"What do you want?" "Come, and you will see." (John 1:37-39)

The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!" When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?" They said, "Rabbi" (which means "Teacher"), "where are you staying?" "Come," he replied, "and you will see." So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon. (John 1:35-39)

Why were they so interested in where Jesus was staying?

Jesus is responding to two of John the Baptist’s disciples, who asked:

"Rabbi, where are you staying?" (John 1:38).

After being asked this, Jesus wants to show these disciples of John where he is staying. He is being completely upfront. He has nothing to hide from them. So he invites them to come with him and see for themselves where he was staying.

But why were these disciples of John so interested in Jesus all of a sudden? It is because John the Baptist - their spiritual teacher - told his two students:

“Look, the Lamb of God!” (John 1:36)

What does 'Lamb of God' mean?

This is a very practical statement. What is a “lamb” of someone else? A lamb is a subservient animal - one who defers to the herder. This is, in other words, an analogy. 'Lamb of God' is describing one who is humbly devoted to the Supreme Being.

This is not how many people like to translate the word lamb. They like to think of lamb as an animal that gets slaughtered because they slaughter lambs and eat them. 

However, we know that John the Baptist did not eat lamb:

His food was locusts and wild honey. (Matt. 3:4)

Was John the Baptist a vegetarian?

"Locusts" - from the Greek word ἀκρίς (akris) - does not refer to the insect, but rather, to the pods of the locust tree - which contain the carob bean. (They were called 'locusts' because the shape of the pods resembled the appearance of the locust insect - giving rise to the term, "locust tree.")

We also know from descriptions of Jesus, that Jesus did not eat red meat. Thus we can understand that when Jesus' teacher, John the Baptist, referred to Jesus as the "lamb of God" he was not referring to Jesus being slaughtered. John was referring to Jesus as being someone who was devoted to the Supreme Being.

Jesus also referred to himself this way later:

"For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of Him who sent me." (John 6:38)

In other words, a lamb of God would be someone who was completely subservient to God, and willing to sacrifice everything on behalf of God. So describing Jesus as the "lamb of God" meant to describe Jesus as the humble, loving servant of God, who had given his life to the Supreme Being.

What does 'taking away the sin of the world' mean?

The day before, John also said:

"Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)

Was this referring to Jesus’ dying on the cross for our sins, as many among professional sectarian teachers have proclaimed?

What is "sin"? According to scripture, sin is acting in a way that goes against the will of the Supreme Being. Consider what God's will is, as taught by Moses and Jesus:

“ ‘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. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matt. 22:37-40)

Sinning is the opposite consciousness of loving the Supreme Being - sinning requires a self-centered consciousness. Sinning is to harm others, thus acting in a way that is not pleasing to the Supreme Being. Since what is pleasing to God is to love others, sinning is diametrically opposed to this - harming others.

Do we have to love ourselves before we can love others?

Some have twisted Jesus' instruction to "Love your neighbor as yourself." to mean we must love ourselves first before we can love others.

This is preposterous because if we are loving ourselves, we cannot follow the initial instruction, to "‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' " If we are loving God with all our heart, that contradicts loving ourselves first.

The very phrases, "with all your heart" and "with all your soul" and "with all your mind" necessarily negate loving oneself first. They quite certainly mean loving the Supreme Being first.

Did God make Jesus suffer for everyone's sins?

The doctrine that many sectarian institutions embrace says this very thing: That Jesus died for everyone's sins.

If we accept this, we must also accept that Jesus died not only for the sins of billions and billions of people who lived before him. But he was also dying for everyone who would sin after he was crucified. How does that work?

The sins of people today were not even conceived 2,000 years ago. How could Jesus have died for those sins? How would he have paid for the sins of the future when he was murdered 2,000 years ago?

This impractical doctrine also comes with another element, which many sectarian teachers also promulgate: That the Supreme Being sanctioned Jesus dying for everyone's sins.

Such a doctrine comes with two problems:

1) It would mean that God arranged to have Jesus murdered and tortured on the cross.

2) It would mean that no one past or future has any consequences for sins.

The second assumption would mean that we can do anything that we want and Jesus will suffer(ed) for it. It means there is no consequence for harming someone else - we can just do whatever we want because Jesus already suffered the consequences.

The first assumption would mean that the Supreme Being would arrange to have His beloved son tortured. What kind of God is that? Is that the kind of God that we could love as Jesus taught?

Why would God need Jesus to suffer to forgive our sins?

If God was truly all-powerful, why would He need to make His servant suffer on a cross to remove people's sins? Does God need to follow some sort of ritual sacrifice in order to do something?

God can remove someone's sins simply by willing it. This is why Jesus taught his students to ask God for forgiveness for their sins in the Lord's Prayer:

He said to them, "When you pray, say:" 'Father, hallowed be Your Name, Your kingdom come.Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us." (Luke 11:2-4)

Why did Jesus teach his students to ask God (Father) for forgiveness if all they had to do is wait for his crucifixion?

The fact is, this notion of the murder of Jesus' physical body being some sort of sacrifice for our sins so that we can go on sinning and wiping our sins off on Jesus is a hoax. It is a teaching intended to gain followers by making purification cheap and easy. There is no need for a change of heart (repenting). Jesus made a clear statement about such teachings along with those who teach them:

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

Rather, the manner in which Jesus can take away sins is accomplished by his teachings and his example. By teaching us to love and serve God, and by showing us how to love and serve God ("does the will of my Father") Jesus could effectively remove the sins of those who followed him. How so? By changing their hearts. By convincing them to give their lives to the Supreme Being.

How can our sinful nature be purified?

Sins are not removed by some magic trick. It is not a passive act. The Supreme Being does not remove the consequences of self-centered activity on a whim. The consequences of self-centered activities are part of the Supreme Being's system of learning within the physical world. Without consequences, we would continue our self-centeredness with no hope of having a change of heart.

But should we begin to learn the lessons borne of consequences, and approach the Supreme Being humbly, asking for forgiveness while being prepared to forgive any offenses others make against us, the Supreme Being forgives our past sinful nature. This is Jesus' teaching, as evidenced by Jesus' request to turn to God and pray to Him:

"Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us." (Luke 11:4)

"... God’s son gives life to whom He is pleased to give it." (John 5:21)

"For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so God’s son gives life to whom He is pleased to give it." (John 5:21)

What does 'raises the dead' mean?

Jesus is not talking about raising a dead physical body into a living physical body. This is a misnomer created by those who identify with their temporary physical bodies. 

We are not these temporary physical bodies. The physical body is operable for a few decades, and then it dies, and the living spirit (the spirit-person) leaves the body.

This is why Jesus also said:

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

"The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life." (John 6:63)

"I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him." (Luke 12:4-5)

In the last statement, Jesus is talking about what happens to the person once the body is killed. If the body is killed, and the person can still go to hell, who can go to hell? And who can go to heaven after the body is killed?

Many sectarian teachers have taught over the centuries that the dead body somehow rises up from the grave at the second coming. This is simply fantasy. It has no reality. Have they ever seen a body that was buried even a year or two previous, not to speak of decades or hundreds of years? The body completely decomposes. The bones might decompose a bit slower, but they still decompose. Those ancient bones we find sometimes in archeological digs have been extraordinarily preserved: Most bones completely decompose within a few decades.

So are these sectarian teachers saying that we are these rotting, decomposing flesh and bones, and the decomposed matter (most of it digested within worms) will somehow rise up and dance on their graves? This is unscientific and unrealistic.

The reality is that Jesus clearly taught that we are not the physical body. Even Jesus' more remote followers (such as Paul, who was not a direct disciple of Jesus) understood that we are not these physical bodies:

"And I know that this man-whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows-" (2 Corinthians 12:3)

So as Jesus speaks of how God raises the dead, he is speaking of raising the spirit (the person) from a self-centered life of emptiness to a life of loving service to God. It is God Who ultimately allows each of us (spiritual individuals) to return to Him and have life. This is also, by the way, the true meaning of being "born again" (a term literally translated as "born from above" according to the Greek).

Here Jesus is speaking of God's ability to purify us and bring us home to Him. The term "raises the dead and gives them life" refers to God giving Jesus the ability to "gives life to whom He is pleased to give it.".

How does Jesus 'give life'?

Jesus is stating that because he is God's loving servant and representative, he can bring people back to God. This is because God has empowered Jesus to do so. 

