Who Was Jesus?
By Yahiya Emerick
Who was Jesus?
There are many questions which come to mind when the name
Jesus is mentioned. Some people say he was a prophet, others call him a god, while others
say he was a very wise man. But whatever your idea is, one thing remains certain: he was
not your ordinary man. So if there is something special about him, why all the confusion?
Just who was Jesus anyway?
His Origins
Jesus lived about 2,000 years ago in ancient Palestine
during the height of the Roman Empire. He was not conceived in the usual way, but
was implanted in the womb of a young woman named Mary. God simply commanded "Be"
and he was. In this sense, he was "a word" of God and a special sign for
humanity. In fact, he was the last in a long line of religious guides sent to the Jewish
people.
Mary, The Blessed
Mary was a righteous woman. Her mother dedicated her to
God's service even before she was born. As a child, she lived a life marked by health and
goodness which others pointed to in admiration. She was raised by the wise Zacharias who
instilled in her a beautiful sense of faith in God. When she had become a young woman,
Mary sought to purify herself further before her Lord. Knowing that the hustle of life in
the towns was distracting, she withdrew from her people to a sanctuary in the East. There
she could meditate in seclusion and peace. Suddenly, on a day that seemed no different
from the rest, an angel of God visited her, disguised in the likeness of a human. Afraid
of so strange a sight, Mary prayed for protection, but the strange being reassured her and
declared that he was a messenger from the Lord to announce the glad-tidings of a faultless
son. Mary, astounded, asked how this was possible seeing that no man ever touched her. But
the angel replied, "Your Lord says, It is easy for Me
".
But when she felt the little child within her, she fled her
sanctuary out of fear of what her family would do or say when they heard the news. Mary,
however, was not to face hardship. When in her despair she cried out to God for oblivion,
a voice soothed her and she found shade and a cool spring. Under a date-palm in the warmth
of late summer, she made her dwelling and there bore the child unlike any other in human
history.
Shortly thereafter, Mary returned to her community carrying
the child who was to be called Messiah, Jesus, and son of Mary. When her people saw her
with the baby in her arms they couldn't believe their eyes, let alone accept her word.
They refused to believe when she told of an angel who came and told her she was chosen
above all other women to carry this burden. They accused her of infidelity and implied
that she ruined the family name. Mary, being overwhelmed, simply motioned towards the
child meekly.
The Miracles
Now the child was the product of a
miracle and consequently, miraculous things began to happen. In defense of his mother and
of the truth, the infant Jesus spoke saying, "I am a servant of God. He has given me
Scripture and has made me a Prophet. He has blessed me wherever I may be and has made
prayer and charity my duty as long as I live. " This put the detractors to rest.
Throughout his youth, Jesus remained dutiful to his mother
and developed quickly in intelligence, wisdom, and piety He dumfounded the learned
and was greatly admired by those around him who appreciated his talents. He
claimed to be a sign of God and a Messenger to the Israelites.
His people had strayed from tl1e spirit
of truth and placed their trust in legalism, thereby burying their sense of
mercy beneath dusty scrolls and rituals. Finally, when he came of age, Jesus
began to travel and preach throughout the land of Palestine about a return to
the truth of the old revelations and a rejection of all that man had added. In
his task he was supported by the spirit of truth, the angel Gabriel.
The Gospel, His Message
He taught that love and mercy overcome hate and anger and
that only a true and sincere faith in the Creator and obedience to His will can bring a
person salvation in this life as well as in the next. To reinforce his message which was
called "Injeel" (Good News) God granted him the performance of miracles. He
healed the sick, enheartened the distressed and revived the dead. All these things he did
with the permission of God, never taking credit for them himself.
He led a simple and pious life. Soon he attracted an
inner-circle of devoted followers who listened to his teachings with fervor and humility.
These disciples, among them Peter, Barnabas, and John helped him carry the message of
Divine Love to the people. They helped him in his mission.
A Test of Wills
But no righteous man of God is without
trial and tribulation. As the message of Jesus began to gain wider acceptance, a small
clique of hypocrites and evil men began to plot against him. They were the priests and
leaders of the Jews whose position and wealth depended upon their place as the sole
interpreters of religion to the masses. They pursued him and his followers and eventually
captured him. Though they abused him, he never renounced his faith in the one God. So in
their anger they plotted to crucify him on a Roman cross. But Jesus slipped from their
grip at the last moment, and all the while they thought they had succeeded. They were sure
they killed him but God answered Jesus' prayer and saved him from their schemes. Confusion
overtook the mob and they might have killed the man who betrayed Jesus instead. In any
case, Jesus escaped from their grasp. Then God removed Jesus from this world into another
dimension, to a place with Him, not to return until a later time.
With their teacher gone, the devoted
followers of Jesus tried to maintain the purity and simplicity of his teachings. But they
were, soon besieged and overtaken by a flood of Roman and Greek influences which
eventually so buried and distorted the message of Jesus that only a little of its truth
now remains. Strange doctrines of Jesus being a man-god, of God dying, of saint worship
and of God being made up of different parts came into vogue and were accepted by many of
those who took the name "Christians" centuries after Jesus.
Conclusion
The only records that have come down to us concerning Jesus
are some sketchy biographical material, poorly researched and compiled, which can in no
way be representative of the full and accurate Message of Jesus, the Son of Mary. The time
of the final and incorruptible Message was not yet at hand. It would be left to the last
prophet of God, Muhammad, to clarify the truth from man's additions and deletions.
Jesus taught the same eternal message taught by all the
Messengers of God. From Adam, on through Noah, Abraham, Moses and ending with the mission
of God's last Guidepost to humanity, Muhammad, whose coming was foretold by Jesus himself.
Every nation and every people, from the Aztecs to the
Greeks, have received a Prophet or a Messenger from God. Jesus was the last of a series of
Messengers sent to the Israelites, but they consistently strayed from the path of
surrender to God. Each of the many Messengers spoke a different language and followed
varied customs. Yet the core faith taught by each was the same: surrender your imperfect
and fickle will to the perfect will of the Power that is greater than you. You will then
find the peace and freedom that only the Creator of humanity can provide. Then you must do
what is right and good to your fellow creatures. This way of life is called Islam
(surrender to God and find peace).
By: Yahiya Emerick