"Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit..." (John 3:6-8)

"Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." (John 3:6-8) 

What does 'flesh gives birth to flesh' mean?

Jesus now must try to explain the difference between the physical body (here "the flesh") and the spiritual body (here "the spirit") to Nicodemus.

The physical body is a temporary vehicle for the spiritual self. Each of us is an eternal spiritual individual.

As spiritual individuals, each of us was created by the Supreme Being. He is the "Spirit" in the above statement, and we are the "spirit" within this physical body.

The physical body is simply a tool or vehicle for the spiritual individual. It is like a person driving a car. A person can get in a car and drive it, and then he can get out of the car at some point and walk away.

We are like the car driver and the car is like our physical body. The spiritual individual utilizes the physical body for a few decades. Then we must leave it behind, just as a car owner must one day get abandon an old car.

What does 'you cannot tell where it comes from' mean?

Jesus is describing the reality that the spiritual person and the Spirit - are both invisible to the eyes of the physical body.

Each of us is a person, and we are composed of spirit. This means that we are more properly identified as spirit-persons.

The world of spirit - where the "Spirit" and the "spirits" dwell - cannot be perceived with the physical senses, because the purpose of being in the physical body is to allow us the opportunity to learn within a state of naivete.

One might compare this to scientific medical research. In a double-blinded medical study, both the patients and the doctors are "blinded." They are "blinded" by not being able to know who is receiving what.

The reason why the patients and the doctors are blinded is so that the drug or herb can be tested without the influence of forcing the outcome through some sort of bias. It is like testing from a blank slate.

In the same way, when foods or beverages are compared, the taste tester will wash out their mouth between tastes so each can be tasted with a fresh palette. 

This rinsing of the mouth also gives rise to something used in medical testing. That is when the subject doesn't know whether they are using the medicine or a placebo. This is called being "blinded." When both the patient and the doctor don't know who is using the medicine or the placebo, the medical study is called "double-blinded."

In the case of the physical world, we are also "blinded." We are given a "blank slate" in order to learn. We are born into this world having forgotten our former lives and our connection with the Supreme Spirit. We also forget our identity as a spirit-person.

Such a "blank slate" allows us the ultimate in options. We can make a variety of choices in our lives, including choices related to helping or harming others, and those related to finding the Truth about the Supreme Being.

In other words, this "blank slate" allows us to forget about God if we choose to, and virtually ignore Him. We can even pretend that we are God - as some teach. Or we can simply live our lives as though we are the center of the universe.

What does this have to do with being born again?

Jesus also states here that, "You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'" What do the "spirit" and the "Spirit" and our "blank slate" have to do with being born again?

Being born again in Jesus' vernacular is basically having a change of heart.

Coming to the point where someone has a change of heart and is born again typically takes time to learn the lessons this world teaches us. This is something that occurs from within the heart, and this means others often cannot see such a change of heart.

This is because the realization of God and the change of heart that is being referred to as being "born again" is an internal process that cannot be seen or recognized physically (outside of one's activities).

Just as we cannot see the "spirit-person" or the "Spirit" with these eyes, we cannot see a person being born again with the physical eyes. Again, this is because the spiritual world is invisible to our physical eyes. Our eyes were not designed to see the spiritual world. They were designed to allow us to ignore the spiritual world.

Therefore, the process of being born again takes place invisibly. It is not the proclaiming of being "born again" as many do among sectarian institutions. This is not being "born again." Being "born again" is a change of heart. It is a change of our spiritual attitude. It is deciding to turn towards God. It is making a determination that we want to love God and serve God. It is a decision to give up our enviousness of Him.

This is a very private and very personal decision, that comes from deep within. It has nothing to do with what religion, sect or other "team" we might belong to. It is a decision made between each of us and the Supreme Being.

That makes this decision a spiritual decision - one that has its origin in the "Spirit." In other words, our spiritual selves come from God, and He is our means to remove our physical illusion that we are these physical bodies. He is our means of returning home, even though we are caged within a temporary physical body.

Why did our 'spirit' take on 'flesh'?

Why is the spiritual individual encased in a temporary physical body? This has been symbolically explained in Genesis:

The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 2:21-24)

Here we see that God ‘made garments of skin for Adam and his wife.’ What are garments of skin? Are we talking animal skins? Or little leaves as depicted in some art renderings of Adam and Eve? No, we are talking about human skin. We are talking about the physical body.

In other words, because Adam (more appropriately translated to "spirit-person") disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit, God banished him from the Garden of Eden - heaven. God sent Adam and his wife out of heaven, gave them physical bodies of flesh ‘to work the ground from which he had been taken.’ What is the ‘ground?’ This is the physical world. The "garments of skin" are made from (or taken from) the physical world.

And what was the ‘tree of knowledge of good and evil’ that God is referring to? And what did God mean by “the man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil’?

What is the 'tree of knowledge of good and evil'?

Remember that God asked Adam not to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Why not? And why did God put the tree in a place where Adam could eat its fruit in the first place? The tree of knowledge of good and evil is better translated to the "knowledge of pleasure and pain." The knowledge of pleasure and pain is rooted the desire for enjoyment. The desire for pleasure naturally produces pain because in order to feel pleasure, one must also be prepared to feel it's counterbalance, which is pain. In short, this represents a desire for self-centered enjoyment separate from God.

Why was this advised against by God? Because God created all of us for His enjoyment. He wanted to exchange relationships of love. But in order to exchange real love, God also had to give us the freedom to love Him or not. That freedom was expressed in our also having the choice to want enjoyment for ourselves (represented by the symbolic temptation by the serpent). Once this desire takes root, one must face both sides of

Desiring to be the enjoyer is basically desiring to be God, because God is the only true Enjoyer, and we are subjects in His kingdom. 

Still, He gives us the freedom to love and serve Him. Otherwise, it would not truly be love.

So eating the forbidden fruit is symbolic of each of us spirit-persons, at one time or another, rejecting our position as being a subject in God's world. It symbolizes wanting to become God-like. This is, generally speaking, the root of envy.

This self-centered perspective of wanting to be God-like is the state God described in Genesis as: “the man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil’.

In the spiritual sense, "good" is being a loving caretaker of God (our natural identity) and "evil" is the self-centered desire of being the enjoyer and having others love and serve me. Once we develop this desire to be the enjoyer, God boots us out of the spiritual world.

Does God force us to worship Him?

God doesn't force us to worship Him. Neither does he force us to remain around Him. Instead, He creates a temporary virtual world, where spirit-persons can live apart from Him and even reject His existence if they want to.

This is God's way of, as a Sting song says, "If you love someone, set them free." God has set us free - free to determine for ourselves whether we want to love and worship Him.

This is why we were given these physical bodies.

With these physical bodies, we are in the illusion that we are the center of attention, and nothing matters but us. We can focus on making ourselves happy, and screw everyone else. With these physical bodies, we can ignore God's existence and pretend that we are God!

The virtual physical world is not a perfect world, however. God would not do that. He would not let us go forever. He still wants us back. In order to draw us back to Him, He had to create, within this virtual physical world, a learning program so that we might - assuming we wanted to - learn and hopefully realize that we are not happy - no matter how many goodies we get, or how many screaming fans we have - away from God. We are not happy without our Best Friend, Protector, and Companion.

Yet even though we rejected God and wanted to pretend to be God, He still loves us and still wants us back. So He set up this physical world in such a way that we should learn that the only way we can truly be happy is if we return to His Loving Arms.

"I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry ... " (John 6:35-37)

"I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away." (John 6:35-37)

What does Jesus mean when he says they 'will never go hungry'?

Is Jesus saying he is a loaf of bread? Is he saying that they can eat him so they will never go hungry?

