Jesus and His Life

8/12/2019 Jesus and His Life

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Jesus and his life

Extract of the World Scriptures II

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon

Jesus and his life - True Father!s wordsTrue Father knows Jesus as the “man of sorrows.” He asserts that even in hisyouth, during the 30 years prior to beginning his public life, Jesus wasmisunderstood and ridiculed by his family and his village. The fact that Jesusnever married, when it was customary for all Jewish men in their twenties to doso, is taken not as a mark of special holiness but rather as the painful lot of aman of questionable birth and strange behavior who was not regarded asmarriageable.When it came time for Jesus to begin his ministry, all Heaven!s attempts toprepare the Jewish people to welcome him ended in failure—notably the ministryof John the Baptist. Consequently, Jesus was never able to preach what he set

out to preach: the gospel of the Kingdom of God in plain language. Instead he had

to speak in obscure parables. He was never able to do what he set out to do: lead a spiritual and politicalmovement to win Israel!s independence from Rome and establish God!s Kingdom throughout the world.Jesus! sorrow only increased as the forces opposing his ministry grew stronger and he was compelled totake an alternative course, the way of the cross. His grief was exacerbated by the weakness of his disciples,who fled and scattered leaving him alone at the end. In the Garden of Gethsemane he prayed desperately,knowing the sorrow of God and the sufferings of generations to come that would ensue if he took that pathand died without completing his original mission. But by that time the people!s rejection was unalterable; thedie was cast and he obediently accepted the cross as God!s will.Yet Jesus never changed his heart-felt love for the people, even for those who were killing him. When heforgave his enemies on the cross, it was an earth-shaking moment that changed history forever.

Misunderstood by His Family

Today Christians easily believe that the Virgin Mary conceived a child by the Holy Spirit, but in those dayswho believed it? Apparently an illegitimate child, Jesus was the target of derision. His brothers cursed him,the villagers pointed fingers at him, and even children mocked him and harassed him. Jesus lived to be 33,yet he was not married. Why? Everyone gets married, but what family would willingly give their daughter tobe the bride of such a pariah, to face the miserable circumstances of life with him? (243:242-43, January 17,1993)Do you think that the people in the village did not suppose that Jesus was an illegitimate child?They did, and this caused great tension between Joseph and Mary. Joseph asked Mary many times, “Who isthe boy!s father?” Whenever he asked her, Mary could not answer. When she told him that she conceivedJesus by the Holy Spirit, Joseph must have disbelieved her, saying, “I am the one who saved your life. Whatkind of game are you trying to play with me?” Thus they would fight and quarrel all the time because ofJoseph!s suspicions. Their fighting must have continued even after Mary gave birth to other children.

At the age of 12, Jesus had a chance to go to the Temple in Jerusalem. His parents did not know that theyhad left him behind until three days into their journey home. When they returned and found him in the Templewith the priests, Mary asked, “Why are you here?” Jesus replied, “Where else would I be but in my Father!shouse?” He was complaining about his parents, who had left him behind for three days, returning homewithout him. (235:237-38, September 20, 1992)Even when Jesus was helping Joseph with his carpentry work, he did not lead a comfortable life. His life wasfull of hardships, and his heart endured infinite sorrow. (7:334, October 18, 1959)Mary did not help Jesus with the wedding he desired. She even opposed it. Jesus! words to Mary during thewedding at Cana, “O woman, what have you to do with me?” reveal his reproachful heart toward his mother,who helped in the weddings of others but neglected to help her own son receive a bride. Yet for Jesus tomarry was the most important requirement of the providence. With this perspective, we can understand whyJesus asked, “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” (Matt. 12:48) (277:210, April 16, 1996)In those days it was customary for males to marry at around 18 to 20 years of age. Why did Jesus not

marry? Why was he still single even at the age of 33? In fact, when Jesus was 17 years old he honestly toldMary the providential reason why he must marry: Adam fell around age 16, to restore the Human Fall he hadto marry, and a certain procedure would be required. Three times he spoke of this to his mother: at age 17,

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then again at age 27 and again at age 30. But his mother would not listen to him. (266:193, December 25,1994)The reason why Jesus had to go the way of the cross was only secondarily because the leaders of Israelbetrayed him and the Jews went against him. The primary reason was that Joseph!s family could not preparethe day for Jesus to be blessed in a holy marriage. Had that one day come, Jesus would not have died onthe cross. (30:173-74, March 22, 1970)

