"Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." (John 2:19)

After Jesus drove out the sellers in the temple court (see post below), someone asked Jesus:

"What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?" (John 2:18)

This was his answer. In both Matthew and Mark, it is indicated that Jesus also said this, but he is not quoted saying it. In both Matthew and Mark, someone else is claiming that Jesus said this.

Was Jesus referring to a building?

It is important to note that the people he spoke to thought Jesus was talking about the temple he was standing near. They responded:

"It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" (John 2:20)

But the Gospel of John follows with:

‘But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said.’ (John 2:21)

This indicates that Jesus was referring to his body as a temple. This concept has been spoken of many times by Jesus, earlier prophets and disciples of Jesus.

What does this mean, however? What does it mean for the body to be compared to a temple?

Isn't the body a temple?

The reason the body is a temple is because it houses the soul or the individual spirit-person. Each of us is a spirit-person temporarily occupying a physical body.

We are not our physical bodies. Our physical bodies are temporary vehicles we utilize to try to enjoy this world (or serve God with if we are inclined) for a few decades. Then we leave the body at death. The manner in which we've used the body is then judged. This has been appropriately described (and woefully misunderstood), in scripture as "judgment day."

The body is also a receptacle for the Holy Spirit of God. This is God’s expansion into each of our bodies. Within each body, next to the living being, God’s expansion is there, making Himself available to turn to Him. 

Some might think this is pretty fantastic. Yet even we can beam radio wave signals into homes and automobiles in the form of television and radio.

For God to have a technology allowing Him to expand into each body may be amazing, but it is nevertheless practical. God's expansion is there to help guide us should we be willing to accept such guidance.

It is for this reason that Jesus clearly indicated that his body was a temple.

What was raised in three days?

The reason three days is significant is that Jesus appeared to his disciples after three days, just before he ascended and returned home to the spiritual world.

But what was raised? Did Jesus' dead body reawake and start walking around again? What about the various holes - in his hands, and feet, and sides? Wouldn't blood be leaking out of these holes if the body became alive again and started walking around?

First, it should be clear that the Greek word translated to "raised" is ἐγείρω (egeirō). I can mean "to arouse," but also, according to the lexicon, "cause to appear" and "to cause to appear, bring before the public."

The Scriptures do not indicate that Jesus appeared in his physical body. Rather, it states clearly that he appeared "in a different form." It also states that his disciples and students did not recognize Jesus when he appeared to them:

Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. (Mark 16:12)

As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him. (Luke 24:15-16)

Later Jesus appeared again to his disciples, and again they did not immediately recognize him. Many doubted (e.g. "doubting Thomas").

Even in his next appearance, they did not necessarily recognize him:

When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. (Matthew 28:17)

The text also states that Jesus' spirit left his body on the cross:

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

We know scientifically that the body decomposes after death. The soul - the spirit - leaves the body ("passes"). The Roman guards, and Joseph all confirmed that Jesus' body was dead when they took him down from the cross (or tree) and laid him in Joseph's temporary tomb.

The only mystery here is what happened to Jesus' dead body? Well, the fact that they had laid it in a temporary tomb belonging to Joseph's family might indicate that it was removed to Jesus' family tomb - as was Jewish custom.

Furthermore, the guards that were watching over the tomb were not wanting there to be a scene. So there is also a considerable likelihood that the guards rolled the rock back and removed Jesus' dead body from the tomb.

All this means that Jesus appeared to them in an apparition - similar to what angels can appear with. Such an appearance is different in substance than the physical body. An apparition can appear in one form and actually change appearance as well.

But the fact that Jesus appeared to them after three days - long after his body was murdered and dead - indicates that Jesus illustrated his command over physical nature. His 'temple' could be murdered - yet he would still re-appear to them three days later - within his true temple of the spirit.

Does the spirit leave the body at the time of death?

Consider this exchange between some Sadducees and Jesus regarding our identity after death:

Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question. "Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless. The second and then the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no children. Finally, the woman died too. Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?"
Jesus replied, "The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age 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. But in the account of the bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all are alive.” (Luke 20:27-38)

Let's consider this statement carefully. This not only clarifies our true identity but the meaning of resurrection. Resurrection obviously means the returning of the spiritual self back to the spiritual world.

This is confirmed by Jesus' statement, "they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection." And since he includes that not only do we rise after death, but we continue living after the death of the body: "He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all are alive.”

The only way we can live after the death and decomposition of this body is if we are distinct from our physical bodies. We are spiritual, with angel-like bodies. We are not these temporary physical bodies.

"... no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit." (John 3:5)

"How can someone be born when they are old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born!" Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit." (John 3:4-5)

What is Jesus describing?

Nicodemus is responding to Jesus' statement that one must be born again. Nicodemus doesn't understand the term. He is wondering if Jesus is describing the physical body being born after it was born as an infant.

This is not an uncommon response to this term. Today, many sectarian teachers teach about the need to be born again. And many parishioners talk about having been born again.

But do we really understand what being born again is? Certainly, it is a little difficult to understand given that we typically only see the human body only being born once as an infant.

Jesus responds by discussing the meaning of spiritual rebirth.

What does 'born of the water and the Spirit' mean?

The 'water and the Spirit' refers specifically to a spiritual rebirth. Jesus and his teacher John the Baptist utilized baptism to symbolize having a chance of heart while being given a blessing from the Supreme Being.

This combination of immersion and blessing from God through His servant was illustrated by the baptism of Jesus by John:

Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' I have seen and I testify that this is God's Chosen One." (John 1:32-34)

John is humbly describing his own form of baptism. If John was not baptizing with the spirit then why would Jesus undergo baptism with John? Why would Jesus have undertaken baptism with John if John was not baptizing with the spirit?

Certainly, John also baptized with the Holy Spirit. That is why John described how the Spirit came down as a dove. Because John's baptism had power. It had authority.

John also describes, "but the One who sent me to baptize ..." Who is the "One who sent me"?

John is referring to the Supreme Being. God sent John to teach thousands of people and gave many of them baptism in the River Jordan.

To say that his baptism was only water is to take John's statement out of context. He wasn't saying his baptism had no meaning and purpose. Rather, he was humbly describing his own power while promoting Jesus' power and authority.

Certainly, John wanted Jesus to succeed. He also saw Jesus as better than himself. But this is typically what a humble person does. Someone with spiritual humility will downplay their own authority and glorify someone else. This is also what Jesus taught:

"Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant (Matthew 20:26)

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

John the Baptist was Jesus' teacher. He illustrated personally what being "great among you" meant.

What does 'enter the kingdom of God' mean?

To 'enter the kingdom of God' doesn't have anything to do with going to heaven. This is because everywhere is part of God's kingdom. What is being discussed is returning to our loving relationship with the Supreme Being. This can occur whether or not we are here in this physical world.

The Supreme Being set up a world that helps us learn about ourselves. But this world also gives each of us the freedom to love Him or not.

Ultimately God created us for the purpose of exchanging a relationship with Him. Still, if we aren't interested in exchanging a relationship with Him we don't have to. He will not force His love upon us. We can reject Him at any time. We can avoid Him, and live within this physical world feeling that we are the center of the universe for thousands and thousands of lifetimes.

This is because love requires freedom. God gave us the freedom to love Him or not.

So "being born again" is having a change of heart that says, I choose to return to God. God will not let us come home unless we want to be with Him. We have to want to return to our original relationship of loving service to Him.

If we still want to be God or enjoy like God there is no place for us in the spiritual dimension. This is because the spiritual dimension is a place where everyone loves one another, and everything is focused upon God's enjoyment. Everyone is enjoying God's enjoyment. If we try to enter the spiritual dimension with our self-centered attitude, it simply will not work. We will not be able to function.

The spiritual kingdom is a beautiful place where everyone cares more about their Best Friend the Supreme Being and each other more than they care about themselves. This is what love is.

