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THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY LIFE: DISCOVERING THE REAL JESUS

Introduction | WHY JESUS?

The Quest

My friends Mark and Hani had already disembarked as my wife Pam and I stepped off the dusty bus into the dry morning heat of the Jordan Valley. The four of us caught the early bus from Jerusalem to Tiberias and asked the driver to drop us off at this unposted road leading east toward the Jordan River. I had our six-month old son Bobby strapped to my chest, and he was squinting as I tried to shield his eyes from the desert sun. Pam and I were living in the Old City of Jerusalem where I was conducting a year of post-graduate study in New Testament archeology and sociology at the Ecole Biblique et Archeologique, the famous French school of biblical archaeology. Mark and Hani, post-graduate archaeology students conducting research at the Albright Institute, had agreed to join us on a little adventure to see how close we could get to the site of Jesus’ baptism.

I was on an obsessive quest to visit every site mentioned in the Gospels in which Jesus carried out his ministry and only had a few left to check off my list. Ever since I had become a follower of Jesus in my teens, I felt the urge to actually see the places where biblical events took place. Spending my formative years living overseas in several different cultures imbued me with a love for travel and cross-cultural experiences. Based on the way I grew up, I knew that, if I could visit the places where Jesus lived out his mission, I would gain a clearer understanding of who he really is. But at that time, in 1990, the traditional site of Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River, just east of Jericho, was strictly off limits because the river formed the border between the Israeli-controlled West Bank and the country of Jordan on the east bank. Since Israel and Jordan were technically still “at war” with each other, this was an understandably sensitive military area. In fact, a wide swath of land leading up to the river was still laden with land mines meant to prevent an invasion. But I still wanted to see how close we could get to this fascinating site.

As the bus pulled away, we started hiking east down the unmarked road which ran alongside a date palm plantation. The sun quickly climbed higher in the sky and, although it was January, we could all feel the temperature rising. We settled into a steady rhythm, chatting as we walked and enjoying the desolate beauty of this biblical desert. It was here that the people of Israel had crossed into the land of Canaan under the leadership of Joshua over three thousand years ago. I could almost hear John the Baptist’s voice echoing off these arid ridges, warning the Sadducees and Pharisees of the unquenchable fire that was soon to come. Eventually we saw the double rows of electrified fencing marking the beginning of no-man’s land. As we drew closer, we observed the bright yellow signs warning us of land mines ahead. The Jordan River was carved deep into the arid furrows beyond, so we couldn’t actually see it, but I could tell it was close and my heart began beating faster.

Just then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a cloud of dust rising to the south and realized an Israeli military vehicle was racing toward us. It was a drab olive truck with an open flatbed on which was mounted a large machine gun manned by young Israeli soldiers. And it was pointed straight at us! Since our friend Hani came from a Palestinian family that has lived in Jerusalem for countless generations, we were immediately concerned he might fall under undue suspicion. So we pushed him to the back of our little group, and I stepped forward to do the talking. I was quick to show my U.S. passport as I tried to explain why we were out there wandering around the desert. After their initial concerns were addressed, the soldiers were courteous but stern in informing us that we couldn’t be in this area. Then they loaded us onto the open bed of the truck and drove us a mile or two south to the ancient monastery of St. Gerasimus. The monks there received us warmly and were kind enough to call a taxi for our return to Jerusalem.

You might think me reckless or irresponsible for undertaking such a journey. I could blame it on my 26-year-old lack of judgment, but the truth is I would do it all over again today! I feel a pull inside of me toward the person of Jesus. Not the plastic Jesus glued to a dashboard, or the flannel Jesus stuck to a Sunday school wall, or the romanticized Jesus of sappy hymns, but the real flesh and blood, sweat and tears Jesus who walked this earth. That tug is what drew me into the desert that day with my fledgling family and newfound friends. I have a deep desire to see Jesus as he really is, to know him more fully, to follow him more closely. This quest has called me back to the Holy Land again and again for more than three decades. This quest has moved me to invest my entire adult life in researching all the information I can find that illuminates his life, his death, and his resurrection. This quest is why I have chosen to write this book. Perhaps a desire to know more of the real Jesus is the same impulse drawing you to read this book.