The Three Temptations in the WildernessJesus defeated Satan by overcoming the three temptations in the wilderness, the last of them on amountaintop. Yet we should realize that when Jesus journeyed to the wilderness after being rejected by Johnthe Baptist and his followers—a situation that made likely his rejection by the Jewish people as well—hecarried a heart of sorrow the like of which no one on the earth had ever experienced.Jesus appeared as the only Son of God, who came to resolve the 4,000-year history of God!s providence.He came as the seal of victory that God could boast about before that generation and countless generationsto come. Yet it was with a sad heart Jesus that walked into the wilderness— alone, without a friend, leavinghis family, the chosen John the Baptist, the religious authorities, and his people behind. Jesus set out, filledwith determination and sense of mission to pay the debts of history. What did he think about during his 40days of fasting? He felt an acute sense of responsibility to restore through indemnity, by himself, the rueful

course of his forbearers…No one ever had more determination and resolution to fulfill God!s will than Jesus Christ. He went to thewilderness with a burning heart to capture and subjugate Satan. He stood alone on that mountain with afirmer determination than any ancestor in history. (5:194-96, January 25, 1959)Satan tempted Jesus three times. First, while he was fasting for forty days, Satan tempted him with food. Heappeared before Jesus and asked him to change a stone into bread. This would be good news to a starvingperson, but Jesus refused. He clearly stated, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word thatcomes from the mouth of God.” This means that Jesus refused to yield any conditions to Satan pertaining tothe necessities of life.Throughout history up until that time, people had been fighting over material wealth. However, Jesus ! victoryover Satan!s first test made it possible to bring an end to this interminable struggle for material goods.What trial did Jesus have to face next? Satan led him to the top of the Holy Temple. There he tested him,saying, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.” Jesus came with the religious teaching that could

educate Judaism and the people of Israel. When Satan said, “throw yourself down,” he meant for Jesus tobow down before the conventional Jewish doctrines and traditions and abandon his role to educate and leadthem. But Jesus did not fall for Satan!s test. Instead he won the victory.What was the third test? “The devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of theworld and their splendor. "All this I will give you,! he said, "if you will bow down and worship me.!” Here Jesusrejected Satan!s demand in order to fulfill the Will of God. Far from needing Satan!s help, Jesus camebearing the universal teaching by which he would build God !s nation, the Kingdom of God. (3:121, October13, 1957)

Jesus! Wept Out of Love for the People and Agonized Over Their Unbelief, Even as His ClosestDisciples Proved Faithless

Does God live only for Himself and His glory, or is God totally selfless, living for the well being of the entire

creation? Which is true love? In fact, the true God comes to us fallen people, shedding tears. People weepeither when they are sad or happy. What about God? Does He shed tears of grief looking at human misery,or tears of laughter as He saves people? Think about it. If you ever lost a loved one and then found himagain years later, what would you do? You would weep, first with grief and then with joy.Therefore, God wants to meet His beloved ones on the path of tears. Would you like to experience God!stears? Have you ever cried, so shaking with sobs that water runs from your nose and mouth, your entirebody drenched in sweat? Until you experience what grief is, you cannot taste true love. (102:163-64,December 17, 1978)In the world dominated by Satan, God!s providence requires battles. God has to set up fights. Jesus certainlymade some people angry when he criticized the Jews living in peace and comfort, calling them “hypocrites”and a “brood of vipers” and casting curses upon them. If Jesus had praised the rabbis, scribes and priests,telling them that they were doing a wonderful job for God, would he have been killed? Confucius andMohammed—all the saints without exception—declared to the world something it did not want to hear. Bydoing that, they created the momentum for change. (95:276- 77, December 11, 1977)The people who were the closest to Jesus caused him the most sorrow. His sorrow was not so much fromrejection by the people of Israel whom God had prepared, or from rejection by the Jewish authorities. His

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greatest sorrow came when his beloved disciples—some who had followed him for as long as three years—lost faith when he needed them to believe, did not testify when he needed them to testify, did not fight whenhe needed them to fight, and ran from death when he needed them to face death. (3:142, October 18, 1957)Who followed Jesus to the end without forsaking him? The twelve disciples? No, even the three chiefdisciples among the Twelve did not keep faith and follow Jesus to the end.Although Jesus tried to introduce the love of God to humankind and tried to put that love into practice, hedied without building a substantial relationship of love with a single human being.

