Jesus of Nazareth
~5 BC - ~30 CE
Prophet, Messiah & Spiritual Leader
The beginning of the Gospel according to Saint John, gives the best description of what Jesus Christ means for Christians. They believe that he was the one who showed the way to salvation and the Kingdom of God, who came to redeem humanity from the burden of the original sin and as John mentions: "He came so that those who believe in him would have eternal life." He is believed to be the long-awaited Messiah and the son of God incarnate, while his presence on Earth meant that the prophecies in the Old Testament were fulfilled.
The Life of Jesus
Facts or historical records about the date or place of Jesus' birth do not exist, but since it is mentioned that he was born at the time of Herod the Great who died in 4 BC, and having in mind that the registration in Judea took place in 6 BC, Jesus must have been born between 4 and 6 BC, probably in Bethlehem, on his parents way to the town where they had to register.
There are considerable differences about Jesus' ancestors, in the Gospels according to Matthew and Luke, and the idea of his virgin birth must have been added in later translations, as it is only mentioned in Luke 1 and Matthew 1, while John and the other New Testament writers seem to ignore the fact, and in Mark 6, it is mentioned that Jesus had four brothers and several sisters. His father, Joseph, was a carpenter and he must have died early leaving a large family behind, and probably Jesus to be responsible for it.
Very little is known about Jesus' childhood and adolescence, except for the reference in Luke about his visit and preaching in the Temple at the age of 12. His ministry started at the age of 30, with his Baptism by John the Baptist, who must have been his cousin. According to John it lasted for three years, and during that time he went, together with his 12 apostles round Galilee teaching and working miracles. When he went to Jerusalem, he was arrested, charged with blasphemy, went through trial and was executed by crucifixion, as a rebel against the Roman rule, and for worshiping other gods than Jehovah.
According to the Gospels, after three days, his tomb was found open and empty, and an angel at its entrance announced Jesus' resurrection to Mary Magdalene and another Mary who went there to anoint the body. Jesus is said to have appeared to his disciples on several occasions during the following 40 days, commissioning them to travel the world and spread the word of God.
The Teachings of Jesus
Based on the Gospels, we learn that Jesus knew that the people of his time expected him to reform the existing religious, social and political systems, and increase the prestige of their country, but Jesus stated that his mission was not to abolish any kind of law, destroy old creeds, or challenge the prophets. His mission was to fulfill the prophecies, add to the law and interpret it in such a way as to be beneficial for the people and not for the system itself. He was also more tolerant to human weaknesses, forgiving and understanding with people's hatred, intolerance and aggressiveness. He taught non resistance, overcoming evil with good, and love for one's enemies: "If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." (Matthew 5:39)
Jesus wanted people to reach perfection through prayer and their pious living, to always ask God for help and never doubt God's love and mercy. According to him, God or his Heavenly Father, as he often referred to God, was loving, merciful, and full of love for people. He needed no sacrifices of any kind, and He only had to be worshiped in spirit and in truth.
About himself, Jesus had often mentioned his union with his Father in Heaven by saying: "Father and I are one" or "he who receives me, receives Him who sent me." He told his disciples and followers that he was the living way, the truth and the light, and using metaphors as he always did, he said that he was the bread of life, the real vine, and whoever drank of his living water would never thirst again.
In the Bible, people are advised to lead a life of self-renunciation, honesty and justice, away from greed, lust, envy and other destructive passions. By using parables, he taught that while money may be important in life, it should not be our master, and it is the purity of heart and being as innocent as children that will enable us to enter the kingdom of God.
Reasons for Doubt
Seneca
4BC - 65CE
Despite the fact that the Christian religion has spread across the world, the existence of Jesus as a historical person is difficult to be confirmed, giving rise to questions and doubts. Since there are no self-written manuscripts, artifacts or historical records mentioning his trial or execution, and because there are no contemporary documents that mention Jesus, those who claim that Jesus never existed become more and more.
Philo Judaeus
20BC - 50CE
In addition, Gospels and other Christian writings came a long time after the time of his alleged life and death, and they cannot serve as reliable sources since there are considerable differences among them, and all of the stories in them come from word of mouth. It is also a mystery why Philo Judaeus (20 BC - 50 CE), a philosopher and historian who lived in Jerusalem and wrote volumes on the events of his time, never mentioned Jesus in his writings, or at least he would have mentioned the infanticide by Herod! The mystery remains the same with the historical writings of Seneca (4 BC - 65 CE) and Pliny the Elder (23 - 79 CE).
Several books have been written, even films have been made, concerning these doubts and maintaining that Jesus as a spiritual being came through the Jewish Messianic beliefs and the Greek myths of gods who acted as saviours. In all early Christian writings there are no physical descriptions of Jesus and details of his life. As Robert J. Miller, a Bible scholar wrote: "What one believes and what one can demonstrate historically are usually two different things."
Conclusion
Whether Jesus really existed or not is of little importance. The doctrine of Love which is explained in the Gospels is enough to awaken the human heart. Love is the absolute prerequisite for the transformation of man from a simple creature to a divine being. Christianity and its practices may have gone too far from the teachings in the Gospels, but it is human practices that are to be criticized, not the teachings themselves.
As they appear in the Gospels, Jesus' teachings, in contrast to the words of other spiritual leaders, seem to deal mostly with a proper way of living and a pious conduct of life rather than mystic practices that lead to spiritual enlightenment. However, under deeper analysis things are not that simple.
If one had to summarize Jesus' teachings in just one phrase, this would be "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." This has to be practiced by faith, by accepting it at heart, and willingly applying it in one's life, and not because of fear of punishment or hell. If this happens, then it forms the main idea of a humanity acting as one. Just like the different cells in a body act for the benefit of the whole and not for the benefit of each one individually, if humans act for the collective good, then the teachings of Jesus would be fulfilled. Christianity as a religion, has probably gone away from the real Jesus who showed humans how God would live on Earth if He had the human form. Following his example on an individual level, by imitating Jesus each one can become a real Son of God and in this way help humanity move a step ahead to achieve collective unity.