But what is it about Jesus that draws us so?

One Solitary Life

I love history because it is our story, the human story. I spend many late nights lying in bed reading about some obscure chapter of that human story. Even more than the wars and empires and discoveries that have defined our world, I am fascinated by the people who have shaped this human story. Aristotle and Alexander the Great. Cleopatra and Julius Caesar. Augustine and Genghis Khan. Mozart and Mao Zedong. Martin Luther and Martin Luther King, Jr. Extraordinary people who changed the world with armies, adventures, ideas, and art.

The story of our human race is told in the insights and discoveries, the accomplishments and heroics, the callings and crimes of men and women who rose above the rest by blind accident, sheer effort, or brave sacrifice. I love reading biographies of these heroes and villains because their examples teach me so much about myself and show me how to live a more significant life. But one person in history stands out above all the others, not just for his accomplishments and influence, but also because his unparalleled impact on human history is so disproportionate to his social standing and political position. About a hundred years ago James Allan Francis, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Los Angeles, described him this way:

Here is a man who was born in an obscure village. He was brought up in another obscure village. He worked in a carpenter shop until he was thirty, and then for three brief years was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never raised an army. He never owned a home. He never had a family of his own. He never went to college. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where he was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness.

He gathered a little group of friends around him and taught them his way of life. While still a young man, the tide of public opinion turned against him. His friends forsook him. One denied him, another betrayed him. He was turned over to his enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. When he was dead, he was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave by the kindness of a friend. He rose from the dead.

Today we look back across nineteen hundred years and ask, what kind of mark has he left across the centuries? When we try to sum up his influence I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that ever sailed, and all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that One Solitary Life.[1]

While Pastor Francis may not have had all the cultural details correct, he brilliantly captured what makes Jesus of Nazareth unique in all of history. Lacking all the trappings of what we normally call greatness, on one level Jesus seems a very ordinary first-century Jew. And yet Jesus lived a life unlike any that has ever been lived in human history. His self-giving love was matched only by his transforming power. His tender compassion was extended to the vulnerable and privileged alike. His revolutionary insights transcended normal categories of learning and knowledge. He rejected both political and religious positions of control. His profound intimacy with God as Father drew others into God’s presence as well. He healed and set free those he touched. He trained and empowered others to do everything he did. He redefined the family and cast a vision for a whole new kind of world. Most remarkable of all, he suffered unjust torture and execution, but then physically rose from the dead, giving birth to an indestructible new kind of life. This is the real Jesus. His incomparable life has informed, inspired, empowered, and transformed billions of people ever since. As we get to know who he really is, by simple historical comparison we can confidently say Jesus lived the most extraordinary life. But what is the source of this incomparable life?

An Invitation to the Abundant Life

Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) Some have assumed Jesus was speaking of strictly material abundance, but it is clear from his example and teaching Jesus was pointing to something much more important. Contrary to popular assumption, Jesus grew up in a family with possessions and means, but he chose to keep nothing for himself and lived a simple life, living with and relying on the support of others.

So, what is this abundance of which he spoke? Jesus also said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) The abundant life Jesus offers is the fruitful life. It is not about an abundance of possessions for which we need to build bigger barns—it is the abundance of life itself; a richer, fuller, more impactful life that multiplies the goodness God has intended since the beginning of creation. Jesus said this fruitful life of multiplying goodness flows through a deep personal connection with him.