Even still, it is only by God's will that this happens.

The Greek word used here is θέλω (thelō), which means to wish or desire. Is Jesus referring to his own desire or wishes to raise the dead - bringing us home to God? No. He is talking about God's wishes. He is talking about God's will. How do we know this? Consider a couple of other very important statements that Jesus made:

"For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12:48-50)

“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.” (Matthew 7:22)

Both of these statements illustrate that doing God's will - or pleasing God - is Jesus' life, and the goal of life. Why would Jesus, God's representative, suddenly want to do his own will? We know also that Jesus considered that he had a oneness with God. This oneness is a oneness of will. Jesus' will was serving God: doing God's will. That creates a oneness between them.

Why? Because Jesus loves God. They have a loving relationship. Jesus is not God. He is God's intimate loving servant, and it is by seeing and being able to enter that relationship that we, too, can be "raised from the dead."

"Moreover, the Father judges no one ..." (John 5:22-23)

"Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him." (John 5:22-23)

Is the 'Son' the 'judge' here?

This is a mistranslation.* This translation incorrectly indicates that the Supreme Being does not judge anyone, and the "son" - assumably Jesus - is the exclusive judge. This contradicts many statements all over the scriptures that God is our ultimate judge.

Jesus is explaining how the Supreme Being empowers His loving servant and representative. This is confirmed by the translation below.*

Did Jesus take over God's position?

Is Jesus God? No. This is misinterpreted from a mistranslation.

Let's clarify and correct the translation.*

The words "judges" and "judgment" have been mistranslated. The Greek word translated to "judge" is κρίνω (krinō), which has the following definition according to the Greek lexicon:

1) to separate, put asunder, to pick out, select, choose

2) to approve, esteem, to prefer

3) to be of opinion, deem, think, to be of opinion

4) to determine, resolve, decree

5) to judge

Notice that "to judge" is the fifth use of the word κρίσις (krisis). In other words, there are four more common meanings of this word. The first is to select or choose, while the second and third are to approve, esteem or deem.

Likewise, "judgment" is being translated from the Greek, κρίσις (krisis) which is similarly translated to separating or selecting, and less commonly to judgment. In other words, the most common (and applicable here) meaning of κρίσις (krisis) and κρίσις (krisis) would be to select or choose.

Why is 'select' a better translation?

Certainly, the Supreme Being will let His messenger select or choose those whom he wants to take in as his students and disciples, and ultimately bring back home to the spiritual world. This does not mean that the Supreme Being gives up the position of judge. God is still the ultimate judge.

The key to the true meaning of Jesus' statement also lies with the translation and use of the word "son".

Quite simply, "son" is a mistranslation that began with the Latin translation by professional translators working for the Roman emperor Constantine and his political council of assembled "bishops." The interpretation was also developed during the politically-oriented Nicene Council, which developed the Nicene Creed for the purposes of controlling Europe and the religion of Christianity.

The idea was that if Jesus could be made into the exclusive means to reach God and be saved, then they could control the people. Therefore, the Nicene Creed and Latin translation of the Bible - both of which were forced upon the people via the Roman Catholic Church that dominated Christianity for over 1,000 years - to interpret that Jesus is God's exclusive "son," extending that exclusivity to mean that Jesus is also God.

Is Jesus God incarnated?

This is their doctrine, but it is contradicted by scripture. Such a doctrine created an exclusivity that made it so that no one could reach God unless they joined the official church sanctioned by the Roman empire.

In fact, those who did not subscribe to these official religious interpretations approved by the Roman empire were typically imprisoned and/or burned at the stake. And Constantine, supposedly a convert, murdered his wife, his brother, and many others around him. He was a blood-thirsty and power-hungry ruler that would utilize any means to remain in power: Bending the scriptures to fit his agenda? No big thing.

Furthermore, Jesus is referring to a role rather than exclusively himself. This is why he referred to "son" in the third person. There are other "sons of God" according to the Bible.

The word "son" in this verse has been translated from the Greek word υἱός (huios). While this might indicate a relationship of offspring. The lexicon clearly states that the translation of this word to "son" is applicable "in a restricted sense, the male offspring (one born by a father and of a mother)." And since Jesus is not speaking of one born by a father and mother here, "son" is a mistranslation.

Rather, the more accurate translation, taken from the Greek lexicon, is "one who depends on another or is his follower." This is the more appropriate translation in the context of one's relationship with God.

This would mean the more accurate translation would be "devoted follower" or "loving servant."

To prove this as the correct translation, let's review other uses of the Greek word υἱός (huios) in Jesus' statements in the Bible:

"But the subjects [υἱός (huios)] of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 8:12)

"The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people [υἱός (huios)] of the kingdom." (Matt. 13:38)

“Say to Daughter [υἱός (huios)] Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ” (Matt. 21:5)

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child [υἱός (huios)] of hell as you are." (Matt. 23:15)

“How can the guests [υἱός (huios)] of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them." (Mark 2:19)

"Truly I tell you, people [υἱός (huios)] can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter" (Mark 3:28)

"But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children [υἱός (huios)] of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked." (Luke 6:35)

"Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your followers [υἱός (huios)] drive them out? So then, they will be your judges." (Luke 11:19)

“The people [υἱός (huios)] of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children [υἱός (huios)] of the resurrection." (Luke 20:34-36)

Does υἱός have different possible translations?

Yes. Let's summarize the different words that have been translated from the Greek word υἱός (huios) from Jesus' statements above:

• subjects of the kingdom
• people of the kingdom
• daughter of Zion
• child of hell
• guests (actually better translated to servants) of the bridegroom
• people
• children of the Most High
• followers
• children of this age

What is the commonality among these phrases? The subject - υἱός (huios) - is a subject or follower of the next thing - the kingdom, Zion, this age, the Most High, etc.

Thus what we have here is a meaning to this word υἱός (huios) that relates to being a follower or a devoted servant or a subject of someone or something.

Jesus is calling himself a devoted servant of God - or a follower of God - a loving servant of God.

This fact is also confirmed by the phrase, "children of the Most High" in Luke 6:35.

Thus we find that υἱός (huios) is being used to describe someone who is a devoted follower or subject to the context of that particular statement. When the context is hell, the υἱός (huios) is a follower or subject of hell. When the context is "the kingdom" the υἱός (huios) is a follower or subject of the kingdom. 

But when the context is the Supreme Being - as it is in Jesus' statement in John 5:22 (e.g. "the Father"), we know that υἱός (huios) is referring to someone who is the follower or subject of the Supreme Being: A devotee or loving servant of God - who when preaching, would be God's representative.

Thus we can more appropriately translate "son of God" in the Bible to "Representative of God."

Also notice that Jesus is referring to υἱός (or huios) in the third person. Jesus does not say, "The Father gave me the exclusive ability...." Rather, he is talking about υἱός (huios) in the third person.

For example, if a person was a captain of a ship, those who were on the ship might call him captain. But this doesn't mean the captain is the only captain to ever exist. Such a captain might say "a captain's duty is to steer the ship." This is a general statement that would define the role of captain - for every captain.

In the same way, Jesus is utilizing the third person as he speaks of the relationship between God and His representative (rather than "son") because "representative" is a role, rather than an exclusive position for Jesus alone. 

At the same time, Jesus is also recognizing that this role is special - just as a captain's role might be - in that it has specific authority, as granted by the Supreme Being.

Does God empower His representative?

Jesus is telling his students that the Supreme Being empowers His loving servant to represent Him. Again this might be comparable to a captain of a military ship, who is empowered by his government's military to command that ship.

We can see how God empowers and delegates with Jesus' statement as well. Consider delegation in the workplace. Let's say a business owner promoted an employee to become a manager, and then gave the manager general instructions on how to run the business. The manager will execute those instructions, but in a way that he or she feels is most appropriate for the situation, right?

So let's say the manager decides to fire someone. They didn't do a good job, and the manager saw them goofing off. Does the owner of the business go behind the manager's back and rehire the person after the manager fired them? Would that be a good business practice? No. It would completely undermine the authority of the manager. It would show that the owner did not trust the manager. The owner did not support the manager's judgment.

On the other hand, a good owner would support the manager. Once they delegated the management position, they would only intervene if either the manager requested it. Otherwise, they would trust the judgment (here selection and choices, not ultimate judgment) of the manager.