Imagine a dinner table where the family was all making sure that everyone else had enough to eat. What would happen? Everyone would get enough to eat, right? Now imagine another table where everyone's major concern was whether they would get enough to eat. What would happen here? They would fight over the food, and the strongest people would get the food and the weakest people would starve. Isn’t this what is happening throughout the physical world?

"Will you give me a drink?" ... (John 4:7-14)

When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." "Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?" Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:7-14)

Why is Jesus speaking with a Samaritan woman?

Here Jesus was sitting by a well and has asked a woman for a drink from the well. They then had a discussion. The woman is questioning why she, a Samaritan woman, would give a Jewish man water. Jesus responds that if she knew who Jesus was, she would not question this.

It is notable that during those times, Judean men did not speak to Samaritans. Nor did they speak to women unless necessary. So speaking to a Samaritan woman casually was simply unheard of. Especially for a Jewish preacher.

But they didn't realize who Jesus was. He is God's representative. And God cares about everyone. It doesn't matter what body we might be wearing or what status in life we might be temporarily occupying.

Jesus did not care, because he loved her. Just as God loved her. This love supersedes the restrictions of our physical eyes and our physical minds. It is hard for us to even imagine the kind of love that the Supreme Being and His representative have for us.

Such love is unconditional. Regardless of our past. Regardless of whether we have been good or bad. Regardless of the body we wear or the positions we occupy. The Supreme Being and His representative care for each of us.

This love became obvious as the Samaritan woman began to realize that Jesus cared for her despite her past and despite her position in life.

It is no surprise to hear from some Biblical scholars that the woman became one of the first Christian preachers following her encounter with Jesus.

What is 'living water'?

More specifically, what is the “living water” Jesus is referring to? Is it some magical type of water?

No, water is being spoken of figuratively, or symbolically. The water Jesus is speaking of, which would bestow life upon the woman, is the word of God: Jesus’ teachings about who we are (spiritual beings) and what our goal in life should be:

“ ‘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)

Jesus’ teachings quench the fire of thirst for satisfaction we perpetually seek. We are always seeking fulfillment, and fulfillment is achieved by loving God. Jesus’ teachings will satisfy us, because we are currently seeking happiness where there is none: In self-centered attempts to gain fulfillment from the physical world.

The teachings of Jesus produce the “welling up to eternal life” because they bestow upon us the knowledge of God and our ability to resume our original loving relationship with God.

Is this about being born again?

Being "saved" and being "born again" are not the public pledging of allegiance to Jesus, as many among the organized sectarian institutions would have us believe. Consider this statement by Jesus:

"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!'" (Matt. 7:21-23)

The operator in this statement is, "only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." This is requisite for being "saved" according to Jesus' teachings.

Being "saved" and "born again" is the resumption of our loving service relationship with the Supreme Being. It is doing God's will instead of our own will. It is the changing of our hearts from being self-centered to being God-centered.

The decision to change can be made immediately. But a change of heart is typically a gradual process that requires work. And service. This is why Jesus said, "...will become in him..."

Our relationship with God is eternal. It is not like the temporary relationships of this world. The bodies of everyone around us - including family members - all die at some point. Those relationships are all thus temporary.

Our relationship with God, however, extends beyond the death of this temporary physical body. It does not stop when the body dies. This is because not only are we eternal. Our relationship with the Supreme Being is also eternal.

"Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? ..." (John 4:35-38)

"Don't you have a saying, 'It's still four months until harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor." (John 4:35-38) 

What do the 'crop' and the 'harvest' symbolize?

Jesus is speaking to his followers and disciples about passing on his teachings to others. The people who learn about God and change their lives as a result of Jesus' teachings are essentially harvested. They essentially become the crop, because Jesus' teachings can grow within our hearts and eventually allow us to change.

Jesus knows that as his teachings are passed to others, others have a chance to change their hearts and give their lives to the Supreme Being. This is the ultimate harvest because it essentially helps the Supreme Being bring home those who are ready to return to Him.

The crop consists of the souls who are ready and prepared. They have become prepared by the teachers such as the Prophets that lived before Jesus. This is why Jesus says that others sowed. Those who sowed were those messengers of God before Jesus who taught their followers - and those who followed - about the Supreme Being.

So Jesus is stating that the hard work has already been done. All his disciples have to do now is pass on Jesus' teachings - which also echoed the teachings of the Prophets - in order to complete the process of inviting those souls back home as they are ready.

These are the souls who can be educated and given a chance to have a change of heart prior to their leaving the physical body at the time of death. Every day people's bodies die. Our bodies will also die. As the body ages, diseases develop that eventually ravage it and force us to leave the body. Each of us is a soul or spirit-person who operates the physical body for a few decades before leaving it at the time of death.

Who are the 'sower' and the 'reaper'?

The "sower" in this parable is someone who teaches people about love of God. The sowers in this case are the Prophets, John the Baptist and Jesus. Essentially, they had been teaching and slowly changing people's hearts over the centuries.

The "reaper" in Jesus' analogy represents those of his disciples who will be organizing and gathering together those who have been influenced by these teachings. If a person had a change of heart after hearing Jesus' and the Prophets' teachings, they would naturally become prepared to become a follower of Jesus. 

This process of bringing those people along, to further their commitments to loving and serving the Supreme Being, would essentially be "reaping" or harvesting those who have had a change of heart.

This is what Paul and his followers missed about Jesus' teachings. Paul had never heard Jesus' teachings directly, even though some sectarian institutions call him an apostle of Jesus. Since he didn't hear Jesus' teachings directly, he didn't understand the importance of following the teachings of the ancient lineage of Prophets and teachers discussed throughout the Bible.

What Paul didn't realize is that Jesus was passing on the teachings of the Prophets. It wasn't as though Jesus was making up his own teachings.

This is why Jesus quoted the Prophets in so many of his teachings. Even his "greatest commandment" was a quote from Moses (to love God with all our heart, from Deuteronomy 6:5).

While sectarian teachers of today like to say that Jesus was referring to the Prophets predicting his arrival, he was actually quoting their teachings to support his teachings. He was "fulfilling" their teachings by passing them on to others. 

This opens up an entirely new dimension in Jesus' teachings. If one understands that Jesus was passing on the teachings of the Prophets (including John the Baptist) - and clarifying them for a different society - it gives Jesus' teachings even more power.

It also provides a strong foundation - which Paul's philosophy (called the "Pauline doctrine") didn't have. Paul made up a new speculative theory that Jesus' crucifixion saves us - we just have to accept it.

Yet Jesus never taught this. Jesus taught that what saves us is accepting and following the teachings of the Prophets - the first and greatest of which is to love God with all our heart and soul.

Furthermore, by making up a new doctrine, Paul created a rift between Christianity and Judaism. Something that Jesus would have never approved of.

Yes, Jesus did find fault with the temple hierarchy. He did criticize it. But he wasn't inventing a new religion. He was trying to clarify the teachings of those who preceded him, such as John the Baptist, Isaiah, David, Samuel, Joshua, Moses, and Abraham.

These are the sowers Jesus is referring to in this statement. And Jesus' disciples are the reapers. 

Is this about Judgment day?

Many have interpreted that Jesus is teaching about Judgment day. They have assumed that Jesus is speaking about some theoretical point in time where the end of the world comes and everyone becomes judged and reaps what they sow.

Such an interpretation is full of holes. The least of which is that it has been 2,000 years and the end of the world has yet to come. Does this mean that Jesus was tricking his students into thinking that the end of the world would come during their lifetimes?

Or are these interpreters talking about the end of the world the ones who have been tricking us?

The latter is true, since the end of the world keeps being predicted by charlatans who have continued to be wrong over the centuries.

Will God murder all the unbelievers?

Some sectarian institutions preach that the world will end soon and when it does, they (members of their institution) will be saved while God will come to the earth and murder all the unbelievers. Then they will "inherit the earth" alone.

