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Jesus and the Politics of Roman Palestine: Revised With A New Preface (Center And Library For The Bible And Social Justice Ser.)
by Richard A. HorsleyThis comprehensive critical analysis of the historical Jesus examines his mission and involvement in the conflicted politics of ancient Palestine.In Jesus and the Politics of Roman Palestine, Richard A. Horsley brings the context and implications of recent historical research to bear on our understanding of Jesus of Nazareth. Based on a critical reconsideration of the Gospels and contemporary sources for Roman imperial rule in Judea and Galilee, Horsley argues that Jesus was deeply concerned with the politics of his day. Drawing on anthropological studies of peasant politics, Horsley discerns how Jesus, as a Moses- and Elijah-like prophet, generated a movement of renewal in Israel that was focused on village communities.Following the traditional prophetic pattern, Jesus pronounced God’s judgment against the rulers in Jerusalem and their Roman patrons. This confrontation with the Jerusalem rulers and his martyrdom at the hands of the Roman governor, however, became the breakthrough that empowered the rapid expansion of his movement in the immediately ensuing decades. In the broader context of this comprehensive historical construction of Jesus’s mission, Horsley also presents a fresh new analysis of Jesus’s healings and exorcisms and his conflict with the Pharisees, topics that have been generally neglected in the last several decades.
Jesus and the Powers: Christian Political Witness in an Age of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies
by N. T. Wright Michael F. BirdAn urgent call for Christians everywhere to explore the nature of the kingdom amid the political upheaval of our day.Should Christians be politically withdrawn, avoiding participation in politics to maintain their prophetic voice and to keep from being used as political pawns? Or should Christians be actively involved, seeking to utilize political systems to control the levers of power?In Jesus and the Powers, N. T. Wright and Michael F. Bird call Christians everywhere to discern the nature of Christian witness in fractured political environments. In an age of ascending autocracies, in a time of fear and fragmentation, amid carnage and crises, Jesus is king, and Jesus&’s kingdom remains the object of the church's witness and work.Part political theology, part biblical overview, and part church history, this book argues that building for Jesus's kingdom requires confronting empire in all its forms. This approach should orient Christians toward a form of political engagement that contributes to free democratic societies and vigorously opposes political schemes based on autocracy and nationalism. Throughout, Wright and Bird reflect on the relevance of this kingdom-oriented approach to current events, including the Russian-Ukraine conflict, the China-Taiwan tension, political turmoil in the USA, UK, and Australia, and the problem of Christian nationalism.
Jesus and the Victory of God (Christian Origins and the Question of God, Volume #2)
by N. T. WrightIn a responsibly provocative new portrayal of several old issues raised by the quest of the historical Jesus, the author of The Climax of the Covenant deals with some questions.
Jesus Christ: Influential Religious Leader
by Susan KeatingJesus Christ: Influential Spiritual Leader During his lifetime, Jesus Christ worked hard to teach the world about love and the meaning of life. More than 2,000 years later, his teachings and ideas still form the foundation of one of the world's largest religions, helping and guiding hundreds of millions of people around the world. Jesus' life was marked by his sacrifices for others, and it can still be an example to people everywhere, no matter their religious beliefs. Learn the story of one of history's most important religious teachers in Jesus Christ: Influential Spiritual Leader.
Jesus Christ and Mythology
by Rudolf BultmannIn this book the great New Testament scholar provides a strictly historical presentation of the teachings of Jesus in the setting of the thought of his own time.
Jesus Christs
by A. J. LangguthAn examination of the many lives and insights of Jesus. Philosophical, but a fictional accounting.