Although Jesus conveyed words of heavenly love, and although his heart burned with love, he died withouthaving found one person whom he could tightly embrace and exchange the affectionate words, “My son!”“My father!” sharing the love that runs between a parent and child.Can you understand the heart and situation of Jesus as he cried in anguish through the sleepless night in theGarden of Gethsemane, even as the disciples were dozing off? Many people today appreciate Jesus! wordsof love, but 2,000 years ago, Jesus did not have anyone to whom he could give his love. (3:58, September22, 1957)Jesus lived barely thirty years, a life filled with sorrow. Jesus spent three years of public life, offeringeverything he had; yet who knew his heart, and who knew his situation? Not even one person.Even the disciples, who attended him as their teacher, who shared his joys and sorrows, who were sad whenhe was sad and lonely when he was lonely—they did not know, either.The disciples, who should have clung to Heaven and appealed with earnest hearts, concerned that their

teacher might go the path of death, instead were confused, asking, ”Who is Jesus?” (7:45, July 12, 1959)On this earth, who knew the heart of Jesus? Not a single person recognized Jesus, a man filled withapprehension, who experienced and felt keenly Heaven!s sorrow, who felt Heaven!s lament over humanity.Jesus did not have even one disciple who exclaimed, “My Lord!” intimately feeling God!s heart…Enable us to sympathize with the heart of Jesus, who had to leave behind disciples ignorant of his greatsorrow, with the heart of Jesus, who died without seeing his life bear fruit, even though he lived his entire lifefor humankind. (5:137-38, January 11, 1959)

The Agony of Christ!s Passion and CrucifixionJesus walked a wretched path, the path of the cross. Evil men whipped and beat him. They ripped hisclothing, drove him along the street, and forced him to the ground. In that situation, if Jesus had been likeElijah, he might have said to the people, “I am the only one of the Lord!s prophets left.” (1 Kings 18:22) Butwhen Jesus left his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane and went to pray, he said, “My Father, if it be

possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt.” (Luke 22:42) This was hisgreatness. He understood that his body was a sacrificial offering for the nation, a sacrificial offering forhumanity and a sacrificial offering for God!s providence.Therefore, although Jesus felt his own bitter sorrow, he was more concerned for God!s sorrow.God had sent Jesus for the sake of the nation; instead he felt God!s sorrow to see him betrayed by his ownpeople. Jesus was the Messiah. He was the Crown Prince of Heaven and the central personage of the entireuniverse. If he chose, he could have given way to self-pity and lamented his miserable fate. He could haveset the entire universe in lamentation with him. Yet, he understood that his position was not to sigh indespair. Instead, he even went so far as to feel apologetic toward Heaven for having been rejected.Jesus bore the responsibility to rally the religious establishment, rally the nation, build the Kingdom ofHeaven and return the world to the Father!s bosom. Yet when he was forced to abandon that mission andwalk the way of the cross, he did not feel enmity toward anyone. He did not pray, “Let this cup pass from

me,” for fear of death. Rather, he prayed this way because he knew his death would add to the grief of thenation and to God!s grief.Jesus knew that if he died on the cross, there would be an even heavier cross remaining for the futuregenerations. It would mean that humanity!s sorrowful history would not end. He knew that the path ofGolgotha would not end with him; those who followed him would also have to go the same way. Jesus knewthat an even more difficult course lay beyond the cross.As he was made to wear a crown of thorns, and the nails were hammered into his hands and feet, and hisside was stabbed with a spear, Jesus knew that these events would have impact far beyond his own death.When he turned to God and said, “It is finished,” he did not mean that the world !s path of the cross wasfinished. He meant that his heart!s tearful plea of concern over the cross had reached Heaven. We need toknow that Jesus comforted God by offering himself as a living sacrifice and taking upon himself all themistakes committed by past prophets and patriots.More than that, as he neared death Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what theydo.” (Luke 23:34) God had a mind to pass judgment immediately, a judgment even more terrible than inNoah!s time. But Jesus died clinging to the nation, clinging to the religious establishment and clinging to thecross. For this reason, God could not abandon humanity, but held on to us. Because this bond of heart

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existed between Jesus, the future generations of humanity and the remaining people of Israel, God could notabandon the religious organizations that turned against him, nor the people of subsequent generations.Instead, God has clung to them. (378:314, May 21, 2002)Although the Roman soldiers nailed him to a cross and pierced him with a spear, Jesus asked God!sforgiveness for them. He endured his pain with the attitude, “I am dying on their behalf. I am willing to besacrificed on their behalf.” From that moment a new realm opened; a new world was born that had neverbefore existed in history.