Could this be true? Such a scenario has been used for centuries by some sectarian groups in order to scare their congregations into staying with their cult (yes, these sects are effectively doomsday cults).

They preach this scare tactic in order to enlist followers and maintain followers. Meanwhile, the leaders of these organizations enjoy elaborate wealth and comfort on the backs of their followers' donations.

The question really comes down to what kind of god they are worshiping. If they are worshipping an angry, mean and hostile god who will wipe out anyone who doesn't worship him - well, they are not worshipping the real God.

They may be calling this god the same name as Jesus and the Prophets called on. Yes, Jesus and the Prophets did call upon Jehovah by name as they worshipped Him.

But that Jehovah is a kind God. He is a loving God. That Jehovah unconditionally loves each of us - regardless of whether we believe in Him or not.

In reality, the freedom to not love or worship God is ingrained in God's creation. Why? Because this freedom is required in order to love God. If we didn't have the freedom not to worship or not love God, we couldn't really love God.

Yes, love is a choice. If we have no choice, then it is submission. It is not love.

And worship is also a choice. If we have no choice to worship, then it is slavery.

God is not seeking to make us slaves or to threaten us into submission. For the entire history of the human race - over a million years according to scientific evidence - humans have always had the freedom of choice to worship God or not.

And those institutions and their preachers who try to threaten us by saying that God will murder all the unbelievers - they are not referring to God. They are referring to a fictional character created by other hard-liner institutionalists who wanted to threaten their followers.

What about "fearing God" then?

Doesn't it say this in the Bible? Actually, the word "fear" with respect to God is mostly mistranslated in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word יָרֵא (yare') can mean "fear" in some contexts, but can also "to revere," "to honor," and "to hold in awe" and also "wonderful" or "admirable" according to Strong's and Gesenius' lexicons.

We can see how institutional translators would rather threaten people and strike fear in their followers over the centuries, as they have chosen the darkest possible translation of this word - out of its context. (What is that context? Those Prophets who revered God were writing these words.)

Such a choice of translation actually reflects the very choice that God gives all of us. God even gives us the choice to mistranslate and misinterpret His own scriptures.

God even gives the choice even to harm His messengers. This is why so many Prophets were persecuted, and why Jesus was persecuted by those whose authority was threatened by these messengers of God.

These facts only teach us that God is a loving, caring God. He is not mean. He will not kill those who don't believe in Him. He gives us the ultimate choice to love Him or worship Him. He even gives us the choice to believe in Him. That is why He mostly hides from us.

In reality, every single body will die at the end of our lifetime. Believers and unbelievers. Every body will die.

What is Jesus saying above then?

Jesus is using an entendre here as he amalgamates the concept of harvesting souls by educating them about God. The harvest relates to success in the goal of life: Learning to know and love the Supreme Being.

As far as judgment day referred to by Jesus elsewhere: At the moment of death, each of us will leave the physical body. This is our individual judgment day because it is at this moment that those souls who have developed the consciousness to return to God are taken up to the spiritual world. Meanwhile, those souls whose journey has not been perfected will return to the physical dimension to continue our education.

Essentially, Judgment Day occurs when our bodies die, and the activities of our lives are judged.

What about reaping what we sow?

While not here, Jesus has used reaping what we sow in other contexts as well. In the physical world, our choices and activities have consequences. If we make others suffer, we will suffer similarly in a future incarnation.

In other words, self-centered individuals return back into bodies that reflect their past activities and consciousness.

This means that whatever pain and suffering we inflict upon others is perfectly returned to us in the form of a new body - born into a particular family and society. If we commit others to pain, we will receive the same pain back either in this lifetime or the next. 

As such, after the death of this body, we will take on another body that suffers those same pains we have inflicted upon others. If a person rapes and starves people as some in Africa have been doing, they will be raped and starved in their next body. This is part of God's perfect design: "As you sow, so shall you reap."

This also explains the question that some ask:

Why is there suffering in the world?

God does not cause the suffering of this world: we do.

Each of us causes our own suffering, by inflicting suffering upon others. If we become a party to suffering, we will experience the same suffering we were a party to causing upon others.

It is not as if we are guaranteed a human body: We may also be put into an animal body, fish body or even an insect body. These types of bodies are designed for more suffering. In such bodies, we are chased by giant predators. We are in fear for most of that physical lifetime. These bodies represent the worst of hell.

Oh, but you thought hell was some kind of hot dungeon somewhere under the earth with fiery horned devils chaining people to the walls? Where is that dungeon? Have any excavators or drilling rigs found any hot dungeons with horned people under the earth's surface lately? Today, drillers can drill down for miles under the ground. No one has ever drilled down into a dungeon with horned devils and chained up people.

Let's get something clear: The physical dimension is hell. This is the place where those individuals who want to escape God go.

The visions of hell drawn up in scripture are analogous. Yes, hell is a place of suffering. And yes, people are chained up - as the spirit-person is trapped (chained) inside a physical body racked with pain and suffering. The general description of hell is accurate. It is simply not understood in a practical manner.

The reality is that we are in hell right now, but some of us in human bodies are relatively more pain-free than others. Yes, there are people in worse hells than ours: Consider parts of the world where people are starving, ravished with diseases, or are being raped or tortured. These are suffering worse hells than we are at the moment. (This doesn't mean we shouldn't try to help them, however.)

Or think of those trapped in small animal or insect bodies perpetually chased by large predators. This is a much worse hell than ours. Yet this hell exists all around us.

Each person in a physical body is living within some extent of hell. Every body will be racked with pain and disease. Every body will feel agonizing pain. Every body will suffer a gruesome death. This is the reality of wearing a physical body: Just as it is a reality that the car you drive will break down at some point, and you'll have to leave it behind and get a new car.

Yet each of us can determine the extent of our future hell by our activities and consciousness today. We can determine whether we are harvested by the Glad Reaper - God and His representatives - to return home to the spiritual dimension, or be harvested by the grim reaper to continue our hellish existence in the physical dimension. It is our choice.

"I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor"

Again, Jesus is referring to the work that he, John the Baptist, Moses, David, Solomon, Abraham and the rest of the prophets have done. They had given people information about God and the spiritual world. They had taught people the commandments of God, and instructed them to love God with all their hearts. These were the "sowers" that came before Jesus' students.

Remember that Jesus is speaking to his students here. He says, "I sent you to reap what you did not work for." Jesus is essentially asking them to go out and continue the teachings and gather those who want to return to God by confirming and practicing the teachings of Jesus and the lineage of teachers (the prophets) that he came in. He wanted his students to continue those teachings, and bring those who want to go home, back to the spiritual world - where there is no pain, no death, and no suffering.

This is the world of love that each of us seeks from within. This is the world where the Supreme Being is the center. The physical world is the world where each of us wants to be the center.

In order to return to our home in the spiritual realm, loving and serving the Supreme Being must become the center of our lives. This is our natural position, and what will fulfill us and complete us.

"If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true." (John 5:31-32)

"If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that His testimony about me is true." (John 5:31-32) 

Why isn't Jesus' testimony true if he testifies about himself?

Jesus is continuing to answer to those who questioned his working on the Sabbath. Note the point being made just prior to this statement:

“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)

Jesus is working to please the Supreme Being. He is God's servant and seeks to please God by doing His will.

Now Jesus is talking about testimony. Just as Jesus worked to please the Supreme Being; God supports Jesus by giving him the testimony needed.

Jesus is referring to a relationship with God. It is not as if the Supreme Being is some sort of monolith that is being served by Jesus. God is not a vague cloud or burning bush. God is a Person, and Jesus is relating to, and representing that Person. Of course, God is also going to testify for Jesus and support Jesus.

Speaking of monoliths, clouds, or burning bushes: It is interesting how some people envision not only God but heaven or the spiritual world in general.