Don't be ridiculous.

This is a metaphor. Here "life" refers to the re-establishment of our loving service relationship with God. It is doing the will of God. This relationship brings a person complete fulfillment. Jesus uses this metaphor elsewhere:

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work." (John 4:34)

Doing the will of the Supreme Being means serving the Supreme Being. Thus the analogy of re-establishing our loving service relationship with God with food and becoming fulfilled can be made. Once we are "eating" of our loving relationship with God, we become fulfilled, and never hungry or thirsty.

What does the 'bread of life' mean?

The metaphor, "bread of life" indicates that Jesus is acting as a means of delivering life. Bread can be seen as a means or vehicle because it is a means to nourish the body. But instead of nourishing the body, Jesus is speaking of nourishing the spirit-person within, who is spiritual.

Yes, each of us is looking for fulfillment, and this is why we chase after the goodies of the physical world. This is why we seek success, wealth, sensual pleasures, family relationships and friendships. We are each looking to become fulfilled from the forms and things of the physical world. Unfortunately, these forms and things of the physical world do not satisfy us because we are not these physical bodies.

We are not physical by nature. We are spiritual. We are simply occupying these physical bodies much as a person drives a car. Thus in order for us to become fulfilled, we must satisfy our spiritual selves.

To attempt to be satisfied by filling up the physical body would thus be compared to a hungry person driving a car to think that if he fills up his gas tank with gas he will no longer be hungry.

By his admission here, Jesus, as God's loving servant and representative, was empowered by the Supreme Being to deliver to his students - through his teachings - the ability to re-establish their own loving service relationship with the Supreme Being. 

He also was able to show them by his example, how a loving servant of God lives. Thus his teachings and his example have the power to give "life" or fulfillment, by teaching us to re-establish our eternal relationship with God as His loving servant.

Jesus' teachings then provide spiritual food to those who hear them and follow them. Why? Because by following Jesus' teachings, we also do the will of the Supreme Being - which nourishes our spirit-person within.

Each of us is one of God's eternal loving servants, but most of us in the physical world have forgotten this fact. We are thus chasing self-centered dreams and desires within the physical world, yet not finding any satisfaction or fulfillment.

Because Jesus was surrendered to the Supreme Being and was God's loving servant, He was God's vehicle, as he did God's will. As Jesus confirms with his statement above: The actual delivery or ‘saving’ of others is performed by God, but through the vehicle of His loving servant.

Why have they 'seen' him but not 'believe'?

Why is Jesus saying to the audience that they have seen Jesus but do not believe?

Jesus is not speaking of believing in his existence. Accepting Jesus' existence was no big deal because Jesus was standing before them.

Rather, the word "believe" here is being translated from the Greek word πιστεύω (pisteuō), which actually means, according to the lexicon, to trust - have confidence in or to entrust.

Jesus is speaking of their trusting him. Why?

Because trusting him means having confidence in his teachings. It means following his teachings to the best of our ability. It means having faith that following those teachings will bring happiness and fulfillment.

Thus to "trust" in the loving servant and representative of God who is doing God's will is to "trust" in the Supreme Being. It means to take shelter in the Supreme Being. It means to surrender our lives to our dearmost friend and companion, the Supreme Being, and trusting Jesus as we attempt to follow his first and foremost instruction:

" '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)

"My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ..." (John 10:25-29)

"I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's Name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. (John 10:25-29) 

What is the context of Jesus' statement?

Here is the event that indicates the situation and context of this statement by Jesus:

Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon's Colonnade. The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ [Messiah], tell us plainly." (John 10:22-24)

As other verses in John indicate, the crowd likely maintained a mix of Jewish citizens, Pharisees, temple officials, and possibly even a high priest.

Notice the continuing reference to "sheep" as his followers. This carries over the parable of the sheep and the sheep pen, which apparently took place near the Pool of Siloam in the City of David, Jerusalem, some time before this current statement.

What about the 'miracles I do in my Father's Name'?

The Greek word being translated* to "Name" is ὄνομα (onoma). This refers not just to someone's formal name, but, as indicated in the lexicon, 'the name is used for everything which the name covers, everything the thought or feeling of which is aroused in the mind by mentioning, hearing, remembering.'

When Jesus says "in my Father's Name" he is speaking of the power of God’s Holy Name. And the authority by which that power yields.

Jesus says these miracles "I do in my Father's Name" "speak" for Jesus. This is like a calling card. What Jesus does to serve God speaks for him. It means that Jesus' entire life is dedicated to serving the Supreme Being.

Why does Jesus say 'you do not believe because you are not my sheep'?

The "believe" that Jesus is referring to here is the belief that "The miracles I do in my Father's Name speak for me." In other words, Jesus is not requesting his followers to blindly accept Jesus as their savior and thus be saved, as most of today's professional ecclesiastical priests, ministers, reverends, popes, bishops and cardinals preach.

Jesus is clearly saying that his followers should trust him (πιστεύω (pisteuō)), and understand Jesus' relationship with God. This confirms another statement made by Jesus:

“Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will come to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Matt. 7:21-23)

Here again, the important message Jesus is teaching is not that he is himself the savior, but that he is serving God and wanting us to serve God ("he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven"). When someone does someone else's will, this is called service. When the service is done out of love (rather than fear or as a business arrangement - to get something in return) it is called loving service.

What is being 'saved' according to Jesus?

Jesus is clearly indicating that becoming saved is not simply "accepting Jesus as my savior." Being saved (entering "the kingdom of heaven") is accomplished by serving the Supreme Being with love and devotion.

Next, Jesus indicates that following him is very practical: "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." Here the word "hear" comes from the Greek word ἀκούω (akouo), which means to 'hear,' or better, from the lexicon, 'to understand, perceive the sense of what is said.'

The word "voice" is being translated from φωνή (phōnē), which can mean 'voice,' but it also means 'speech' according to the lexicon. These indicate that Jesus' followers hear Jesus' teachings, understand those teachings, and then apply those teachings to their lives. In other words, they follow Jesus' instructions.

This is a practical matter. Being saved is following Jesus' instructions. Simply making a proclamation of being saved is not being saved. Following Jesus' instructions is what saves us.

This is clearly the meaning of Jesus' statement: "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish". He is giving eternal life through his teachings. Those who follow his teachings - and come to love and serve God - obtain eternal life. This eternal life is granted within a relationship of loving service to the Supreme Being. This is confirmed by Jesus' next statement:

"My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand."

While Jesus admits that his followers gain eternal life by applying Jesus' teachings ("hear my voice"), Jesus is clear that God is actually the Source. The Supreme Being is not only holding Jesus' followers in His hand ("my Father's hand"), but it is the Supreme Being, Jesus' Father, who gives Jesus' followers to Jesus in order to teach and guide them.

Let's consider this carefully. Jesus is clarifying that his miracles were done "in my Father's Name." Then he admits that God gave Jesus his followers, and God is holding Jesus' followers ("sheep") in "His hand."

What is Jesus saying then?

These statements mean that Jesus is clarifying that he is God's representative. He is saying that his teachings and his miracles are coming from the Supreme Being. And Jesus' followers were directed to him. ("My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all"). 

This means that Jesus is acting on behalf of the Supreme Being. This makes Jesus not the Supreme Being, but God's representative.

This is not some vague mystic hyperbole. It is a practical circumstance. God is the Supreme Being. He controls everything, yet He grants us the freedom to love Him and serve Him - or not. Should we choose to love and serve God, God will guide us to His representative, who will teach us how to redirect our lives towards regaining our loving relationship with the Supreme Being.

In other words, Jesus is enjoying a loving relationship with God. He is serving God, and his activities are being empowered by God, and he is teaching us how we can also come to love and serve God.