Before Jesus! time the rule was to take revenge on your enemy, based on the law, “an eye for an eye, a

tooth for a tooth.” No one before Jesus had ever taught that we should love our enemies. Jesusdemonstrated something totally new to the world when he loved his enemies on the cross. This wassomething amazingly great. From that single event sprouted a new era, a new world of God!s desire.(130:232-33, January 29, 1984)Can you fathom the agony in God!s heart when Jesus was dying on the cross? Here, the children of theenemy were killing His only begotten Son, and yet God could not treat them as enemies. Can you imaginehow difficult it was for God to swallow His pain and maintain a loving heart towards them? Jesus understoodGod!s painful situation; he knew that God had to maintain unconditional love even for the enemy Satan;therefore he loved the enemy soldiers who were killing him and prayed that God would forgive their sin.Because Jesus passed this test, Satan could be separated. Because Jesus kept God !s tradition ofunconditional love even for Satan, Satan had no grounds to accuse either Jesus or God. This was the

condition to make a division between good and evil, to lift up Christianity beyond Satan!

s grasp.God!s providence can progress only on the condition of loving Satan and the individuals and families underSatan!s dominion. Even in the place of death, we should love and pray for them, as God does. Otherwisethere can be no restoration. For this reason, Christian martyrs throughout the world have followed Jesus ! example and prayed for their persecutors, “Heavenly Father, please save them.”This goes back to the principle that Satan was originally an archangel, who was to receive love from God,Adam and Eve. Although he fell to become Satan, we should not change our love for him. By following thisprinciple, we can be fully restored and be qualified to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. (244:154-55, February1, 1993)

Jesus Bore Our Sins on the CrossJesus accepted his destiny, taking on his shoulders the whole responsibility for the future of Israel, giving allhis strength. His disciples scattered in all directions; they abandoned Jesus, concerned only to protect their

own lives. Meanwhile, Jesus did not think about his own life at all. With utmost sincerity, taking moreresponsibility than any other person who lived for God in history, and eager to accomplish God!s purpose, hewent the way of the cross. He walked that path with God. (35:23, September 27, 1970)Suppose Adam and Eve had a brother, and he had not fallen. If that brother went to Satan and tried to bringAdam and Eve back, Satan would by no means let them go without a price. Satan would want somethingmore valuable than what he would lose by giving up those fallen siblings. Therefore, the unfallen brotherwould have to sacrifice himself in place of his fallen siblings; only on that condition could he liberate them.That sacrificial brother is Christ, the second Adam. (52:50, December 14, 1971)The basic nature of Satan is arrogance and fury. In contrast, Jesus came before the people of the world inmeekness and humility.Jesus did not show meekness and humility because he was incapable and unworthy. He deserved to behigher and enjoy more glory than anyone else, but Jesus forsook all that and lowered himself.

Satan confronted Jesus and tried to draw him into a fight, but Jesus knew that if he remained meek andhumble to the end, Satan would be bound by a condition in the Principle to submit to God.Therefore Jesus maintained his humility, doing what Satan with his arrogant and wrathful nature cannot do.Then Satan, who also knew Heaven!s law, realized that he would have no choice but to recognize Jesus.In other words, if you move forward in meekness and humility, then even the satanic world will naturallysubmit. Jesus understood this principle, and he took a position of meekness and humility of which Satan wasutterly incapable. Similarly, you can pioneer the new path to God only when you place yourself in a positionof meekness and humility. (3:187-88, October 27, 1957)

The Tragedy of Jesus! RejectionToday it is easy to accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God, because for nearly 2,000 years Christianity hasbeen glorifying him. But if you had lived in the days when Jesus was being pushed around and ridiculed,would you have believed? The scribes and priests of those days longed to see the Messiah, yet they did notrecognize him. Do you really think that the Jewish people of that era were inferior to Christians today? Infact, we would probably have compounded their mistakes if we had lived in the days of Jesus of Nazareth.(69:100, October 21, 1973)