If they don't think of the Supreme Being as a monolith, cloud or burning bush, many imagine God as an old man in a long white beard. Why is that? Because they think that since God is the Original Being, they think He must be really old.

All of these imaginings are placing the Supreme Being within the confines of our mental speculation and the rules of the physical world. God is completely spiritual, and outside the scope of our minds. He is also not bound by the restrictions of the physical world. 

God is the Original Being. There is no aging in the spiritual dimension. God never ages. He is ever-youthful and ever-beautiful. And we are eternal as well.

Is heaven in the clouds?

Many also see the spiritual world as a place where old-looking people sit on clouds and play the harp all day. Some depict heaven as a place where we sit in lounge chairs sipping lemonade. They think of heaven to be like retirement. This sure seems like a boring life for the rest of eternity. Furthermore, most of the depictions of heaven by ecclesiastical sects exclude God. How can you have heaven without the Supreme Being?

Such speculative journeys utilize mental speculation within the confines of the physical world to imagine a dimension that is outside the realm of the physical world.

These imaginings are flawed in that they are founded upon false identification. They consider the physical body to be me: That I am this body. This is despite the fact that every physical body dies and decomposes. We know this from seeing remains.

This does not mean that there is no activity and no forms in the spiritual world, however. The spiritual world is full of activity, play and relationships; and each living being, including the Supreme Being, has form. The forms of the spiritual world are free of disease and aging, however. They are free from the temporary nature of the physical world - a place of pain, disease, and death.

What is Jesus testifying about?

Jesus is giving a testimony about God. The spiritual dimension is full of loving relationships and activity. And the Supreme Being is the focus and center of those loving relationships. This is because the Supreme Being is the most attractive person in the spiritual world. Therefore, He is the center of all activity in the spiritual world, and everyone is completely fulfilled in their relationship with Him.

This is the place Jesus wants us to return to. This is our home. This is that perfect place we are always striving for on earth (but the earth will never be). It is a place where everyone is happy because everyone in the spiritual realm has a personal relationship with God. And everyone lovingly serving the Supreme Being is in the spiritual realm whether they are in the physical or spiritual realms.

This is why each of us goes through life feeling like something is missing. This is why many try to achieve heaven on earth. This is why each of us feels empty inside, and we try to fill that emptiness with more emptiness - the temporary things and people of the physical world.

The only way back home is to renew our relationship with the Supreme Being. We must re-establish that original relationship. Therefore, we need to be re-introduced to God and be shown how to love Him and serve Him. This was Jesus' role: He came to testify for God. He came to "testify" - to introduce his followers to the Supreme Being.

“And the Father who sent me has Himself testified concerning me." (John 5:37-38)

“And the Father who sent me has Himself testified concerning me. You have never heard His voice nor seen His Form, nor does His Word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one He sent.” (John 5:37-38)

Could Jesus still be God after saying this?

Jesus is clearly stating here that he is not God. His statement clarifies that Jesus is God’s messenger. He says the Supreme Being sent Jesus: “And the Father who sent me…” 

How much clearer can this statement be? How can some teachers of today's organized sects possibly teach that Jesus is the Supreme Being when Jesus clearly indicates that God sent him?

From this statement, there are two persons being identified: "The Father" and "me." If "the Father" was "me" then Jesus would have not said that "the Father sent me." He would have said "I sent myself" or "I decided to come" or something like that.

Some might answer that it is because "God" is more of a term covering a sort of multi-governing authority. Such a theory would negate monotheism in itself. This would be saying there is more than one God - which is polythesism - the worship of multiple gods.

The issue took shape when the Roman government under Emperor Constantine organized the political First Council of Nicaea, and created the Nicene Creed. This implied that God was made up of God the Son, God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.

This means they decided on a doctrine of polythesism. Jesus did not teach polytheism. He taught that there was one singular Supreme Being - the "Father," translated from the Greek word πατήρ (patēr) which is better translated to "Creator" in this context.

Jesus wanted us to focus our attention on the Creator. He wanted us to love the Creator. He didn't want us to forget about the Creator and think that Jesus was the Creator.

Jesus actually directly addressed this:

"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!'" (Matthew 7:21-23)

How has God 'testified' about Jesus?

What if we, on a job application, put ourselves down as one of our personal references. Maybe we put our nickname down as the name instead of our legal name. This would be unacceptable “testimony” for the prospective employer. Why? 

Because we cannot testify for ourselves in this situation. There would be no use for such a reference: Of course, we would testify for ourselves.

It would be a lie to say that someone else is testifying for us when really it is us. As soon as the prospective employer would find out we put ourselves as a personal reference, they would dismiss our application. The only way someone could testify for us is if they were a separate individual. 

So is Jesus fibbing when he says that God testifies for him? Certainly not.

Does God have a 'form' and a 'voice'?

Jesus says: “You have never heard His voice nor seen His Form.” What does this clearly state about God?

This indicates that God has a voice, and God has a form. Why would Jesus criticize the institutional temple clerics he was speaking to that they had never heard God or seen Him if God couldn’t be seen or heard? It would be a false statement otherwise.

And furthermore, we know that Jesus is not God, because they were seeing Jesus in front of them, yet Jesus was saying that they had never seen God.

Let’s say that someone says that we have no spouse when we do. We can simply say to them that they think we have no spouse because they have never seen our spouse. Once they saw our spouse, they would know that our spouse exists, right?

In the same way, we know from Jesus’ statement that not only does God have a voice, but God has a form; and that Jesus has heard God's Voice and seen His Form.

Why, then, do some sectarian teachers speak of the Supreme Being as either being Jesus or being some formless, vague force? 

It is because - like the people Jesus was speaking to - they also have not heard His Voice nor seen His Form. 

If they had, or if they simply believed Jesus’ words, then they would accept that God has form, and can speak to them.

The issue here is that God’s form is not physical. It is spiritual. The spiritual world is another dimension. It is a dimension that cannot be seen by the physical eyes. Those living in that dimension can see the Form of God as He goes about His activities and exchanges relationships.

Does Jesus have a relationship with God?

The second understanding that is derived from Jesus’ statement is that Jesus and the Supreme Being have a relationship. When one person “testifies” for another, this is called, in today’s conversation, a personal reference.

Let’s say that we fill out an application for a job, and we list three personal references. What does this indicate about those references? It indicates that they know us personally and that we have some sort of relationship with them. In fact, very likely, the application form will have a column right next to their name and contact information that actually says: “relationship.”

Should the prospective employer call our references, our references will “testify” concerning us. Why should they spend the time answering the phone and testifying for us? Because we have a relationship with them.

Why are they missing Jesus' message?

Ironically, many professional preachers, reverends, popes, cardinals, bishops, and deacons that line many institutions of today have missed Jesus' message in this statement. Why so many miss his message, even though it is so clearly written in the Bible? 

Because so many are enmeshed in the materialistic aspects of their institutions: Like the Pharisees and the Chief Priests of Jesus' time, these teachers do not want to give up their positions of authority. They don't want to give up their positions of power and their followers - which effectively binds them and blinds them.

Unfortunately, as a result, "nor does His Word dwell" in them.

Most of these institutional officials accept the Nicene Creed.

This Nicene Creed was accepted by all of the churches under the order of the Roman Empire. If they didn’t accept it, they would be disbanded and persecuted as heretics. 

This is also why the Gnostic texts were all burned or destroyed—except for a few copies of some of the texts that miraculously made it after they were buried in the desert or in graves.

In those Gnostic texts, we find clues to a completely different view of Jesus, even though most of his statements were consistent with Jesus' statements we find in the Bible. (The Gospel of Thomas, for example).

Even though many teachers in the organized sects of today teach that Jesus is God, and God is a vague impersonal entity, we do not have to accept these teachings as facts.

This is because, by God’s arrangement, some of the words of Jesus survived all the misinterpretation and mistranslation* through centuries of political maneuvering, materialism, and greed that surrounded and impacted the politically formatted Bible.