So rather than trying to prove to these Jews that Jesus is the "Messiah," Jesus instead defines what a "messiah" really is. Jesus indicates that those who know Jesus and Jesus' relationship with God, will know the answer to the Jews' question. This is because those who really follow Jesus do so because they too want to come to a point of loving and serving God.

Does Messiah mean God became man?

Jesus' statements clearly indicate that the "Messiah" is not "God became man." Nor is Jesus the only Messiah as proselytized by so many teachers. If Jesus was the only Messiah why didn't he speak in the first person as he says the above statements?

Rather, Jesus is clearly identifying that Messiah is a role. A role that others have played in the past, and a role that Jesus is playing at the time he was teaching.

Jesus clarifies here that the "Messiah" is someone who represents God and thus has the power to save us by introducing us to God and showing us how to love and serve God.

In the same way, an ambassador will be empowered by their government's ruler to represent them. And we might give an ambassador from another country as much honor and respect as we'd give that country's president or king directly. But we would never confuse the ambassador with the country, president or king. That would offend the country, president or king, wouldn't it?

This also clarifies the meaning of Jesus' statement: "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish." What is this "eternal life" that Jesus is giving his followers?

It is teaching and guiding them towards developing their own loving relationship with God. By developing our own loving relationship with God we obtain "eternal life" because loving and serving the Supreme Being out of love completes us.

God created each of us to exchange a loving relationship with Him. This is our purpose for existence. But in order to have true love, there must be freedom. We can choose to love God or not. For those of us who have chosen not to love God, we live in ignorance, away from God within these temporary physical bodies.

"Eternal life" comes with our decision to return to our loving relationship with our Best Friend and real Soul Mate, the Supreme Being. This is why Jesus' most important instruction to his followers was:

“ ‘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)

*Here is the translation of Jesus' statement according to the Lost Gospels of Jesus:

“I already told you but you don’t believe me. The things I do in my LORD’s Name bear witness about me. But as I said to you, you don’t trust me because you are not my sheep. My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. And I give them eternal life, so they will never perish, and no one shall remove them from my protection. My LORD who brought them to me is greater than all, and no one can remove them from the LORD’s protection.” (John 10:25-29)

"Father, I thank You that You have heard me." (John 11:41-43)

"Father, I thank You that You have heard me. I knew that You always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that You sent me." "Lazarus, come out!" (John 11:41-43) 

Why does Jesus say God heard him?

Jesus is thanking God because he understands that it was the Supreme Being who revived Lazarus. It was God who allowed the soul of Lazarus to return to his physical body.

We can also see from Jesus' statement that the miracle attributed to Jesus - the reviving of Lazarus - was not coming from Jesus. It is coming from the Supreme Being. Otherwise, Jesus would not have said this in this open prayer to God.

Because Jesus is talking about God hearing him after Lazarus returned to life, we can know that Jesus requested the Supreme Being to bring the soul of Lazarus back into Lazarus' body. 

This indicates an entirely different purpose for this and the other miracles attributed to Jesus.

What does this show about Jesus' relationship with God?

It clarifies that Jesus has a personal relationship with God, but Jesus is subordinate to God. Thanking God for hearing him means that God could have chosen not to hear Jesus. Jesus' statement indicates that God could have left Jesus to his own resources and not interceded in the death of Lazarus.

This means that Jesus is exchanging a relationship with God. When a person speaks to another person in this way - first thanking them and then clarifying that they know the other hears them - it is a clear indication of a relationship.

How, with this kind of clarity about Jesus' role and his position with God, could so many sectarian teachers and their respective organizations possibly teach that Jesus was the Supreme Being?

What does it mean when one person hears another? It means there are two persons: The person speaking and the person who hears the speaker. Jesus clearly indicates that the Supreme Being has heard him and that God has always heard him. 

This indicates that there are two persons here: Jesus and the Supreme Being.

Furthermore, it clarifies the relationship: "that they may believe that You sent me." 

The phrase, "you sent me" means that God sent Jesus. Someone who is sent by someone else is a representative or messenger of that person.

This means that Jesus is God's messenger. He is God's representative.

Many sectarian teachers suggest that "God became man in Jesus." If this were true, then Jesus would not be engaging in this sort of exchange with the Supreme Being. This would mean that Jesus was either lying about himself or he was trying to trick the people around him.

Were these miracles an attempt to prove something?

Many believe and teach that Jesus' miracles were meant to prove how great Jesus is.

Why would such a belief be needed? A truly great person never needs to prove they are great.

Others figure that the miracles were meant to prove God's existence.

If God wanted to prove that He exists then He could do this at any time. He could appear before our physical eyes at any time and prove without a doubt that He exists.

But He doesn't. Why? Does this mean He doesn't exist? In fact, many people will say this: They will say, "God if you exist, then prove it to me." As if God is their genie or something. As if God is their servant, and will appear at our beck and call.

Rather, this is not the reality at all. Our natural position, in fact, is God's servants. God is our Superior and we are His inferiors. An inferior does not demand that the superior appear in front of him. If we were a private in the army, and we demanded that the General come and appear in front of our bunk in the barracks, would the General come?

Certainly not. The General would likely have the private peeling potatoes in the kitchen for the next month for demanding that he appear in front of the private's bunk.

Rather, we currently cannot see the Supreme Being because we do not want to see God. We do not want to exchange a loving relationship with God. We have turned from God. So He gave us the ability to ignore Him and virtually be away from Him within these temporary physical bodies. It is for this reason that we cannot see God, even though He is always present everywhere.

Were our physical eyes designed to see God?

Our physical eyes were intentionally designed by God not to see Him. This is because we wanted to run away from God. We wanted our independence. We wanted to enjoy like God and try to be happy without God. So He created these physical bodies to allow us to try to enjoy ourselves without Him.

Our physical eyes were designed to focus on certain types of physical objects. What physical objects might these be? Those objects that allow us to maintain our false sense of independence.

Just consider, assuming that we are an adult now, that only a few decades ago, we occupied a child's body. At that time, we thought we were so independent of our parents. We thought that everything revolved around us and our parents were simply there to serve us. We learned how to get the things we wanted from them. And when we didn't, we cried. Or we learned to manipulate.

But then after our bodies got older, we began to identify with ourselves as an adult - male or female. When we look back to our childhood, we see how we were so mistaken. The world didn't revolve around us - we just wanted it to. We were completely dependent upon our parents. Our parents worked hard to take care of us and gave us stuff when we cried because they didn't want to put up with all the noise.

So most of us learn at least two things as we look back to our childhood: We learn that we mistakenly identified our position with respect to our parents. And we also mistakenly thought the world revolved around us.

While we know a little more about reality than we did when our bodies were young, we still are in the illusion that the world is meant for our enjoyment; and that we can become happy with the things of this temporary physical world. This too, however, is not reality.

For example, while we might think that we'd be happy if we had a million dollars, most multi-million dollar lottery winners become depressed after they collect their winnings. And each of us - even the richest man in the world - will leave all our wealth behind when our bodies die. So none of the wealth, fame or other goodies we acquire here even belongs to us, let alone will make us happy.

These sorts of illusions - from childhood through adulthood - illustrate that this physical world simply provides an environment where we get to pretend for a while. We get to pretend that the "world is our oyster" while we chase around one desire after another.

The reality is that the world was not only designed to allow us to pretend that God doesn't exist for a while and chase our desires around: It was also designed to teach us. These physical bodies might come with some pleasurable responses, but they also come with a significant amount of pain, disease and old age. These elements were designed to teach us that this world is not our home.

What was the purpose of these miracles then?

This relates to the reason for Lazarus' revival, along with all of the other miracles attributed to Jesus. What was their real purpose?

