"You will always have the poor among you but you will not always have me." (John 12:7-8)

Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages." He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. "Leave her alone," Jesus replied. "It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me." (John 12:3-8) 

Was Mary a prostitute?

Jesus said this in answer to Judas after Mary had begun massaging Jesus' feet with scented oil (likely frankincense - often used during those times as a soothing oil and as a perfume). Jesus had walked to Bethany, so it was likely his feet were sore. Mary also used her hair to spread the oil.

Mary has often been referred to as a prostitute, but there is no foundation for this. From the scriptures, we find Mary and her sister Martha as well as their brother Lazarus - who had been revived - were all followers of Jesus. This is clear from the following:

And after she [Martha] had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you." When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. (John 11:28-29)

Notice Martha referred to Jesus as "the teacher." Jesus had many, many followers. While sectarian teachers have focused on the "twelve," we know from this and other texts that Jesus had many more students and disciples. Luke 10:1 and 10:17 states that Jesus sent out 72 of his disciples, for example.

So Mary, one of Jesus' students, was simply washing the feet of her spiritual teacher with an essential oil. This was a custom from the oldest of times, as washing and massaging the teacher's feet was seen as not only pleasing to the teacher along with building humility for the student; it also had a practical purpose, because most spiritual teachers walked through the countryside preaching.

So this act by Mary was not some kind of sexual gesture as many have interpreted. It was a simple act of devotion: It was service rendered to her spiritual teacher, the representative of God. This makes it service to the Supreme Being.

Was Mary a follower of Jesus?

Yes, and this is why Mary served Jesus. This is why she massaged and washed his feet. Remember that Jesus often walked barefoot as he traveled the country preaching. He would spend days walking over tough terrain. So washing his feet was not just a luxury for Jesus: It was something needed to soothe his feet so he could continue.

The fact that this was service to Jesus was confirmed by Jesus after Judas said:

"Why wasn't this perfume [ointment] sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages." (John 12:5)

The translation of the Greek word μύρον (myron) to perfume is not appropriate. Perfume is used to make someone smell nice. The Greek word actually means "ointment" according to the lexicon. Such an ointment was typically used to help soothe and heal the body. Essential oils of frankincense, myrrh and eucalyptus were often used in these ointments. These provided the means to speed healing and reduce pain.

The indicates clearly that Mary's purpose was to rub the ointment onto Jesus' feet to soothe them.

Why was this more important than charity?

We see by Jesus' statement that the service to God's representative is seen as a priority over charity to the poor. Why?

From a practical standpoint - rubbing the ointment onto Jesus' feet soothed them. This allowed Jesus to continue doing his preaching efforts. Remember that Jesus walked the countryside often in bare feet. If he couldn't walk, he couldn't reach the people and help save them with his teachings.

God's representative comes to save humanity from suffering altogether. How so? Each of us, rich or poor, is suffering because we are wearing and identifying with these temporary physical bodies, trying desperately trying to find happiness where there is none. This physical world is not a place of happiness. It is a place of suffering.

Our bodies suffer from the time we exit the womb. We come out of the womb writhing in pain and screaming. For the first five years, there are so many pains, symptomized by so much crying. Once in childhood, we suffer from growing pains, peer pressure and the struggle for attention. As teenagers, we suffer from loneliness and trying to fit in.

As adults, we now must work hard, and report to a boss we don't like - if we are able to find work. We struggle to pay for food, housing, and clothing. Most of the world is too poor and can't afford much. And then, we get sick, we get older and older, and then we can't work anymore. We must rely on others. Then our bodies die. Where is the happiness in this?

Where can we find fulfillment?

And while we keep looking for enjoyment despite all the suffering, we find no fulfillment here.

Why? Is God a mean God who just wants to make us suffer?

No. We are not these physical bodies. They are like vehicles we temporarily drive. As such, our suffering comes from our identifying with these physical bodies.

We are here in this physical world because we wanted to be away from the Supreme Being. We wanted to be happy without our relationship with God. Because God gives us the freedom to love Him or not, we can always choose not to. For those who chose not to love God, God created the physical world so we could ignore Him for a while and chase our dreams.

But should the Supreme Being have made a perfect abode for us to live away from Him? What would that say about His love for us? God knows we will only be happy when we are loving and caring for Him in our original position within the spiritual world. So why would He make a perfect abode only to see us continue to be lonely and empty - as even the wealthiest, most powerful people are - without our relationship with God?

In other words, the Supreme Being made the physical world with multiple purposes. One is to be a place we could ignore Him for a while and pretend to be someone we are not.

What is the purpose of this world?

This physical world is a place of rehabilitation. This world is designed as a place of learning. It slowly and methodically, through cause and effect - the law of consequences - teaches us about love, caring, and who we ultimately are. 

Even those who resist the Supreme Being by claiming He doesn't exist can learn these lessons, slowly and gradually, through action and reaction. These reactions take place not on us directly, but upon our temporary physical bodies.

It is like playing a computer game where our icon is subjected to various challenges and we must learn ways to avert those as we learn the game. Our computer icon may get hurt during the game, but the person playing the game - sitting at the computer - is untouched.

Eventually, as we learn more and more, we rise to a state of higher intelligence.

Those who have risen to a level of higher intelligence begin to trust in the existence of the Supreme Being. While God remains hidden to our physical vision - on purpose - those who maintain confidence in His existence and desire to return to their relationship with Him are guided back to Him.

How does God communicate with us?

God uses several means to communicate with us. These include through the Holy Spirit within, His messenger, and Scripture. 

These means of communication allow us to check whether the communication is valid. For example, if someone teaches something that contradicts Scripture, then we can know this is false. Or if it doesn't jive with the communication from the Holy Spirit within (which can be gained through prayer) then it shouldn't be trusted.

The Supreme Being uses His messenger to bring those who are ready to return to Him back. He sends His representative to teach us about Him, and re-introduce us to Him. This was Jesus' role - to save us by bringing us back to Him.

As Jesus states here, this activity is far more important than helping the poor. Yes, it is good to help our brothers and sisters whose temporary bodies are in a troubled state. But we can only do so much. We cannot prevent all of the sufferings of the physical body.

This was Jesus' point. Using our lives in the service of God is the highest activity of the soul. This is our natural function. The Supreme Being created us as His friends - to exchange a loving relationship out of volition. In the spiritual world, we can serve God directly and personally.

But while we are still rehabilitating ourselves, we can also begin to re-develop our relationship with God and begin to serve Him. We can pray to Him. We can offer things to Him. We can think of Him. We can sing and praise His Holy Names. 

These are the activities that will help us re-develop our constitutional relationship with Him, and eventually, make it so we can leave behind the suffering of the physical world and these temporary identities.

And this is why Jesus taught:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matt. 22:37-38)

"My Father will honor the one who serves me." (John 12:26)

"Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me." (John 12:26) 

Why is service to Jesus so important?

Jesus is stating that his relationship with the Supreme Being is such that his followers who serve him will be pleasing God. Why is service important?

Jesus is clarifying our natural role as servants, and ultimately, as servants of God.

Most of us in the physical world want to be masters. We want to be the boss. We want to be the star. We want others to adore us and serve us. This is our disease.

Jesus is offering the remedy to this disease: To resume our natural position as servants.

Yes, regardless of whether we think we are the boss or the master, we are still a servant, even in this world. Just consider the star who must, in order to maintain his or her fanbase, continue to appease the fans with new songs, interviews, shows or movies. Or consider the boss who must maintain the enthusiasm or support from those they are in charge of.

Or consider even those who achieve high positions in government: They must maintain their positions.

All of these activities to maintain such positions are forms of service. So while they might think they are in charge, their constant service means they are ultimately servants.

Even parents who might feel they are masters of their children are ultimately servants. The duty of a parent is to constantly serve the child. This begins with diapers and feedings as babies and continues throughout the child's lifetime. Even when the child is an adult and has children, the service of the parents then becomes serving the grandchildren. Now that is a life of service.

These all point to the reality that ultimately we are servants by nature. Anything we do in life requires service. This is because we cannot escape our natural position.

Jesus taught this very point clearly:

"The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." (Matthew 23:11-12)

Ultimately, the Supreme Being is the only Master. God is in charge, and we are not.

And those who want to develop their relationship with God must become servants.

