The Jesus Project: Understanding the True Nature of God

By Dr. Arno Steen Andreasen

Some people believe that religion is the root of all evil. The Jesus Project challenges this claim as we reflect on the teachings of Jesus in chronological order. The book aims to show that Jesus is a different kind of King and that He rules the world through personal sacrifice and humility. Jesus is not the instigator of any war, except the spiritual war against misuse of powerno matter if that is done in the name of the church or society.

The weapon of Jesus is His words. He creates new life as He paints a picture of how it is to live in the Kingdom of God. The real God is a peacemaker. He is the one who brings people together and turns enemies into friends.

This book is meant to be studied and discussed. The reflections are written to challenge what you believe about God, the way you live, and to help you put your faith into action.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Feb 26, 2016
• ISBN: 9781512730555

Dr. Arno Steen Andreasen

Dr. Arno Steen Andreasen has been a Managing Director for over 25 years and a pastor for more than 20 years at the time of writing (2016). He is a Community Activist, Lecturer, Author, Logotherapist, Nutrition Therapist, Birkman Consultant and a Strength Coach. Arno believes in liberating people and communities from all levels of oppression and injustices no matter if it is self-inflicted, spiritual or structural. He is passionate about challenging the way things are done by applying liberating research and theology to life. He is excited about developing thought provoking training programmes and creating churches and ministries to reflect Jesus’s radical approach to life.

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Putting things in context

It is impossible to be fully neutral, objective and non-judgemental as we respond to situations based on our own reality and experiences. In the same way, Jesus did not preach in a vacuum. He was affected by his reality and people followed him because his life and message made sense to them. He understood their predicament and offered alternatives because He was the true Immanuel, the God who is among us, living a normal life among normal people.

It is therefore helpful to have some idea of the issues Jesus faced two thousand years ago in a region of the world, which we may not be familiar with. Getting to grips with the context of Jesus’s life helps us to understand his mission and message as well as assisting us in getting hold of the true nature of God.

Enslaved by fear

Jesus lived in the Roman Empire. Israel as a single country had only existed for a short period during the reign of King Saul and King David. Thereafter it was divided into two kingdoms; Israel in the north and Judah in the south. Later these two kingdoms were occupied, and this region has been occupied territory most of the time since then.

The region was taken over by the following empires;

− The Assyrians in 722BC

− The Babylonians in 587BC

− The Persians in 538BC

− The Greeks in 333BC and finally

− The Romans in 63BC

The takeover by the Romans was especially bloody as 12,000 Jews were massacred. This would have been imprinted in the minds of Jesus’s contemporaries and the Roman Empire itself would have made sure that people did not forget. They wanted to be seen as the most powerful empire in the world.

The Romans called the region in the north, Syria, and the south, Judah. These two political areas were divided into three regions in the gospels; Galilee in the north, Samaria in the middle and Judah in the south.

The political reality was very visible. Rome wanted to make sure that nobody would forget who was in charge. They used crucifixion to terrorise people and mass killings were the norm. Empires control people by creating fear and the Romans would crucify people in areas where most people would travel, so their power was on full display. Their armies would slaughter the elderly and enslave thousands. The message was clear; conform to Roman demands or face the wrath of the Empire.

Enslaved by faith

We will notice how Jesus was in conflict with the Temple authorities and with good reason. Worship had become political and the priests had become actors who had to follow the script of the Roman leaders. The High Priests would be appointed by the Romans and they would choose people from within just four rich Jewish families. These families would benefit from this arrangement and would become even richer from this collaboration with the Roman establishment. It was a good deal for them. Play your cards right and the rich would live even more comfortable lives, but not so for the poor.

As part of this agreement, the priests would present daily offerings on behalf of the Roman Emperor in the Temple. On top of that, faithful Jews would pay tithes to the Temple but some of that money would go to fund the Roman war machine and to pay the soldiers oppressing the Jews.

People were not only burdened by the Roman soldiers, they were also exploited by the priests for being devout followers of the Jewish faith. How could they be faithful to God when the Temple was corrupted by spiritual leaders who would try to manipulate people to follow the ways of the evil political leaders instead of the ways of God?