Jesus indicates this as he says, "but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that You sent me."

Why is it so important that the people around Jesus understand that God sent Jesus, and why was it important that they hear this exchange where Jesus thanks God for hearing him?

It is twofold. First, it is because Jesus and God wanted to show those people around Jesus - as well as those of us reading about it - that Jesus' teachings are coming from God. If God sent Jesus, we can know that Jesus' teachings are coming from God.

Secondly, it indicates that Jesus had a loving relationship with God: Jesus and God loved each other, and did things for each other.

They had a loving relationship. This is the relationship that Jesus wanted us to know about. Because each of us can have a loving relationship with the Supreme Being.

What is spiritual life?

Spiritual life is not about "being saved." It is about exchanging a loving relationship with the Supreme Being and doing His will. It is about caring for God and serving God with love and devotion. And it is about accepting God's love, and His activities that show how much He cares about us. This is the "stuff" of spiritual life that both Jesus and God were trying to show us.

Yes, we know from Jesus' statement that God sent Jesus here, but then the question is, why? Why would God send Jesus? If God wanted to tell us something - being the Supreme Person - He could write it in the sky. He could announce it at any time, place and manner. He doesn't need to send someone else to tell us something.

Yet He sent Jesus - and other loving servants over the centuries - to show us how we can exchange a loving relationship with the Supreme Being. He sent Jesus to show us what love really is. Just consider the kind of sacrifices that Jesus made on behalf of his beloved, the Supreme Person.

Just consider Jesus' ultimate sacrifice: Allowing others to murder his body because of his teachings. What did this show us? It showed us the extent of his love. It showed just how much Jesus loved God.

And it is this loving exchange that can save us, and give us eternal life.

Should we understand and participate in the loving relationship between Jesus and God, as we hear and follow through on Jesus' teachings, we realize that he not only talked the talk, but walked the walk:

“‘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)

"The man who loves his life will lose it ...." (John 12:23-25)

Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus." Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life." (John 12:20-25)

What does 'coming in the name of the Lord' mean?

Jesus is responding to the Greeks' request, but also reflects his being ceremoniously welcomed as he walked through Mount Olives into Jerusalem by his students and disciples, who shouted:

"Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" (John 12:13)

Coming "in the name of the Lord" means that Jesus was recognized by his students not as the Supreme Being, but as God's representative. Someone who comes in someone else's name is an emissary or messenger for that person. This is confirmed by Jesus when he said earlier:

"But He who sent me is reliable, and what I have heard from Him I tell the world." (John 8:26)

The Hosanna chant of his students and disciples also testifies to the importance of God's Holy Names. This is a holy praising of God and in this case, God's representative.

Jesus' students and disciples are appreciating this fact - that Jesus is God's representative - and the Greeks who came to worship in Jerusalem also had heard this.

So Jesus, seeing that he is being praised and sought out as he comes into Jerusalem, comments that this is a moment in time when he is being glorified. But then he characterizes being glorified, and what this praise means to him.

What does Jesus' kernel of wheat parable mean?

The kernel of wheat that drops to the ground and "dies" as a seed - sprouts, in other words - symbolizes those who commit their lives to serving and pleasing God and being of service to others. The seed that does not end up sprouting in the ground stays alone - symbolizes the empty and lonely person who does not exchange a loving relationship with God.

The physical world is populated primarily by empty, lonely people. Even those surrounded by big families and lots of so-called friends are lonely without a loving relationship with the Supreme Being. 

Those of us who ignore our innate relationship with the Supreme Being are truly alone. 

Those who surround us might give us the illusion of loving relationships, but these relationships are all conditional relationships: They care about us as long as we care about them, and/or we fit their other requirements (status, money, family, etc.)

The bottom line is that these relationships are dependent upon the physical body. Those we are relating to in this world - family and friends - identify us and themselves as these temporary physical bodies. Therefore, they are not reaching the real us - the person who temporarily occupies the physical body.

This might be compared to two cars driving down the freeway together. The cars might look like they are relating because they are driving so close to each other, but the drivers within each car are not relating. They don't even know each other. And then the cars separate, never to be seen together again.

Jesus presents our two choices quite clearly. We can either focus on our false identities within this empty physical world, or we can resume our natural position as one of God's loving servants. The later course produces other "seeds" as we naturally influence others with our spiritual consciousness.

Jesus confirms this with the next sentence, as he states that, "The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."

How does a person 'lose' their life if they 'love' it?

The "his life" in the first phrase is the same as "his life in this world." Jesus is talking about our physical existence in the material world.

There is a distinction between the self and the physical body. They are independent of each other. We wear these physical bodies for a temporary period of time, and we leave them then they die.

Our physical lives can either be a platform for learning about the Supreme Being, re-establishing our loving relationship with Him and coming to serve Him; or they can be about chasing the fleeting physical pleasures of the world. This chasing of the pleasures of the physical body is described by Jesus as "The man who loves his life."

So then he says that if a man "loves his life" in the world, "he will lose it." What will he lose? Jesus clarifies this as he describes that "the man who hates his life in the world will keep it for eternal life."

Why does "eternal life" go to one who "hates his life"? If a person realizes that this physical world and its empty pleasures run counter to the state of being one of God's loving servants, then that person will hate the physical world.

The physical world, populated by physical bodies and physical elements, is not eternal. It is all temporary. It is changing dramatically, and every body dies. For each of us, the physical world is temporary because our bodies will die within decades. Most bodies die within about 5-8 decades. A few live a little longer, but every body dies. This makes this physical world temporary for each of us.

"Eternal life" is our natural position in the spiritual realm. We are each spiritual beings, who are temporarily occupying a physical body. This physical realm was developed by God as a place where those who wanted to be away from the Supreme Being could go and pretend to be someone they're not for a while.

Thus while the physical world allows us to play out our temporary identities and ignore God for a while, it is also a place of learning - a place of rehabilitation. If we use this lifetime to follow Jesus - sent by God to help us re-develop our relationship with God - then we can return to our natural position - our permanent home - in the spiritual realm. If not, then we will continue to assume temporary physical bodies and be away from God.

Jesus confirms that he's come to teach us to re-establish our loving relationship with God with his most important teaching:

“ ‘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)

*Here is the translation of Jesus' statement according to the Lost Gospels of Jesus:

“The time has come that the Servant of Humanity shall be exalted. Very truly I say to you, “If a kernel of wheat doesn’t fall to the earth and die, it will remain alone. And should it die, it will bear much fruit. One who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it, to live eternally." (John 12:23-25)

"If you really knew me, you will know my Father as well. ..." (John 14:7)

"If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."" (John 14:7)

Is Jesus saying that he is the Father?

There are clearly two persons involved in this statement. Jesus defines "me" (Greek = ἐγώ (egō)) and "my Father" (πατήρ (patēr)). These are different entities.

They are related, however, through the expression, "know" - from the Greek word γινώσκω (ginōskō).

Notice, however, that Jesus connects knowing him in the past with the potential of knowing God at present or in the future. Saying "you will know" could mean both coming to know God in the future, or having already known Him. Either way, Jesus is connecting himself with God in the context of someone knowing both of them - each of them.

What does Jesus mean by 'knowing'?

Jesus is referring to his relationship with God. He indicates that he has an intimate relationship with God that is so important that by knowing who he is they would also know who God is.

In the first part of this statement, the Greek word εἰ (ei) is used. This, according to the lexicon, means "if" or "whether." This means that Jesus felt that some did not know him for who he really was.

The next phrase, "you really knew me," is being derived from the Greek word mentioned above, γινώσκω (ginōskō). According to the lexicon, this word can mean "to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel;" and "to know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of."