Since Jesus is God's messenger, we can become pleasing to God by serving God's messenger.

Furthermore, Jesus is clarifying that service is the key to following Jesus, and following Jesus is the key to serving him. These are interchangeable relationships.

It is ultimately about love. Jesus is not speaking of becoming a slave to God or himself. The type of service Jesus is speaking of comes from love.

What does it mean to "follow" Jesus?

One might ask how they can serve Jesus now, and become his follower now?

The most basic element of following Jesus is to carefully read his teachings, and carefully take those teachings into our hearts.

The next step is to apply those teachings to our lives as best we can, according to the time and circumstance. As we follow his teachings, we begin to understand Jesus' intentions. Jesus is very clear about this:

"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)

Jesus is saying that it is not enough to be praising Jesus as "Lord." Jesus clarifies that to follow him ("enter the kingdom of heaven") we must do the will of Jesus' Father. Who is Jesus' Father? God, the Supreme Being.

What does doing the will of God mean?

To do someone else's will means to care about that person and act in a way that is pleasing to them. This requires that we come to understand what pleases them.

The best way to understand what pleases the Supreme Being is to carefully understand Jesus' teachings. Because Jesus is God's representative we are given an insight into what pleases God. Jesus is speaking on behalf of God. So we can understand God by understanding Jesus' teachings.

Jesus' teachings indicate the God is lovable. Because Jesus' "first and foremost" instruction is to love God, we know that God is a lovable person. That negates some of the threatening interpretations of God given by those sectarian teachers who have taught that God is to be feared.

What about fearing God in the Bible?

The word "fear" from the Old Testament in the Bible has been mistranslated.

The translation comes from the Hebrew word יָרֵא (yare'). This word can mean to fear, but it also means "to stand in awe of, be awed," and "reverence, honor, respect" according to the lexicon.

Now consider this carefully. How can a person love someone they are afraid of? We can, however, love someone whom we also revere, and honor, and have respect for. Certainly, if we love someone, we will naturally revere them and honor them.

Furthermore, we can certainly accept that a person who loves God and be "awed" by God. We can certainly accept that the Supreme Being is awesome and love Him at the same time.

But loving God and fearing God simply do not mix well. The entire teachings of Judaism are founded upon love of God. We know this because Moses, who is considered the central Prophet, repeatedly stressed the importance of love of God:

“Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5)

“Love the LORD your God and keep his requirements, His decrees, His laws and His commands always.” (Deuteronomy 11:1)

“So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today – to love the LORD your God and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 11:13)

“If you carefully observe all these commands I am giving you to follow – to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to hold fast to Him – “ (Deuteronomy 11:22)

“…because you carefully follow all these laws I command you today – to love the LORD your God and to walk always in His ways – “ (Deuteronomy 19:19)

“For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commands, decrees and laws” (Deuteronomy 30:16)

“…and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the LORD is your life....” (Deuteronomy 30:20)

We also know that Joshua, Moses' disciple who continued Moses' teachings, also stressed love of God as the prime directive:

“But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, to obey His commands, to hold fast to Him and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul.” (Joshua 22:5)

“So be very careful to love the LORD your God.” (Joshua 23:11)

Love of God was stressed elsewhere in the Bible:

“Love the LORD, all His saints!” (Psalms 31:23)

“Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for He guards the lives of His faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.” (Psalms 97:10)

Jesus also stressed the importance of this 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.” (Matthew 22:37-38)

We can add to this all of the directives in the Bible that have been translated to "fear God" can be translated to "revere God" or "honor God." This means that all of those Biblical verses are also teaching love of God.

How can we learn to love God?

Loving someone means caring about them. That means doing what pleases them.

Let's say that we get married and have a relationship with our spouse. After we are married, do we just run off and continue to do what we want? No. We begin to find out what pleases our spouse, and do things that please them. This becomes the glue of our relationship: Doing things that please our spouse.

This is not like reading a menu. In order to do what pleases our spouse, we have to find out what pleases them, yes? This means that we begin to focus on them and discover what pleases them. Sometimes it takes just observation, other times it takes asking questions and engaging in communications. This is called relating. As we communicate more with our spouses, we gradually find out what pleases them the most, and then we do those things.

This entire process is called a loving relationship, and it defines Jesus' call to do God's will. In other words, Jesus wants us to turn to God, focus on God, relate with God, and do what pleases God. This is following Jesus.

Jesus was engaging in a loving relationship with God while he was on the planet, and he told his students that he would be returning to the spiritual realm after the death of his body. So we know that if we truly follow Jesus' teachings, we will also re-establish our loving relationship with God and return to Him. We also know that by following Jesus we can be engaging in a relationship with Jesus and His Father, the Supreme Being, now.

Jesus confirms the mechanism of this as he says: "My Father will honor the one who serves me."

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

"If someone serves me, he will follow me; and wherever I go, my servant shall also go. And my LORD will honor one who serves me.” (John 12:26)

"Father, glorify your Name!" (John 12:27-28)

"Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." (John 12:27-28) 

Why does Jesus say his 'soul is troubled'?

This statement by Jesus is coming shortly after his followers were worshiping and praising Jesus as he rode a donkey down from the mount to Jerusalem.

The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the king of Israel!" (John 12:12-13)

Certainly, the word "king" is mistranslated. The word βασιλεύς (basileus) can also mean "leader" or "prince" according to the lexicon. Jesus was certainly not a king. At best he was the spiritual leader of many people - those who followed him of course.

 

So Jesus is a bit troubled because they were praising Jesus as a spiritual leader. He is obviously not comfortable with this. He was not triumphant, as many would be when they are being praised and worshiped.

 

Why is Jesus asking God to glorify His Name?

Jesus sees this “hour”* (better translated to "time") where he is being praised as an opportunity to glorify and praise God. He wants to make sure that God is glorified.

This is one of Jesus' greatest lessons. During his most triumphant time, he is most concerned about making sure God is praised. He doesn't see himself worthy of being praised.  Jesus confirmed this when he said:

"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. (Luke 18:19)

Sadly, glorifying God is the critical component that so many miss about Jesus’ life. Jesus was focused upon his students and disciples glorifying God and glorifying God's Name. This is why he was glorified by his students as he came into Jerusalem with:

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

And why Jesus also said:

"For I tell you, you will not see me until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (Matt. 23:39) 

Glorifying God by glorifying His Name is a central precept of the teachings of the Jesus, as well as the teachings of the Prophets.

These texts illustrate one of Jesus’ most confidential and important teachings: To praise and glorify God and His Names.

In other words, we can see that Jesus was pleased not with being personally glorified, but pleased when his students were glorifying and praising God. This singing and glorifying God is an ancient teaching that has been passed down for thousands of years, and Jesus was echoing this.

The activities of Jesus’ students in glorifying God also indicate this.

Why is glorifying God important? It is a key part of the process of re-developing our own loving relationship with the Supreme Being.

God is not a vague force or light or simply a booming voice. God is a Person. He is the Perfect Person. God is the person we are searching for as we look for our soulmate.

And the reason we look all over for that perfect person in the form of our soulmate is that we have forgotten God, and we lost our natural relationship with Him.

Was this about Jesus being crucified?

Many sectarian teachers have claimed that Jesus is describing the "hour" his body will be crucified.

Yet there is no mention* here about Jesus’ murder in these or the preceding verses. Rather, they describe how Jesus was glorified as he came towards Jerusalem, and then praised and glorified by many who had seen the rising of Lazarus from the dead:

Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him. (John 12:18)

This is confirmed by the Pharisees who were watching all the attention Jesus was getting:

So the Pharisees said to one another, "See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!" (John 12:19)

And Jesus mentioned that this was a moment in time when he was to be glorified:

"The hour has come for the son of man to be glorified." (John 12:23)

So the “hour” - actually better translated to "time" from the Greek word ὥρα (hōra) - being referred to has nothing to do with Jesus being brutally murdered. The “hour” refers to a time when Jesus was being praised and glorified by many:

They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"  "Blessed is the king of Israel!" (John 12:13)

The statement preceding (John 12:26) actually illustrates an intimate portrait of the real Jesus. Jesus was not a proud, boisterous person. Jesus was a humble person who saw himself as God’s servant. And this is reflected by various other statements that Jesus had made, such as:

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

and

"The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." (Matt. 23:11-12)

These verses indicate that Jesus saw himself as God’s messenger and loving servant and the servant of others. He was simply not comfortable with all this praise and glorification.