What to do?

In any society people of faith will consider how best to live and work within their political reality. Around the time of Jesus there were three, possibly four, different views. They are called parties in the Bible, but they were more like religious denominations than political parties. They were religious groups trying to survive within structures of evil.

The Sadducees were collaborators who tried make the best of a bad situation. They made arrangements with the political leaders and by submitting to their rule, they were able to broker some level of peaceful coexistence. People had religious freedom because of this partnership, but it cost them their voice. They had to dance to the tune of the Roman leaders and if they stepped out of line, they would be removed and replaced with others who would be happy to submit to their rule.

The Pharisees were more concerned with holiness than political gain. They were a small band of people; maybe around 6,000 in number. Their goal was to become a holy priesthood, a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. They wanted to attract God’s favour by taking the Old Testament seriously and embracing the oral interpretation of Scripture. By creating lots of rules and regulations they tried to show God that they were sincere in their faith. The Sadducees focused on the Temple while the Pharisees mainly concentrated on the rural areas and the local synagogues.

The Essenes developed their own communities far away from Jerusalem and the Temple. They tried to isolate themselves, so they would not become polluted and tempted by political or religious power. They tried to live differently and held all their goods in common as a community.

After Jesus, the Zealots developed a response totally different to the three others. They wanted to fight evil with evil. They were perceived as freedom fighters or terrorists who took up arms to meet power with power. They were not afraid of dying in their fight for independence.

The Roman reign

Herod the Great was the Jewish king of the region from 37BC to 4BC. Installed by the Romans, he became known for his building projects throughout the area. These included temples, gymnasia, amphitheatres as well as new cities. He even started the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem in 20BC to gain some level of support from the Jewish leaders. It was an ambitious project and he doubled the size of the Temple area. These projects were expensive, so he taxed the people heavily. During times of famine, he reduced the taxes and distributed free corn, but it was still difficult for people to survive in a society where over 90% of the population were extremely poor and lived from hand to mouth. Less than 10% were extremely rich. There were no middle classes, only the extremes of wealth and poverty.

Herod hired foreign soldiers and secret informers to control his region. He was quite obsessed with sustaining his power, so he killed one of his wives, two sons and other relatives.

After the death of Herod the Great, the region was divided into three and each area was controlled by one of his sons; Herod Antipas in the northwest, Philip in the northeast and Archelaus in the south.

In the early years of Jesus’s life, a group of Jews seized Roman weapons in Sepphoris, a town close to Nazareth. They used the weapons against the Romans and they responded as harshly as could be expected of a military giant. They burnt down the city, took slaves and crucified 2,000 Jewish rebels. A few years later the town was rebuilt only to be populated by people in support of Rome, including wealthy Jewish landowners.

Around that time, soldiers also set fire to parts of the Temple in Jerusalem and stole the money given to God by believers.

Archelaus was removed from power and the south, Judea, came under direct Roman control. Being under Roman control meant that people had to pay taxes directly to Rome and not to the local king installed by Rome. Responding to the decree from Caesar Augustus, Quirinius called for a census in AD6, so that he knew how much money he could extract from the Jews. In AD25 Pontius Pilate was appointed as governor on behalf of Rome and he administered the district during the last years of Jesus’s life until AD36. One historian, Philo, described how his leadership was marked by corruption, violence, degradations, ill treatment, offenses, numerous illegal executions and incessant, unbearable cruelty.

1 - Inventor

Scripture reading: John 1:1-18

Can you imagine creating something out of nothing? Can you imagine doing something so powerful that it will last and not deteriorate or run out of steam?

Jesus is able to do exactly that, because he is the God-Word (John 1:1). Words may inspire us, challenge us or hurt us, but this Word is different. It means expression, speech, principle, language, story, reasoning, truth, grace and wisdom. It was this God-Word that gave the cosmos order, meaning, structure and harmony. The universe has an intelligent inventor and fellowship is at its foundation.