In other words, Jesus is not talking about "knowing" in the sense of having a cursory knowledge of someone. For example, if an acquaintance introduces us to someone, we might shake their hand and say that we now "know" them.

Jesus is clearly describing understanding who he is or perceiving who he is.

Knowing Jesus means to understand or perceive Jesus' purpose. It means understanding what motivates him. It means perceiving what drives him and what makes him happy.

The statement, "If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well" indicates that knowing Jesus is connected to knowing God. Many have interpreted this to mean that Jesus is God. Yet this contradicts so many other statements that Jesus has made (including his previous statement) that clearly indicate Jesus was sent by God and is representing God.

Jesus also indicates that he is working on behalf of God, to please God:

"As long as it is day, we must do the work of Him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work." (John 9:4)

and

"The One who sent me is with me; He has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases Him." (John 8:29)

These indicate that Jesus is focused on pleasing the Supreme Being: because Jesus loves the Supreme Being.

A person who truly loves another person will work to please that person. Love is inseparable from loving service.

Thus, knowing Jesus means understanding his intimate relationship with the Supreme Being. Jesus is the perfect loving servant of God. As such, to know Jesus is to know God because seeing the intimacy of the relationship between Jesus and God means understanding how beautiful and lovable the Supreme Being is.

Even today, people will use statements like this: For example, a person might say they can know a person they haven't met by knowing their son or daughter. Because the father raised the children and assuming the children act in ways that would please their father, a person can say that they know (understand, perceive) the father by knowing the children.

While this is not a perfect comparison, it indicates the kind of practical statement Jesus is making. We can see the Supreme Being in the perfect loving servant because the perfect loving servant is following the wishes of the Supreme Being. They are reflecting the Supreme Being's mission, objectives and personality.

What happens from now on?

Jesus then says, "From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him." What happened?

Because they have seen Jesus' love for God and his work to please God they now "know" - understand, perceive - God, and have thus "seen" God.

Because we are wearing these temporary physical bodies we are trapped within the concept of seeing with our eyes. "Seeing" a person's body with the physical eyes does not mean we are really "seeing" - knowing, understanding, perceiving - them.

Rather, understanding what motivates someone, what makes them happy, and who they love is really seeing that person.

For example, say we meet someone and they share with us an innermost feeling they have about their life. Once we hear that and understand it, we have come to understand something intimate about that person. This understanding means we are "seeing" a part of that person.

This doesn't mean that one little understanding about a person means we are "seeing" all of them. An analogy would be seeing someone peek around a corner. We may only see the top of their head and their hair and eyes, but indeed we do see them as they peeked around the corner.

In the same way, even a small understanding of the Supreme Being is the same as seeing God. This doesn't mean we see all of the Supreme Being. In fact, we will never see (or understand) all of the Supreme Being. This is the nature of God. He is always unfolding to His caregivers. God's intimate lovers are always learning more and more about Him. He is the most beautiful Person and He is always more and more attractive to those who love Him.

Jesus illustrated his love for the Supreme Being by his efforts to introduce others to the beautiful nature of the Supreme Being. We can know that God is lovable not only because Jesus asked us to love Him. But also because Jesus himself loved Him and dedicated his life to Him. 

Jesus committed his entire life to teaching about God. While others were having families and earning money and building households, Jesus walked the countryside with no possessions, teaching about God. His whole life was committed to pleasing God and introducing others to God.

What does this indicate about Jesus?

It illustrates his complete and unconditional love for the Supreme Being and God's children.

This love reflects the love that the Supreme Being has for us. The Supreme Being wants us to come back to Him.

This is not because the Supreme Being needs us. God has countless caregivers. He does not need us.

He wants us to return to His loving Arms because He cares about us. Just as Jesus cares about us, God loves us unconditionally and wants us to be happy. He knows that the only way we will become happy is if we return to our position as His loving caregivers.

By understanding how much the Supreme Being loves us, we are "seeing" a part of Him.

So when Jesus says, "From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him" he isn't saying that his disciples now know all there is about God because they have seen Jesus' physical body. He is saying that they have gotten a glimpse of God through the activities and teachings of God's loving servant.

God will always be unfolding for them, and any of us who continue our journey towards Him. We will always be learning more and more - and will thus be seeing God more and more - throughout our eternal spiritual lives.

Because his disciples could see some of the love and dedication Jesus has towards God, they could understand something about God. They could know some of God's personality.

The books of the New Testament do not contain everything Jesus taught his students. Rather, they contain snippets of a few talks and conversations. And most of these are duplicated in each of the four Gospels.

Jesus also clearly stated that he taught his disciples things that were not taught to the general public because the public was not prepared to hear those things:

"The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables" (Mark 4:11)

What is 'the secret of the kingdom'?

Do we think that those who were given the "secret of the kingdom" disclosed all those confidential discussions in their entirety? Of course not. That would contradict Jesus' rationale for speaking in parables in the first place.

Therefore, we must realize that Jesus revealed intimate things to his disciples about the Supreme Being not contained within the four Gospels (though many others are contained in the other Gospels of Jesus). He is indicating clearly that through knowing him - hearing those intimate teachings and seeing his life - they can know the Supreme Being, and thus "know" and "see" some of the Supreme Being.

Jesus is revealing an intimate process to understand an intimate relationship. Because Jesus is their spiritual teacher, he is representing God. God has empowered him to represent Him, and reveal God to them.

We can come to know the intimate relationship between God and God's loving caregiver by having a relationship with God's loving caregiver. We can see within that relationship just how God also loves each of us unconditionally.

Does this explain John 3:16?

This also explains the meaning of an oft-misinterpreted statement early in John:

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV)

or in the New International Version translation:

For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NIV)

We find here several critical points to understand:

1) "God so loved the world" includes ἀγαπάω (agapaō), translated to "loved". This means "to love dearly" according to the lexicon. In other words, God loves us dearly.

2) "He gave His only begotten Son" or "He gave his one and only Son" are both mistranslations. The phrase "only begotten" or "one and only" are frankly, blasphemous. They indicate that the Supreme Being, who has created countless offspring, is somehow impotent. That God could only beget one son. That is insulting to the Supreme Being. Each of us is "begotten" by God.

As explained with more detail with John 3:16-21, the phrases, "only begotten" or "one and only" both come from the Greek word μονογενής (monogenēs), which can mean an only son or daughter only in the context of a physical family. But in the context of a relationship with God, we cannot apply this. We can only apply the alternative translation, according to the Liddell Scott Greek lexicon, as "unique" or "special."

What is being referred to here is "intimate." A "unique" or "special" relationship between two persons, where that relationship involves love, is considered an "intimate" relationship.

We have discussed the mistranslation of "son" from the Greek word υἱός (huios). This word, as we have shown and from the lexicon, means, 'follower' or 'servant' of God. (see the translation). This also confirms an intimate relationship, as the word υἱός (huios) indicates a relationship of devotion.

In other words, God loved us so much that He sent His devoted and loving servant Jesus to the physical world to enlighten us, and help us re-establish our own loving relationship with God - allowing us eternal life as we return to the spiritual realm.

Many teachers have interpreted "gave" (δίδωμι (didōmi) – which means to “give something to someone” or “give forth” or in this case, “send forth”) - as Jesus' suffering on the cross for our sins.

As if once Jesus' physical body was murdered we no longer have to suffer the consequences for our actions. That is a ridiculous notion. We each suffer the consequences of our self-centered actions (sins). This is why people who commit crimes are put in jail or otherwise suffer the consequences of our self-centered actions.

This is also a grotesque interpretation of Jesus' life and purpose. Jesus was sent by God to bring us home to God. God loves us so much that He sent someone so dear to Him in order to bring us back to Him. 

