Did Jesus Exist?

We've had an interesting discussion this past week or so at the Chief Joseph Discussion Group. One of our members asked the question, "Did Jesus exist?" In other words, was he real, just a myth, or some combination of the two?

This reminds me of that wonderful movie, Miracle on 34th Street. For those of you who've never seen it, the movie asks the question, "Does Santa Claus really exist?"

At the end of the movie, the answer to that question was: "It doesn't really matter."

Here's Chief Joseph.

CHIEF JOSEPH

This is a most interesting question to us in these dimensions of spirit.

It's interesting because, as we observe you -- our dear friends on the earth plane -- we clearly see how many of you strive to base your lives on this historical figure you call Jesus.

Did Jesus exist? Was he real? How do you separate fact from fantasy? Myth from mumbo jumbo?

First, let us say the image, the vision many of you hold of Jesus, the Christ, is a magnificent one. You've created him as you would like to be yourselves.

Does that mean he's not real?

Not at all. He is real -- he lives in your hearts. He represents the joys, the hopes, the dreams all of you hold for yourselves and your loved ones.

In a very real sense, Jesus is your creation. The creation of a vision, a dream you have -- a dream of heaven on earth when peace and love will reign supreme among all peoples.

Are we saying he did not exist in the physical over 2,000 years ago?

No, we are not saying that either.

But we are saying the figure many of you view as the historic Jesus did not exist in the way you think he did.

Your historic Jesus was a composite of at least several different and powerful spiritual teachers who lived around that time.

Those who wrote the words of your Bible, the early versions, were doing the same thing many of you are today -- creating Jesus the way you would like to create (or re-create) yourselves.

They were seeing in him the qualities, the power, the love they wanted to see in themselves -- and which you would dearly love to see in yourselves.

Well friends, you do have those qualities, that power, that love within you. But you don't believe it. And so you've created a leader, a guru who has all that. Someone you can look up to, imitate and -- some day -- hope to be like.

That is what Jesus is all about. That's what any true leader is all about -- one who inspires you to be the best you can be.

He or she is not there to save you, but only to remind you of who you really are.

You are your own savior.

Copyright