The Jesus Conspiracy: An Investigative Reporter's Look at an Extraordinary Life and Death
by Gordon ThomasFrom the New York Times–bestselling author: A vividly personal, historically accurate portrait of Jesus that &“transcends all religious boundaries&” (Toronto Star). Meet Jesus again for the very first time. This modern dramatization of the known facts presents a passionate portrait of Christ&’s life and brings new light to such figures as Pontius Pilate, Mary Magdalene, and Mary and Martha of Bethany. In The Jesus Conspiracy, skilled journalist and novelist Gordon Thomas offers a thoughtful account of the life of Jesus in a gripping &“you are there&” fashion. By pairing current archaeological and anthropological discoveries, Thomas reveals a startling vision of Christ. This modern dramatization brings the social and cultural world of the first century to life for the contemporary reader and leads to some surprising conclusions. Whether you are a spiritual seeker or a seasoned Christian, this book will enable you to know more about the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus, Contradicted: Why the Gospels Tell the Same Story Differently
by Michael R. LiconaThe differences and discrepancies in the Gospels constitute the foremost objections to their reliability and the credibility of their message. Some have tried to resolve Gospels contradictions with strained harmonization efforts. Many others conclude that the Gospels are hopelessly contradictory and, therefore, historically unreliable accounts of Jesus.In Jesus, Contradicted, New Testament scholar Michael Licona shows how the genre of ancient biography, to which the Gospels belong, actually allows biographers to be flexible in how they report events, construct a narrative, and make an argument. Licona demonstrates that the intentional changes to the Jesus tradition by the Evangelists reveal that the differences in how the Gospels report events are not grounds for their rejection. Instead, they are a result of the Gospel writers employing standard literary conventions common in their time for writing ancient biography.Licona introduces readers to the genre of ancient biography through Plutarch, who wrote 48 of the 90 extent biographies written within 150 years of Jesus, giving numerous examples of compositional devices employed by Plutarch, and comparing them with instances in the Gospels where the Evangelists appear to use similar techniques. Licona also examines Theon's Progymnasmata, a first-century textbook that provides six techniques for paraphrasing one's sources when writing a narrative. In doing so, he helps readers understand why the Gospels report many events differently. Finally, Licona concludes by addressing the thorny question of whether the editorial moves commonplace in ancient biography are compatible with the doctrines of the divine inspiration and the inerrancy of Scripture.Rather than trying to resolve discrepancies by bending the Gospel narrative, which risks making them say things they aren't saying, Jesus, Contradicted situates the Gospels within their proper context and helps readers account for differences in the Gospels in a cohesive and historically cogent way.
The Jesus Discovery: The New Archaeological Find That Reveals the Birth of Christianity
by Simcha Jacobovici James D. TaborThe story of a stunning new discovery that provides the first physical evidence of Christians in Jerusalem during the time of Jesus and his apostles. In 2010, using a specialized robotic camera, authors Tabor and Jacobovici, working with archaeologists, geologists, and forensic anthropologists, explored a previously unexcavated tomb in Jerusalem from around the time of Jesus. They made a remarkable discovery. The tomb contained several ossuaries, or bone boxes, two of which were carved with an iconic image and a Greek inscription. Taken together, the image and the inscription constitute the earliest archaeological evidence of faith in Jesus' resurrection. Since the newly discovered ossuaries can be reliably dated to before 70 AD, when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, they also provide the first evidence in Jerusalem of the people who would later be called "Christians." In fact, it is possible, maybe even likely, that whoever was buried in this tomb knew Jesus and heard him preach. The newly examined tomb is only 200 feet away from the so-called Jesus Family Tomb. This controversial tomb, excavated in 1980 and recently brought to international attention, contained ossuaries inscribed with names associated with Jesus and his immediate family. Critics dismissed the synchronicity of names as mere coincidence. But the new discovery increases the likelihood that the "Jesus Family Tomb" is, indeed, the real tomb of Jesus of Nazareth. Tabor and Jacobovici discuss the evidence in support of this interpretation and describe how both tombs appear to have been part of the property of a wealthy individual, possibly Joseph of Arimathea, the man who, according to the gospels, buried Jesus. The Jesus Discovery explains how the recent find is revolutionizing our understanding of the earliest years of Christianity. Tabor and Jacobovici discuss what the concept of resurrection meant to the first followers of Jesus, particularly how it differed from the common understanding of the term today. Because the new archaeological discovery predates all other Christian documents, including the gospels, it offers a dramatic witness to what the people who knew Jesus believed. There is no doubt that this is one of the most important archaeological discoveries ever made. The Jesus Discovery is the firsthand account of how it happened and what it means.