What made Jesus’ life so extraordinary is that he chose by faith to abide deeply in his heavenly Father, and so his life produced an abundance of good fruit unlike the world has ever seen. The fruit of his life was not material wealth, but a rich treasure of spiritual truth, joyful relationships and transforming power. And Jesus’ fruit was not seedless. His fruit contained seeds and so the goodness of his life was planted and multiplied in the lives of others. By learning to abide in Jesus, the men and women who followed him also bore good fruit containing seeds, which in turn multiplied this reproducing abundant life in the lives of others. And so on and so on. This abundant fruitfulness produced a movement of love and power that changed the world and continues to do so two thousand years later! This movement is what Jesus called the “Kingdom of God” in which God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven, with increasing impact for good. So how do we abide in Jesus and multiply the good fruit which he produces in order to see his Kingdom come?

Jesus gave two primary invitations: “believe in me” and “follow me.” (John 14:1-11; Mark 1:15) To believe in Jesus is to trust him, to exercise faith in him. Believing is not only agreeing with the words he spoke and the words written about him. It is about putting your life in his hands the way you trust a doctor who is anesthetizing you for a life-saving operation. Believing in Jesus means much more than just agreeing with him; it means surrendering yourself to him.

You cannot manufacture faith in Jesus. Faith is a gift of God produced by his Word through the work of the Holy Spirit. But you can read God’s Word and listen for Jesus’ voice speaking to you along with others who are on the same journey. This plants the seeds of faith in your heart. Even now the Holy Spirit is speaking faith to your heart. Stepping out in this faith is what it means to believe in Jesus. You can’t create faith, but you can exercise the faith you are given one step at a time. This is how we come to know Jesus and live in a relationship with him. His Spirit begins to fill us and change us from the inside out. Believing is how we abide in him and he in us.

Jesus also said, “follow me.” To follow Jesus is to live in a particular kind of relationship with him: the relationship of disciples to their rabbi. Disciples live in such close proximity to their rabbi that they can not only hear what the rabbi says, but also see what the rabbi does. Disciples walk so closely behind the rabbi they are literally walking in his footsteps, learning to imitate his way life. In this way, the disciple not only comes to know what the rabbi knows, but also learns to do what the rabbi does, ultimately becoming like the rabbi.

The life of discipleship is a journey made up of many steps of faith. All you need is a tiny seed of faith to take the next step. Jesus said, “For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20) As you read God’s Word and listen for the voice of Jesus as a member of his family, the Holy Spirit will give you the mustard seed of faith you need to take the next step to follow in his footsteps. Not alone, but with your brothers and sisters. This is what it means to answer Jesus’ invitation to believe in him and follow him. This is what it means to be part of the Kingdom of God. Jesus is extending this invitation to you right now.

To those who answered Jesus’ invitation to believe in and follow him as a part of his family, Jesus also gave a commission, “Make disciples.” (Matthew 28:18) Every disciple is meant to become a rabbi who in turn calls disciples. This is the seed in the good fruit that Jesus produces. Making disciples is not reserved for an elite few, nor does it require a special degree or title. Every person who follows Jesus is being equipped and empowered to make disciples. As we become more like Jesus, we learn to set an example for others to follow. By inviting people into our homes, our families, and our lives, we give others access to the abundant life of Jesus that is growing in and among us through the Holy Spirit. By meeting people where they are and entering their lives, we embody the Good News of Jesus for them. This is how spiritual families on mission grow. This is how the everyday women and men who first followed Jesus fulfilled the great commission, and it is how we are called to live today if we want to be part of God’s coming Kingdom.

Help for the Journey

If this sounds intimidating, the good news is you are not meant to go on the journey of discipleship by yourself. Jesus invited a houseful of men and women to be his extended spiritual family of followers and called twelve of them to be his full-time disciples. Together they believed in him, followed him, and learned to make disciples the way he did. They couldn’t do this alone, and neither can we. We need others to help us learn how to follow Jesus. Because we don’t have the privilege of physically following the historical Jesus, we need those ahead of us on the journey to show us the way. Jesus is our perfect historical example, but we also need imperfect living examples to become Jesus-shaped disciples. The apostle Paul was painfully aware of his imperfections, but he understood that a disciple is called to become a living example for other disciples to follow. He told the Corinthian believers, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1)

