The Jesus Chronicles: A Compilation of Volumes 1, 2 and 3

By Jack Moser

While Dr. Moser has written numerous poems regarding his relationships with his indwelling God, this is his first venture into the spiritual world. He takes issue with the common thinking about Judas Iscariot and Mary Magdalene. He then follows Jesus through his last supper, Good Friday, and crucifixion. Subsequent to his historical moments, he discusses the issues among Jesus, his dad, and his sister, Shekhinah. They decide to start a new planet, Lush, and start a new story with a new beginning.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Apr 7, 2020
• ISBN: 9781796094510

Jack Moser

Jack Moser grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and, after college, entered the navy as an ensign in 1958. He experienced war in Vietnam in 1967 and 1968. As a naval intelligence officer, he followed the Soviet Submarine Force while working at NSA. In the early 1970s, he worked with the CIA, placing agents into China. After leaving the navy, he received his doctorate in counseling psychology from Florida State University. He has been in four counseling private practice in Pensacola for the past thirty-seven years. He has four sons, four daughters, and ten grandchildren. He lives, works, and writes in Pensacola, Florida. He has written seven books of poetry, four books on the male journey. This book is his first venture into historical fiction.

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THE JESUS CHRONICLES

A Compilation of Volumes 1, 2 and 3

Jack Moser

Copyright © 2020 by Jack Moser.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, King James Version. Cambridge Edition: 1769; King James Bible Online, 2016. www.kingjamesbibleonline.org.

Rev. date: 04/07/2020

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CONTENTS

Also by Jack Moser:

Introduction

The Jesus Chronicles: Holy Thursday

The Holy Thursday Supper

Good Friday

The Crucifixion

Looking Back

LUSH

Lush Organized

The New Ten Commandments of Lush

Related Readings

ALSO BY JACK MOSER:

The Male Journey: Quiet Desperation (2006)

We Have Forgotten How to Make Fire (2007)

The Murmur of a Gentle Breeze (2008)

If I Should Be Felled (2009)

Men in Therapy (2010)

I Love You to the Moon (2011)

You Can See Me from Here (2012)

The Wonder of it All (2013)

He Doesn’t Have a Clue, Does He? (2014)

Who Cares? I Care (2015)

The text that you are about to read was written once, not re-written. What I wrote, I wrote. The vision of this book has stayed with me, a constant companion, for over a year. Did I hear a voice from above telling me to write this book? No. Did I have the feeling in my gut that I had to write this book? Yes.

Jack Moser

Errislannan

Clifden

County Galway

Ireland

September 2014

INTRODUCTION

T hroughout my adult Christian life, I have lamented over two problems. One was the vilification of Judas Iscariot and his so called deed of betrayal. Since Jesus never caused a person to be a victim, I never believed that Judas performed his act out of greed or malice. Rather, he carried out this betrayal because of his love for Jesus.

The other stumbling block for me was the portrayal of Mary Magdalene as a sinful woman who possessed little knowledge of Jesus or of his journey. On the contrary, I believe that Jesus and Mary Magdalene had an intimate relationship.

Since the recent discovery of the Gospel of Judas and the research performed by numerous theologians, especially that of Bart Ehrman, discussed at length in his book, The Lost Gospel of Judas Iscariot, we now understand that the relationship between Judas and Jesus was one of brotherhood and love. As Ehrman states, Judas was the only member of Jesus apostolic band who understood where Jesus came from and where he was going… . . Judas is the one who leads the way… . . Judas is the greatest of all the apostles.

We now realize that Judas had to do the betrayal. Jesus and his father, Yahweh, relied on him to bring the betrayal about. Before Jesus arrived on the earth, he and his father had decided that Judas would know of Jesus’ death and resurrection. They would be the closest of friends. They would talk and share and support each other. Numerous times during Jesus lifetime, he thanked his father for allowing Judas to understand his possible fate.

There is such a joy within me as I write these words. Just knowing that this wonderful man would gladly take the blame for all eternity as the villain who betrayed the gentle, loving Jesus. As the Irish would say, Fair play to you, Judas.

So many times during their years together, they both had discussed this future possibility. It was the greatest consolation to Jesus that one of his apostles would know what he was about to do.

So, in reading The Jesus Chronicles we know that Judas is the best and closest friend to Jesus. It hurts Jesus to know that his dearest friend must not only die on his behalf but also carry the stigma of a betrayer for centuries to come. It is such an emotional relief for Jesus to realize that he can talk to Judas regarding the future. Just to share his hopes that he will not have to die on a cross with Judas, is consoling.

