Jesus: man, myth, or messiah? Much of what we know about Jesus is from the Bible, though stories about Jesus abound in numerous writings other than just the Bible. Historians, religious and secular scholars, and many more have researched the historical Jesus and those early roots of Christianity and the impact on our culture. The answer to the question of man, myth or messiah significantly affects one’s belief system and how one interacts in the world.
Who was this Jesus? He is the central figure in Christianity and followers formed communities of believers and were known as followers of The Way, that would eventually be known as Christianity. As stated in our Joyful Path Curriculum, “The Jesus story is a story of empowerment. It is not only about our ability to be changed on a personal basis by our recognition and an experience of the spirit of God within, but also that Jesus offered a vision of a world that could be changed by those who lived their lives with the same awareness that he had found.”
In Unity we call Jesus our Way Shower, as he was an extraordinary man who knew his divinity, he set the example and showed us how to live fully from our Christ consciousness. He became consciously one with the absolute principle of Being/God. “Yet He attained no more than what is expected of every one of us.” (Charles Fillmore, Talks on Truth, p. 169)
I believe that Jesus, born a man, became the Christ Jesus, or Messiah, as defined by the Metaphysical Bible Dictionary as enlightened, endowed with a special mission. That special mission, told in the Gospels through a Jewish experience of Jesus that includes myth, parables, and allegories, is about the awareness of the Christ within each one of us.
The Jesus Christ consciousness is always here with us, lifting us up into an expanded awareness of our full potential as the living expressions of God.
“On that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you.” John 14:20
Love, Light, & Sparkles,
Rev. Carol
