What Did Jesus Do?
by A Maclochlainn
Print on Demand Publisher The Revolutionary Jesus
Ordering Information
6.14 x 9.21 paperback
ISBN: 9780981497105
$20.95    
 
 
 
Book Information
Genre:
 RELIGION / History
Publication:
 Dec 04, 2008
Pages:
 317
Update! What DID Jesus do? has been named a finalist in the Religion/Religious Non-Fiction category of the 2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards! Read on... Christianity emerged in the second part of the first century CE as a "new" religion supposedly founded by Jesus of Nazareth. Originating as a sect within the Jewish faith, under the guidance of some of its early leaders it rapidly developed its own identity, developing a theology that centered on the person of Jesus as a divine messiah who would return to earth to establish a lasting Kingdom of God.

For the vast majority of Christians the story that was woven by the early church fathers nearly two thousand years ago is still accepted as true. However as Jesus himself said "let he who has ears to hear, hear".

Jesus was first and foremost a Jew who saw himself as the savior of Judaism, not the founder of a new religion. He was a militant activist who wanted to establish a theocracy in Israel. The gospels would have us believe that he was a peaceful campaigner for social justice yet, reading between the lines, we find evidence that he did lead an insurrection in Jerusalem, probably on the day before he was executed by Pontius Pilate. Indeed this was the real reason for his crucifixion.
 
The title of this book “What DID Jesus Do?”, a play on the modern Christian catchphrase “What would Jesus do” invites the reader to consider the possibility that he may have been a different person to the one portrayed in the gospel accounts. It is suggested that the gospel writers disguised the true Jesus in their desire to spread his message to the world, in reality a message that combined his teachings and a belief system that his disciples evolved concerning him in the aftermath of his death.

It will undoubtedly come as a surprise to many to learn that Jesus of Nazareth may have led a violent messianic insurrection. Conditioned to think of him as the quintessentially peace-loving, self-sacrificing messiah, the very suggestion that he was otherwise will be anathema to many. So also will be the suggestion that he may have belonged to a messianic movement led by his cousin John the Baptist prior to starting his own ministry.

The idea that some of his own brothers may have been among Jesus’ immediate band of followers will also be new to many, indeed the fact that he had brothers may in itself be a novel one to those who rely on orthodox sources for their information about Jesus. Even more controversial is the theory that Jesus and Mary Magdalene may have been married, or at the very least that they had a special relationship. In the course of this book we will touch briefly on all these topics. We will also examine the evidence that is used to support the belief that Jesus physically arose from the dead.

The evidence to support the central hypothesis that Jesus led an armed insurrection is gleaned mainly from the four gospels account of the events of last week of Jesus’ life. At the beginning of this week he arrived in Jerusalem to the adulation of a large crowd. Five days later he was dead, crucified by the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate condemned for his abortive coup, not for a crime against Jewish religious sensibilities.

As we explore the events of that week we will ask questions about other aspects of Jesus’ life.

When and how did Jesus start his messianic mission?

What do we know about his traveling companions?

Had Jesus been a disciple of his cousin, John the Baptist?

What messianic prophecies did Jesus supposedly fulfill?

What evidence is there that he actually did attack the Jerusalem Temple?

What happened at the last supper?

Did Judas really betray Jesus?

What was the real issue at Jesus’ “trial” before the Sanhedrin?

Was Pilate really his friend?

Jesus’ messianic mission would have ended with his death had not his followers evolved a new theology to accommodate the changed circumstances. This decreed that Jesus’ mission had not failed but was merely on “hold” and would be reactivated in the immediate future. When he returned from the dead Jesus would bring to fruition his plan to establish a new Kingdom of Israel. This part of the story leads to other questions.

How reliable is the gospel evidence for the resurrection?

How did Jesus acquire divine status?

Did he really possess miraculous powers?

What happened to his movement in the early years after his death?

About A Maclochlainn

 A. Maclochlainn is a retired academic who has had a long-term interest in the history of religion in general and of Christianity in particular. He lives in Massachusetts. What DID Jesus Do? is his first book on the subject and it outlines his personal interpretation of many of the new theories concerning Jesus that have been put forward in recent years.
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