the highest magnitude. Accepting Jesus as God's representative does not diminish Jesus' stature. Rather, it increases it. By accepting Jesus as God's perfect lover, we can begin to enter the relationships that exist within the spiritual world.
This is why Jesus stated that he sits at the right hand of the Supreme Being in the spiritual realm. The expression "right hand" - as in "right-hand man" - refers to someone who is assisting someone in a greater position. The boss's "right-hand man" is the boss's assistant - someone who executes the boss's requests.
Is Jesus God's right-hand person?
This is Jesus' position. He is God's perfect loving servant. He is trying to pass on the loving relationship he is enjoying with the Supreme Being. This is why he Jesus said:"But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God." (Luke 22:69)Jesus is indicating that he is
Jesus is also trying to enlighten his students because this is pleasing to God. Why would God want to enlighten us? Because the Supreme Being wants us to come home. He wants us to be happy. He knows that the only way we will find happiness is in His arms. The only way we will be satisfied is when we are enveloped with love for God.
We are creatures of love, but we are all searching around for real love and not finding it here in this world because our true love - our Soul Mate - is the Supreme Being. He is the "One" we are looking for.
This expression - "is he/she the one?" - is the expression that we often use as we communicate to someone that we might have found that perfect person we've been looking for all of our lives. The problem is, no one here satisfies "the one" quest we have. Anyone we find here will turn out to have many faults. In a year or two - maybe more or less - we will discover they aren't "the one." We may end up settling down with them or not - but they will not satisfy our need for "the one."
"The One" we are looking for is the Supreme Being. He is the Perfect Person. He is the most loving. He is the most beautiful. He is the most caring, the most intelligent, the most giving, the most fun and the most exciting person. He is "the One" we have always dreamed of. He is our Best Friend. He is the light of our lives. A loving relationship with the Supreme Being will never get old. It will never fade. This is what is referred to as "eternal life."
We may be selfish, dishonest, mean and cruel, but our Best Friend will always love us. He will always be there for us. This is why, even though we have been so ugly in so many ways, He continues to call us back to Him. He continues to send His representatives and He continues to put His scriptures in front of us. He never gives up on us.
This is God, our Best Friend and Lord. He is "the One" each of us is looking for.
*Here is the translation of Jesus' statement from the Lost Gospels of Jesus:
"Just as the Creator has loved me, so have I loved you: Remain within my love. If you follow my instructions, you will remain within my love; just as I have followed my LORD’s instructions and remain within His love.” (John 15:9-10)