Jesus’ message was very clear. Not only does the Supreme Being exist, but the Supreme Being has form - a form perceived with spiritual eyes. 

The Creator can thus speak to us. We can have a relationship with Him. We can love Him and serve Him and please Him just as Jesus taught. This is summed up by the most important commandment, taught by Jesus, Moses, and all of the other prophets, and many of Jesus' disciples:

“‘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:

"And the Creator who sent me has Himself testified about me. You do not hear His voice nor perceive His Form, nor does His wisdomC dwell within you, for you do not trust the person He sent." (John 5:37-38)

“It is I; Don’t be afraid.” (John 6:20)

Why is this miracle so important?

After the miracle of the loaves and fish, Jesus went up alone to the hills to pray to the Supreme Being. As the darkness of the evening came, the boat with his disciples was out on the sea and a storm had brewed up, so Jesus walked out to the boat.

When the disciples saw him, they became fearful. Jesus responded with the above statement.

This miracle of Jesus is certainly well known. Why? Because many do not trust in the Supreme Being. Many might believe in God's existence, but few trust Him and rely upon Him.

And this is one reason for Jesus' miracles: For those who do not trust that God will take care of us. In other words, we need to be impressed. They need to see something extraordinary before we can trust that the Supreme Being is in control, and He can send His messenger.

As for Jesus' students, they already believed in the existence of the Supreme Being. Rather, Jesus was trying to show them that he was God's representative and that the Supreme Being gave him authority. 

What was Jesus trying to show them?

He was trying to show them that they could rely upon the Supreme Being.

What Jesus was trying to teach his disciples was trust: That they need to trust that God will take care of them. This is more clear in Matthew and Mark, where Jesus asked Peter to step out onto the water and walk out to him. After Peter doubted that he could after seeing the wind, he became afraid and called to Jesus to save him. To this, Jesus said:

"You of little faith, why did you doubt?" (Matt. 14:31) 

The kind of faith that Jesus is speaking of here is not about believing that God exists. Peter certainly believed that God existed, as he was one of Jesus' most ardent students.

The faith that Jesus is speaking of is trust. Jesus wants Peter to trust that God will take care of him. Jesus wants Peter to trust that not matter what happens, the Supreme Being is there for him. He wanted him to realize that he could rely upon the Supreme Being.

This is also the case when Jesus was walking on the water, and spoke the words above to his disciples not to be afraid. Jesus wanted his disciples to understand that if one relies upon the Supreme Being, God will take care of him. Even if it means being able to walk on water.

The lesson is that each of us can rely upon the Supreme Being as well. Whatever calamity may exist before us, God is in complete control. And He cares for each and every one of us.

God is perfect, and everything that happens, happens with His authority. However, at the same time, He is always giving us the freedom of choice, as well as the ability to suffer the consequences of our prior actions. So it is not like He is pulling puppet strings or something. He is truly allowing us the ability to make our own decisions, as well as learn from those decisions.

What is the purpose of the physical world?

It is a training ground, complete with consequences. When we do something that helps others, we are rewarded with the consequences of helping others. When we do something that hurts others, we are punished by the consequences of that action. In both instances, we are being taught by the physical environment so that we can grow.

But why do we need to grow? We need to grow because we fell to the lowest point in existence: We rejected God. We decided that we didn't want to love and serve God: We decided that we wanted to be God. This, of course, is the story of Adam. Adam is analogous to each of us. Each of us disobeyed God and decided to eat of the forbidden fruit: The fruit of envy: The fruit of self-enjoyment.

Consider the parable of Adam and Eve in Genesis. God told Adam:

"you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." (Gen. 2:17)

But then the serpent said:

"You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Gen. 3:4-5)

The serpent, of course, is analogous to self-centeredness - the desire to enjoy. Thus we can understand that the fruit was analogous to becoming envious of God ("you will be like God").

So was God lying to Adam when He told Adam that if he ate the fruit he would die? Is God a liar?

Did Adam die?

Adam indeed did die, but he died spiritually. Once he ate the fruit of envy of God, he could no longer love God. He became self-centered, and thus could no longer dwell in the spiritual dimension, where love is the environment. God confirmed this in this statement:

And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever."(Genesis 3:22)

In other words, because he became envious of God ("like one of us"), Adam could not taste love for God. Love for God is the "tree of life." So Adam was tossed out of the spiritual world:

So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After He drove the man out, He placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:23-4)

God "drove" Adam out of the spiritual world - the Garden of Eden - as a result of his eating of the fruit of envy, in other words. He also put a barrier in place to prevent Adam from getting back to the spiritual world and resuming love for God: This is the illusion of the physical world, which prevents us from accessing the spiritual dimension.

So where did Adam go, if he were banished from the Garden of Eden? Adam assumed a physical body in the physical world. This is confirmed:

The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. (Gen. 3:21)

What are "garments of skin?"

Most depictions of this event show Adam suddenly getting an animal skin to wear. But the text does not say he was given an animal skin. He says they were given "garments of skin."

This means they were given physical bodies. A physical body is a garment of skin. A physical body is a cloak or a covering over the spiritual individual.

This is illustrated at death. When the body dies, the spiritual individual leaves and the body drops lifeless to the ground. It is no different than removing clothes: All day we may be walking around in our clothes, but at the end of the day, we take them off, and they will lie lifeless on the ground.

Furthermore, "to work the ground from which he had been taken" illustrates that the body Adam was given came from the physical world ("ground").

The bottom line of this affair is that if Adam had trusted that God was telling him not to eat the analogous fruit of envy for his own good he would not have eaten it. Rather, Adam did not trust that God had his interest at heart. Adam doubted God and distrusted God.

This same distrust exists within us even as we are in these physical bodies. We distrust when God comes to ask us to come home to Him. We distrust God's representatives when they tell us that God will take care of us and we can rely upon Him.

What keeps us away from God?

Distrust keeps us away from God. This distrust simply keeps us here in this world of suffering:

"Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life." (Gen. 3:17)

In other words, the fruit of envy and self-centeredness causes us nothing but suffering. This is what the physical world teaches us.

God also has mercy, however. He truly cares for us. Should we decide to change, we have a way back home, back to the spiritual world (Garden of Eden). That way has been delivered by God's representative:

“‘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)

"Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink ..." (John 7:37-38)

"Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them." (John 7:37-38) 

What does 'whoever believes in me' mean?

Jesus says, "Whoever believes in me ..."

For centuries this statement has been interpreted as though Jesus is speaking about believing in him. Is this true? Within the context of the situation?

Since Jesus is right in front of the people he is speaking to, there is no question about them believing in Jesus’ existence. Rather the Greek word πιστεύω (pisteuō) being translated to “believes” means to trust - to "have confidence" and "to entrust."

Thus Jesus is speaking of their trusting in what Jesus is saying to them. Trusting in his teachings.

Why is trusting in Jesus' teachings so important to Jesus?

"My teaching is not my own. It comes from Him Who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own." (John 7:16-17)

Jesus is stating that his teachings are coming from the Supreme Being.

What is the 'thirst' Jesus is referring to?

Jesus is not speaking about literal thirst. He is not speaking of physical dehydration. Rather, this is a metaphor. An analogy.

The "thirst" that Jesus is describing in John 7:37 above is their thirst for happiness. Their thirst for fulfillment. This is provided by Jesus' teachings because his teachings are introducing them to the Supreme Being.

And those teachings will guide them back home to their relationship with God, which will quench their thirst for happiness. This is because loving and serving the Supreme Being brings us complete happiness.

What is 'living water'?

Jesus also states that if they trust in him and his teachings, then “living water will flow from within" them. What is this living water?

Again, this is a metaphor. "Living water" refers to a state of consciousness. It is a consciousness of loving the Supreme Being and loving others. Such a consciousness invigorates the soul. It is spiritual consciousness. Spiritual consciousness, according to Jesus, brings us life.

