Chapter 10: Jesus of Nazareth
I was at the beginning of my junior year in college, and needed a ride down to the main campus. I saw a note on the billboard from a man looking for passengers and called. Being the first time going away from home was somewhat nerve wracking. The individual who pulled up was a big man with long black hair and full beard. I'd seen him in the hallways, always frowning. I was a little hesitant but required the ride. We made small talk and were 30 minutes into a 3-hour drive, when he asked,"Do you know Jesus Christ?” I thought, Oh no, I'm with a Jesus freak, going to be a long ride. “I know he's the reason for Easter and Christmas being celebrated, but don't understand why.” My interests at that time were being with my girlfriend, finishing my education, smoking weed and drinking beer. Chuck explained what his life meant. He’d been born of a virgin and was the son of a carpenter. After being baptized, the Spirit of God descended on him in the form of a dove. He immediately went into the wilderness, having no food or water for 40 days, and was thought to have been tempted by Satan. (explained)
Jesus began his 3-year ministry and performed astounding miracles. The blind could see, the deaf could hear, the paralyzed could walk, he controlled the weather, he raised the dead and raised himself after he had been crucified. He taught beautiful spiritual truths and ascended to Heaven after 40 days of appearances after his death.
Chuck’s mannerisms were so, matter of fact and sincere that I was impressed. I had heard none of this. He became quiet, and after a moment asked," Do you believe he died for your sin? I slowly replied, “Yes.” I instantly felt like a warm egg had been broken over my head. A wave of powerful joy, peace, and love quickly enveloped me and was instantly gone. A miracle. I had never experienced anything like this. I said, “Wow. Thanks.” He said," Don't thank me, I'm just a messenger.” Today, Chuck is married and a minister.
Years later, A Course In Miracles (ACIM) informed me that Jesus himself said his dying for sin is an unfortunate lie and his death means nothing. His resurrection is very true and means everything, for he proved death is an illusion.
Now you may think, there is no proof of his resurrection. I agree, however, his body has never been found and the reason Easter is still celebrated after 2000 years is because it’s true. According to the Biblical Archaeology Society, the tomb of Jesus was sealed with a stone. The archaeological evidence suggests that his tomb was the unused one of Joseph of Arimathea and would have been sealed with a cork-shaped stone. 98% of stones used to close tombs in that era were square block stones. These were simple slabs shaped something like a bolt, with one end designed to provide a close fit for the small opening forming the doorway. The larger remainder of the stone had a flange, so it would rest against the outside surface. Other researchers believe Jesus’s tomb was sealed with a circular stone that slid into a groove. Either way, how could 3 women possibly move these?
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When Chuck asked, and I said, “Yes”, I was really saying yes to the truth that God Is. Jesus teaches in ACIM that Hell and Satan do not exist, it is impossible to sin against God, life outside of Heaven is not real, we’re dreaming in Heaven, and we live forever. I understand this thinking goes against 2000 years of fundamental Christian doctrine. I have been blocked from several Facebook church groups for the heresy of not believing in Hell, Satan, and sin. I would think Christians and all humanity would find this extremely great news.
I have studied and written numerous manuscripts about ACIM for over fifteen years and have found nothing that is not true. I’ve already explained that long ago, I taught an adult Sunday school for years and am extremely familiar with Biblical doctrine. I never mentioned Hell in my class discussions.
This is the most profound spiritual truth I’ve ever read.
ACIM explains that God did not make this universe and is not even aware of its existence. Christ (the Sons of God) did. They had been given all the creative powers of the Father and wondered what it would be like to live in a universe of time and space that was separate from God and based upon duality rather than unity. The Course calls this a “mad idea”. For the first time, Christ had an idea that was not shared by God and imagined what it would be like to be apart from his Creator. Forgetting to laugh about that silly idea, feeling guilty, he experienced something new. Fear.
The first ego was created. The mind believes that it is completely on its own. God knows absolutely nothing about this, since in nonduality there is only a constant, unchangeable Love. Christ made this universe through the Big Bang, composed of billions of fragments to hide from the supposed wrath of a vengeful Father. The idea of duality could not be carried out in God’s reality, so Christ created a dream universe of illusion, and entered it as if falling asleep and dreaming. The trouble was that he went into such a deep state of sleep that he had no awareness that he was dreaming, so he accepted the universe of illusion as real and forgot that he had a true home in the Celestial Realm.
The Course says the story of Adam symbolized what happened to him and us. The Bible says that a deep sleep fell upon Adam, and nowhere is there a reference to his waking up. This created a barrier in communication between the Father and the Son so deep that God decided a correction was necessary. God's extension outward, though not His completeness, is blocked when the Son ship does not communicate with Him as one. So He thought, "My children are asleep and must be awakened.” So God wanted to awaken His Sons. But there was a major problem.
Whatever God places His attention on becomes as if it is real. If God entered the dream to redeem his Sons, then the dream would become real to Him as well, and He would also be trapped. There would be the risk of both the Father and the Son becoming eternally separated from their true home, eternally losing their identity. To solve the problem and allow God to keep his attention focused on Reality, He created a special agent, The Holy Spirit, that could be a bridge between the two states of existence. So God created the Holy Spirit, Who was God's answer to the separation. He has created the Holy Spirit as the Mediator between perception and knowledge. Without this link with God, perception would have replaced knowledge forever in our mind. With this link with God, the perception will become so changed and purified that it will lead to understanding. The Holy Spirit entered the collective sleeping mind of Christ. A first Christ was healed and woke up in Heaven. In other words, we are all split off parts of the One Christ Mind. The Course repeatedly asserts there can only be one Son. Unity can only create unity. Multiplicity cannot originate from Oneness. If all His creations are His Sons, everyone must be an integral part of the whole Son ship. The Son ship in its oneness transcends the sum of its parts. Therefore, the term Sons of God is used by Jesus for convenience in addressing his students as they believe they are. On the other hand, the Son of God is the term used to denote who we truly are as Christ, the Identity of Oneness we shall awaken to after our dream of multiplicity is undone.
Now that we have been informed of the most profound spiritual truth ever written, let us reason together to begin and determine what this actually means in the year 2024. ACIM states that it is even beyond its teachings to fully explain what Love actually is. However, with logic and reasoning we are given glimpses. Let’s discuss a Love that Is absolutely perfect. A Love that Is beyond purity, immeasurably magnificent and beautiful, immense total power, all knowing, all seeing, everywhere, outside of time, forever unchanging, cannot conceive of any loss, eternal, always giving an unlimited joy and contentment and happiness. Totally complete in and of Itself, with a perfect light that extends to all existence. Forever. We are a part of this.
Jesus name is Jesus of Nazareth, not Jesus Christ. He understood perfectly, better than anyone who has ever lived, that he was One with Christ. So are you, so am I, so are all who have ever lived. The name Christ is much, much more than just a name. Christ is our true and Eternal state of Being. In other words, we will all understand that existing as a human being was a very temporary residence and used by the Holy Spirit to awaken us to our true identity as Christ. This is why it is impossible to sin against God. We’re Source’s first Creation, and all that is was made for us. We’re deeply and eternally loved by God because we are His/Her first and finest Creation.
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