How does Jesus fit in?

This question is probably the most important one Christians can ask at this point in time. We live in the midst of myriad cover-ups, religious, educational, governmental, and planetary. Although many of these cover-ups initially took place hundreds, sometimes thousands of years ago, they are now increasingly being exposed. Christians are and will be faced with the question: "How does Jesus fit in?" The more we turn to the Holy Spirit for guidance, for Truth, the more we openly discuss our dilemma, the more we read the Bible after putting aside all preconceived ideas of what we will find there, the better prepared we will be to move forward on our individual spiritual journey.

The question, "where does Jesus fit in?" - is based on the Christian doctrine that God sent his only Son to die on the cross to save us from our sins and that all those who do not accept Jesus as Lord & Savior will be condemned to hellfire for eternity. Note the word "doctrine." A "doctrine" is a statement of belief or tenet of faith that was agreed upon between 1500 to 1700 years ago. I encourage all to read a history of the first 1000 years of the Church read the writings of those we call the Church Fathers. What you will find is the story of men fighting amongst themselves over the explanation of who Jesus was, why was he crucified, which books to include in the Bible, and how the Church will give symbolic expression to the selected doctrines. Millions of pages were written, the arguments were often filled with hate for those who disagreed. It was during this time that many were condemned as "heretics", their writings destroyed. The writers were often burned at the stake or beheaded, for no other reason than that their belief system "differed from the stated doctrines of the Church", the definition of "heresy." The history of the religion called Christianity is filled with hate, violence, and bloodshed.

On the other hand, Jesus, the Prince of Peace, stands as an example to humanity of the Way of Love. His physical plane life demonstrated to us how to live as an expression of Divine Love, how to treat our fellow human beings, how to pray, how to heal and be healed, how to give unselfishly. He taught us who we really are. With his life, he revealed to us our heavenly Father. Because Jesus knew humanity was not yet ready to hear all that he could teach them, he used parables, he used examples having to do with their everyday lives and nature.

Biblical scholars consider the Gospel of John to be a Gnostic gospel. Gnosis means "esoteric knowledge of spiritual truth." In other words, the Gospel of John contains hidden, or metaphysical, teachings that during the time of Jesus was reserved for only the inner circle of initiates/disciples. Around the late 19th century, the ancient hidden wisdom began to be revealed to the general public. However, the Church has remained hostile to revelations that differ from the orthodox teachings and to those who attempt to teach anything differing from the codified tenets of the Christian religion.

The Gospel of John offers clues to all that will be revealed in coming days, during many of our lifetimes. Re-reading the Gospel of John in the light of the teachings of Jesus about himself (found in John) can be an awakening experience. There is MUCH in John for each of us to comprehend as we are ready. I offer a few suggestions, than encourage you to study John with them in mind and to do so on your own in the presence of the Holy Spirit. What new revelations do YOU receive?

Who does Jesus say he is?

Jesus repeatedly states that he does not speak his own words, but those of the Father, He came representing the Father. In essence, Jesus served as the channel through which "the Father" spoke to humanity. Read the Gospel of John and listen to "the Father" whenever Jesus makes statements like: "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." Read the verse as follows: "I [the Father] am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me [the Father] will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me [the Father] will never be thirsty." (John 6:35)

Then Jesus cried aloud: "Whoever believes in me believes not in me but in him [the Father] who sent me." (John 12:44)

Who does Jesus say we are?

In the parable of the true vine (John 15), Jesus states "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower, I am the vine, you are the branches." Think in terms of a grape vine: As the branches extending from the vine, who are we? Are we different from Jesus? Remember Jesus taught the hidden wisdom within his parables, so that those who have "the eyes to see and the ears to hear" may do so.

In John 14, Jesus states: "The one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father." Jesus expects us to do greater works than he did, So who are we?

"I declare what I have seen in the Father's presence; as for you, you should do what you have heard from the Father." (John 8:38) Jesus expects us to stand on our own, to approach the Father on our own, to trust the instructions we hear (with our intuitive mind) from the Father. We are to channel the Father, just like Jesus.

As Jesus prepared his disciples for his departure, he taught them: "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come." (John 16:12-14) Jesus still had much [hidden wisdom] to tell his disciples. But they had not yet developed "the eyes to see and the ears to hear." The disciples (including you and me) are to listen to the Holy Spirit, as He teaches us. Jesus knew who we are: intelligent beings capable of learning on our own from the Holy Spirit.

So, here does Jesus fit within a creation that does not include a physical place created by God to punish some for eternity? As One with us, as our elder brother who came to show us the Father, who came to show us the Way of Love. who came to teach us to live our lives as a channel for the Father, who came to show us how to be a Christed; Being to possess the mind that was in Christ Jesus.

Each of us must walk the Path of Love as unique individuals. Jesus knew we cannot grow "to do greater works" than his by blindly following the dictates of others. We must "do what you have heard from the Father", we must think and act according to the inner teachings of the Holy Spirit to us. What you hear and what I hear may differ. That is okay because as the Apostle Paul taught in I Corinthians 13:12-13: "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love."