Chapter 11, The Humanity of Jesus and the Rebellion of John

More thoughts about joining the Essenes

Introduction to Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven covers several years of Jesus life. In my opinion, these years would have been extremely boring and frustrating, if Jesus had already known everything that was going to happen, as many people seem to think (and which the Bible never states). The Bible does not clearly present Jesus as being an all knowing super human, who already knew his calling. In the temple, yes, we see Jesus portrayed as a child who was very astute for his age, but not necessarily one who knew everything. He was there asking questions. Yes, he called God his "Father," but we do too. He referred to himself as being about "my father's business," which to me indicates he was possibly in training to be a rabbi, in the way we see in this novel. Knowing the law of Moses and understanding all the issues pertaining to the law were things that a rabbi would need to know.

Furthermore in Luke, which is where we read about Jesus's experience at the temple, immediately following that event, Luke says that Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man. If Jesus already knew his calling and knew everything that was spiritual, why would the Bible say he grew in wisdom? That statement strongly implies that he was lacking in wisdom, at least to a certain extent, and it says he grew in favor with God. Why would he need to grow in favor with God, if he was living as a perfect person, who already knew everything that God had for him. Instead, in other places, the Bible says that Jesus was just like us, that he had to become like us, so he could understand what we go through and be able to help us when we are tempted to sin, because he had also gone through temptations. (Hebrews 2:17, 18) .

I also personally do not see how the scriptures would have been properly fulfilled if he were not a real human, the offspring of generations of David's descendants. It appears to me that he came as a humble human being, emptied, for the time being, of his divine nature (Philippians 2:7, ESV). I believe his heart was fully committed to doing all that God wanted from him, and in this next chapter, we see Jesus’s heart and mind still in the process of being developed, still seeking God's will for his life. However, readers do not have to agree with my opinions to enjoy this novel and see the possibilities offered here about Jesus and John the Baptist.

I must add that I agree wholeheartedly that Jesus is and always was the Son of God, even as a child. After his death and resurrection, Paul states, "Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord." Philippians 2: 9-11. While Jesus walked the earth before his death, he was continually led by the Holy Spirit and acted in the power of the Holy Spirit to perform many miracles as stated in the Gospel of Luke.

Chapter Eleven