And the verse above (John 12:27-28) illustrates that Jesus’ heart was troubled because he was not comfortable being praised. His purpose was not to become glorified but to glorify God with his life.

Therefore, after stating that his heart was troubled by all this praise, Jesus states that, “what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'?” This indicates that Jesus was struggling with the praise, and asking the Supreme Being to help him deal with it.

Is Jesus relying upon God?

Yes, Jesus was relying on the Supreme Being. He had surrendered himself to God. This was also illustrated when Jesus prayed before his arrest:

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)

This is quite opposite of the relationship that sectarian teachers are teaching we should have with God. They promote that our relationship should consist of asking God to give us stuff and then thanking Him for all the stuff. This focuses our relationship with God around the idea of God being our servant – getting us whatever we want – rather than us being God’s servant.

Jesus, however, did not perceive his relationship with God in this way. He saw himself as God’s servant, and thus, he saw that the situation before him – being praised by so many in Jerusalem – was actually an opportunity to bring attention to his LORD, the Supreme Being.

Therefore, Jesus says:

“No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour [time]*. Father, glorify your Name!" 

Why do we need the Supreme Being?

We were created by God to care for Him and exchange a loving relationship with Him. That is the purpose of our existence. But because God also gave us the freedom to love Him or not, some of us chose not to love Him and were sent here to the physical world to learn lessons of love and consequence.

In doing so, we’ve gotten wrapped up in the false temporary identities of our temporary physical bodies. This has allowed us to effectively forget our eternal natural relationship with the Supreme Being.

Those who wish to return to God are shown the way back. God sends His representative to bring us home. This is Jesus' role. Jesus wanted us to re-develop our natural position of loving God.

This concept of being a servant rather than a master is the key to our identity. As we search for happiness within this physical world we find that we continue to be empty as we try to consume things for ourselves. Even the wealthiest and most famous people feel empty because even though they have everything we dream of, it is not fulfilling.

Yet when we give to someone else – whether it be our time, care or gifts – we find that flicker of happiness. We find that we feel more fulfilled by giving than by receiving – and thus the oft-used quote “'tis better to give than to receive.”

People feel this, especially around the holidays. As a person becomes more mature and has experienced getting all kinds of gifts and other things from others, they soon realize that they feel better when they give to others. And even the wealthiest, most famous people, as they mature, feel more joy when they give to poor people or others in need.

Why do we feel better when we give?

It is because by nature we are servants. We are givers. We care by nature. This is our natural position, because God created us to be His caregivers and the caregivers of each other.

And this is why Jesus wanted us to do God’s will:

"Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother." (Mark 3:35)

This statement by Jesus indicates that he too, sees himself as God’s caregiver (as doing God’s will means being God’s caregiver). This is why he sees peerage among those who are also caring for and serving God.

God, on the other hand, is by nature the Enjoyer. We are His servants and caregivers, and He is the Enjoyer. This means that caring for the Supreme Being gives us fulfillment. This is our natural position, and it is what Jesus is teaching.

A loving servant and caregiver is not the same as a slave. When a person loves another, they naturally care for them and do things that please them. This requires a relationship, and this is what Jesus is trying to teach us. This is reflected by his most important teaching:

"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." (Matt. 22:37-38)

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

"Now my mind has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Creator, save me from this time?’ But it was for this purpose that I came to this time. LORD, glorify Your Name.” Then came a voice from the heavens: “I have already glorified it and will glorify it again.” (John 12:27-28)

"Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only ..." (John 12:44)

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

Who is 'the One who sent me'?

Jesus is referring to the Supreme Being.

Jesus is very clear that he has been sent by someone else.

Jesus has made this very obvious throughout his teachings. Consider these statements:

"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)

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

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

Jesus has made it very clear that he is pleased not with the worship of himself, but with those who serve Jesus' "Father in heaven." Jesus is also clear that he wants to do God's will, not his own will.

But isn't Jesus God?

What about the teachings that say Jesus is God?

The very first observation we can make from all of these verses is that Jesus is referring to a person other than himself. As he was denying his own will, and his own lordship in favor of God's will and God's Lordship, we can see that Jesus in no form or manner, considered himself the Supreme Being or represented himself as the Supreme Being.

Yet by referring to the Supreme Being as the "One who sent me," we can arrive at the conclusion that Jesus was representing God. To be sent by someone, and to be speaking on behalf of someone means to represent that person.

Despite clear statements by Jesus, we find many teachers pushing the idea that Jesus is God. Why do they focus on Jesus and Jesus' miracles and avoid talking about the Supreme Being?

Jesus clarifies this as well, as he completes the statement made in Matt. 7:21 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. 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. 7:21-22)

Isn't this what many teachers have been doing - prophesizing or preaching in Jesus' name, driving out demons in Jesus' name, and (supposedly) performing miracles in Jesus' name?

Yet Jesus not only does not condone this. He tells them, "Away from me, you evildoers!" Why are they "evildoers"? Aren't they doing good things by preaching in Jesus' name, performing miracles (supposedly) and supposedly driving out demons in Jesus' name?

Jesus' criterion is simple: "but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Jesus is only pleased by us serving God. He wants our focus and attention to be on God. 

Jesus wants us to do God's will, and understand that his sole purpose was to do God's will. Only a separate person can have a will. Since Jesus wanted to do God's will, we know that Jesus is not God.

Why don't they teach what Jesus taught about God?

You would think that fervent followers of Jesus would enthusiastically teach what Jesus taught. Yet curiously, they don't. They instead teach a philosophy created by Paul - who was not even a direct disciple of Jesus. Instead of teaching love of God, they teach Paul's philosophy of becoming saved by Jesus' crucifixion. Why don't they teach love of God?

Because they don't know God.

And Jesus is very clear that really believing in him means to believe in the Person who sent Jesus.

What does Jesus mean by "believe" here? "Believe" is being 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. In other words, Jesus is speaking of trust here.

Jesus is speaking about someone trusting in what Jesus is teaching. Since Jesus was standing in front of the people he was speaking to, there was no question of his existence. Jesus is referring to them trusting in what he was teaching them.

Many also perceive God as either an old guy with a long grey beard who sits upon a throne in the clouds or as a vague and impersonal force. They think that because God is older, he must have wrinkled skin and grey hair. Or He has no shape or form. This is because, again, they do not know Him.

These are erroneous and speculative depictions of the Supreme Being. God is not subject to time. He is not subject to aging. These are elements of the physical world. They are elements of the physical body. God created time, and he designed the aging process of the physical body. He is not subject to it.

And just because the Supreme Being lives outside the confines of time and space does not mean He has no form.

While the Supreme Being is present everywhere through His expansions, God has form, and personally dwells in the spiritual realm. This is indicated clearly by Jesus, as he referred to the Supreme Being numerous times as, "my Father who is in heaven."

So who is this One who sent me, this "Father in heaven," this "Abba" that Jesus is referring to?

Is God lovable?

Jesus taught us to love God. Is He lovable? Yes.

God is the most beautiful being. He is attractive, radiant, gentle, caring, and strong. He is also ever-youthful. God is not an aging old guy with grey hair depicted in so many renderings amongst churches and paintings. God is the most beautiful being in existence.

God is also the most intimate Friend and Relative to each of us. By nature, each of us is intimately connected to the Supreme Being within the spiritual realm. We are each a member of His family. And it is for this reason that most of us spend a significant portion of our lives looking for that special "soul-mate." We are, in fact, looking for the Supreme Being, our Best Friend.

But because love requires freedom of choice, we have the choice to love God or not. God gives us the opportunity to come here to the physical world and forget Him. Here we can pretend that we are the center of the universe. Here we can focus our love upon ourselves, and forget about God.

It is for this reason that Jesus doesn't want us to worship him. He wants us to worship the Supreme Being, give our entire lives to the Supreme Being, and love the Supreme Being. Why? 

Because he loves the Supreme Being and knows this and only this will make us happy. He knows that we will only be happy when we return to our natural position of loving, caring for, and serving the Supreme Being. This is why his most important teaching 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)

"As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them ..." (John 12:47)

"As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it." (John 12:47) 

How does Jesus 'save the world'?