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Jesus came with the lonely heart of Heaven to a people who were collapsing and dying, and takingcompassion upon them, he came to them without holding back even his own life. But the people of Israel,who called themselves the chosen people, did as they pleased to the Messiah whom Heaven had sent andto John the Baptist whom Heaven had prepared… Today let us know: It was not because the people of Israelat that time were inferior to us, that they betrayed Heaven, nor was it because their desire to live for the sakeof Heaven was not as great as ours, that they forgot Heaven. Let us understand: They had a concept aboutthe Messiah, thinking that the Lord to come would appear as a great man, but because in reality the Messiah

who appeared was haggard, pitiful and unimpressively small, they rejected him. Let us consider our positionnow: Today we commonly speak ill of the historical people of Israel, and like to criticize how they handled thesituation at that time, but please let us understand: between the situation now and the situation then there isno difference. May we have the mind to admit: if we had been alive at that time, we would have done thesame as they. (5:284-85, February 22, 1959)After preparing humanity for four thousand years to receive the Messiah, his death was not in God!s originalplan. Satan was the one who dragged Jesus to the cross and killed him. The crucifixion was a total loss.Everything was lost: Israel, Judaism, John the Baptist, the twelve disciples who betrayed Jesus… No oneremained on the side of Jesus or Heaven. There is no Christianity at the place of Jesus ! cross. Christianitybegan on the Day of Pentecost. You must know that the cross was the victory of Satan, not of God. God !svictory came with the resurrection by the power of the Spirit.46 (73:220-21, September 18, 1974)

Jesus! Resurrection

On the cross, Jesus prayed for the people and determined to fulfill his responsibility for them even after hisdeath; indeed, his concern for God!s Will transcended even death. Therefore, God could resurrect Jesus,and Satan did not dare accuse the resurrected Jesus. When you attain a level of perfection that you have thesame value as Jesus, Satan cannot accuse you, either. (2:141, March 17, 1957)Satan exercised his maximum power to crucify Jesus, thereby attaining the goal he had sought throughoutthe 4000 year course of history. On the other hand, by delivering Jesus to Satan, God set up ascompensation the condition to save sinful humanity. How did God achieve this? Because Satan had alreadyexercised his maximum power in killing Jesus, according to the principle of restoration through indemnity,God was entitled to exercise His maximum power. While Satan uses his power to kill, God uses His power tobring the dead to life. As compensation for Satan!s exercise of his maximum power in killing Jesus, Godexercised His maximum power and resurrected Jesus. God thus opened the way for all humanity to beengrafted with the resurrected Jesus and thereby receive salvation and rebirth. (Exposition of the Divine

Principle, Moses and Jesus 3.3.1.1)After his death, Jesus was concerned about his scattered disciples. Even during the three days in the tomb,he was determined to protect them for eternity. Hence, he went to the shores of Galilee after his resurrectionand searched for them. Today from a humanistic perspective we might wonder how Jesus could care for hisdisciples, when they showed no sense of responsibility and betrayed him the moment they faced difficulty.Yet this did not stop Jesus from fulfilling his responsibility toward them by visiting them in Galilee. This is thecharacter of Jesus, who did not let even death stop his unwavering efforts at raising his disciples to also beunwavering. We should take a lesson from Jesus! admirable character in this regard. (1:38, May 16, 1956)Due to the sin and blindness of the people, God permitted His Son to be a sacrifice. That was thesignificance of the crucifixion: God allowed Jesus to die on the cross as the ransom paid to Satan. Inexchange, upon Jesus! resurrection, God could claim the souls of humankind - though redemption of thebody was not possible. Therefore God!s victory, and our salvation, was not in the cross but in the

resurrection…Our salvation comes from Jesus! victorious resurrection. This is Christ!s victory, and Satan!s power cannever affect it. But the body of Jesus Christ was given up as a sacrifice and a ransom. In giving up his body,Jesus also gave up the body of humankind. Our salvation is limited to spiritual redemption, because theredemption of the body remained unfulfilled 2,000 years ago. And our world still suffers under Satan!s power.Sin still rages within our bodies and dominates this world.Therefore Paul cried out in anguish, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I of myself serve the law of God with my mind, butwith my flesh I serve the law of sin.” (Rom. 7.24-25) Paul was living in the grace of the Lord. Still heconfessed that he could serve God only with his mind, and his flesh served the law of sin. His body yearnedto be redeemed; he still anguished over sin. And so it is for us. By accepting Christ, we receive spiritualsalvation. But our body still serves the law of sin under Satan!s domain, until Christ returns and liberates usfrom the bondage of sin. The Lord of the Second Advent alone can give total salvation, in spirit and in body.(September 18, 1974)

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Jesus and His Life