In the same way, God sends His loving servants as messengers to bring us home. God has had many messengers. Moses, Abraham, Jacob, Job, Jonah, David, Solomon, John the Baptist, and even many of Jesus' disciples were God's messengers. 

God empowers His messenger. He gives them certain authorities with regard to spreading His message. When God's messengers spread His message, they are supported by God.

Certainly, God doesn't need anyone to help Him communicate to us. God communicates directly to each of us through the Holy Spirit.

But God also wants to understand love for God from the perspective of someone who already loves Him. This is the purpose of His sending Jesus and other messengers.

God is also allowing those who care about Him to do some practical service for Him by spreading the teachings of love for God.

Why does not honoring the "Son" not honor God?

Remember that the "Son" is referring to a role. God's representative - or messenger. This is someone who is representing the Supreme Being much as an ambassador is representing their country.

Using this analogy, if another country were to disparage an ambassador, they would effectively be disparaging the country - because the ambassador is representing that country and its government.

In the same way, if someone does not honor God's representative they will be insulting the Supreme Being, because of the close relationship between God and His representative.

God is pleased when His messengers work to help bring other children of God home to Him. They work to please the Supreme Being. 

Because God loves each of us and wants us to come home to Him, those who help Him in that effort are empowered by Him.

Indeed, there is also a close relationship between God and His messenger. This is a loving relationship whereby each of them wants to honor the other.

This is typical of any loving relationship. Consider a husband and wife who love each other. The wife is always looking for the husband to be honored, and will always speak highly of him (assuming she truly loves him). The same for the husband. The loving husband will always want to honor the wife.

In the same way, God's loving servants are always honoring God and speaking of God's glories. So naturally, God wants to honor His loving servants. 

While Jesus spoke generally of himself as a messenger ("son") of God, we know Jesus is an exalted loving servant of God, who is to be honored as God's representative. 

Jesus' position as God's representative renders the greatest honor to Jesus. 

To claim Jesus is God is to dishonor Jesus. Jesus loves God. And Jesus wanted us to become lovers of God. This wasn't an underhanded attempt by Jesus to get us to love him. Jesus wanted us to love someone else - God.

Therefore, to claim that Jesus is God is to ignore the Supreme Being - the very Person that Jesus wants us to love.

By praising God, we can honor Jesus. We can exalt him and follow his teachings because His teachings were about how to love and serve the Supreme Being.

To follow Jesus means to work to please God. This is why Jesus said:

“Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12:48-50)

 

*Here is the translation of these verses from the Lost Gospels of Jesus:

"Furthermore, neither does the Creator select anyone, but He has entrusted selection to the Representative, so that all may honor God’s Representative just as they honor the Creator. He who does not honor God’s Representative does not honor the Creator who sent him." (John 5:22-23)

“... a time is coming and has now come ..." (John 5:25)

“Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.” (John 5:25) 

Who is the 'dead' according to Jesus?

The word "dead" is translated from the Greek word νεκρός (nekros) - which can mean "without life" but its metaphorical meaning according to the Greek lexicon is "spiritually dead."

Jesus' use of the word "dead" is a metaphor for a person who has abandoned their relationship with the Supreme Being. This is confirmed by this statement made by Jesus:

“Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” (Matt. 8:22)

This statement (Matt. 8:22) by Jesus isn't saying those who are burying their dead are physically dead. How else could they bury a dead body? Jesus is using the same metaphor. The type of "dead" that Jesus alludes to here is someone who is ignoring their relationship with God.

This is also confirmed as Jesus says here that those who hear and understand his teachings will become enlightened: "those who hear will live.” Here again, Jesus uses"live" metaphorically.  The word "live" is describing someone who has become spiritually enlightened, and spiritually fulfilled as a result.

Is Jesus predicting his second coming?

Some teachers interpret Jesus' statement as foretelling some time in the future when Jesus will come again at the end of the world and save all those who have followed him.

How far in the future? More than 2,000 years? Was he aware that over the past 2,000 years many teachers have predicted this "end of the world" for a certain date and it didn't happen?

This is a frequent mistake by many that Jesus is somehow telling about a doomsday scenario. This is despite the fact that the end of the world did not come for those Jesus was preaching to. And neither has it come when predicted by so many others over the centuries.

They want us to believe that the end of the world is coming soon - and they are right but those before them were not.

What if the end of the world was tomorrow?

If the end of the world was tomorrow, there will be billions of people who have followed Jesus in one respect or another in the past 2,000 years. What happens to them? Are these billions of people waiting somewhere for the end of the world?

Where are they waiting? Are they waiting in their graves? Even if their bodies have decomposed?

Prior to the custom of burying people's dead bodies in boxes, bodies would decompose in caves and the bones put into boxes. Where are they waiting?

Indeed, many bodies have been tossed into the sea or buried in the ground without a box, their bodies left to decompose into the soil.

Where are they waiting once their bodies have decomposed?

Some teachers preach that when Jesus comes again at the end of the world, those who are members of their sectarian institution will rise up out of their graves and dance on their graves as Jesus pulls them up. 

Such a teaching defies practical reality. Within a few years, their bodies would be decomposed into the soil. That is if they were even buried in a grave. How would they dance on their graves if their bodies decomposed? And what if they weren't buried in a grave. Upon what would they dance?

What about purgatory?

Other teachers have preached that there is a purgatory state where people who die go, as they await Jesus' second coming.

Where is such a purgatory state located? Has anyone ever seen this? If so, why has no one ever found it?

Rather, purgatory is simply an imaginative theory put together to attempt to explain an end-of-the-world theory that doesn't make sense.

What does 'a time is coming' mean then?

Jesus is stating here that not only is a time coming, but such a time has already come ("and has now come").

This means that the time Jesus is referring to had already occurred when he said this.

So when is that "time is coming" Jesus is referring to that could have already come? This might be considered some sort of impossible statement.

This phrase, "and has now come" - comes from the original Greek phrase, καὶ νῦν ἐστιν. This indicates that people could hear and understand Jesus' teachings at the time he was speaking. 

And "a time is coming" indicates that others will come to understand his teachings as he teaches to more people and his teachings are spread by his followers.

The bottom line is that Jesus often used analogies because spiritual topics are beyond the physical realm. Yet Jesus' teachings were very practical, as he strived to reach the broadest audience.

Jesus was speaking to those who were hearing him speak. As he spoke about the subject matters regarding our relationship with God, he enlightened people. As those teachings were heard and understood, people became fulfilled.

How so? Because without our relationship with God we are empty. We are spiritually dead. 

Such a state results from self-centeredness. When we live for ourselves, we feel empty. But when we live for the Supreme Being - our Best Friend and Constant Well-wisher - we become fulfilled. We become "born again." We become "saved."

This is because our natural position is to love and serve the Supreme Being. Each of us has the choice to love and serve the Supreme Being because love requires freedom of choice.

“... I seek not to please myself but Him who sent me.” (John 5:30)

“By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but Him who sent me.” (John 5:30)

What does Jesus mean by 'my judgment is just'?

In the statement above, Jesus is giving credit for what has been translated to "judgment" to God. As mentioned before, this translation* to "judge" and "judgment" is a mistranslation. The Greek words being translated to "judge" and "judgment" here are κρίνω and κρίσις. Using the Greek lexicon:

κρίνω means to 1) to separate, put asunder, to pick out, select, choose

κρίσις means to 1) a separating, sundering, separation

Jesus is not referring to God giving him the ability to judge others, as God already knows us and is thus the only true judge. Jesus is talking about God giving him the ability to select those to whom he teaches and gives his knowledge to. This ability to select those to whom to teach was granted by God to Jesus because of their loving relationship.

 

Because Jesus was God's servant and representative, God trusted Jesus to select those to whom he wanted to teach the confidential knowledge. This is why Jesus selected certain disciples and students, who were able to convene with him privately while he explained some of his parables and so on. 

Who is the 'Him who sent me'?

With this statement, Jesus is clearly indicating that someone sent him. Jesus says, "Him who sent me." Who is "Him"?

Jesus is referring to the Supreme Being. This is confirmed by many other statements by Jesus, deferring to God.

Jesus is clearly indicating that he is God's messenger. This comes from the Greek word, πέμπω (pempō), which means, "to bid a thing to be carried to one." Jesus is referring to his carrying messages from God to us. Jesus is clarifying that he is God's messenger - illustrated in the phrase, "Him who sent me”.