The first few verses introduce us to a multi-dimensional God. We read about "God’, "the Word and Life" or God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (John 1:1-4). There is fellowship at the heart of God and this relationship theme is key throughout the ministry of Jesus. We learn how to build healthy relationships with God and people through love, forgiveness, reconciliation, self-sacrifice, etc.

God expresses himself in different ways and one key aspect is as a human being (John 1:14). The inventor tried his own experiment; how to live as a human being. It gave us the opportunity to engage with God on a personal level. We can see him, listen to him, walk with him, fellowship with him. The real God is not merely a concept or an interesting philosophy. The God-Word made himself vulnerable and accessible the moment he stepped into human form. He was going to experience it all, not from afar, but right up close and from within.

The inventor God, became a man who lived and walked with us (John 1:14). We got to know God really well through this experiment as he "lived among us. This expression used is to tabernacle among us". He put up his tent (tabernacle) so to speak by living with us and that is a mind blowing reality. It means that God is now showing himself to us all, just like he did when people gathered at the Tabernacle in the early days or later at the Temple in Jerusalem. Here he had a dedicated room, the Holy of Holies, where God’s presence could be found. During the Tabernacle years, God showed himself as a cloud or as a pillar of fire. When the cloud or the fire moved, so did the people of God. Later, God became restricted by the Temple to only be in one place, in the Holy of Holies. People had to come to him. With Jesus it all changed again; God’s presence, his glory, would be accessible to normal, ordinary people again and not restricted to a few rich High Priests. God was on the move.

2 - Compassionate

Scripture reading: Luke 1:5-25

The real God is a God of power and compassion. We read about Zechariah and Elisabeth who were ageing and who had not been able to have a child throughout their marriage (Luke 1:18).

Zechariah had been praying for a child, but nothing had happened until now (Luke 1:13). We may think that God does not care or that he does not listen to us, but the angel told Zechariah that God had listened and that his breakthrough was on the way as his wife would now be able to conceive.

We may give up hope that things can and will change after hoping and praying for a significant amount of time, but God does not give up on your prayers. They matter to him, because you matter to him.

Zechariah did not believe in his own prayers anymore as he felt time had run out for him (Luke 1:18). As a result, the angel Gabriel rebuked him, because he doubted God’s heart for him (Luke 1:19). Like Zechariah, we may also question God’s voice and God’s Word. What if we got it wrong? What if we got our hopes up for nothing? The angel challenged Zechariah to trust God especially in situations that look impossible to the human eye.

God showed compassion on this couple and turned their sadness into joy (Luke 1:14, 25). They would have a son dedicated to God (Luke 1:15-17). They would not only get their prayers answered, but their son would be filled with the Holy Spirit so that he could transform lives (Luke 1:16-17).

Gabriel was sent to bring good news. This expression was used by the Roman Empire when a new Emperor was born or they announced tax relief. Now God is saying that really good news does not come from any government, but from God himself. He is going to show us what real leadership looks like and that the Kingdom of God plays by its own rules.

3 - Observant

Scripture reading: Luke 1:26-38

We heard about Zechariah receiving good news when he was at the Temple in Jerusalem in the south of Palestine. We might start to worry that good news was only for the privileged few from the priestly establishment or the political elite in the city. In this passage we read how the angel Gabriel was sent on another good news mission. This time he went to Galilee in the north of Palestine. The place of the poor and the rebels.

Gabriel visited Joseph’s wife-to-be. Mary was a young girl, possibly a teenager, who had signed the wedding contract, but was not yet married (Luke 1:27). She was told that she was favoured by God, but she did not know how to respond to that (Luke 1:28-29). Mary’s first reaction was to get worried instead of excited. What would God do to her, but the angel calmed her fears (Luke 1:30).