If we look at Jesus' statement in context, we can see that saving the world is connected to hearing and keeping his "words."

What does it mean to "keep" Jesus' words?

"Words" is being translated from the Greek word ῥῆμα (rhēma). According to Thayer's lexicon, this would mean, in context, "my teachings," or "instruction," or more specifically, "to deliver the whole doctrine concerning this life, i.e., the life eternal."

Yes, Jesus is referring to the wisdom that he has been presenting to his followers. He is asking his followers to carefully listen to his teachings, and then follow them.

This is what Jesus meant by saving the world. Jesus isn't teaching that he will save the world by dying on the cross. If this was his message then he wouldn't need to ask his followers to hear his teachings and follow them. He would have told them to just wait until he dies on the cross and then they'll be saved.

But Jesus never says this.

What was Jesus mean by 'keep them'?

Jesus is referring to his teachings. The term, "words" is translated from the Greek word ῥῆμα (rhēma), which means "speech, discourse" according to Strong's lexicon.  According to Thayer's lexicon, it would relate to "doctrine," or "instructions." 

This means that Jesus is talking about those who hear his teachings but don't follow them. 

Jesus used his words to teach. He stood in front of groups of people - large groups and small groups - and he spoke to them. He taught them. Why would he spend so much effort if he was going to save them by dying on the cross?

Just in the book of John, we find the records of over 125 different teachings by Jesus. While there is a significant crossover, we find dozens more in the other three Gospels. Then we find so many other teachings by Jesus in the recently discovered Lost Gospels of Jesus. Between all of these Scriptures, we find the records of years of teachings. Jesus spent years walking the countryside teaching people.

What were his teachings about? They were primarily about God. Jesus taught us to love and serve the Supreme Being:

"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)

Doing someone else's will requires first wanting to do someone else's will. We must desire to please that other person.

Let's consider Jesus' most powerful and important words. His 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)

Hearing (or reading) these words is one thing. It is one thing to acknowledge that Jesus wants us to love God. But keeping these words is an entirely different matter.

Keeping Jesus' words, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart..." means to cherish God above all else. For those who do not know God, it means to search for God and reach out to God will all our hearts - with prayer, praise and study. And for those who have come to know God through God's representative, it means to work to please Him.

And Jesus was trying to teach love for God to those who did not love God:

"I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts." (John 5:42)

We can't love someone we don't know. This means that we have to come to know who God is. We have to understand His personality. This is why Jesus prayed to God:

"Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent." (John 17:3)

This part of Jesus' prayer to God clearly illustrates that the Supreme Being sent Jesus so that Jesus could help us come to know God.

Jesus' "saves" through his teachings - his words - that teach us how to re-establish our loving relationship with God, and return to Him.

"I am the way and the truth and the life...." (John 14:6)

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)

What does Jesus mean by 'the way and the truth and the life'?

"The way," from the Greek ὁδός (hodos), indicates a passage or path. When used metaphorically, according to the lexicon, it is a "course of conduct," and "a way (i.e. manner) of thinking, feeling, deciding. Jesus provides "the way" with his teachings. Should his students follow his teachings, they will reach God.

"The truth," from the Greek ἀλήθεια (alētheia), indicates knowledge that accesses reality, and access to the Supreme Being. "Truth" is pure knowledge and the means by which we can come to know the Supreme Being.

"The life," from the Greek ζωή (zōē), indicates happiness and fulfillment and living in a manner pleasing to the Supreme Being.

These elements are all contained in Jesus' teachings. As he states clearly above, he is doing "what pleases Him" and his teachings are coming from God ("These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me."). He is, therefore, providing access to the Supreme Being.

In this role, Jesus can certainly claim to be their sole access to the Supreme Being. Because he has been sent by the Supreme Being to teach them how to return to the spiritual realm.

And how does he bring them back? Through his teachings. By their following his instructions.

'No one' ever?

If Jesus meant "no one" ever; as in no one who ever lives before or after him, he would be invalidating the teachings of Moses, Abraham, David, Solomon, Job, Joshua, Samuel, John the Baptist, and many other messengers of God who have delivered those whom they taught. 

Why would they have bothered to teach their students about God? And why did God ask them to teach things to their students if they were not representing the Supreme Being? 

Such a claim would also invalidate Jesus' sending out his own students to teach the same message he taught to them.

When a person truthfully teaches on behalf of someone else after being empowered by that person to represent them, they have become a messenger for that person. For this very reason, we can invalidate those teachers who are proclaiming that Jesus is the only messenger (teacher) to the Supreme Being. 

Simply by their own preaching, they are claiming to represent God. If they then say that Jesus is the only means to God, that is hypocritical.

If we didn't need a teacher outside of Jesus, then why do we need them to preach to us? Why can't we have our own direct access to Jesus?

When Jesus says "me" he is indicating himself in the role of God's representative at a particular time and circumstance. In the same way, when the ambassador in the above analogy tells the foreign government that he is the only means through which they can negotiate with the President, he is not talking to everyone for all time. He is not saying that even after he retires, or even passes away, that he will be the only means for anyone in any foreign government to communicate with the President.

What about 'no comes to the Father except by me'?

What does, "no one comes to the Father except through me" in NIV, or "by me" in other translations mean?

When a person, a messenger or representative, is sent by someone else to represent them, there is an implied exclusivity. The person sent has an exclusive relationship that others don't have. But that doesn't mean the sender will never have another messenger or representative in the past or future.

Otherwise, by saying this, Jesus would effectively be saying that when he sent out his disciples to teach, that he would effectively undermine their authority to teach others. They would not be empowered to pass on the teachings that Jesus was teaching, and John the Baptist had taught before them.

Such a position would not only make no sense. It would effectively delegitimize all those who would come after Jesus to teach about God.

So the authority that Jesus was invoking was effective in that particular time and circumstance, to a particular population of followers.

Let's say the President of a country sends an ambassador to another government to negotiate on his behalf. Here the President is specifically authorizing the ambassador to represent him and wants to keep the lines of communication very clear. 

This means that the foreign government must negotiate directly with the ambassador. If they say they want to talk to the President directly, they would likely hear a similar response from the ambassador: You have to go through me.

Just consider what would happen if the President allowed the foreign government to contact him personally after empowering the ambassador to negotiate on his behalf. The President would be undermining the authority of the ambassador. There would be confusion and miscommunication.

The same would be said for a company executive who delegates management authority to a manager and then continues to instruct that manager's staff directly. That would be undermining the authority of the manager. Everyone would get confused - not knowing who to listen to - and the manager would be effectively muted.

Like a good boss or delegator, the Supreme Being gives full authority to those He selects to represent Him. While His representative is asking us to reach out directly to God and develop our relationship with Him, this is accomplished only via a relationship with His representative.

This can be compared to an introduction by a friend. Say we know a close friend of a rock star. The rock star is well-protected and leery of fans pretending to be "friends." But because we know this friend of the rock star, they introduce us to the rock star. Now once we are introduced, we don't just forget the person who introduced us. 

Our relationship with the rock star will be permanently attached to our friendship with the person who introduced us. Even if we might hang out alone with the rock star, we'll probably be talking about the person who introduced us. That bond will always be there. This is a matter of not only courtesy: It is a matter of relationship.

The relationship between God's representative and the Supreme Being is even deeper than this. They have an intimate relationship of love and loving service, evidenced by Jesus' saying that "I always do what pleases Him." God's representative has dedicated his life to God. He has given everything to God. He is fully dependent upon and trusting the Supreme Being.

So yes, it is clear that Jesus is telling his disciples that they need to go through him to reach God. This is because Jesus is their spiritual teacher. He is representing God. God has empowered him to represent Him.

And should we come to know God's representative, we can also come to know the Supreme Being. We can also come to know the intimate relationship between God and God's loving servant. And we can see within that relationship the kind of love that exists between God and His children.

We can know that the Supreme Being loves us unconditionally, and know that He knows we will only be happy when we return to His loving arms as we come to understand Jesus' most important teaching:

“ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matt. 22:37-38)

Could this mean that Jesus is God?

Some have claimed that this statement proves that Jesus is God. Could this be true?

Jesus has clarified the existence of the Supreme Being as separate from himself many times. He has also indicated that he is representing the Supreme Being. That he was sent by the Supreme Being. How could Jesus be God if God sent him?