Did God need to send Jesus?

Does the Supreme Being need anyone else to do things? No. God is self-sufficient. God can do anything He wants without anyone's help.

Jesus, on the other hand, is illustrating clearly that he is dependent upon God. A person who submits that they rely upon God is someone who has given their life to the Supreme Being.

Furthermore, because Jesus seeks not to please himself, but rather seeks to please God ("I seek not to please myself but Him who sent me"), Jesus is describing himself as God's loving servant.

A slave is forced to work for the pleasure of his master, but a loving servant chooses out of free will to please the one he loves. Jesus' entire life and teachings were geared toward pleasing God. This is because Jesus loves the Supreme Being.

A loving relationship requires two distinct individuals. God is a distinct individual. Jesus is distinct from God. This is why Jesus says, "By myself I can do nothing." There are two distinct individuals, and one person (Jesus) is dependent upon and loves another Person (the Supreme Being).

Each of us has the free will to choose to love the Supreme Being or not. This, however, does not mean that we are in control. We have choice, but not control. 

Those who feel that they are self-sufficient and in control are deceiving themselves. They too, are subject to the control of the physical world. If we decide not to submit to God's will, then we are simply submitting ourselves to the control of the physical world.

Do we have control over this world?

None of us can rule the physical world. Even those who have achieved positions of great power, such as kings and presidents, cannot control the physical world. They cannot control the weather. They cannot control disease, suffering and so many other events that take place in the physical world.

They may think they are in control, and certainly, they might achieve minimal authority over certain affairs, but they are not in real control. That have to follow the rules of the physical world.

One of the central components of the physical world is time. No one, even those who have gained the power and authority over large populations, such as Alexander the Great or Constantine, could control time.

This is why all the great kings, presidents and other leaders are dead now. They had no control over time. They had no control over when their physical body would die. They might have delayed it a bit with medical care, but in the end, they had no control over time.

As for the rest of us, we also have to follow all the rules of the physical world, which include the rules of government, banking, social expectations, the workplace, disease, money, and of course, time. We are controlled by the forces of the physical world, whether seemingly put there by man or nature, we are dominated. We are controlled. If we are not one of God's servants, we are servants of the physical world.

This doesn't mean that we don't have the freedom to choose our path. We do have this freedom. It is also called 'free will.'

Each of us has free will to choose our direction in life. We may not be able to control the outcome, but we can still make choices. Once we make our choices, the world follows suit in such a way as to provide a path but also to teach us.

That is the nature of this world. Yes, it does respond to our choices. We may not be able to control it, but we can help tame this world by making the right choices.

Do we have free will?

Love requires free will. If we didn't have the freedom to love God or not, then there would be no such thing as love for God. It would be slavery to God.

Where we put our love is the most important choice we make. Should we put our love on God, He will reciprocate. If we don't, He will make Himself invisible to us.

Should we make the choice to love God, God will guide us towards achieving this goal. We may not achieve it suddenly, but the guidance will be there for us to continue to choose.

Jesus showed us how to do this with both his teachings and his life. While he spoke with authority as God's representative, he never claimed that authority: Jesus always gave that authority to God, and he was constantly seeking to please God. This is why Jesus is saying (above) that "I seek not to please myself but Him who sent me.”

What Jesus is saying is that pleasing God gave Jesus more pleasure than pleasing himself. This is called love.

This is the very essence and nature of love. When we truly love someone, we receive our pleasure by pleasing the person we love. Jesus showed that by his life.

And ironically, those who live for their own selfish pleasure are constantly miserable. In other words, we gain no real pleasure by seeking our own pleasure.

We also cannot simply go about our pleasure-loving ways, and then go to church on Sundays and expect that we can just wipe all the consequences of our selfish ways on to Jesus so that we can go back and keep doing them. In order to receive Jesus' saving grace, we must decide to change. While complete change is a gradual process - and comes only with God's help - we can decide we want to change at any time.

Yes, we can decide at any time that we want to live for God rather than living for ourselves. This is what Jesus came to teach us, and also what his ultimate sacrifice (of giving his life in the service of God) was intended to teach us.

Thus, rather than trying to fictionalize that Jesus is God, we must see and portray Jesus accurately. Jesus clarifies with this statement that he is God's confidential loving servant. We must worship Jesus in this way, and decide for ourselves, whether we, too, want to heed Jesus' primary 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)

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

"By myself I can do nothing; As I hear, I make choices, and my choices are just because I do not seek to please myself but to please Him who sent me." (John 5:30)

"... it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven." (John 6:32-33)

So they asked him, "What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" Jesus said to them, "Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." (John 6:30-33)

What is 'the bread of God'?

The word "bread" is being translated* from the Greek word ἄρτος (artos). According to Thayer's lexicon, this can mean "bread" but also, "food of any kind." 

Food, as we all know, gives the body sustenance. Jesus is speaking of spiritual food here. Jesus is using a metaphor. This is not physical bread made from wheat flour. The "bread of God" that Jesus is referring to is love of God. 

'The bread of God' is having a loving relationship with the Supreme Being.

The reason for this metaphor is that Jesus is teaching that love for the Supreme Being gives our spirit sustenance. Love of God is fulfilling to our soul.

Jesus used a similar metaphor when he spoke of "food" they didn't know about.

This loving relationship with God is illustrated by the life and activities of Lord Jesus. He "came down" to provide us with information about the need to love God, and how we can achieve this relationship by pleasing the Supreme Being.

And what did Jesus do to please his beloved Master and Creator, the Supreme Being?

He gave up everything. Just think about it. Jesus walked from town to town with no possessions, no home, and even though many criticized him, he never wavered in his teachings and his mission to serve the Supreme Being.

What is the 'true bread from heaven'?

Remember that Jesus is answering a question related to food. The questioning said, Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"

Those questioning Jesus were talking about the Exodus, when Moses led the Israelites out of slavery and to Canaan. Please see below for an alternative translation* of this verse.

Thus we find that the "true bread from heaven" is the opportunity to re-connect with God, and re-develop our loving relationship with God.

Ultimately, only the Supreme Being can give us this opportunity, but He may utilize His messengers to communicate this. Through His messenger, the Supreme Being illustrates to us how we can make changes in our life in order to advance our own relationship with God. 

This is because God's messenger already has a loving service relationship with God, and can help guide us in the same direction. But it is ultimately God who gives us this opportunity. This is the meaning of "my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven."

The loving messenger of God enjoys a transcendental relationship with the Supreme Being. We may not see that relationship with the physical eyes. But we can know of it by seeing the activities of His messenger. 

Seeing those activities - seeing God's servant sacrifice his life to the Supreme Being - is the means by which we can get a glimpse of their relationship. 

This is why Jesus' crucifixion is such an important event: It is a teaching event. An event that helps us get a tiny glimpse of Jesus' love for God.

In other words, Jesus didn't just teach with words. He also taught with his actions. Through his life, we can at least partly understand what love of God is.

Jesus gave the ultimate sacrifice in the physical world: His physical body. Why? Because he would not budge or retract any of his teachings, Jesus was persecuted, tortured, and murdered because of his teachings. And his teachings were about love of God.

Jesus could have escaped such a fate if he wanted to. He could have run off from Jerusalem and escaped arrest. He could have mellowed out his teachings so they wouldn't inflame the high priest. Instead, he carried on in his mission to please the Supreme Being and teach us about God.

This is the stuff of love. This is the stuff of devotion and the reason why God's representative is the "bread from heaven." Because the life and teachings of God's representative reveal the intense loving relationships that exist between the Supreme Being and His devoted children who dwell in the spiritual world with Him.

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

“Very truly I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the food from heaven, but it is my LORD who gives you the true food from the spiritual realm. For the food of God is that which comes out of the spiritual realm and gives life to the world.” (John 6:32-33)

"For I have come down from heaven not to do my will ..." (John 6:38-40)

"For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of Him who sent me. And this is the will of Him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:38-40)

Is Jesus saying that he is God?

Many have misinterpreted this statement to mean that Jesus is saying that he is God. (See below for a clearer translation.*) 

The Jewish Pharisees listening to Jesus also thought this. They began to grumble and question:

"Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, 'I came down from heaven'?" (John 6:41)

In other words, how could someone who was born among men claim to suddenly have the authority of the Supreme Being?

The primary fact not understood is that Jesus was not his physical body. His physical body was a temporary vehicle for Jesus' spirit-person.