Such a consciousness defines the difference between someone who is alive spiritually versus someone who is dead spiritually. This same allegorical use of being alive or dead spiritually was also expressed when Jesus said:

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

Thus, Jesus' use of "living" here is differentiated from anatomical life. Every physical body that is anatomically alive is maintained by a living spirit. The physical body is lifeless without the animation of the living spirit. Each of us is a living individual — spiritual in essence. Each spiritual individual originates from the Supreme Being.

This spiritual individual - each spirit-person - is not formless. Nor is God formless, as speculated by many. Each spiritual individual and the Supreme Being has form — spiritual form.

These spiritual forms are not visible by the physical eyes, however. This is because the Supreme Being designed the physical world in such a way that allows us not to see into the spiritual realm.

When the spiritual individual — who is driving the physical body and animating the body just as a car driver will start and drive a car around — decides to begin the journey home — back to their relationship with the Supreme Being — God will connect that person with His messenger, who will awaken the person to his true identity as the loving servant of God.

Jesus describes this awakening with the analogy of “living water will flow from within him.” That living water is love for God - which fueled Jesus' life and teachings.

"So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say." (John 12:50)

"I know that His command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say." (John 12:50)

What does "His command" mean?

Jesus is speaking of serving the Supreme Being, as Jesus indicates in the prior verse:

"For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it." (John 12:49)

The word "command" from both verses is being translated* from the Greek word ἐντολή (entolē), which means "an order, command, charge, precept, injunction" according to the lexicon. This means that Jesus is clearly saying he is following God's orders. He is saying what God is commanding him to say. This means Jesus is saying he is serving God. He is receiving God's instructions. To follow someone else's instructions or commands means to serve that person.

He also connects "His command" to "eternal life" by saying that one leads to the other. What does this mean?

It means that serving God results in "eternal life." "Eternal life" means that we return to our natural condition as God's loving caregivers. The spiritual realm - where God personally dwells - is "eternal" because our spiritual bodies do not die as these temporary physical bodies do.

What did the Father tell Jesus 'to say'?

Jesus says that God has told him what to say, and whatever he says comes from God.

The Greek word translated to "told me" here is λέγω (legō). This means, in this context, "describe" or "narrate" or "to teach" according to the lexicon.

This means that Jesus is not necessarily saying that God has physically spoken with him. He is saying that his teachings are coming from God. That he is teaching others what God has taught him.

What God has taught Jesus is about having a relationship with God. It is about loving God and serving God.

This sets up a loving relationship with the Supreme Being that reveals to Jesus what pleases the Supreme Being.

Once Jesus knows what pleases God, he can teach others. Without knowing what pleases God, Jesus can hardly represent God.

In other words, Jesus can speak for God because he knows what God wants.

Why must Jesus explain this?

Because many do not know who God is, many followers and others could assume that Jesus was claiming to be someone he wasn't. For many, he was specifically stating that he wasn't claiming to be God.

Yet even today, many have assumed that Jesus must be God. This is short-sighted however because Jesus is clearly stating here that he is not representing himself - he is representing someone other than himself - the Supreme Being.

The reason this is important goes to evidence. If Jesus is coming up with his own philosophy he could make it up as he goes along. He doesn't have to adhere to the Truth.

But if a person claims to be representing God then they will be representing a higher power. Someone greater than themselves. This requires evidence in the form of being consistent with Scripture, with prior Prophets, and with the Holy Spirit within each of us - who teaches from within.

If a person's teachings are not consistent with these then there is a problem, because these are other means of communication from God.

Is this about God's authority?

Yes, each of us has the choice of whether we want to accept God's authority or prioritize our temporary authority within this world.

Most of us here in the physical world consider our own authority as superior. This is why we are here, away from God. Because we made the choice not to accept God's authority.

If God's position was up for election we'd all be running for that position. But that position is not available. So we'll take the highest position we can take. And for those who cannot get positions with authority and power over large groups - whether it be companies, governments, populations, fans or followers - we will settle for having authority over our families, community clubs, or so-called friends.

Thus we each pretend to be experts and leaders, showing off our great wisdom with speeches, blogs, and news television shows.

Jesus, on the other hand, does no such thing. He does not take the position of being authoritative and wise. Instead, he says:

"So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say."

Jesus could have easily taken the credit for all his wise parables and his miraculous healings. He could have even called himself the Supreme Being - as some do. But he didn't. He humbly clarified to his students that he was just following orders from God. He was God's humble servant - saying and doing what the Supreme Being wanted him to.

With his statement and his actions, Jesus is clarifying our path to leave this world of self-centeredness. Jesus is simply telling us that by becoming one of God's humble servants like he is, we will return to our natural position in the spiritual realm.

What is 'eternal life'?

Jesus says that he knows that God's command leads to eternal life. How is that?

By nature, each of us is a servant. None of us are masters. We can't control anything except for making a choice. We can make choices, but we don't control what happens once we make a choice.

When a person loves another person, they naturally do what pleases them. This is called loving service. This is distinguished between forced service. We can see that God never forces us to serve Him - which is why those of us who don't want to serve Him are not serving Him.

We are happiest when we serve. When we serve the one we love, we have a sense of fulfillment. This is our nature, except serving the Supreme Being completes this sense of fulfillment.

Beneath our attempts to gain power and authority, love and loving service are what we are all seeking.

We all seek a place where everyone lives in peace and harmony, and everyone loves each other. We all seek a place where we are cared for and appreciated. We all seek a place where we are protected. This feels like home.

But this place is within our hearts. Each of us has this ability within us, deep within our soul each of us has the ability to love and serve God.

And we all seek that special person who will care for us and protect us. We all seek that person we can trust without a doubt. Someone who will never abandon us. Someone who will fulfill our needs. Someone we can turn to anytime who will listen to us and always be there for us.

This is the Supreme Being.

Jesus was in love with the Supreme Being. This is why Jesus walked the countryside for years with no home, no job, no source of income. This is why Jesus suffered on behalf of his teachings. This is why Jesus beseeched anyone he spoke to give their lives to the Supreme Being and serve God.

Jesus was doing what pleased his Beloved. He knew that God wants us all to come back to Him, because God loves us unconditionally. So Jesus, being in love with the Supreme Being, wants to please Him. This is why Jesus emphasized one particular teaching, just as Moses before him had:

“‘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 know His instructions are eternal life; therefore the things I say, I say just as the LORD has taught me.” (John 12:50)

"Where I am going, you cannot come." (John 13:33)

"My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come." (John 13:33)

Where is Jesus going? 

Here Jesus is talking to his disciples as he is awaiting his arrest. He is explaining to his disciples what is to take place in the coming days.

When Jesus says, "just as I told the Jews," he is referring to this exchange between some Pharisees who came to one of his talks:

"I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come." This made the Jews ask, "Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, 'Where I go, you cannot come'?" But he continued, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world." (John 8:21-23)

Jesus is clearly referring to the spiritual realm. "This world" refers to the physical dimension, while "above" refers to God's spiritual world.

What does Jesus mean by 'this world'?

This is the reason Jesus refers to "this world" as "below" in John 8:21? It is because the physical world is the world where we seek our own self-centered pleasure. This is the world where we self-centered souls go to act out our desires - and learn.

We might compare this to a father building a treehouse in the backyard for his son. The treehouse is a separate quarters where the child can pretend that he has his own separate house. The child can pretend to have his own lifestyle in the treehouse. The child can play with his toys and be seemingly independent of his parents. 

This doesn't mean the child is independent, however. The treehouse was simply set up so the child could have a facade of separate-ness - to allow him to pretend. Because the treehouse is hidden from the house up in a tree, the child can have a pretend life in so many ways without the parents interfering: That is, until it is time for dinner.