Consider just a few of the many statements Jesus clarifies this role:

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

"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. (John 5:24)

"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)

"For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me." (John 5:36)

"And the Father who sent me has Himself testified concerning me. You have never heard His voice nor seen His form" (John 5:37)

"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 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." (John 6:39)

"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:44)

"Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me." (John 6:57)

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

Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, "Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own, but He who sent me is true."(John 7:28-29)

Jesus said, "I am with you for only a short time, and then I go to the One who sent me." (John 7:33)

"But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me." (John 8:16)

"I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me." (John 8:18)

"I have much to say in judgment of you. But He who sent me is reliable, and what I have heard from Him I tell the world." (John 8:26)

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

Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but He sent me." (John 8:42)

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

[Jesus praying to God]"I knew that You always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that You sent me." (John 11:42)

Then Jesus cried out, "When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the One who sent me. When he looks at me, he sees the One who sent me." (John 12:44)

"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)

"I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the One who sent me." (John 13:20)

Are these statements by Jesus not clear enough that God sent Jesus? Even later in this very discussion with Jesus' disciples, Jesus states:

"These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me." (John 14:24)

So how could Jesus be the Supreme Being if he says that the words he is speaking are not his own but God's? Is Jesus trying to fake all his disciples out here? Did he say over and over that God sent him just to fool them?

Certainly not. Jesus is simply not the Supreme Being. He is clearly, according to himself, sent by the Supreme Being. He is providing a means for his students to access the Supreme Being. He is providing a vehicle for them to return to the spiritual realm.



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

Jesus said to him, “I am the path, the truth and the life: None of you will come before the Creator except through me." (John 14:6)

"... so that the Son may bring glory to the Father." (John 14:13-14)

"And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. (John 14:13-14)

Why are there differences among the versions?

There is a major difference in the translations between some of the versions regarding John 14:13. The phrase, "so that the Son may bring glory to the Father" was the translation in the 1984 New International Version. It was recently changed to "so that the Father may be glorified in the Son."

This makes the translation consistent with the King James Version. But the New Living Translation version says, "so that the Son can bring glory to the Father."

What is the difference between "the Father may be glorified in the Son" and "the Son can bring glory to the Father"?

The Greek is written in such a way that literally would be "Father will be glorified [ἐν (en)] the Son." And the word ἐν (en) has been translated to "in" in these versions. However, the Greek word ἐν (en) can also mean "by."

Why would they not translate the word ἐν (en) to "by" instead of "in"? After all, who speaks like that?

Let's say for example, that Bobby glorified his Dad. Would anyone in their right mind say, "Dad was glorified in Bobby"? Such a statement is nonsensical. It makes no sense. It completely erases the action that took place when Bobby glorified his Dad.

In the same way, to say that the Father (the Creator, God) will be glorified "in" the Son is nonsensical. It makes no sense. How can someone be glorified inside of someone else?

Because of this translation misstep, the 1984 NIV translation was utilized, as this translation is closer to the literal Greek, which would be "the Father will be glorified by the Son."

To say that the "Son may bring glory to the Father" is another way of saying that the Father will be glorified by the Son.

What about asking for anything in Jesus' name?

Some take this part of Jesus' statement out of context. The context of the audience, circumstance, and surrounding statements is critical.

Some interpret this as Jesus suggesting we can ask him or God for anything - be it wealth, fame, success in one's job or winning a football game. Whatever it is, if we ask in Jesus' name, it will be done.

This teaching diametrically opposes Jesus' teachings. It suggests that Jesus is our servant. As if we are the ruler and Jesus and God are there to serve our every whim. We just order up some wealth or success from them and as long as we ask in Jesus' name it will be delivered to us.

As if God and Jesus are our waiters. They are just waiting on us, waiting for us to ask for something and as soon as we do, they spring into action and get it done for us.

This absolutely contradicts Jesus' teachings that we are God's servants and our natural position is to love God and do God's will. Their interpretation is that God and Jesus are waiting for us to ask them, so they can do our will. This contradicts Jesus' teachings, such as:

"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." (Matthew 7:21)

What is the meaning of asking in Jesus' name then?

To understand Jesus' statement about asking in Jesus' name, we must understand the circumstance and the audience. Jesus is speaking directly to his closest disciples here, just prior to him being arrested and executed for his teachings. 

Jesus knows his body will be murdered at the hands of the institutional temple priests and the Romans, and he is preparing his students to go out and pass on his teachings to others.

This is evidenced by his prior statement:

"I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." (John 14:12)

Jesus says "because I am going to the Father" because he knows he will be leaving his body shortly - when it has been murdered - and will be returning to the spiritual realm to be with God.

He says, "anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing" because what he has "been doing" is teaching about God. He wants his disciples to also teach others about God.

And the reason he says, "he will do even greater things than these" is because his disciples (and his disciples' disciples) will be reaching out to those beyond whom Jesus taught to. They will teach Jesus' message to a wider audience as they disperse and teach to their respective communities.

There are two areas of mistranslation here.

The first relates to "in my name," and the second is "whatever you ask" and "you may ask me for anything."

The phrase "in my name" comes from the Greek phrase ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί. The word "name" is being translated from the Greek word ὄνομα (onoma). While Thayer's lexicon indicates ὄνομα can mean "name," it can also mean "the name is used for everything which the name covers, everything the thought or feeling of which is aroused in the mind by mentioning, hearing, remembering, the name, i.e. for one's rank, authority, interests, pleasure, command, excellences, deeds, etc."

We can also provide evidence from other translations from ὄνομα (onoma) elsewhere in the Gospels. For example, Jesus said:

"Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward." (Matt. 10:41)

Here the combination of εἰς (eis), ὄνομα (onoma) and προφήτης (prophētēs) - which could be translated to "in the name of a prophet" is being translated to "because he is a prophet";

and

"And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." (Matt. 10:42)

Here the combination of εἰς eis, ὄνομα onoma and μαθητής (mathētēs) - which could be translated to "in the name of my disciple" is being translated to "because he is my disciple"'

and

"And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life." (Matt. 19:29)

Is he saying 'in my name' or 'for my sake'?

In Matt. 19:29, ἐγώ (egō) ὄνομα (onoma), ἕνεκα (heneka) - which could also be translated to "for my name's sake" - is being translated to "for my sake."

Just as in the above verses, the use of "in my name" doesn't make much sense in context. It also twists the meaning of Jesus' statement. The use of "name" here is relating not specifically to Jesus' physical name, but rather, to what Jesus represents. Jesus' mission, in other words.

This is clarified by the next part of his statement, being translated to "so that the Son may bring glory to the Father." While this is not a completely correct translation of the Greek phrase, ἵνα δοξασθῇ ὁ πατὴρ ἐν τῷ υἱῷ, the translation clearly indicates that the supposed phrase "in my name" is attached to Jesus' bringing "glory to the Father." The two cannot be separated. Jesus cannot be separated from his service to God.

We also cannot separate this statement by Jesus from his previous statement mentioned above:

"I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." (John 14:12)

What will Jesus do for them?

The bottom line is that Jesus was trying to tell his disciples that because of his devotion to the Supreme Being - because he wants to please the Supreme Being - he will continue to be available to his disciples. Even after he leaves his body, he will be there to help guide them and help them to carry on his message. Such help and guidance would be invoked by calling upon Jesus' name according to this statement.

Jesus wasn't trying to tell his disciples that he would give them "anything" as in fame and fortune or winning football games. The word "anything" is being taken from the Greek root word τις (tis), which means, according to the lexicon, "a certain," or "a certain one." In this context, it means something particular - not an all-inclusive "anything."

Rather, Jesus was trying to communicate that he would be there for them regardless of how difficult the circumstance was, to guide them spiritually. No matter what, he would be there for them, in any circumstance, to help them in their spiritual mission to serve him.

Such a relationship is rich and deep. It is not a superficial, passing relationship. It encompasses humility, commitment and an attitude of servitude. The reason why Jesus called some of his students "disciples" is because they had given their lives to him. They had made a commitment to spend their lives in his service, and thus in the service of God. And after Jesus left his physical body they continued that service, teaching Jesus' teachings in public squares and marketplaces.

What does 'Son' mean?

This concept of Jesus' service to God ("doing God's will" or "bringing glory to the Father") brings us to another mistranslation.