The physical is occupied by a person of another plane of existence - of spirit - making the occupant of each physical body a spirit-person. In the case of Jesus, his physical body was occupied by a superior spirit-person - a loving servant and representative of God, whom God dispatched to teach on His behalf.

Jesus states this clearly here when he says:

"For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of Him who sent me."

Is this not clear enough? If a person says they are not doing their own will but someone else's will, does that make them the other person? Certainly not. There are still two individuals present. One is choosing to work on behalf of the other.

Furthermore, Jesus clearly speaks of two entities here: "me" and "Him who sent me." How could Jesus be the sender and the messenger at the same time?

Jesus did not become the Supreme Being and the Supreme Being did not become Jesus, just as an ambassador of a country's president does not become the president when he goes to another country. God has empowered Jesus as His representative, and Jesus furthered the will of the Supreme Being by acting on behalf of God.

Why isn't Jesus doing his own will?

Jesus is speaking of choosing to work on behalf of someone else. This is called service. And when that service is performed with love and the desire to please the one being served, that is called being a loving servant.

In the case of Jesus, he is speaking of doing the will of the Supreme Being. Doing God's will, in other words.

Jesus was God's loving servant. This is confirmed by another statement:

"I seek not to please myself but Him who sent me." (John 5:30)

What did Jesus mean by 'son'?

In this context, "loving servant," is a more appropriate translation of the Greek word υἱός (huios). The lexicon clearly states that the translation of this word to "son" only "in a restricted sense, the male offspring (one born by a father and of a mother)." Otherwise, it indicates the word means "one who depends on another or is his follower."

As described elsewhere, the most appropriate translation of the Greek word υἱός is devoted follower or loving servant, not "son," because son only applies to an offspring of a physical family according to the lexicon.

Just consider a few of Jesus' statements that utilize this word υἱός (huios) - using NKJV:

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." (Matt. 5:9)

“But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection." (Luke 20:35-36)

"The people of this age marry and are given in marriage." (Luke 20:34)

These uses of the word υἱός (huios) illustrate the alternative use of the word outside of the relationship of physical bodies - parents and their children. This means that references Jesus makes in his spiritual relationship with the Supreme Being (translated to "son of God") and to humanity ("son of man") are akin to his statement in Luke 20:35-36, wherein it is clear a more appropriate translation would be devoted follower or loving servant.

Thus we would have:

"Son of God" is thus better translated to: "Devoted follower of God" or "Loving servant of God." In the case of Jesus, depending upon the context, it would be better translated to "Representative of God." Such a case for this translation is also made in Thayer's lexicon. 

And "Son of man" is better translated to: "Servant of humanity" or "Servant of the people."

This makes more sense, doesn't it? A person who is led by God is certainly following God. And a person who is following God is certainly serving God. Furthermore, a person who is following God by saving humanity would therefore be serving humanity.

Jesus confirmed his position as servant in other verses, such as:

“For even the Son of Man [Servant of humanity] did not come to be served, but to serve" (Mark 10:45)

"The greatest among you will be your servant." (Matt. 23:11)

Thus by Jesus' own admission and teachings, he stated clearly that he was in the position of servant - God's loving servant and the loving servant of humanity.

Jesus is describing the empowerment that God’s representative and loving servant receives from God. The loving servant and representative of God has been empowered by God to be able to save someone from the depths of the hell of the physical world by passing God's message on to the student.

What does the 'last day' mean?

This also is the meaning of "raise them up on the last day." Many ecclesiastical sectarian teachers would like us to believe that Jesus is speaking of some supposed day in the future where Jesus will return to earth and bring all his flock - who have been waiting after having been dead for how long? - back to heaven with him. This is actually an absurd and comical interpretation of this statement by Jesus.

"The last day" that Jesus is speaking of is the day when each person's body dies. The day the body dies is the last day of our physical life in this body. It is not some kind of mysterious "second coming" that so many sectarian teachers have predicted over and over (incorrectly) as Armageddon – its Greek word (only used once in the Bible) referring to a hilly region (“harrar”) of Megiddon – a region located in Northern Israel.

What about the "Rapture"?

Then there is this speculative concept called the “rapture” – a theory developed by John Nelson Darby in the early part of the Nineteenth century and proselytized by Cyrus I. Scofield, who wrote it into his “Scofield Reference Bible.”

The concept of the “rapture” is never mentioned in the texts of the Bible – at all. It is a speculative theory made up by sectarian teachers interested in attracting followers.

The “rapture’ theory nonsensically states that we will all wait in our graves until some moment when Jesus “comes” and frees all the believers from their graves, whereupon they float up to the clouds to meet up with their families and then float up above that to meet up with Jesus.

Perhaps these "rapturists" never dug up an old gravesite. If they had, they would have realized that within a few years, the body decomposes and turns into soil. The bugs and microbes eat it up and discharge the waste into the soil. The body will be completely gone within a few decades following death – depending upon how it is buried.

The reality is, the day each of our bodies dies we will have to leave them. This is our own personal "Armageddon." This is the day when everything we thought we owned is torn away from us. This is the day that our family is torn away. This is the day when our reputation is torn away from us. This is the day that all our plans and all our accumulated wealth are all torn away from us.

Yes, this day brings upheaval and great calamity and great wailing, as the scriptures discuss. But this is a personal event that each of us faces individually when we are forcefully pulled away from our physical bodies. Because each of us dies alone, regardless of how many family members we are surrounded by at the time.

On this day of the death of our physical body not only do we leave our body, but our lives will be judged, and our next destination will be determined. This is also called "Judgement Day." The day that we leave our bodies is our own personal "Judgement Day."

God's messenger Jesus was empowered by God with the ability to guide us towards achieving our loving relationship with God. God is ultimately in charge, but He empowers His messenger to help those who want to return to Him after their "last day."

The fact that Jesus is doing God's also explains the "oneness" that exists between God and His messenger Jesus. They have become "one" in purpose, and "one" in love. But they remain two individuals: God remains God, and God's representative is His loving servant.

But they have the same purpose because Jesus is God's representative - and thus doing the will of the Supreme Being.

*Here is the translation of these verses according to the Lost Gospels of Jesus:

“For I have descended from the spiritual realm not to please myself but to please Him who sent me. And what pleases Him who sent me is that I shall lose none of those He has entrusted to me, but raise them up at the time of death. For what pleases my LORD is that everyone who perceives the Representative and trusts in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the time of death.” (John 6:38-40)

"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me ..." (John 10:14-15)

"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me - just as the Father knows me and I know the Father - and I lay down my life for the sheep." (John 10:14-15) 

Did Jesus really say he was the 'good' shepherd?

This element of Jesus' statement has been mistranslated* and this has caused misinterpretations. One of the key mistranslations, as we discussed with Jesus' previous statement in John 10:11-13, Jesus is not saying that he is the "good" shepherd. The Greek word translated to "good," καλός (kalos), is actually better translated to "genuine" or "approved."

In other words, Jesus was saying that he is the "genuine shepherd." 

He was saying that he is not a fake. He is actually representing God, unlike some of the temple teachers (Pharisees and Sadducees and chief priests) that were preaching in the temples during Jesus' time.

What about 'I lay down my life'?

The other glaring issue is that some professional sectarian teachers interpret the phrase "I lay down my life for the sheep" out of context with his surrounding statements. 

We also discussed this "lay down" translation in Jesus' previous statement.

Today's professional teachers try to construe this as Jesus referring to his coming murder at the hands of the Romans and institutional temple high priests.

Actually, the Greek words being translated into the phrase "I lay down my life" are τίθημι (tithēmi), ἐγώ (egō) and ψυχή (psychē). "Lay down" is being derived from τίθημι, which actually means, according to the Greek lexicon,  to "commit" or "bow." This word does not imply dying for something. It refers to committing oneself for someone else.

The words "my life" are derived from ἐγώ (egō) and ψυχή (psychē). ἐγώ is a pronoun referring to something possessive, and ψυχή is not the physical body, as in what died in the crucifixion (Jesus did not die, only his temporary physical body died). Rather, ψυχή refers to, according to the lexicon, 'the vital force which animates the body,' or the 'living soul,' or 'soul.' In other words, ψυχή refers to the living being within the body. It does not refer to the physical body at all.