We learn that God is observant. He will notice people that others may overlook. In this situation, God noticed a village girl. At that time, women were not allowed to learn the Scriptures or be witnesses in a court as they could not be trusted. God challenged all cultural norms because he had observed her life (Luke 1:28). God took a risk and trusted her to do the right thing. Mary was asked to carry a child who did not have Joseph as the father, but God. This would allow Joseph to cancel the wedding, permit people to stone her and cause the family to be disgraced. God took a risk as things could have gone horribly wrong. The real God believes in people.

Mary was perplexed and Gabriel tried to help Mary to get to grips with the situation by telling her about Elisabeth’s surprising pregnancy (Luke 1:36). The message was clear. If Elisabeth can conceive at her age, then nothing is impossible for God. Mary could even conceive a child in the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:37). Mary got the message and embraced God’s grace and challenge (Luke 1:38).

4 - Saviour

Scripture reading: Luke 1:39-56

Jesus was going to initiate change in society. Mary was sure about it and Elisabeth was bursting with excitement (Luke 1:42-44). He was not born yet, but they already had a revelation of the kind of world they would experience when God took control. They knew all too well the iron hand of the Roman leaders, but God had birthed faith in their hearts for an alternative community.

God’s empire would stand in clear contrast to the Roman Empire. There would be enormous clashes. God’s leadership model focuses on a Saviour. He would not just save our souls, but would also be concerned about our present struggles (Luke 1:47). As we read through Mary’s statement of faith, we quickly sense the tension building up. This child was not going to be an ordinary child. He was going to be a man with a mission, a Saviour. Mary did not doubt this as she herself had experienced a God who cared for the common people (Luke 1:48).

Mary then described the extraordinary ways of the real God. When God gets his way, then the hungry are being fed (Luke 1:53), unimportant people are getting a chance to shine (Luke 1:52) and compassion is shown to people who respect God (Luke 1:50).

We read about a God who will use his strength to stop the establishment and the ways of the world that keep them in power. Rich people will not gain anything from God’s Kingdom as they already have more than enough (Luke 1:53), the powerful will lose their position and arrogant people will be pushed aside (Luke 1:52). Mary is proclaiming that the Saviour will overturn the world as we know it.

5 - Deliverer

Scripture reading: Luke 1:57-80

The first miracle child was born and he was brought to the Temple for the customary circumcision ritual and naming (Luke 1:59). The process created a stir as Elisabeth named him John. This displeased some people as they thought he should be named after a relative (Luke 1:61). Zechariah came to her rescue and got his voice back the moment he confirmed that the name of his son was going to be John (Luke 1:64). He responded by praising God and revealing more of His character to people through his praise.

Zachariah described the real God as a deliverer. God was going to save them from their Roman oppressors (Luke 1:71). Actually, he spoke as if God had already delivered them (Luke 1:68). He had a foretaste of what is to come, when God frees us from all evil. It was not just a hope anymore, he knew it would happen. God would fulfil his side of the partnership agreement that he established many hundreds of years earlier with Abraham (Luke 1:72-75). Israel would first experience blessing and liberation through Christ and then so would the nations of the world.

It is interesting to notice how God uses a personal situation to teach about the bigger picture. Zachariah lost his voice during Elisabeth’s pregnancy. He literally could not speak. People of Palestine could speak, but they had been muted by the Roman leadership as there was no freedom of speech. Speaking up could cost them their lives (Luke 1:74). The people had become voiceless.

Later God performed a miracle and Zachariah regained his voice. He responded not by thanking God for being able to speak again, but praised God that they could now serve him without fear of the Romans. If God could deliver him from muteness, then he could also deliver them from the fear of their enemies.

6 - Transparent

Scripture reading: Matthew 1:1-17

The Bible is a selection of biographies where we learn about different people’s lives, and we get the raw and real version. Nothing is covered up, as the real God is a transparent God.

The lineage of Jesus is described in Luke as well as in Matthew. One genealogy may focus on the ancestry of Joseph (Luke), while the other may focus on the ancestry of Mary (Matthew). One account goes back to Adam (Luke), while the other focuses on Jesus being from the same family tree as King David (Matthew). Both accounts tell us that Jesus had roots.