Jesus' physical body suffering on the cross certainly has the potential to remove our selfish, sinful activities if we understand the love and dedication Jesus has for the Supreme Being. Seeing that love gives us a glimpse of the spiritual realm and our true nature: Where God's loving caregivers will do anything for Him out of love.

This interpretation is confirmed by the next verse:

For God did not send his Son [devoted servant] into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:17)

We can only understand this as we see Jesus' relationship with the Supreme Being. Seeing the outward result of Jesus' intimate love for God, and God's intimate (μονογενής (monogenēs)) love for Jesus allows us to get a glimpse of the intimate nature of Jesus' perfect love for God, reflecting Jesus' most important teaching:

“ ‘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)

*Here is the translation of Jesus' statement from the Lost Gospels of Jesus:

"If you knew me, you would know my LORD also; henceforth you will know Him and will perceive Him.” (John 14:7)

"Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will ..." (John 14:19-21)

"Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." (John 14:19-21)

Why does Jesus say, 'the world will not see me anymore'?

Jesus is having a discussion with his closest followers about the fact that his physical body will be murdered. This means that his spirit will leave his physical body. This fact was actually documented in three different New Testament books:

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19:30)

Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. (Luke 23:46)

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. (Matt. 27:50)

This indicates that Jesus' spirit - his spiritual self - separated from his physical body at the time of death. What was left to the eyes of the world was his lifeless physical body.

But Jesus' spiritual self remained alive. Because "the world" sees with the physical eyes, "the world" could not see Jesus' spiritual self. 

But Jesus is saying that he will still exist, even though "the world" will not see him.

What does 'because I live, you also will live' mean?

Jesus uses the word "live" - from the Greek ζάω (zaō) - not to indicate being physically alive. The use of ζάω (zaō) here relates to spiritual life: Our loving caregiving relationship with the Supreme Being and His children. Because Jesus has this relationship, their serving Jesus - following his "commands" - allows them to enter the relationship Jesus has with God.

The use of the phrase, "I live" is a double entendre. Jesus is saying that his spiritual self will continue to live even after his body dies.

But Jesus will live after his body dies because he enjoys a loving relationship with the Supreme Being. This loving relationship allows him to have life. 

Jesus is inviting his followers to also live as well because if they follow his instructions, they will also enjoy a loving relationship with the Supreme Being. So they will live too.

And so can each of us, should we follow Jesus' instructions.

Why is following Jesus' instructions so important? He answers this directly:

"Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

Obeying one's instructions is called service. Loving service is connected to love. By following Jesus' instructions, his students - and each of us - can return to our innate loving service relationship with the Supreme Being. And what is the most important instruction ("commands") that he wants his followers to "obey"?

“ ‘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) 

What does 'I am in my Father' mean?

Here Jesus is discussing the intimate relationships that exist between Jesus and Supreme Being, and Jesus and his serious followers. These loving relationships, in fact, are the stuff of the spiritual realm.

Ignoring these relationships creates a misinterpretation of the phrase, "I am in my Father" to mean that Jesus is the Supreme Being.

This couldn't be furthest from the truth. Such a misinterpretation serves to eliminate the real meaning of Jesus' statement. Jesus is clearly indicating that there are individuals involved and that he and God are separate individuals:

"He who loves me will be loved by my Father" clearly indicates two persons. If Jesus was the Supreme Being, then he would not have said: "by my Father". He would have said, "by me".

Jesus' words do not need to be bent and twisted to produce their meaning. His words are very clear. They simply need to be translated correctly.

For example, the Greek word ἐν (en) is being translated here into "in" as though Jesus is inside of God. This creates a misunderstanding, simply because of a poor translation.

Actually, the Greek word ἐν (en) can mean "in" but it can also mean "by" and "with" according to the lexicon. Any person who simply understands that Jesus is talking about the relationship he has with the Father would naturally translate ἐν (en) in this instance, to "with" rather than "in."

This simple correction would make the translation* clearer - from the Lost Gospels of Jesus:

"At that time you will know that I am with my LORD and you with me, and I with you."

The use of "with" is appropriate because Jesus is talking about relationships. When people are involved in a loving relationship, they are "with" each other. They aren't "in" each other. Is Jesus saying that his disciples will be inside of Jesus? That would be an odd statement.

How do spiritual relationships work?

Jesus is talking about his relationship with God, and his relationships with his followers here. For example:

What if a man we know says to us, "Because you love me my wife loves you." What does this say about the person's wife? It says that his wife loves her husband so much that she also loves anyone who loves her husband. It says that the man and his wife have a very close loving relationship.

In other words, by Jesus saying to his disciples, "He who loves me will be loved by my Father," Jesus is indicating clearly that he enjoys an intimate loving relationship with the Supreme Being.

And it is obvious that this relationship is based on love. Jesus loves the Supreme Being and the Supreme Being loves Jesus.

Is Jesus' sacrifice part of this?

Jesus' love for the Supreme Being, in fact, is evidenced by his giving up of his physical life in his service to the Supreme Being.

This is the highest form of love. When a person cares about someone to the extent that they are willing to sacrifice their physical life, it indicates true love. This is the nature of true love.

Practically every human on the planet can relate to this, as we refer to a person willing to risk their own life to save another. Or a person loving their country and giving their life for their country. These heroic acts of love are easily recognized because each of us is innately lovers. We are caregivers by nature.

The only problem is that we have been directing our love towards the temporary structures of the physical world. The physical body is a temporary structure, which will grow old, die and decompose into dirt. Therefore, to put one's love upon one or a group of these temporary physical structures is to misdirect our innate loving nature.

The correct direction for our innate loving nature each of us has within is towards the Supreme Being and His children. But again, we are not talking about the physical structures - the temporary vehicles that His children are wearing - but towards the Supreme Being - a spiritual person - and those spiritual persons who are His offspring - whether temporarily occupying one of these physical bodies or not.

This doesn't mean we dismiss caring for someone's physical body. Certainly caring for a person can also include caring for their physical body.

Is there a limit for caring for the physical body?

But we can only care so much for a physical body. We cannot prevent a physical body from becoming diseased, getting old and dying. We can try, but ultimately we will fail.

This is illustrated by the many doctors and nurses who valiantly try to keep a physical body alive when it is dying. They might be able to extend the body's life by a few hours, days, weeks or even years, but they will never be able to prevent the body from dying. Every body will die.

But the spiritual person within - that person capable of loving - is not the physical body. That person - each of us - rises up from the physical body at the time of death. That person's ability to love continues after the body dies.

This is evidenced by Jesus' statement: "Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me." The "world" will not "see" Jesus because his physical body will be murdered. But after the body is dead, Jesus' spiritual form will continue to live, and those who can enter the realm of the spiritual can "see" Jesus - not with their physical eyes, but with their spiritual eyes.

This is because we each have a spiritual form separate from the physical body. That spiritual form is us: We are our spiritual forms, and our spiritual forms are eternal.

Our spiritual forms are of the essence that the Supreme Being is: spiritual. This is another dimension of existence, outside the scope of the physical senses. We cannot see into the spiritual realm with the physical eyes because the Supreme Being designed these physical bodies and this virtual physical universe to give us a place where we could pretend to be away from the Supreme Being for a while:

Do we appear as we are here?

This physical world is a place where we can pretend to be someone else for a while. A place where we could pursue our self-centered goals of enjoyment - and attain the position of master. How could we pretend to be master (boss, star, rich person, fireman, doctor, elected official, etc.) if we could see the Supreme Being?

This is not our natural position, however. By nature we are caregivers. The Supreme Being created us to be His loving caregivers. Love, however, requires freedom. So the Supreme Being gave us the choice to love Him or not. Those who chose not to love Him were sent to this virtual physical universe to be away from Him.