So to translate the Greek into "I lay down my life" illustrates a lack of understanding of the spiritual context of Jesus' statement. From the lexicon, we can understand that what Jesus is saying is that he has committed himself to his students and disciples: "I have committed myself."

How does the 'genuine shepherd' fit into this?

Remember, in his previous statement (John 10:11-13), Jesus told a parable that compared the "genuine shepherd" with a "hired hand." He illustrated that the "hired hand" would abandon the sheep when he saw a wolf coming, but the "genuine shepherd" would stand with the sheep and protect them (see previous entry).

Now Jesus is saying that between the two, he is the "genuine shepherd." Jesus will stand by his sheep because he is committed to his "sheep" - his followers. But then Jesus says something very revealing about his relationship with his "sheep" and his relationship with God.

He says, "I know my sheep and my sheep know me - just as the Father knows me and I know the Father." What does this mean?

What is Jesus' relationship with God?

Consider first the word γινώσκω (ginōskō), being appropriately translated to "know." γινώσκω (ginōskō) means to 'perceive,' 'understand,' and 'become acquainted with' according to the lexicon.

To perceive, understand and become acquainted with someone means to have a personal relationship with that person. It is not simply the kind of knowledge from a textbook. It is not like knowing the history of Abraham Lincoln. To "know" someone in this context is an intimate type of knowing. 

It means understanding what makes the person "tick." It means knowing what pleases them, and what displeases them. It means to know the will and purpose of the person. This is the "knowing" that Jesus is referring to here, and this is confirmed by the Greek lexicon.

So Jesus is identifying with this statement who his "sheep" are. They are not simply people who go to church every Sunday and expect Jesus' suffering on the cross to relieve them of the consequences of their sins. This is confirmed by another statement Jesus made:

“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)

This statement confirms that Jesus is not pleased with people who are pawing him for miracles, healings, and being "saved." What Jesus wants here is very clear: "but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." This phrase illustrates two things:

1) Jesus is only pleased when we serve God.
2) Jesus is not the Supreme Being. (Otherwise, he would not have said "my Father who is in heaven" when he was standing in front of those he was speaking to. If he was God, he would have said, "but only he who does my will." He didn't say that.)

We can now clearly understand Jesus' statement above: "I know my sheep and my sheep know me - just as the Father knows me and I know the Father." Those who "know" Jesus understand that Jesus is pleased when we serve the One he loves, God. Jesus "knows" God because he knows what pleases God and is serving God in order to please God. This is confirmed by Jesus' prayer:

"Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what You will. Let the cup pass from me." (Mark 14:36)

Jesus is not wanting to do his own will, but he wants to do God's will. Now, why would a person want to do someone else's will and not their own will?

Why is Jesus saying this?

The reason is Love. Jesus loves the Supreme Being. Jesus wants to please the Supreme Being. Jesus has a loving relationship with God, and just as in any loving relationship, he wants to please the one he loves.

This is what Jesus is trying to teach us, and this is the key to becoming one of Jesus' "sheep." Jesus didn't just teach this with his words, but with his actions. He totally committed himself to teach this to his followers. He did not work a job to make himself rich. He did not try to become a powerful church administrator or priest so he could command authority.

He simply tirelessly worked to teach - walking with no possessions throughout the countryside, teaching from knolls, courtyards and temples throughout the land. And when the institutional temple priests ("hired hands") accused him of teaching wrongly, he stood by his teachings. He did not abandon them. He did not deny them.

He could have, and this would have allowed him to escape persecution. But Jesus did not. He knew his teachings were pleasing to the Supreme Being, and he stood up for them because he wanted to please the One he loves. He was committed to pleasing God and committed to saving his students and disciples from the selfish ignorance of their lives by teaching them to love and serve the Supreme Being:

“‘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 am the genuine shepherd and I know my own and my own know me – just as the Creator knows me and I know the Creator – I commit my life to the sheep. (John 10:14-15)

"The one who looks at me is seeing the One who sent me." (John 12:45)

What does Jesus mean by 'the one who looks at me'?

Here Jesus is describing someone who trusts in Jesus and understands who Jesus is. The phrase, 'one who looks at me' is describing someone having some understanding of Jesus.

This verse continues from Jesus' previous statement:

"Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the One who sent me." (John 12:44)

As mentioned with that verse, the word "believe" does not mean to believe in Jesus' existence. He was standing in front of those he was speaking to, so they certainly knew he existed. Rather, "believe" is translated from the Greek word πιστεύω (pisteuō), which means "to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in" according to the lexicon. 

So Jesus is speaking of trust here. He is talking about someone trusting in what he was teaching.

What does 'seeing' mean here?

Jesus is not talking about seeing with the eyes here. He is standing in front of those he was speaking to, and certainly, they could all see him with their eyes. "Seeing" is being translated from the Greek word θεωρέω (theōreō), which can mean to see physically with the eyes, but also to 'perceive, 'consider' or 'ascertain' (understand) according to the lexicon.

Jesus is speaking of the ability to see a little deeper here.

We could compare this to how a government official from one country might see an ambassador from another country. The government official doesn't just see the person standing in front of them when they meet. The official understands that the ambassador is an emissary of his government. The ambassador represents his government, and he was sent by his government.

The government official understands this as they meet. If the government official were to abuse or embarrass such an ambassador, the government who sent the ambassador would become upset. This could disturb the relationship between the two governments. Thus the government official treats the ambassador with the kind of respect deserving of the government the ambassador represents.

Jesus is in the same role as the ambassador, with respect to the Supreme Being. Jesus is not to be seen as the Supreme Being, or as the Supreme Being turned man - as taught by some. Jesus, as he clarifies here, was sent by the Supreme Being. He is representing the Supreme Being. He is speaking for the Supreme Being.

This means that while we should give Jesus due respect as God's representative, it would be improper to think of Jesus as God. Just as it would be rude for the government official in the example above to greet the ambassador as the president of his country. Doing so would insult that country's real president, as well as insult the ambassador and his country.

This was made clear by Jesus when he said:

"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 say 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)

So Jesus is more than a little upset with those who confuse Jesus with God. He wants them to get away from him. He is calling them "evildoers."

Why are they 'evildoers'?

Aren't they going to church every Sunday, giving alms, spreading their version of the "gospel" and "healing" people in Jesus' name? Isn't that okay?

Jesus is clarifying the criteria: Only those who do the "will of my Father who is in heaven." are pleasing to Jesus.

This means that Jesus is not pleased with the teachers who virtually ignore God while they ask their followers to sentimentally cry out "I am saved" and other such monikers.

Meanwhile, they ignore Jesus' instruction to do God's will and virtually ignore God. Many consider "God the Father" as some vague force that became a man. That is ridiculous. God never has to become a man. God is always the Supreme Being. He never has to come under the confines of the physical dimension. He created the physical dimension.

Is God an old man with a long white beard?

Others think of the Supreme Being as this old man with flowing gray hair and a long white beard. As if God is so old that he must have wrinkled skin and gray hair. God created time and designed the aging process. Why would He - their controller - be subject to them?

Both of these speculative perceptions of the Supreme Being are incorrect. God is beyond the confines of the physical world, yet He is a Person. Consider again Jesus' statement above:

"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."

This clearly indicates that God is a Person "who" resides in the "kingdom of heaven" and "heaven" is located outside the physical world. If the "kingdom of heaven" were on the earth now or in the future, why would Jesus refer to God being in the "kingdom of heaven" in the present tense; and why would some people be able to go there while others cannot? 

This also relates to seeing the Supreme Being. If God's "kingdom of heaven" were here, why does Jesus speak of going there?

This can also be seen within the question many ask:

Why can't I see God?

We want to see the Supreme Being with our physical eyes but we can't. Some of us even challenge God's existence, proclaiming that if we can't see God, He must not exist. This exhibits our perceived self-importance and our assumption that our senses can perceive everything in existence.

Have we ever considered that maybe God doesn't want us to see Him?

God doesn't want us to see Him because we don't really want to see Him. This is why we are here in this physical world, operating these temporary physical bodies. Our physical bodies were designed not to perceive God because we wanted to get away from God. We wanted to do our will, not His. We wanted to enjoy life without God. So He simply granted our wish.

This also means that we also cannot accurately speculate about God. Because we are currently separated from God, we cannot see Him with these physical eyes or physical mind. Because our mind is a recording device of the senses, the mind also cannot perceive God. We, therefore, cannot use our minds and the experiences of our senses to imagine Him. He resides personally in the spiritual world - a place not governed by time and physical space, and thus outside the range of our physical senses.