This physical world is similar: Here we can pretend we are the center of the universe. Here we can pretend there is no God. We can pretend that we are the identities of our physical bodies.

In one lifetime, we can pretend that we are children, then teenagers, then young adults. From that point we can pretend to be so many different occupations: We can pretend to save people as a fireman, a policeman, a doctor or a soldier. We can pretend to create people by being a father or mother. We can pretend to be famous by being movie stars, business tycoons, or hold a big political office.

In any of these positions, we can pretend to be the best. We can pretend that we are successful and everyone loves us. In other words, here in the physical dimension, using our temporary physical bodies much as a child puts on a Halloween costume, we can pretend to be the center of attention. We can pretend to be the supreme being. And if we are not the center of attention for everyone else, at least we can be our own center of attention.

Even though Jesus is clearly indicating to the Jews that the physical world - "this world" - is "below," some institutions teach the goal is for us to "inherit the earth."

Won't we 'inherit the earth'? 

"Inherit the earth" is a misinterpretation (and mistranslation) of a teaching of Jesus from Matthew:

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5)

Actually, Jesus is quoting David's Psalms:

But the meek shall inherit the earth,

And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. (Psalm 37:11)

This means that this phrase, "inherit the earth" did not start with Jesus. It was already taught by David, and Jesus was simply quoting David. This concept was related to not only being humble, but being devoted to God. Consider another use of this phrase by David:

But those who wait on the LORD,

They shall inherit the earth. (Psalm 37:9)

The word "LORD" comes from the Hebrew word הֹוָה (Yĕhovah). This is God, also called Jehovah. David is not referring to Jesus. He is referring to God, and those who take refuge in God will inherit something. What is it?

The phrase "inherit the earth" is being translated from the Greek words κληρονομέω (klēronomeōto) and γῆ (gē). Klēronomeōto can mean "to be an heir or to inherit" according to the lexicon. But it can also mean, "to receive" and "to receive a portion." 

But γῆ (gē) can mean "arable land" according to the lexicon. Also "territory" or "region."

Note arable land in the context of where Jesus was teaching from - dry and desert-like - would be considered an "oasis" or "paradise."

Jesus and David were referring to a special region or territory. A paradise. They were referring to the spiritual realm.

This is consistent with other teachings of Jesus:

"I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 18:3-4)

Jesus did not teach that his followers would inherit the earth. He told them that if they were humble and worshiped God, they would be eligible to enter the "kingdom of heaven." 

These physical bodies are temporary, and when they die, they decompose into the dirt of the earth. They cease to exist.

The person who is operating the physical body leaves the body at the time of death. This is why the physical body is lifeless after death: Because the person - the personality - has left the body.

Why is life after death is so controversial?

The reason there is such a controversy surrounding this - and why so many people will even proclaim there is no life after death - is simply because our physical eyes are not equipped to see the person within the body. This is because the substance that the person is made of is not physical. The substance of the personality that occupies the physical body is spiritual.

This doesn't mean that the personality temporarily occupying the physical body is formless - like some vague 'spirit' that merges into a great cloud of spirit stuff.

Just because our physical eyes cannot see the form of the personality that occupies a body does not mean the form doesn't exist.

We can quite simply understand that the personality within does have form. This type of 'seeing' is knowledge.

There are many things we understand that we cannot physically see. These include the very small and very large things that make up the physical world. We cannot see sub-atomic particles per se, but we know they exist because we have deduced their existence based on their effects. We see the effects of sub-atomic particles as we collide them in mass accelerators. We then see their effects and understand they exist.

In the same way, we can 'see' that the personality within the body has form simply because we understand that we constantly seek activity. We seek activity whether within a body or outside of a body.

We can see this quite simply when we see a person in a paralyzed physical body, or an older body ready for death. There is very little physical ability to be active, yet the personality within is still very active. He/she is seeking to communicate with relatives and friends, and maintains goals and objectives regardless of the body's lack of activity. This is evidence that we remain active regardless of the status of the physical body.

We also see evidence in clinical death research, where the personality remains active outside the body even though the body and brain are dead.

These indicate that activity is a constituent of the personality within the body. The only way we can be active separate from a physical body is if we have an active form that is not physical.

Can there be relationships without individuality?

We seek constant activity - relationships, goals, objectives - these are all confirmations that we are inherently active, regardless of the status of the physical body. Jesus' teachings emphasized that we are spirit, not the physical body.

We can also 'see' that we have an active form by Jesus' statements. When Jesus says "Where I am going..." there are two clear statements here: "I" means that Jesus accepts that he is not only an individual now, but he will remain an active individual where he is "going."

Secondly, if Jesus is "going" somewhere, and he is going without his physical body (because his physical body died), then he must have an active non-physical form. Only an active form can be "going" somewhere.

Jesus further elaborates on the spiritual realm:

"In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you." (John 14:2)

Jesus is clarifying that the spiritual realm ("my Father's house") has many "rooms," which indicate there are various sections of the spiritual realm. This also indicates that there are different activities within the spiritual realm, and there are various forms that occupy the different "rooms" or sections of the spiritual realm.

The citizens of the spiritual realm are active, and there are many activities. These are centered around their relationships with the Supreme Being. While our activities in the physical world are centered around selfish goals to please ourselves and our families or groups, the citizens of the spiritual realm are all engaged in activities centered around pleasing the Supreme Being and the Supreme Being's other caregivers.

What happens eventually? 

First, we find out that these occupations or positions are temporary. We lose them all. The teenager turns 21. The fireman, doctor, soldier and policeman must retire. The movie star must get old and not get the parts anymore. The business tycoons and political stars lose their money or office. 

Everything changes here. And then, of course, we lose everything - our money, fame, reputation, physical identity and family - when the physical body dies.

It is all temporary here because it is not just a fun escape. It is also a rehabilitation center. The physical world is set up to rehabilitate us - assuming we want to be rehabilitated. If we want to stay here, the system is set up for us to continue our hellish physical existence within other temporary physical bodies. But if we become serious about leaving, then the Supreme Being gives us a method to return home to the spiritual realm and our eternal activity in our permanent identity.

But isn't Jesus saying that no one can go where he is going? He is, after all, saying "you cannot come" to those who are resistant to his teachings.

We find clarity in statements that follow:

Simon Peter asked him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later." (John 13:36)

and later:

"You know the way to the place where I am going." (John 14:4)

So Jesus is not saying that his disciples can never follow Jesus to the spiritual realm. He is saying that since he will be leaving his body in the coming days - as it will be crucified - he is returning now.

He also indicates that his disciples know how to get there: "You know the way...." What is "the way"?

"The way" is by following Jesus' teachings.

And what are Jesus' teachings?

"'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)

In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so ..." (John 14:2-4)

In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." (John 14:2-4)

What does 'in my Father's house are many rooms' mean?

Jesus is referring to his coming departure from this world, after his persecution and the murder of his physical body. As he describes his "Father's house," he is using symbolism and metaphor, as he attempts to describe a spiritual place using language used typically to describe things in the physical world. 

Therefore he uses two key metaphors to describe key elements:

"House" comes from the Greek word οἰκία (oikia), which means "a house: an inhabited edifice, a dwelling," according to the lexicon.

"Rooms" is being translated from the Greek word μονή (monē), which means "a staying, abiding, dwelling, abode." In the plural, the accepted translation is "dwelling places."

Jesus is not referring to a physical house with rooms in it. He is speaking metaphorically about the spiritual realm - because the spiritual dimension is not perceivable with the physical eyes, nor is it fully describable by physical language. 

Jesus is using what is called a metaphor: Using something easily observed to explain something not easily observed.

Jesus is telling his students that the spiritual realm contains many different spaces - or regions. This is a place where there is a wide range of variety: There are lots of activities and many different types of forms and relationships with the Supreme Being.

In other words, there are many different relationships between the spirit-persons (we are each a spirit-person) and the Supreme Being in the spiritual realm. Each of us was constituted with a unique relationship with the Supreme Being. 

