good idea now. I imagine God told Jesus that he was going to die, very painfully, even if for a very good reason. Can you conceptualize how you would have taken that news at twelve years old? Well, I think Jesus handled it better than anyone else could have, and I suppose that’s why God chose him.
“In the twenty-plus years that followed, we traveled all around the Middle East, Europe and the Far East. I taught Jesus about different cultures and their histories. Then, I told him what really happened. Every culture has a true history and an accepted history. The accepted history is important for communicating with the locals and appreciating their ideal qualities. The true history is for understanding the nature of humanity. Most people are weak; some are strong but evil, and some are truly enlightened. Jesus would need to know how to speak to all of them at the same time.
“The ways in which we were accepted in different societies were amazing. Europeans were very skeptical of us—as ironic as that would later seem. Asia, on the other hand, welcomed us with open arms. The Middle East, Jesus’s homeland, was ambivalent. They have always been conservative with their beliefs, but you can always expect one of the quarreling groups to support you. It’s just a matter of finding out who.
“I loved that boy. I nurtured his evolving spirit. I fought in many encounters to save his body, mind, and soul from demonic influence. I watched him grow into a wonderful specimen of a man and prophet. He was God’s son, but I felt a paternal connection to him, as well. It tortured me when I was told that it was time to leave. Jesus had turned thirty, and, after several shaky nights and detached days, he revealed to me that he was to return to Israel. Immediately afterward, God told me that I would not be joining him. I was to return home and watch from a distance. I didn’t rebel; I didn’t debate; and I didn’t question. I simply abandoned my pseudo-body and went back to Heaven.
“Jesus’s method was simple: He returned, took his place among the masses—as a carpenter, no less—and he began his grassroots ministry. He butted heads with the high priests on a weekly basis, starting out. Later, he’d have a run-in with them daily. In a matter of years, all of Israel had heard of Jesus and his powers. He gained a following, and eventually, he went out into the desert, alone, to face Lucifer. This seemed, at the time, to be his crowning achievement.
“I was proud as I watched him evade Lucifer’s tactics. The Morning Star wanted to defeat my protégé so much that he offered him any kingdom currently in existence. In retort, Jesus commanded Satan to leave. Having met his match, Lucifer sulked away. The angels didn’t quite know what to make of that. It wasn’t supposed to happen. Lucifer defied even angels. It was beyond comprehension that a human could force our foe to retreat with a mere command. After that, all eyes in Heaven were watching this young man and his ragtag following.
“Upon his return to Jerusalem, he had to engage in battles of wits for a long time, until the high priests decided that they could no longer fight him. They probably sensed that they were outclassed. For a little while, they tried to ignore him. I often wonder whether or not God turned his back on them after they refused to accept the message He had given them.
“It wasn’t long before it was evident that ignoring Jesus wouldn’t be enough. They demanded that Jesus be held accountable for his actions. They claimed that he had committed heresy on an unprecedented level, and he would have to die for it. It was insane; they insisted that he die for sins he had never committed, even though he had cleansed people of diseases, demons, and ignorance. He did what they couldn’t do, yet they still wanted him
“In the twenty-plus years that followed, we traveled all around the Middle East, Europe and the Far East. I taught Jesus about different cultures and their histories. Then, I told him what really happened. Every culture has a true history and an accepted history. The accepted history is important for communicating with the locals and appreciating their ideal qualities. The true history is for understanding the nature of humanity. Most people are weak; some are strong but evil, and some are truly enlightened. Jesus would need to know how to speak to all of them at the same time.
“The ways in which we were accepted in different societies were amazing. Europeans were very skeptical of us—as ironic as that would later seem. Asia, on the other hand, welcomed us with open arms. The Middle East, Jesus’s homeland, was ambivalent. They have always been conservative with their beliefs, but you can always expect one of the quarreling groups to support you. It’s just a matter of finding out who.
“I loved that boy. I nurtured his evolving spirit. I fought in many encounters to save his body, mind, and soul from demonic influence. I watched him grow into a wonderful specimen of a man and prophet. He was God’s son, but I felt a paternal connection to him, as well. It tortured me when I was told that it was time to leave. Jesus had turned thirty, and, after several shaky nights and detached days, he revealed to me that he was to return to Israel. Immediately afterward, God told me that I would not be joining him. I was to return home and watch from a distance. I didn’t rebel; I didn’t debate; and I didn’t question. I simply abandoned my pseudo-body and went back to Heaven.
“Jesus’s method was simple: He returned, took his place among the masses—as a carpenter, no less—and he began his grassroots ministry. He butted heads with the high priests on a weekly basis, starting out. Later, he’d have a run-in with them daily. In a matter of years, all of Israel had heard of Jesus and his powers. He gained a following, and eventually, he went out into the desert, alone, to face Lucifer. This seemed, at the time, to be his crowning achievement.
“I was proud as I watched him evade Lucifer’s tactics. The Morning Star wanted to defeat my protégé so much that he offered him any kingdom currently in existence. In retort, Jesus commanded Satan to leave. Having met his match, Lucifer sulked away. The angels didn’t quite know what to make of that. It wasn’t supposed to happen. Lucifer defied even angels. It was beyond comprehension that a human could force our foe to retreat with a mere command. After that, all eyes in Heaven were watching this young man and his ragtag following.
“Upon his return to Jerusalem, he had to engage in battles of wits for a long time, until the high priests decided that they could no longer fight him. They probably sensed that they were outclassed. For a little while, they tried to ignore him. I often wonder whether or not God turned his back on them after they refused to accept the message He had given them.
“It wasn’t long before it was evident that ignoring Jesus wouldn’t be enough. They demanded that Jesus be held accountable for his actions. They claimed that he had committed heresy on an unprecedented level, and he would have to die for it. It was insane; they insisted that he die for sins he had never committed, even though he had cleansed people of diseases, demons, and ignorance. He did what they couldn’t do, yet they still wanted him
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