Still, we know from Jesus' statements that God is an individual Person. Anyone who has a separate will is an individual, and anyone who wills is a person because a will requires a personality.

Also, we know that God's will is different from our will because some people do God's will and others won't. This means that His will is distinct from ours. We can choose to do His will or not.

Can the mind imagine God?

Conjuring up an imaginative speculative vision of God within the mind is not seeing God. It is seeing what we want to see. The best way to reliably "see" (perceive) God with our physical senses is by hearing from God's representative. We can know God through His messenger, as He is introduced and described by those who love Him.

For example, we can know from God's messengers that God enjoys relationships and enjoys exchanging love. God wants our love. We can see that by simply hearing the teachings and observing the activities of God's messenger. This is illustrated by Jesus' most important 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)

This instruction communicates that love for God is not just a sentimental feeling. Many will even say whimsically, "Oh, I love God." But do they even know who God is? Loving God as defined by Moses, Jesus and other representatives of God means dedicating our lives to Him. It means doing what pleases the Supreme Being on a practical basis. 

This is why it was important to Jesus to do God's will - as mentioned in the verse above. Pleasing God was Jesus' highest priority, because Jesus loves the Supreme Being and wants to please Him.

Because loving God requires knowing God, we will see the Supreme Being when we too want to please Him.

"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who ..." (John 12:46)

"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." (John 12:46) 

Why is Jesus comparing himself to 'light'?

Jesus also compared himself to 'light' in John 12;35-36. The Greek word φῶς (phōs) does translate to "light," but he is not saying that he is physically illuminated. Jesus is not comparing himself to a light from a light bulb or the sun.

Rather, Jesus is utilizing a metaphor. According to Thayer's lexicon, the word, when used in the metaphorical context can mean, "of truth and its knowledge, together with the spiritual purity associated with it."

It can also refer specifically to God. "God is light because light has an extremely delicate, subtle, pure, brilliant quality."

In this context, Jesus is utilizing both meanings for this metaphor. Jesus is illuminating his followers with Truth and knowledge: Truth and knowledge that relate directly to coming to know and love the Supreme Being.

What does Jesus mean by 'darkness'?

This metaphorical use also applies to the Greek word, σκοτία (skotia), which has been translated to "darkness."

According to the lexicon, the Greek word σκοτία (skotia) can also be used metaphorically. The lexicon suggests that is relates to: "ignorance of divine things, and its associated wickedness, and the resultant misery in hell."

'Ignorance of divine things' relates directly to the opposite of the illumination of Truth about the Supreme Being. Having such ignorance is specifically linked to loneliness, heartache and suffering in general.

Jesus' use of darkness also describes wickedness. Wickedness is self-centeredness. In this physical world where ignorance of God is common, wickedness prevails.

This accommodates, as the lexicon suggests, the "resultant misery in hell."

Is hell somewhere else?

Hell is not necessarily a physical place. Hell is a matter of consciousness. Hell is that consciousness where ignorance of God and self-centeredness - wickedness - prevails. Hell is described in scripture as relating to pain, agony, death, and violence.

A cursory review of the international news clearly indicates this world contains all these elements. Every inhabitant of the physical world must deal with periodic pain, periodic agony, and periodic violence in one respect or another. And all of the physical world's inhabitants must deal with the death of the physical body.

Yes, every physical lifetime ends in tragedy. One may suffer at any point during our physical life. A soul may be born into a body with suffering, and experience such tragedy throughout that physical lifetime.

Or a soul may be born into a body that experiences only intermittent sufferings in the form of diseases, injuries and accidents.

Regardless, every body ends up dying. At its time of death, the body typically suffers great pain, which is relieved when the soul leaves that physical body.

Yes, every physical lifetime is a story of tragedy in one respect or another. Even the greatest, most famous and wealthy physical lifetimes will end in suffering, forcing the soul to leave the body and all those riches and fame behind.

Why are there so many hardships in this world?

The physical world is a place of consequence, and each of us must work through the consequences of our past activities of this lifetime and prior lifetimes. Why? To learn and understand what our actions produce.

A person who causes the suffering of others is destined to suffer in the same way. Jesus stated this clearly as he spoke to a man he had healed:

“See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” (John 5:14)

This is meant to teach us. Just as "consequence learning" has become the scientifically best way of raising children, it is also part of God's design for our rehabilitation. And why should we be rehabilitated? Aren't we all "okay"?

What causes ignorance?

Due to the illusory nature of this dimension, as we vie for the temporary tidings of this world we choose to ignore the suffering involved in it.

It is ignorance that prevents us from seeing the physical world as it is. What causes this?

We are so caught up in our self-centered search for happiness that we refuse to see all the suffering around us. And we tend to forget our own pain - thinking that we can somehow be happy in this world even though our bodies are quickly aging, and headed for death.

Yes, self-centeredness produces ignorance.

Why is ignorance connected to wickedness?

These two words - ignorance and wickedness - sum up our current consciousness in the physical world. Here we walk the planet in search of our own happiness. We want to make me happy. We want stuff for me. We want others to love me. We want money for me. We want success, acclaim, power and wealth, for me. It's all about ourselves. It's all about our self-centered search for our own happiness.

This is ignorance - the "darkness" Jesus speaks of. We are ignoring the reality of the relationship that exists between each of us and the Supreme Being. What is that relationship?

The relationship we are ignoring is that the Supreme Being created us to be His caregivers. Our natural position is to love Him and please Him. He created us to share a relationship with Him, but while He certainly enjoys loving us and taking care of us, the foundation of our side of this relationship is our loving service to Him.

Even when two people come together as a couple, the relationship is based on each person doing things that please the other person. From the very beginning, when the man presents a flower to the woman, the relationship is an exchange of loving service to each other. And the success of that relationship is also dependent upon the continuation of loving service to each other. But this is all related to choice. Each has the freedom to love or not.

Do we have a choice to love God?

Our relationship with the Supreme Being also has that freedom. We can essentially choose to love Him or choose to love ourselves. This is the choice that the physical world presents to us.

Now we dwell here in a physical body that allows us to ignore God. We cannot see God with the physical senses of these bodies because these bodies were designed not to see God. They were designed to allow us to forget God. The Supreme Being is giving us the 'space' to love Him or not. It's our choice.

If we make the choice not to love Him, we remain here, virtually away from Our Best Friend and Companion. This is virtual because we can never really get away from the Supreme Being. He is present everywhere through His expansive qualities. 

God is here as the Creator of this world, but also He is present through personal expansion. He thus dwells unseen next to each of us, simply watching, waiting and lovingly helping when we need it.

This has been spoken of in the Biblical scripture as the Holy Ghost, but God's expansive capability is not a ghost. His ability to expand Himself into the environments He creates is quite complex, yet simple for Him. 

Just think of how we can now broadcast television into millions of homes at the same time. The Supreme Being utilizes His own broadcasting method to extend Himself and be personally present for each of us.

This is the purpose of prayer. We can communicate to Him if we want. We can ask if we can come home and return to our constitutional loving relationship with God.

This is the "light" that Jesus was trying to illuminate our lives with, in order to remove our "darkness" of ignorance. This is why Jesus' most important instruction 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)

"Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." (John 13:17)

Know what 'things'?

Jesus said this to his students after washing their feet. He did more than this, however. He also explained how becoming a servant of others was the key to pleasing God, and becoming one of God's humble loving servants.

Jesus communicated this both by his teaching as well as by showing them. This is why he began washing their feet.

Now Jesus is saying that if they understood this, they would be "blessed."

What does 'blessed' mean?

"Blessed" in this verse is being translated from the Greek word μακάριος (makarios). This word means, "blessed," but also "happy" according to the lexicon, but also "well off" and "fortunate."

This communicates that coming to understand our position as servant is a blessing. It is something that ultimately comes from God. The Supreme Being will open the door for those who decide they want to enter. But the door being open is still a gift.

Jesus came - as sent by the Supreme Being - to offer us this gift. He came to show us that each of us can make the choice and decide to get closer to God.

Once we make that steadfast choice, God will open the door.

This is why he said:

"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." (Matt. 7:21)

What is doing the will of God?

Doing someone else's "will" also requires we know what pleases them. This was a primary purpose for Jesus' teachings. He taught his students what pleases the Supreme Being.