But each of us has the choice of whether we want to embrace that relationship.

What does he mean by, 'I am going there to prepare a place for you'? 

This indicates that Jesus is going to be arranging for his followers' return to the spiritual realm.

How does Jesus do this? Is he talking about fluffing up some pillows for his students? Or cleaning out some of the "rooms" so they are ready for them?

That's ridiculous. Jesus is talking about the task of continuing to guide them to the spiritual realm. It is they who must become prepared to return to the spiritual realm. The spiritual realm is already prepared. But they must perfect their dedication to the Supreme Being by learning to love God and do His will as Jesus has taught them.

And it is questionable from the Greek that Jesus is referring to himself when he supposedly says, "If I go and prepare a place for you...." Is he saying that he might or might not do it?

Jesus is speaking of their choosing to become prepared. This means that Jesus' teachings would essentially continue to offer guidance for their spiritual progress. If they continue to follow his instructions, they would create a place for themselves in the spiritual realm.

By following one who is dedicated to the Supreme Being, one develops their own dedication to the Supreme Being. And by following one who is intimate with the Supreme Being, one also gains an intimate relationship with God.

It is the follower of Jesus, as also indicated by the Greek, who becomes the subject of preparation. Should they follow his instructions, Jesus will be preparing them for entry into the spiritual realm, by virtue of his intimate relationship with God.

What about 'coming on the clouds of heaven'?

What does "coming on the clouds of heaven" mean? Does it mean Jesus' "second coming"?

And does this have anything to do with Jesus saying to his students (above): "I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."?

As far as "coming on the clouds of heaven," this is a mistranslation. The word "coming" is translated from the Greek word, ἔρχομαι (erchomai), which means, according to the lexicon, not just "to come" but also "to arise" and "to appear" or "make one's appearance" - relating to being present somewhere.

Furthermore, how does a person "come" "on the clouds of heaven"? Will the "clouds of heaven" be moving in with Jesus riding them like some kind of a horseback rider?

This is a ridiculous notion, yet this is precisely what sectarian teachers and some imaginative painters have portrayed to us. They portray that a bunch of clouds will be rolling in with Jesus standing on top of them like horses, "riding" them.

This is speculation. The phrase, "clouds of heaven," refers to the spiritual realm. As discussed, ἔρχομαι (erchomai) can better be translated to "arise" or "appear." Jesus is clearly saying that he would become present in the spiritual realm. He would be leaving his physical body in the material world and rise to the spiritual realm - and would appear there and be present there - where God resides, and where the community of the spiritual world resides.

Luke confirms this interpretation, as Jesus answers the same question in the same situation (during his trial) with:

"But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God." (Luke 22:69)

Is this about Jesus' second coming?

As to Jesus saying specifically to his followers that he would be returning for them ("I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."): The word "returning" is expanding Jesus' metaphorical language outside of its intended meaning.

Jesus is not talking about some end of the world scenario thousands of years into the future when he will ride on horseback (or 'cloud-back') and come down to the surface of the earth.

Rather, Jesus is speaking metaphorically about being there for them and guiding each of his students back to the spiritual realm during their lifetimes and at the time of death - after they leave their present physical bodies. He is speaking about something that will occur within the next few decades for each of them. Because each of his students will die within the next few decades.

Because he is speaking of the time of death of their physical body, Jesus is speaking of their "last day."

When the body dies, the person leaves the body. At that point, each of us will go to our next destination, depending upon our consciousness and life's activities. Those who dedicate their lives to following Jesus' teachings will be guided back to the spiritual realm by Jesus. Those who have used their lives otherwise - will go to another place accordingly.

One might compare this situation with the coast guard retrieving people who have fallen into the ocean from a boat offshore. The coast guard helicopter will take off from an airport and fly to the place where the people are struggling in the ocean. As the helicopter hovers overhead, a coast guard person will descend down to the water with a chair on a rope in order to pull people up from the water. This is what Jesus is speaking of with respect to retrieving his students who have dedicated their lives to following his instructions.

This is the mercy of God and His messengers - whom God sends to the physical world to bring us back to Him. God's messengers will instruct followers during their physical lifetimes, and when they leave their bodies at the time of death, those students who followed those instructions will be guided back to the spiritual realm by those instructions. This is the process of being saved.

This is also a natural process. Suppose we were invited to a party by a friend, and we didn't know anyone else in the party nor the person giving the party. Would we be accepted into the party walking in alone? No. They would think we were crashing the party. 

Rather, our friend who invited us would need to arrange to have us invited, or arrange with the owner so we can get in. This would enable our entrance. Such a friend might also escort us into the party and introduce us to the host/owner of the house and some of the other people at the party. Once this occurred, we'd be accepted into the party.

Is a personal invitation required?

The process is a very personal one and requires invitation and introduction - but this is at God's personal discretion. This can also occur at any time. Spiritual awareness and introduction can occur before the time of death, during or after. The citizens of the spiritual realm each have a unique loving relationship with the Supreme Person. To gain entry means we have to be introduced to the Supreme Being and develop a relationship with Him. This introduction can be made by God's representative who may be on the earth or not. Or it may be arranged directly by God. This is why developing a personal relationship with God's representative is so important.

Just consider if we wanted to be introduced to the President of the United States on a personal basis. How could we even get to him by ourselves? There is no way unless we are introduced to him by someone who is already close to him, or he reached out to us personally somehow. When a friend of the President introduces us to the President, a personal relationship with the President is possible. But this is still at the discretion of the President.

The same process works with the Supreme Being. God is a Person, and God is all about relationships. The entire spiritual realm is all about relationships - of love and loving service. This is why we are each wandering around the physical world looking for love. We are yearning for love because our spiritual selves are from the spiritual realm - where loving relationships abound.

If we have lost our unique loving relationship with the Supreme Being, we have to work to get it back. This is the law of love and relationships.

Being re-introduced to Him by God's representative is being defined metaphorically by Jesus as "preparing a place" for us in the spiritual realm.

It is critical to understand that Jesus is speaking to his disciples, who have been following his instructions carefully. He is speaking to them intimately because he knows his body will be murdered soon and he will be leaving them physically and returning to the spiritual realm.

He says, "to be with me that you also may be where I am." This is not an institutional situation. Jesus is talking to his disciples personally, about guiding each of them back to the spiritual realm. He wants his close disciples to know that if they continue to follow his instructions, then he will continue to be with them. He will continue to help guide them back.

Jesus can also help guide us back if we follow his teachings.

Did Jesus have an intimate relationship with God?

Clearly, Jesus enjoyed a relationship with God that was unseen to most of those around him. This intimate relationship with God was discussed elsewhere:

"And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." (Mark 14:62)

Jesus is obviously referring to his close relationship with the Supreme Being ("Mighty One") here. To sit at someone's "right hand" doesn't mean they are just sitting around all day. This is a metaphorical phrase that refers to being someone's assistant or servant. Being someone's "right-hand man" is still a common phrase used today to refer to a person who is dedicated to carrying out the wishes of the person in charge.

In order to be someone's "right hand" person, there must be two persons: The person in charge and the person who carries out this person's wishes. Jesus indicated elsewhere that his purpose was acting on behalf of God:

"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)

and

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

It is clear that Jesus is acting on behalf of God, and that being God's "right hand" person means to be doing God's will.

If we decide to return home to the Supreme Being, God will guide us - through the teachings of His representative and from within in the form of the Holy Spirit. Should we follow that guidance, and come to develop our love for the Supreme Being, a place will also be prepared for each of us in the spiritual realm.


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

"My LORD’s dwelling place has many regions – if there weren’t I would have told you, because I depart to prepare you for that place. And if I depart and prepare you for that place, I will stay with you and guide you myself so that you may be there with me. And you will know the path to where I am going.” (John 14:2-4)