The Greek word being translated to "son" is υἱὸς. The word υἱὸς can be translated to "son" in the context of a physical father-son relationship. But, according to the lexicon, this is only "generally used of the offspring of men" and "in a restricted sense, the male offspring (one born by a father and of a mother)."

The lexicon also states that υἱὸς is "used to describe one who depends on another or is his follower." This indicates that within a spiritual context, the word translates to "dependent follower" or "devotee," rather than to "son." And someone who follows and depends upon another can also be described - when there is love involved - as a "devoted follower" or even a "loving servant."

These alternative definitions are confirmed by the use of υἱὸς elsewhere by Jesus:

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons [υἱὸς - servants or followers] of God.” (Matthew 5:9)

and Jesus' teacher, John, said this:

"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become sons [υἱὸς - servants or devotees] of God. (John 1:12).

And there are multiple references to "sons of God" among the English Bible translations:

When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. (Genesis 6:2)

The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown. (Genesis 6:4)

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. (Job 1:6)

Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. (Job 2:1)

When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job 38:7)

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (Romans 8:14)

For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. (Romans 8:19)

When "servants" or "followers" is used rather than "sons", suddenly all of these statements now make sense. Being a servant of God is consistent with many other statements by Jesus, such as:

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

and

"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)

These indicate that Jesus is not making a claim to be God's "only begotten son." Such a claim would make God impotent. Is the Supreme Being - who created the entire physical universe with all the solar systems and living beings - only capable of having just one son? That would be an absurd statement.

Rather, as discussed elsewhere, the idea of "only begotten" comes from the Greek word μονογενής (monogenēs), which can mean "only" or "single of its kind" according to the lexicon, but also, according to its use among many ancient Greek texts, to mean "unique," "special," "privileged," or "favorite" as well. When we derive that the relationship being discussed is related to God, we can only conclude that what is being discussed is a special relationship with God. In this case, a "unique," "privileged" or "favorite" relationship.

What this indicates is not an "only begotten son," but rather, a special relationship with God - a dedicated, loving relationship. This would translate to being God's "intimate loving servant," or "intimate representative." (Thayer's lexicon also indicates that υἱὸς can also refer to a representative.) A person who is exchanging a confidential and special loving relationship with the Supreme Being, and one who is representing the Supreme Being.

It is also clear from the Gospels that Jesus did not come in his own name, rather, in God's Name. This is why he said, and then his disciples chanted, as Jesus entered Jerusalem:

"Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord." (Matt. 21:9/39, Mark 11:9, Luke 13:35, John 12:13)

As Jesus states in this statement, he has come to glorify God. Glorifying God also includes glorifying God's Holy Name.

It is easy to mistranslate something that is not understood. Translations often are limited by the knowledge of the translator. In this case, knowing that Jesus has a special intimate loving relationship with God requires being aware of such a relationship. Otherwise, it is difficult to understand what Jesus is getting at as he discusses how his disciples can pass on Jesus' teachings.

If we are serious about accessing that relationship, it will become available to us. Otherwise, it will be hidden from view, which is ultimately why many mistranslations occur. Jesus' purpose was to give us the opportunity to regain our own intimate loving relationship with the Supreme Being, as Jesus clearly taught:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matt. 22:37-38)

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

Whatever you request in my name, that I will do, so that the Creator will be glorified by His Representative. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it." (John 14:13-14)

"If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is ..." (John 15:6-8)

"If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." (John 15:6-8)

'In me' or 'with me'?

As discussed with Jesus' previous statement in John 15:4-5, the Greek word translated to "in" also means "with," "by" or "among."

Was Jesus really asking his disciples to climb inside of his physical body? If so, how do they get in there? And if they were inside of Jesus, why did Jesus have to speak out loud in order to communicate with them?

In other words, there is no practical basis for the phrase, "remain in me."

The translators did not understand the practical basis of this discussion and the purpose of his statements here. Instead they are influenced by centuries of sectarian misconception about Jesus and his mission.

The English word "in" being used here is being translated from the Greek word ἐν (en), which may be translated to "in," but also can be translated to "with" or "by" or "among" according to the Greek lexicon.

For example, if the word ἐν (en) was being used to describe grapes being put inside a bucket, then the word ἐν (en) should be translated to "in." But in the context of people, you cannot put a person "in" another person. In this context, the word ἐν (en) should be translated to "with."

The Lost Gospels of Jesus translates these verses with some slight differences:

"If one does not remain with me, they will be cast away like a branch that dries up. These are gathered up and cast into the fire where they will be burned. If you remain with me, and my teachings remain with you, ask what you will and it will be done for you. My LORD will be glorified by your bearing much fruit, and thus you will be my followers." (John 15:6-8)

We can see how much more practical this statement by Jesus becomes when ἐν (en) is translated correctly. Jesus was discussing the fact that he will be physically leaving them shortly due to the coming sacrifice of his physical body at the hands of the institutional temple high priests and Romans.

Because his physical body was going to be killed, he is assuring his disciples that they will remain "with" him, simply by virtue of their following his instructions ("words") and teaching others - "showing yourselves to be my disciples."

Jesus' discussion with his closest followers illustrates that he expected his disciples to continue his mission to serve the Supreme Being.

Did Jesus expect his followers to pass on his teachings?

During Jesus' time, this is what disciples were expected to do by their teacher. It is a long-standing tradition that disciples were expected to learn from their teacher and then pass on those teachings. Jesus compares this process of passing on those teachings to "bearing fruit" - "you will bear much fruit."

This fact that Jesus wanted his disciples to preach is confirmed elsewhere, such as:

He appointed twelve--designating them apostles--that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach (Mark 3:14)

He also instructed them specifically:

"Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." (Mark 6:15)

Jesus clarified his own mission to preach to people with many statements, including:

"Let us go somewhere else--to the nearby villages--so I can preach there also. That is why I have come." (Mark 1:38)

"I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent." (Luke 4:43)

Jesus also described the purpose of his preaching:

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed" (Luke 4:18)

In this last verse we must see the symbolism being used:

1) "poor" is not referring to how much financial wealth a person has. It is being compared to one who is derift of knowledge.

2) "proclaim freedom for the prisoners" is not talking about people in jail. It is comparing those of us trapped within the physical world and material consciousness as "prisoners."

3) "recovery of sight for the blind" is not talking about being physically blind. It is comparing our not understanding our identity as spiritual (and not material), and our relationship with the Supreme Being to being blind. Returning our "sight" is thus compared to seeing who we really are, as loving caregivers of the Supreme Being.

4) "release the oppressed" is comparing those of us who are oppressed by our self-centered desires to enjoy the physical world and our physical bodies. We are oppressed by our desires because self-centeredness is contrary to our nature.

Are we all loving servants?

We are caregivers. This is why even the wealthiest and most famous people find their greatest fulfillment (within the physical realm) by caring for others, whether it be their families or people in poor countries.

While Jesus certainly was charitable, and he healed some people's physical bodies, as he clarified himself (see above verses), he did not come to heal people's bodies. If he did, he would have set up a hospital and he would have healed people all day.

But he didn't. His focus was upon healing people's spiritual selves. His physical healings were intended to bring attention to his teachings.

And his teachings said nothing about his "dying for our sins," as some proclaim. If Jesus taught that he would be "dying for our sins" then why didn't he teach this? He didn't. In fact, Jesus did not die - his body died, but he didn't.

Rather, Jesus' teachings were about loving God and serving God: Doing God's will. This also happens to be the thrust of the teachings of all the prophets before Jesus, including Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Eli, Samuel, David, Job, Noah, Ezekiel and others - whom Jesus often quoted.

We can see the focus of Jesus' teachings upon serving God (doing the "will of my Father"):

"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)

We can also see the central focus of his 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)

How can we remain with Jesus?

Thus, we can know that "remaining with Jesus" means following these teachings. When a person becomes a lover of God they come to love all of God's children. When a person begins to do God's will they work to please God - by helping God's children by passing along these Truths. This is what Jesus was encouraging his disciples to do, and by doing this, they would "remain with" Jesus, even though separated from Jesus' physical body. By adhering to his teachings, Jesus clarifies that "my words remain with you"

Should one of his disciples not "remain with" him by his teachings ("words") remaining with them, Jesus clarifies that they will be "like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned."