Unlike those who chase their self-centered dreams to become famous, wealthy or gain sensual pleasure within this virtual world; those who choose to remain loving caregivers of the Supreme Being are completely fulfilled. This is because loving God and His children is our natural state.

This is the source of the expression: "'tis better to give than to receive." We feel better when we give because we are givers by nature. This is our natural position.

And when we are living in our natural state, we are loving the Supreme Being above all else. We live for His pleasure. We want to please Him more than we want pleasure.

The Supreme Being reciprocates such a relationship of love. It is not as if the Supreme Being just sits back and absorbs our love. The Supreme Being is an active person. He is engaged in so many activities and relationships with His loving caregivers in the spiritual realm.

And His love for His children is powerful. It is a love like no other love. It is unconditional love. It is undying love. It is love that we can depend upon. It is love that radiates through a person. It is a love that when experienced, automatically extends to others. When we experience the Supreme Being's love for us, we naturally love others, because we see His love not only for us, but also for others.

This is the type of love that Jesus is discussing. Jesus is experiencing God's love for him, and He is exchanging a loving relationship with the Supreme Being. This relationship extends to others in the form of Jesus' love for others. This is evidenced here when Jesus says, "I too will love him".

This relationship between Jesus and the Supreme Being creates a special intimacy between those of Jesus' students who are following his teachings and trying to use their lives to please Jesus and please the Supreme Being. This is the true meaning of being alive, according to Jesus:

"Because I live, you also will live."

*Here is the translation of Jesus' statement from the Lost Gospels of Jesus:

"Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me because I live and you also will live. At that time you will know that I am with my LORD and you with me, and I with you.” (John 14:2-4)

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you ..." (John 15:9-10)

"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". 

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:

"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.'

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)

“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me ..." (John 17:24)

“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world." (John 17:24)

What does Jesus mean by 'be with me where I am'?

The Greek phrase ἵνα ὅπου εἰμὶword is being translated to "be with me where I am." Yet the key part of this phrase, the word ὅπου (hopou), actually means "whereas" or "where ever" or "whatsoever" according to the lexicon. It is a word indicating commitment, regardless of what happens.

Jesus is saying that those who God has given him - Jesus' followers - will steadfastly follow him. He is saying that these followers will remain followers regardless of the challenges this world presents.

Thus the better translation would be that his followers will "stay with me." They will remain with Jesus, not necessarily in a physical sense, but in the sense of following his teachings.

This is because Jesus is God's representative, and his followers have understood this.

Because the Supreme Being loves us, He sent Jesus to teach us about Him. Those who receive His representative Jesus and learn about God from Jesus become connected to Jesus and God.

We might compare this to how a tour group will become connected to their tour guide when they are touring a foreign country. They don't know where to go or how to speak the language. They cannot navigate the roads, nor can they figure out where to go sightseeing. But the tour guide knows all of this, and he can communicate to all the right people in his language in an effort to giving people access to the sights.

So when the tour guide comes upon a new landmark, the guide will need to negotiate on behalf of the tour group to allow their entrance. The manager of the landmark might even say to the tour guide something to the effect of "OK, but they are your responsibility." In this way, because the tour guide is organizing the tour, the tour guide becomes responsible for the tour group. If they act badly, the tour guide is responsible for their activities.

In the same way, Jesus' disciples are connected to Jesus as he is their guide back to their loving relationship with the Supreme Being. They are connected to Jesus in that Jesus is giving them access to God. And Jesus is connected to them in that he is carrying a responsibility to teach them well - as guided by the Supreme Being.

Therefore, Jesus cannot make up his own teachings. He taught what had been handed down through the lineage of teachers coming from Abraham, Moses, David, John the Baptist, and so on. And he has to be led by the Supreme Being. This is why Jesus said:

“My teaching is not my own. It comes from the One who sent me." (John 7:16)

and

"I am not here on my own authority, but He who sent me is true. You do not know Him, but I know him because I am from Him and He sent me.” (John 7:28-29)

So we see that Jesus is not making things up as he goes along. He sees himself as a messenger.

As such, Jesus is also a guide - as he is guiding those who heard him - with those teachings from the Supreme Being.

How can they see Jesus' 'glory'?

This text translates* the Greek word δόξαν to "glory" rather than its alternate meaning, "splendor."

"Splendor" is a more appropriate translation in this context because Jesus is not talking about fame here - the common meaning of "glory." When a person is "glorified" they are given respect. This is not what Jesus is talking about.

Bottom line, the word δόξαν can have two basic meanings: "opinion, judgment, estimate, view" etc., or "splendor, brightness, magnificence, majesty" according to the lexicon. In the first case, it is what others think of us. In the second, it is something related to what the Supreme Being gives us - our relationship with Him.

This is what Jesus is referring to. The "splendor" he is discussing is related to His loving relationship with the Supreme Being. This is "splendorous" and "magnificent" because a loving relationship with the Supreme Being is fulfilling. It is the completion of our being.

And Jesus wants to share this relationship with his students and disciples. It is not as if he is in that position and they are not - so tough. It is not as if he is feeling proud of his relationship with God.

Jesus wants to share it with them. He wants to give it away.

What does Jesus mean by 'before the creation of the world'?

Jesus prays: "for loving me before the creation of the world." What does this mean?

Some try to infer something about Jesus' "firstborn" role here, but this is not what he is saying. The emphasis of this phrase relates to the fact that the Supreme Being loved Jesus before - but before what? Before God created the physical world.

The point here is not the creation of the physical world.

Sometimes when a person wants to state that something has been around forever, they might say "that X is older than dirt." They are not talking about the dirt literally. They are using it as a reference to state that the thing (X) has been around for a long time.

The point is that Jesus is stating that God's love is eternal. It is everlasting. And unconditional.

The Supreme Being created the physical world with the element of time. Therefore there is a beginning and an end, and for this, we can know that the physical world is a temporary manifestation produced by the Supreme Being.

And the element of time is specific to the physical world. This element of time does not exist within the spiritual realm.

In other words, there is no beginning to the existence of the Supreme Being. He is eternal, and His love is also eternal. This is the meaning of the last part of Jesus' statement: God's love for him and his disciples is eternal.


*Here is the translation of this verse of Jesus' prayer from the Lost Gospels of Jesus:

"LORD, I would be pleased if those You have entrusted to me will stay with me, so they may perceive the splendor You have given me. For You loved me before the creation of the material world.” (John 17:24)

"It is finished." (John 19:30)

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19:30)

What does Jesus mean by 'it is finished'?

The word “finished” is being translated* from the Greek word, τελέω (teleō), which can mean, “to bring to a close, to finish, to end.” But it can also mean, according to Thayer's lexicon, “to perform, execute, complete, fulfill, (so that the thing done corresponds to what has been said, the order, command, etc.) with special reference to the subject matter, to carry out the contents of a command.”

Thus we find a deeper meaning in Jesus’ statement, rather than just that his physical body was finished. He is speaking of his service to the Supreme Being being completed as instructed by the Supreme Being:

“I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.” (John 14:31)

What does 'gave up his spirit' mean?

The Greek word translated to 'spirit' is πνεῦμα (pneuma). According to the lexicon, this means, "the vital principal by which the body is animated." The lexicon goes further, stating:

"a spirit, i.e. a simple essence, devoid of all or at least all grosser matter, and possessed of the power of knowing, desiring, deciding, and acting... a life-giving spirit... a human soul that has left the body."

This is describing the essential person - the person who occupies the physical body for some time and then leaves it at the time of death.

Yes, this is what happens when each of us dies:

Do we all 'give up our spirit' at the time of death?

