An Epic Story with an Epic Struggle (Genesis chapters 1-3)

I like epic books and films. The good ones usually follow a pretty simple formula. In the beginning everything is great; there is peace and everyone is in love. Then some calamity or evil disrupts this utopia, and the rest of the story is about bringing everything back into balance. Some of my favorite books and films are of the fantasy nature, and they often add the extra component of the "prophecy". Some future teller foreshadows the coming of a hero or event that will conquer the evil and restore the world back to the peaceful and loving place it began.

I guess you could say that these stories are a case where "art imitates life". For the beginning of my exploration of who Jesus really is starts with a story much like this. The book of Genesis which describes the creation of the world starts with a picture of Utopia. God creates the heavens and the earth with great care. He creates man and woman to reflect His very nature, and in the end He declares that all He has made is "Very Good". This world he has created is literally paradise on earth. All is well. In fact, at the very end of chapter 2 the scene is summed up by saying that Adam and Eve were "unashamed". In other words, they were content with themselves, each other, and the world around them. There was no feelings of inadequacy, guilt, or need to be better or different.

Unfortunately, evil was also present in this world. And the evil one approached Adam and Eve and tricked them in disobeying the one and only condition that their creator laid upon them. The result of this disobedience is interesting. In Genesis chapter 3 verse 7, it says that Adam and Eve's eyes were opened and they realized they were naked, and immediately they clothed themselves. When evil came into the world it resulted in shame. The painful feeling of being inadequate. All of sudden they were not content with how they looked, who they were with, and the environment around them. They hid, and from then until this very day mankind hides. We hide behind our clothes, our masks of having it all together, our lives of addiction, and our attitudes of disbelief. But behind all of that is a deep seeded feeling of shame. Utopia shattered.

However, right in the middle of this loss of paradise there is a proclamation of a future hope. God is proclaiming the consequences of this act of disobedience. He tells the evil one that He will put animosity between him and the woman, and between the evil one's seed and her seed; and that her seed will bruise his head, and that the evil one will bruise his heel. In other words, somewhere down the annals of time there will be an epic struggle. This struggle will be between a human being (the seed of the woman) and the evil one. The evil one will get a blow in, but it is just the heel of the hero. The hero, on the other hand, will get a much more effective blow striking the head of the evil one.

So here is where I stand today. God created mankind to live in paradise. A place of perfect harmony where there is complete contentment of self, others, and the environment. However, because of disobedience, mankind now struggles with shame and the awareness that we are woefully inadequate (we label this sin). God's plan from the beginning though was to conquer this problem through a human hero. It seems the main problem for humanity is not just political peace and love for one another, but restoration back to where we were created. A place of no shame. A place where we are content with ourselves, each other, and with God. The solution to this problem is a hero that will defeat the evil one and restore us back to a place where we carry no burden of blame but are at peace with ourselves, each other, and God.

Is Jesus that hero? That is the question!

Where to Begin?

  So the first question I am pondering is where to begin.  The logical conclusion would be the birth of Jesus, but I am thinking of starting a little before that - actually a lot before that.  There is an interesting story at the end of the book of Luke (chapter 24).  There are a couple of guys returning home who are totally bummed out because the awesome teacher they were following (Jesus) was unjustly killed.  As these men are commiserating over the loss of this great man a stranger joins them on the road and asks what they are talking about.  They tell him they are lamenting the death of  Jesus.  The stranger acts like he knows nothing of what they are talking about.  They are surprised because all of Jerusalem is talking about it, so they give a summary of this man they thought was a great prophet and how their religious leaders betrayed him.  The stranger replies, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!  Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?"  The stranger then took them through the Hebrew Scriptures (a.k.a. the Old Testament), and showed them what it taught about Jesus.  The twist to this event was in the end the stranger turns out to be Jesus himself who was now very much alive.
     I would of loved to have been in on this conversation, to have Jesus take me through the Hebrew Scriptures and show me the plan from day one of his life, death, and resurrection.  That would of been cool. Unfortunately, I missed that conversation, but I still have the Hebrew Scriptures.  So that is where I will begin,  at the beginning.  I will start to look for Jesus in the Hebrew Scriptures. Even though it doesn't mention his name, I know he's there.  My challenge is to see what Jesus said is there.  Wish me good luck :)

Who is Jesus?

     Is there a more significant, controversial, or inspiring figure in history than Jesus of Nazereth?  He has been debated, discussed, and fought over every since he was born.  We even divide our calendar based on this birth: B.C. - Before Christ and A.D. - Anno Domini which means "In the year of our Lord".  There are so many opinions about him and who he was or wasn't.  Some say he was a really good man, others say he was a prophet, and some even say he was God himself.  The truth is there are so many opinions that most folks really don't even give it much thought.  We pretty much decide on who Jesus is based  on our upbringing and our philosophy of life. Jesus becomes whatever we want him to be, or makes us most comfortable with our philosophy of life. 
    Even those who claim he is God use his life differently.  The bloody crusades were fought in his name, and Martin Luther King sparked the civil rights movement with nonviolent protest in his name.  Abortion clinics have been bombed in his name, and the poor have been cared for in his name.  Our world is torn apart today by fighting over religion (Christianity founded on the teachings of Jesus being a primary one), and some of the greatest humanitarian efforts are done by people serving in Jesus name. 
    I am on a search.  The search for the real Jesus.  I can't talk to his family and friends or call him up for an interview.  But I can go to the best documented history we have about him and who he was, the Bible.  I know the Bible itself is controversial.  However, I have to start somewhere.  After looking at what the Bible really says about this man, then I can accept or deny it. This is a journey, a quest.  A quest to find the real Jesus uncut and unrated.  I don't want the "experts" opinion or the Sunday School version.  I want to see him as clearly as I can through the lens of those who expected him, heard him, or knew him.
    I hope you will join me on this journey, but either way I am going.  I don't claim that I will have it all figured out by the end or that I will even understand all I come across, but I do commit to being honest.  Honest with what I see and honest with what I struggle with.  It is in this spirit of honesty and humility that I hope to discover the real Jesus, uncut and unrated.