We all need someone to imitate. We need an imperfect but living example to show us what it means to trust and follow Jesus. Each of us are called to become these imperfect but living examples to help others learn to trust and follow Jesus. This is our mission. This is how the Kingdom of God comes. As a young man, I came to know Jesus personally and began the journey of following him one step of faith at a time. But it wasn’t until many years later as a seasoned pastor that I finally came to understand discipleship is this process of imitating those who are following Jesus and then inviting others to imitate my imperfect example of a Jesus-shaped life. When someone explicitly invited me into a discipling relationship, it changed my life forever. Now, having invested my life in many men and women who in turn are investing their lives in many others, I see so clearly this is the good, reproducing fruit we are meant to bear as we abide in Jesus. There is no greater joy than seeing the life of Jesus multiplied in the lives of others through your investment in them. This is the abundant life Jesus offers. This is how the Kingdom of God comes!

If we are going to follow the perfect example of Jesus so we can become imperfect examples for others to follow, we need to be sure we are clear on what the perfect example is. If you use a photocopier to make a copy of an original document and then make a copy from that copy, and then keep making copies from copies, the text becomes degraded and distorted. This is how we lose our way. No matter who is setting an example to help us follow Jesus, we must always keep our eyes on the perfect example to make sure we are following his way. This is why the Bible is so important in the life of a disciple. Reading, studying, and discussing the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life gives us a clearer picture of the Jesus-shaped life we are called to live. Reading, studying, and discussing the book of Acts and the letters of the New Testament gives us a clearer picture of how the first followers learned to live that Jesus-shaped life.

What makes this more challenging is that we live in a completely different time and culture than Jesus and his first followers. It is easy to read the Bible and misunderstand its meaning. We need help to gain an accurate biblical picture of the real Jesus so we can be sure we are actually following his way. If our image of Jesus is a distorted copy of a copy and we can’t read the original, we will also become distorted versions who lead others astray. Peeling back the layers of history and learning the culture in which Jesus lived and carried out his mission cleans our lens and gives us a more accurate picture of the Original. This book is written to help you gain a clearer image of the real Jesus, which will give you a clearer vision of the life you are meant to live.

As I mentioned earlier, when I became a follower of Jesus in my teens, I found myself wanting to travel to the places where Jesus carried out his mission so I could gain a more accurate understanding of who Jesus really is in his original historical and cultural context. I made my first trip to the lands of the Bible when I was 21 years old and have been going back ever since. I have spent my entire adult life studying the history, archaeology, and culture of the New Testament in order to gain a clearer picture of the real Jesus. For over thirty years, I have led trips that follow the footsteps of Jesus, visiting the actual places where Jesus’ life unfolded and helping others gain a clearer picture of him as well. I see it happen over and over and over again—as people see the real Jesus more clearly, they are changed, learn to follow him more closely, and become more like him. This is my prayer for you as you read this book.

If you are confused about who Jesus really is, I pray this book will give you a more accurate picture of the man and his message so you can come to know and trust him personally. If you are still getting to know Jesus, I pray this book will help you trust him more and to follow him more closely in your daily life. If you already know Jesus and are following him, I pray this book will equip you to more effectively set a Jesus-shaped example for others to follow. We will trace the public life of Jesus from his baptism to his resurrection. I will share with you some of the latest archaeological discoveries and historical research that illuminate his life. Each chapter begins with a dramatized version of a Gospel story in which I color in the background of the account with relevant cultural details. Each chapter ends with a few questions meant to help you discern what God is saying to you and what step of faith he wants you to take. Remember, the journey of discipleship is made up of one small step of faith after another. Come with me and let’s take the next step together…

[1] James Allen Francis, The Real Jesus and Other Sermons (1926, reprint edition, Dauphin Publications, 2018), pg. 119, adapted by author.