This point also clarifies that Jesus was not suggesting that anyone - including his disciples he is speaking to here - turn God or Jesus into their servants. He wasn't saying "ask for anything that fulfills your self-centered desires and it will be given to you." This doesn't mean that Jesus is teaching - contrary to the teachings of some - that we should be asking Jesus to make us wealthy or make our football team win. This completely contradicts the very notion of Jesus' teachings remaining with them. Notice the if-then statement here:

"If you remain with me and my words remain with you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you."

This is a powerful "if" to consider. This means that what his disciples would be asking of the Supreme Being would be related to helping them learn to love and please the Supreme Being. This is a request that even Jesus himself requested in his own prayers:

“LORD, if it pleases You, take this cup away from me, but let Your will – not mine – be done.” (Luke 22:42)

"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you ..." (John 15:11)

"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." (John 15:11)

When did he tell them this?

"I have told you this" refers to Jesus' previous statement in John 15:9-10, where he speaks of his loving service relationship with the Supreme Being, and how that has been mirrored in his loving relationship with his disciples:

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in His love." (John 15:9-10)

What does Jesus mean by 'joy'?

And how does Jesus' disciples' joy become complete by following Jesus' commands?

The word "joy" is being translated from the Greek word χαρά (chara), which refers to joy or gladness. It means happiness.

Each of us is looking for joy - happiness. We are constantly looking for fulfillment. From cradle to grave we seek joy from those around us, from accomplishing our goals, and from our senses. One might say we are each fervent joy-seekers.

And yet none of the things of this world seem to bring us any real joy. This is why we keep looking for joy despite all our accomplishments. This is why we set up one goal after another to achieve. We seek to accomplish a certain goal or position, and once we get it, we usually feel "is that all there is to this?"

Instead of questioning whether the things of this world really make us happy, we set up another goal to achieve, again thinking that once we accomplish that goal we will be happy - joyful.

In this way, we keep chasing the things of this world. Whether it be wealth, a mate, a big family, a big house, that important job, or that particular status, we go from one thing to another - like a bee taking pollen from one flower after another.

The problem is, none of these accomplishments fulfill us. We remain empty inside, and this is why we keep thinking the next thing will fulfill us.

Meanwhile, the aspiration repeated in so many popular songs, love stories, and other media sets up another goal: Family brings fulfillment.

But a snapshot of the household of any family will tell us that the family also does not bring fulfillment. Instead of being fulfilled, each member of the household is busy seeking their own set of goals outside of the family. The family provides a resource or a foundation for a perpetual seeking of satisfaction outside of the relationships of the family.

In addition to this, most households are places of constant bickering, confrontation, outbursts, crying and even sometimes anger and hostility.

So if the family brings so much joy, where is this joy? Why are there no symptoms of joy? If there is so much joy in family life, why do more than half of all marriages end in divorce among Americans? If the family brings so much joy why do so many kids rebel against their parents? Where is the joy?

The fact is, there is simply no joy within the physical dimension. There might be shadows - glimpses of joy - but these are typically sentiment - not real joy. Not real fulfillment.

Real joy, real fulfillment has a definite symptom: Everything begins to revolve around that which brings joy. There is no search elsewhere: When fulfillment is found, it is definite.

Real joy comes from another dimension: It comes from the spiritual dimension. This is the dimension we are each from. The spiritual realm is the world of the Supreme Being. This is the world of love, humility, joy and fulfillment.

What is this physical world?

This world is the place where we pretend to be who we are not. Here we pretend to be heroes in the form of firemen, policemen, soldiers, and so on. Here we pretend to be little kings in the form of bosses, officers, politicians, parents and so on. Here we pretend to be stars of either large or small audiences. Here we pretend we are enjoyers, as we feed our senses with the things of this world.

Yet we are none of these. These roles - and the physical bodies we use to maintain these roles - are only temporary. We may think we are in control as parents, but then our kids grow older and leave us. And then as we get older, our kids end up bossing us around. We might think we are the best fireman but then our body gets old and the fireman must retire to an armchair. Or we might think we are a big superstar, only to find that as we get older a younger star takes our place in the limelight.

All our physical roles and positions are temporary. And then the physical body dies. Then it decomposes, and worms begin to eat it. Or the body is cremated and the ashes are put into a jar or tossed out across the water.

This is the epitome of physical life: All that's left of a lifetime of accomplishments is a jar full of ashes.

We are not these physical bodies. These are vehicles we drive around for a while. When they wear out, we leave them. And when we leave them, they cease to operate.

What are we composed of?

Each of us is spirit in composition. This is what is often missed from Jesus' teachings. Jesus is not teaching his students to become wealthy, be famous, or enjoy goodies to accomplish joy. He is teaching them that they can find spiritual joy by following his teachings - which reflect the instructions of the Supreme Being.

This relates directly to our identity: We are not heroes, little kings, stars or bosses. We are servants by nature. We are caregivers. This is our identity. We are spiritual in essence, and our position within the spiritual realm is that we are one of the Supreme Being's caregivers.

Embracing this real identity is what gives us happiness. When we please our Best Friend and Companion we become happy. This is the family - the Supreme Being and His associates - we are each seeking. This is the relationship that fulfills us.

And this is the joy Jesus is experiencing. He feels joy by following the commands of the Supreme Being because he loves the Supreme Being. He wants to please God. Jesus' love for God and this loving service to God brings him joy.

And since Jesus is passing on those commands - instructions - given by the Supreme Being, Jesus' disciples can also latch onto that same joy by following Jesus' instructions.

Ultimately this joy comes from loving God and loving service to God. 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)

"When He comes, He will convict the world of guilt ..." (John 16:8-11)

"When He comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned." (John 16:8-11)

When who 'comes'?

Jesus is referring here to the Holy Spirit of God - though "comes" is an odd choice of translation as we'll discuss.

This statement continues from his previous one:

"But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you." (John 16:7)

Jesus confirms the "Advocate" is the Holy Spirit - God's expansive potency that accompanies each of us, enabling those who seek a loving relationship with God to feel His presence and guidance - in this statement:

"But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." (John 14:26)

This translation portrays the Advocate as being pretty heavy here, how the Holy Spirit will "convict the world of guilt" in regard to those things described afterward. Did Jesus really say this and if so, what does it mean?

What does 'comes' mean?

The word "comes" within "when He comes" is being taken from the Greek ἔρχομαι (erchomai), which can mean "to appear, make one's appearance" when used literally, or "to come into being, arise, come forth, show itself, find place or influence" when used metaphorically.

Because Jesus is speaking of spiritual concepts using words normally applied to physical things, we must accept the metaphorical usage of this statement - God's Holy Spirit is being described as arising, coming forth, showing Himself, and influencing.

Yet it is not as if the Supreme Being has to travel anywhere - or "come" from anywhere. He can expand Himself without limit and is thus simultaneously with each of us. Rather, it is us who simply cannot see Him, even though He has expanded Himself right next to each of us the Holy Spirit.

And the reason most of us cannot see God's Holy Spirit next to us? Ultimately we made this choice. We don't want to be with Him, so graciously, He has blocked our ability to see Him.

So what Jesus is discussing is the Supreme Being showing Himself to Jesus' disciples, along with guiding them.

Why and how would He convict the 'world of guilt'?

There is no indication from the original Greek texts that Jesus said anything about "guilt" here at all. None of the Greek indicates this word whatsoever.

The mistranslated phrase "will convict" is being taken from the Greek ἐλέγχω (elegchō) which can mean "to convict" but it can also mean "to call to account" and "show one his fault" according to the lexicon. More importantly, it can mean "to correct."

This means that as the Supreme Being comes forth and shows Himself as the Holy Spirit to Jesus' disciples (Jesus' audience) then He will have influence over them. This is best described as guidance.

It also means that God's showing Himself as the Holy Spirit in the lives of Jesus' disciples after Jesus has left them physically has nothing to do with convicting anyone or anything. It is for the purpose of purifying their lives. God's guidance will help cleanse their hearts and redirect their lives in such a way that enables them to continue Jesus' mission.

We might compare this to how a high school student is often assigned a guidance counselor - who is also often referred to as an advocate. Why does a student need a guidance counselor? To help guide and direct the student towards a more productive education. 