The genealogies also speak to us about gender equality in God’s eyes. God created man (Jesus) by using an egg from a woman (Mary), in the same way as God used a rib from a man (Adam) to create a woman (Eve). God was using both genders to create life and in Jesus he wanted to create a new humanity. The creator God was on the move again.

Sometimes we hide our roots. We may try to keep our family name, our caste or our tribe a secret, so people may not put us into a box or discriminate against us. Now and then we do it because we are ashamed of our background or because we are afraid that people will treat us differently if they knew the context of our lives. With God it is different. One of his values is to be transparent and in doing so he identifies with us. We do not have to be ashamed of our background. Jesus’s family line is worse than ours and we can read all about it before we even get to know him. This may colour our view of him before we have even met him. Do you know that feeling?

When we read the genealogies we need to know that they skip several generations. They are not including every single father or mother, but just the ones to make a point. Can you match this humiliating family tree?

− Tamar was a desperate Gentile woman that we read about in Genesis 38 (Matthew 1:3). She dressed up like a prostitute and slept with her father-in-law in order to have children. He tried to discredit her, but she dealt with the situation with great wisdom.

− Rahab was a Canaanite prostitute living in Israel that we read about in Joshua 2 (Mathew 1:5). The Israelites wanted to take back their land and she hid the spies and lied about them to save their lives. She turned her life around and had a son with an Israelite.

− Ruth is a Moabite and a widow that we read about in the Book of Ruth (Matthew 1:5). She chose to look after her mother-in-law instead of focusing on her own needs after losing her husband. She moved to Israel with her and embraced her God and culture.

− Bathsheba is not directly mentioned in the text, but only as the wife of her late husband Uriah (Matthew 1:6). We read about her in 2 Samuel 11. King David demanded sex from her, killed her husband and took her as his wife. Their son died shortly after his birth.

We learn about four mothers with different ethnic backgrounds and a colourful history. They are all there for people to see. The real God does not hide his dirty laundry from us, so we do not need to hide from him either.

7 - Unifying

Scripture reading: Matthew 1:18-25

Jesus was unique before he was born. He had a human mother and a divine father (Matthew 1:18). He had 23 chromosomes from each in his body, so every cell in his body was truly human and truly divine. This conception was quickly challenged as Joseph thought Mary had been unfaithful to him (Matthew 1:19).

Notice how God does not want to see conflicts in relationships, but he tries to unify us. He used dreams in this situation to help Joseph understand that Mary had done nothing wrong (Matthew 1:20-21). Actually she had taken a bigger step of faith than many of us. She risked her life for God as she could have been rejected by Joseph and his family and stoned as a consequence for being pregnant outside marriage.

God tried to keep the couple together through;

− Speaking the truth (Matthew 1:20). Joseph needed to hear that Mary had not been unfaithful to him. He no doubt took some convincing as there has never in history been such a conception before and there will never be one again.

− Having a purpose (Matthew 1:21). Mary had heard about the uniqueness of Jesus through the angel Gabriel, but Joseph needed to hear that too. When people saw that Mary was pregnant before the marriage ceremony, they might have wanted to humiliate the couple in the town. They could also have experienced conflict in the family and maybe lost some of their business partners and therefore their income. There had to be some valid reason for putting up with this.

− Sharing Scripture (Matthew 1:23). God helped Joseph get his mind around the situation by quoting Scripture. He showed him how it had been predicted hundreds of years in advance that a virgin would give birth to a child. The child was going to be called Immanuel and God was going to live with us by means of the birth of this baby.

Joseph was convinced and he decided to take care of Mary and not divorce her. God had unified them in their pain.

8 - Inclusive

Scripture reading: Matthew 2:1-12, Luke 2:1-20

Conflict was in the air as we are presented with the following power triangle.

Firstly, we hear about Caesar Augustus who was the Roman Emperor and who was eager to collect more taxes. Therefore, he needed to know how many people lived within the boundaries of the Roman Empire (Luke 2:1). Having to register during the census would not have gone down well in Palestine as God had previously warned against this kind of empire thinking, because it easily leads to exploitation