With the discovery of the Gospel of Mary Magdalene, we now have learned that Mary was one of Jesus’ closest disciples. In the Gospel of Phillip it states, and he (Jesus) loved her more than the other apostles and kissed her on the … . . According to Burstein and DeKeijzer in their book, Secrets of Mary Magdalene, the text breaks, and people have filled in mouth because the Coptic word would fit into that blank.

So, as Jesus emerges from his stone tomb and hugs and kisses Mary, she knows that he cannot stay with her. He must be about his father’s business. She understands what this business means. As Burstein and DeKeijzer relate, she was with his child and that her life was in danger. Jesus had already talked to Joseph of Aremathea who would take Mary to southern France where she would deliver their child, Sarah, and where she would live the remainder of her life in safety.

As The Jesus Chronicles begin, Jesus is concerned about the lives of both Judas and Mary and of his possible demise on a cross.

It is the morning of Holy Thursday as Jesus quietly prays alone in an olive tree grove in the countryside outside Jerusalem. Tonight he will gather his twelve apostles in an upper room to celebrate their journey and to give them the inner strength to continue on with the next phase of their lives. They will all go forth to preach to the world concerning who this Jesus is. For that, they all will die.

As he prays, Jesus thanks his father again for the love of Mary and Judas. He realizes that the eleven other apostles don’t have a clue of what will soon transpire. On the recent journey to Jerusalem they were arguing among themselves as to who would sit on his left and who on his right. And, who is his most loved apostle. Still thinking that Jesus’ kingdom will be one of pomp and circumstance, one of soldiers and authority and of pushing the Romans out of Jerusalem, Jesus will be the conquering king and lord of all!

The eleven seem to believe that they would constitute a large part of this Jesus Dynasty. They would conquer those Romans and give the land back to the Jewish people as Yahweh had foretold. This will be a glorious time where each apostle has a very important job to perform.

Of course, Jesus’ mind focuses on his wife, Mary. He has spent the last four days with her and his mother. The two Mary’s are very close and they both are excited concerning the upcoming birth. This will be his mom’s first grandchild. She and Mary Magdalene are talking baby stuff constantly.

Jesus sits and watches them. He is thinking of their future and their safety. Time and time again Jesus has thanked his father for the life he has had with Mary. What a gift! To be known by a woman. He had not realized that this would happen to him. What a grand surprise! His possible sacrifice will be so much easier knowing that there are two people, his wife and Judas, who know what may come, and what his ministry is all about. For this knowledge, he will gladly do the will of his dad, if need be.

As he kneels in the olive grove his constant prayer is of gratitude to his father and of courage that he can fulfill his dad’s plan. He has never realized how weak his determination has become. Jesus doesn’t want to leave his wife, Mary. He would like to be at Mary’s side when she delivers their baby. His father and Jesus had never discussed this marriage or this baby. Jesus is totally grateful for this blessing but he is also worried about the safety of the two of them. Maybe their baby is a sign that Jesus no longer has to give up his life for the sins of mankind. We shall see.

As for the relationship with Judas, Jesus never realized how important this brotherhood would be before he came to earth, Jesus and his father never discussed how important it would be to be able to share his concerns with another male.

This fact had eluded both his father and himself. Normally males stuff their deepest feelings, never sharing any of these with another male. Then dying alone, never sharing who he is with another man. Usually men lie to each other regarding their pain and anguish and die never having discovered who they are and what has transpired in their lives.

So, the relationship with Judas was as big a surprise as his love for Mary, his wife. Jesus cannot fathom what his life would have been like if he had no male to share his life.

Male bonding with verbal intimacy was absolutely essential for Jesus’ growth as a loving, compassionate man. Jesus shared all his hopes and fears and pain with Judas who then shared his feelings about Jesus’ life. This knowledge coming from an adult male was crucial for Jesus so that he could realize what his job would be in the future.

It is rather sad that this world’s males have never realized this necessary dimension in their lives. Jesus had Judas and Mary, he needed no others. I am afraid that after my death men will not have a brother to whom they will verbally share their lives.

THE JESUS CHRONICLES:

HOLY THURSDAY

W hen I was a child, I listened to my mom and dad sing and recite the psalms. But, I never thought that one day I would write down my thoughts and feelings as prayers. I have never prayed harder than I have this week. I am still hopeful that my father will decide to transform Jerusalem in a peaceful way. I do not yet see where using me as a sacrifice will get my dad what he hopes for.

When I was with my mom and my wife, Mary, this week, I know that both women could sense that these days will be trying ones.

My mom has always worried about my behavior. She seems to have a sixth sense when it