Jesus taught that doing the will of God, first and foremost, means loving Him. God does not need anything from us. He can do anything He wants. He doesn't need us to be His servants.

God is pleased simply by us loving Him. The Supreme Being wants our love.

Loving someone else means abandoning our own interests and caring for that person. Jesus advised that we point our love towards God because this is what pleases God:

"'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)

"... before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!" (John 13:38)

Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you." Then Jesus answered, "Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times! (John 13:36-38)

Why did Jesus challenge Peter's allegiance?

Jesus knew that Peter's commitment and love for God were not strong enough to follow Jesus throughout his coming ordeal. Peter wasn't ready. Peter still had some learning to do. And Jesus wanted to promote his learning process.

You see, Peter was confident of his faith and commitment to Jesus. Such confidence in itself is deceiving. Confidence about our faith and commitment to God is an oxymoron to true faith. True faith in God means to rely upon God. Confidence in our faith means we think we are strong.

Peter was confident that he was strong in his faith, and his faith could not be shaken. Such confidence is actually a pitfall. It is a handicap for our spiritual life.

Yes, Peter thought he was so dedicated to Jesus. But Jesus understood this confidence was a handicap. Peter had some additional testing in order to gain his real strength.

That strength comes from God. This means relying upon the Supreme Being to be the source of our strength. We cannot produce this on our own.

Peter's confidence was tested by Jesus' arrest. During Jesus' confinement and trial, Peter was asked three times by those who thought they had recognized Peter as being one of Jesus' disciples.

But Peter denied it all three times.

With each denial, Peter became more and more disgusted with himself. Peter had thought he was so dedicated. But it turned out that Peter was not that dedicated to Jesus. He wasn't ready to risk his life for Jesus - yet.

We would later find that indeed Peter did sacrifice his life in the service of Jesus and God. Part of Peter's courage was built upon the learning experience here in this event with Jesus.

This was a big part of this event with Jesus. It was a teaching moment for many.

Did Jesus' crucifixion cleanse our sins?

Many teach that Jesus' crucifixion was designed to cleanse our sins. Where did they get this idea?

Some insist that the first book of John indicates this. But this would be an exaggeration. Let's get the context of the key verses used by some to insist that not only is Jesus' crucifixion for cleaning our sins, but also that Jesus is God.

At one time, Jesus was also a follower - a follower of John the Baptist. We know that Jesus received baptism by John the Baptist and that Jesus also baptized his students. This illustrates that baptism was a ceremony representing that a student would follow the teacher's teachings.

As John pointed out when he baptized Jesus, Jesus was not an ordinary student. Here is what John stated about his beloved and exalted student, Jesus, translated according to the Lost Gospels of Jesus translation:

They asked him, “Who are you then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the LORD.’ ” Now the Pharisees who had been sent questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not Anointed by God [Messiah, Christ], nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do know not. He is the one who comes after me, the binding of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” This took place in Bethany on the other side of the river Jordan, where John was baptizing. The following day, he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who removes the darkness of the material world. This is the one I was referring to when I said, ‘A man with more authority comes after me because he has surpassed me.’ I did not recognize him, but he became known to Israel through my baptizing with water.” And John testified: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I did not recognize him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit comes down and remains is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I myself have seen and testified that this is the Representative of God.” (John 1:21-34)

While the word "lamb" may be correctly derived from the Greek word ἀμνός (amnos), John the Baptist is clearly saying that Jesus is the "Lamb of God." He is not saying that Jesus is God.

And while it appears that John did not conduct this form of worship himself, offering lamb to the Supreme Being as an offering was discussed throughout the Old Testament:

If he offers a lamb, he is to present it before the LORD. (Lev 3:7)

Furthermore, John the Baptist did not say that Jesus is God and that God "died" for our sins.

Neither did John eat lamb - or any meat for that matter. He was not even referring to Jesus as a lamb that would be slaughtered. Rather, he was referring to Jesus as being God's servant. A lamb was considered docile and obeying.

The phrase word "who takes away" comes from the Greek word αἴρω (airō) which has a secondary meaning of to "remove" or "carry off, carry away with one." However, its primary means is "to raise up, elevate, lift up" according to the lexicon.

What is sin?

"Sin" is being translated from the Greek word ἁμαρτία (hamartia), which means, according to the lexicon, "to miss the mark," "to err, be mistaken" or "to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honour, to do or go wrong" or "to wander from the law of God, violate God's law." Thus in the translation above, "darkness" is used because this composes the entirety of these points.

Now "of the world!" is being translated from κόσμος (kosmos), which can mean, according to the lexicon, "an apt and harmonious arrangement or constitution, order, government", ornament, decoration, adornment, i.e. the arrangement of the stars," "'the heavenly hosts', as the ornament of the heavens," "the world, the universe", "the "circle of the earth, the earth" or "the inhabitants of the earth, men, the human family."

If sin means to stray or "wander from the path of righteousness" or "wander from the law of God" - which we could summarize as "wandering from God" - then how can anyone remove that?

Are people not wandering from God now? Did Jesus' body's dying on the cross make it so no one is sinning now and no one is wandering from God's laws now?

Certainly not. Most of us in this world are still sinning and wandering from God. Jesus has not removed sinning from the world.

Does this mean the scripture is wrong? No. It means simply that the interpretation of those verses is wrong.

First, we must understand what sinning essentially is. What is the essence of "God's laws" and what is "the path of righteousness" that sinning means to wander from? When we think of "God's laws," we must consider Moses' teachings, as Jesus taught. The core "God's law" that he laid down:

"Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." (Deut. 6:4)

"Love the LORD your God and keep His requirements, His decrees, His laws and His commands always." (Deut. 11:1)

Keeping God's "requirements," "decrees," "laws" and "commands" clearly means doing God's will. It means living in such a way that is pleasing to God. Now how would a person "wander" from this "law" of loving God and doing God's will?

Is this about becoming saved?

The desire to being saved is a self-centered desire. And self-centeredness is diametrically opposite of love for God. Love for God means to give our lives to God, and live for God. It means to care for what God wants, and want to please the Supreme Being.

Living a self-centered life means to live to please oneself. It means to do whatever pleases us. This is essentially what sin is.

So we know that "sinning" comes from a particular consciousness of being self-centered. How can Jesus' crucifixion "remove" this?

Rather, Jesus' life and his sacrifice can help us change our consciousness, from one of being self-centered to one of being God-centered. This is because Jesus' acts were all centered around pleasing 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 how can Jesus' teachings and his activities - such as his allowing his body to be murdered - can change our consciousness from being self-centered to being God-centered. Because Jesus had the ultimate love for God. He is the perfect loving servant of God, and he is God's representative.

Jesus was able to change the consciousness of those who listened carefully to his teachings, followed his teachings, and also understood that he was willing to sacrifice his physical body for those teachings. These actions all expressed Jesus' love for God.

And this was Jesus' primary 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)

So his teacher John was not talking about Jesus removing the sins of the world as if no one will sin again, or be responsible for their sins after he was crucified. People are still sinning, and people are still paying the consequences of their sins. This is why so many people are in jail: Because they are paying the consequences of their sins. Can you imagine what an absurd world it would be if suddenly people could rob, cheat, steal and kill and not have to suffer any consequences?

Jesus' life and teachings are very clear for the serious student. Jesus was teaching us to love God and to change our consciousness from being self-centered to being humbly God-centered.

And this was Jesus' message to Peter.

Those exalted citizens of the spiritual realm all feel they are the least committed person and that everything they have comes from the Supreme Being. They feel that God and His children are far more advanced in their faith than they are.

Here in the physical world, we all think that we are the best person and that others are not as good as we are. This is the consciousness of the physical world: Diametrically opposite of the consciousness of the spiritual realm where love for God prevails.

This is why John the Baptist described himself as teaching, "'Make straight the way for the Lord.'" This phrase means to live in such a way that is pleasing to God: "Make straight the way" means to straighten out or steer our path - εὐθύνω euthynō - being translated to "make straight" means to steer a straight course. So "'Make straight the way for the Lord.'" means to steer our lives towards God - and live in a way that pleases the Supreme Being.

Jesus' life and teachings do have the ability to save us from our sins. Jesus' life and teachings can change our consciousness from being self-centered to being God-centered. From loving ourselves above all to loving God - Our Best Friend and true Soul Mate - above all.