The school guidance counselor will talk with the child about their goals, and help direct them to apply for a college or trade school or some other facility. If they are taking drugs or drinking all the time, the guidance counselor will try to help them kick those habits. In these ways, the counselor will help steer their lives in the right direction.

The Holy Spirit "Counselor" that Jesus is referring to, will also help direct Jesus' students after his physical body is gone and he (the spiritual person) has returned to the spiritual realm. But here the goal is not to become productive adults. 

Here the Supreme Being through the Holy Spirit will be guiding Jesus' disciples in their spiritual advancement and their loving service relationship with God. The Holy Spirit will also be guiding them to continue Jesus' mission of bringing others back to their own relationship with God.

Understanding this form of guidance taken from the word ἐλέγχω (elegchō), meaning to "show one his fault" and help "correct" those faults allows us to understand the rest of Jesus' statement more clearly.

What does Jesus mean by 'the world'?

The Greek word κόσμος (kosmos) is being translated to the word "world" as if the Advocate will be "convicting the world." This is not what Jesus is saying. κόσμος (kosmos) can mean "world" or "earth" but it can also mean "universe." In this context, Jesus is describing the physical world - the material world.

What is the material world - or the physical world? It is the place where its citizens are all focused upon chasing self-centered dreams of being happy without love and the Supreme Being. The Supreme Being built the physical world to house those of us who decided our self-interest is greater than God's interest. We want to be the master. We want to live for ourselves.

So the Supreme Being built the physical world as a virtual universe - and created these physical bodies in order for each of us spirit-persons to pretend we were someone else for a while. This virtual universe is set up for us to take on new, temporary identities and pretend God doesn't exist for a while.

And this is precisely described by Jesus as περί ἁμαρτία (peri hamartia) - being translated here as "in regard to sin." More literally, περί (peri) can mean "concerning" while ἁμαρτία (hamartia) means, according to the lexicon, "to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honor, to do or go wrong," or "to wander from the law of God, violate God's law."

What is God's law?

And what, precisely is the "law of God" or "God's law?" Both Jesus and Moses stated quite clearly the most important commandment, summing up God's law:

“ ‘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 (and Deut 6:5))

To "wander" from this law or "violate" this law, according to Jesus' statement, is what is being translated to "sin."

And this is precisely what the Holy Spirit - the Advocate - will be helping Jesus' disciples "correct." His guidance will be purifying their hearts and their minds so they will become more and more focused on their personal loving relationship with the Supreme Being - and working to please Him.

To love someone with "all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" is quite clear. It means giving our lives to that person. Doing whatever pleases them. This means that the Advocate's guidance will lead them to become more and more one of God's loving servants - following in the footsteps of their spiritual teacher, Jesus.

Why does Jesus also mention δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosynē) - being translated to "righteousness" - and κρίσις (krisis) - being translated to "judgment" as well?

When a person says "concerning" or "in regard to" that means that the subjects of the action - in this case, guidance - will relate to those items.

δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosynē) means "integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking feeling, and acting" and "the condition acceptable to God" according to the lexicon. This means that God's Holy Spirit - the Advocate - will be helping to steer them away from their self-centered (sinful) consciousness, and towards a consciousness pleasing to the Supreme Being.

But "judgment" here is not that good of a translation of κρίσις (krisis) in this context. The word can mean "judgment" but it's primary meaning, according to the lexicon, is "a separating, sundering, separation." It can also mean "selection." It can also mean an "opinion or decision given concerning anything - especially concerning justice and injustice, right or wrong."

In other words, Jesus is telling his disciples that the "Advocate" will be giving them guidance to help them be able to discern between activities that displease the Supreme Being from those that please Him. They will be able to correct their self-centered consciousness more and more while becoming more focused on pleasing the Supreme Being.

This can be summed up as purifying their consciousness. This is the effect the presence of the Supreme Being has upon someone. God is purifying. And Jesus who is God's representative - is also purifying.

This purifying effect isn't about removing the consequences of a person's prior self-centered (sinful) activities. Being concerned about being cleansed of sins is also self-centered.

God's presence or the presence of God's representative - which includes their Names and visual representations - has a purifying effect upon our consciousness - assuming that we are not offending God at the same time.

God's presence and the presence of God's representative have a purifying effect upon our consciousness because He helps us understand our real identity as not being the physical, and He helps us understand our relationship with the Supreme Being: That He created us to be His loving caregivers. We each have a unique loving service relationship with the Supreme Being.

This purifying effect comes in the form of guidance, either through the words and teachings of God's representative, through the scriptures, or from within as the Holy Spirit. This latter facility is what Jesus is describing in this verse.

*Thus we find a more appropriate translation in the Lost Gospels of Jesus:

"And when He appears, He will refute the material world regarding offensiveness, righteousness and justice: About offensiveness, because they do not trust in me. About righteousness, because I depart for the Creator and you will no longer see me. And about justice, because the prince of the material world is condemned." (John 16:8-11)

The word "discernment" is difficult because it is not commonly used. "Justice" is clear, because it describes how a person will be able to make just decisions.

In other words, Jesus' disciples - through the Holy Spirit's guidance - will be able to understand how those who do not believe in Jesus' teachings will succumb to lives of emptiness - wallowing in self-centeredness (sin).

They will be able to perceive how Jesus' returning to his relationship with God in the spiritual realm relates directly to understanding how we too can re-establish our loving relationship with God - translated to the word "righteousness" (see above). They will come to know that not seeing Jesus' physical body means that Jesus has returned to his relationship with God in the spiritual realm.

And lastly, the translation says: "and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned."

Again the word κρίσις (krisis) is being translated to judgment, which is okay as long as the context regards the ability to discern, separate or understand. 

This ability to discern is expressed with, "the prince of this world now stands condemned." What does this mean?

Many will automatically assume this is the "devil" or "satan" - a mythical being who has wrestled the world away from God and now somehow controls certain things here.

First, no one has wrestled any control over anything from God. God is always in control. Of everything.

Is sin caused by the devil?

Some portray that sin is caused by the "devil" or "satan." They are saying that "sin" is not our fault. It is someone else's fault.

They will say that either sin is caused by Adam's "original sin" or that it is caused by "satan." Which is it? And why is sin all their fault?

This is a way to conveniently escape responsibility. We don't want to feel responsible for our own self-centeredness (sinfulness). We don't want to feel responsible for our activities that hurt others (sin) or hurt ourselves (sin). We don't want to feel responsible for our offenses towards God and God's representatives (sin).

We use "satan" to take responsibility for our self-centeredness (sinfulness) because we do not want to change.

Every good psychologist or social worker knows the key ingredient to making any change is to first face ourselves and take responsibility. This is the first step to change.

So we cannot blame Adam's "original sin" or "satan" or the "devil" for our self-centered consciousness. This is our issue. We must take responsibility.

Rather, the concepts of "original sin," "devil" and "satan" are symbolic, just as Jesus' use of the phrase "the prince of this world."

And just who is "the prince of this world"? It is self-centeredness. It is each of us who are focused upon seeking our self-centered goals within this material world. It is the chasing of fame, wealth, attention, recognition and sensual satisfaction of the physical body. 

These are symbolically being represented by Jesus as "the prince of this world" because being focused upon using the things of this world for my own satisfaction is precisely what the virtual physical universe was designed for. The Supreme Being wanted to give us our freedom.

Our "original sin" happened for each of us. Each of us did the "original sin" at some point. This was the point where we decided we didn't want to love and please the Supreme Being. We wanted to love and please ourselves. We wanted to be master, not servant. We wanted to be king, not subject.

Now Jesus is stating here that once he leaves the physical world - after his physical body is murdered - and returns to the spiritual realm, he will be invoking the expansive quality (Holy Spirit) of God - his Beloved - to come and be with his disciples to guide them and help purify their consciousness and help give them discernment - the ability to perceive the difference between the path to happiness and the path to emptiness.

Happiness comes from loving and caring for the Supreme Being. It comes from working on behalf of our Best Friend and Constant Companion - our only Soul Mate - God. It comes from directing our lives in a practical way towards pleasing God. This is how Jesus lived: As well as those of Jesus' disciples who were guided by the Advocate - including James, Peter and others. They all were guided back to their loving relationships with God in the spiritual realm, just as Jesus promised them.