Death disconnects the spirit-person from the body. And upon the separation of the spirit-person from the body, the body no longer functions.

Then the body begins to decompose. Because there is no spirit-person animating the body.

This is confirmed clearly in the lexicon's definition of spirit above, "the vital principal by which the body is animated."

When the person - who is spirit in essence - is occupying the physical body, the body is animated. When that person leaves the body, the body dies.

This separation of the person with the body has been proven in over 100,000 case studies of clinical death. Clinical death occurs when a person's body clinically dies (i.e., their heart, breathing and brain waves stop) and then is resuscitated. After they are resuscitated they describe separating from the body and looking down upon it, looking at their unconscious body laying on the hospital bed or operating table.

Thousands of these cases have been authenticated by the patient accurately describing what took place in the room - and sometimes elsewhere in the hospital - while they were unconscious.

What about the rapture?

Today we find so many laughable interpretations of the rapture - the apocalypse - even though none of these words are actually used in the scriptures.

Some of these fictitious interpretations describe how beams of light will capture people's bodies and pull them up to heaven, while beasts devour the bodies of those who are not believers at some point in the future.

When is this supposed to happen? Despite continual warnings from fanatical teachers, we find that over and over they have lied to their followers. Consider, for example, the following list of predictions for the end of the world, or rapture, over the centuries:

Hilary of Poitiers: 365 AD (predicted doomsday date)
Martin of Tours: 375 to 400 AD (predicted doomsday date)
Hydatius (Bishop of Aquae) 482 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Sextus Julius Africanus: 500 AD (predicted doomsday date)
Hippolytus of Rome: 500 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Beatus of Leibana: 793 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Gregory of Tours: 799 to 800 AD (predicted doomsday dates)

Thiota: 847 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Pope Sylvester II: 1000 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Gerard of Poehlde: 1147 AD (predicted doomsday date)
John of Toledo: 1179 AD (predicted doomsday date)
Joachim of Fiore: 1205 AD (predicted doomsday date)
Pope Innocent III: 1284 AD (predicted doomsday date)
Joachimites: 1290 and 1335 AD (predicted doomsday dates)

Jean de Roquetaillade: 1368 and 1370 AD (predicted doomsday dates)

Amaldus de Villa Nova: 1378 (predicted doomsday date)

Thomas Muntzer: 1525 AD  (predicted doomsday date)

Johannes Stoffler: 1524 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Hans Hut (Anabaptist): 1528 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Melchior Hoffman (Anabaptist): 1533 AD (predicted doomsday date)
Jan Matthys (Anabaptist): 1534 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Martin Luther (Augustinian monk): 1600 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Christopher Columbus: 1658 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Joseph Mede: 1660 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Sabbatai Zevi: 1648 and 1666 AD (predicted doomsday dates)

Fifth Monarchists: 1666 and 1673 AD (predicted doomsday dates)

Benjamin Keach (Baptist): 1689 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Pierre Jurieu: 1689 AD (predicted doomsday date)

John Mason (Anglican): 1694 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Johan Heinrich Alsted (Calvinist): 1694 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Cotton Mather (Puritan): 1697, 1716 and 1736 AD (predicted doomsday dates)

Henry Archer (Fifth Monarchist): 1700 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa: 1700 to 1734 AD (predicted doomsday dates)

Camisards: 1705 and 1708 AD (predicted doomsday dates)

William Whitson: 1736 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Emanuel Swedenborg (Lutheran): 1757 AD (predicted doomsday date)

The Shakers (Ann Lee): 1792 and 1794 AD (predicted doomsday dates)

Cardinal Pierre d'Ailly: 1789 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Charles Wesley (Methodist): 1794 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Christopher Love (Presbyterian): 1805 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Margaret McDonald: 1830 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Joseph Smith (Mormon): 1832 and 1891 AD (predicted doomsday date)
Johann Albrecht Bengel (Lutheran): 1846 AD (predicted doomsday date)

John Wesley (Methodist founder): 1836 AD (predicted doomsday date)

William Miller (Millerites founder): 1843 and 1844 AD (predicted doomsday dates)
George Rapp (Harmony Society founder): 1847 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Harriet Livermore: 1847 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Ellen White (Seven Day Adventists): 1850, 1856 and "early 1900s" AD (predicted doomsday dates)

John Cumming: 1862 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Joseph Morris (Mormon): 1862 AD (predicted doomsday date)

John Wroe (Christian Israelite Church): 1863 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Jonas Wendell and other Adventist preachers: 1863, 1874, 1870 AD (predicted doomsday dates)

Mother Shipton: 1881 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Wovoka (Ghost Dance): 1890 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Catholic Apostolic Church: 1901 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (Jehovah's Witnesses): 1914, 1915, 1918, 1920, 1925, 1941, 1975, 1994 and others more recent. (predicted doomsday dates)

Margaret Rowen (Seventh-Day Adventist): 1920 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Spencer Perceval (Catholic Apostolic Church): 1926 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Wilbur Glenn Voliva: 1935 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Herbert Armstrong (Worldwide Church of God founder): 1936 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Florence Houteff (Branch Davidians): 1959 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Johann Bischoff (New Apostolic Church): 1951 and 1960 AD (predicted doomsday dates)

Jim Jones (People's Temple cult): 1967 AD (predicted doomsday date)

George Williams (Church of the Firstborn): 1969 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Herbert Armstrong (Worldwide Church of God): 1972 AD (predicted doomsday date)

John Wroe (Christian Israelite Church): 1977 AD (predicted doomsday date)

William Branham (evangelist): 1977 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Chuck Smith (Calvary Chapel): 1981 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Pat Robertson (evangelist): 1982 and 2007 AD (predicted doomsday dates)

Lester Sumrall (Pentecostal): 1985 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Edgar Whisenant: 1988 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Elizabeth Clare (Summit Lighthouse): 1990 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Rollen Stewart: 1992 AD (predicted doomsday date)

David Berg (The Family): 1993 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Harold Camping: 1994, 1995, 2011 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Ronald Weinland (Church of God): 2011 and 2012 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Aggai: 1997 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Marshall Applewhite (Heavens Gate cult): 1997 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Archbishop James Ussher: 1997 AD (predicted doomsday date)

James Gordon Lindsay (Christ for the Nations): 1999 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Jerry Falwell (evangelist): 2000 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Ed Dobson: 2000 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Lester Sumrall: 2000 AD (predicted doomsday date)

Jonathan Edwards (Congr. Protestant): 2000 AD (predicted doomsday date)

David Meade: 2017 and 2018 AD (predicted doomsday dates)

Why were they all wrong? They have misinterpreted the scriptures because they decided to use the Scriptures to further their ambitions. They manipulated texts and interpretations to make believe that Jesus was predicting the end of the world. They decided they would attract followers by predicting that date.

Today we refer to this as a cult. A cult is typically formed by a power-hungry leader who manipulates the truth in order to take advantage of others.

Because most people are afraid of dying, it is fairly standard to reign control over a large number of people by threatening that they will die if they don't follow the cult leader.

There are of course variations in this. In this case of predicting the end of the world, most of these cult leaders add in the threat that those who don't follow them and their institution will go to hell.

So not only are the followers threatened with death (end of the world), but also with going to hell after death.

That's a scenario that most simply will not want to change. So the cult gains many followers based upon these lies.

This is what has happened with many of the sects that are mentioned above, founded upon threats that the world will end - combined with threats that we will go to hell unless we join their institution.

That's what cult leaders do: They threaten people with false claims about the future in order to gain followers and control those followers' beliefs.

*Here is the translation of this verse from the Lost Gospels of Jesus:

Then when Jesus had received the vinegar he said, “It has been accomplished!” And he bowed his head and released his spirit. (John 19:30)