The Jesus Dynasty: The Hidden History of Jesus, His Royal Family, and the Birth of Christianity
by James D. TaborBased on a careful analysis of the earliest Christian documents and recent archaeological discoveries, The Jesus Dynasty offers a bold new interpretation of the life of Jesus and the origins of Christianity. The story is surprising, controversial, and exciting as only a long-lost history can be when it is at last recovered. In The Jesus Dynasty, biblical scholar James Tabor brings us closer than ever to the historical Jesus. Jesus, as we know, was the son of Mary, a young woman who became pregnant before her marriage to a man named Joseph. The gospels tell us that Jesus had four brothers and two sisters, all of whom probably had a different father than his. He joined a messianic movement begun by his relative John the Baptizer, whom he regarded as his teacher and a great prophet. John and Jesus together filled the roles of the Two Messiahs who were expected at the time: John, as a priestly descendant of Aaron, and Jesus, as a royal descendant of David. Together they preached the coming of the Kingdom of God. Theirs was an apocalyptic movement that expected God to establish his kingdom on earth, as described by the Prophets. The Two Messiahs lived in a time of turmoil as the historical land of Israel was dominated by the powerful Roman Empire. Fierce Jewish rebellions against Rome occurred during Jesus' lifetime. John and Jesus preached adherence to the Torah, or the Jewish Law. But their mission was changed dramatically when John was arrested and then killed. After a period of uncertainty, Jesus began preaching anew in Galilee and challenged the Roman authorities and their Jewish collaborators in Jerusalem. He appointed a Council of Twelve to rule over the twelve tribes of Israel, and among the Twelve he included his four brothers. After Jesus was crucified by the Romans, his brother James -- the "Beloved Disciple" -- took over leadership of the Jesus dynasty. James, like John and Jesus before him, saw himself as a faithful Jew. None of them believed that their movement was a new religion. It was Paul who transformed Jesus and his message through his ministry to the Gentiles. Breaking with James and the followers of Jesus in Jerusalem, Paul preached a message based on his own revelations, which would become Christianity. Jesus became a figure whose humanity was obscured; John became merely a forerunner of Jesus; and James and the others were all but forgotten. James Tabor has studied the earliest surviving documents of Christianity for more than thirty years and has participated in important archaeological excavations in Israel. Drawing on this background, Tabor reconstructs for us the movement that sought the spiritual, social, and political redemption of the Jews, a movement led by one family. The Jesus Dynasty offers an alternative version of Christian origins, one that takes us closer than ever to Jesus and his family and followers. This is a book that will change our understanding of one of the most crucial moments in history.
The Jesus Family Tomb: The Discovery, the Investigation, and the Evidence that Could Change History
by Simcha Jacobovici Charles PellegrinoThe Jesus Family Tomb tells the story of what may very well be the greatest archaeological find of all time—the discovery of the family tomb of Jesus of Nazareth. Following the accidental bulldozing of a tomb during the building of a housing complex in suburban Jerusalem in 1980, archaeologists from the Israeli Antiquities Authority were immediately called to the scene. Inside, the archaeologists found ten ossuaries—limestone boxes that served as first-century coffins. Six had inscriptions, including Jesus, son of Joseph; two Marys; and Judah, son of Jesus. The team concluded that the unusual group of names was merely coincidence. After removing and cataloging the ossuaries, they left the tomb to the builders to finish what they had already started.Twenty-five years later, Simcha Jacobovici, an Emmy award-winning journalist, tracked down the ossuaries in the Israeli Antiquities Authority's warehouse and decided to investigate this remarkable collection of names. Simcha mapped and then located the original tomb, which, to his surprise, was still intact. Granted unequaled access, he soon found that the archaeologists were unaware of key evidence that made this the discovery of a lifetime.This is a story that is destined to grab international headlines and raise fundamental questions about the historical Jesus. Are the "Jesus" and "Mary" referred to in these inscriptions the Jesus and Mary Magdalene of the gospels? Readers are taken on a remarkable journey: from telling statistical analysis, to a time-bending trip across two millennia, and an investigation of the patinas and DNA of the tombs that makes an episode of CSI look mundane. The Jesus Family Tomb arrives at an extraordinary answer to an ancient mystery.A riveting combination of history, archaeo-logy, and theology, this book will change the way we think about God, religion, and everything we have learned about the life and death of Jesus.
Jesus Followers in the Roman Empire
by Paul B. DuffWhen Jesus of Nazareth began proclaiming the kingdom of God early in the first century, he likely had no intention of starting a new religion, especially one that included former pagans. Yet a new religion did eventually develop—one that not only included non-Jews but was soon dominated by them. How did this happen?Jesus Followers in the Roman Empire by Paul Duff offers an accessible and informed account of Christian origins, beginning with the teaching of Jesus and moving to the end of the first century. Duff's narrative shows how the rural Jewish movement led by Jesus developed into a largely non-Jewish phenomenon permeating urban centers of the Roman Empire. Paying special attention to social, cultural, and religious contexts—as well as to early Christian ideas about idolatry, marriage, family, slavery, and ethnicity—Jesus Followers in the Roman Empire will help readers cultivate a deeper understanding of the identity, beliefs, and practices of early Christ-believers.
Jesus Followers in the Roman Empire
by Paul B. DuffWhen Jesus of Nazareth began proclaiming the kingdom of God early in the first century, he likely had no intention of starting a new religion, especially one that included former pagans. Yet a new religion did eventually develop—one that not only included non-Jews but was soon dominated by them. How did this happen?Jesus Followers in the Roman Empire by Paul Duff offers an accessible and informed account of Christian origins, beginning with the teaching of Jesus and moving to the end of the first century. Duff's narrative shows how the rural Jewish movement led by Jesus developed into a largely non-Jewish phenomenon permeating urban centers of the Roman Empire. Paying special attention to social, cultural, and religious contexts—as well as to early Christian ideas about idolatry, marriage, family, slavery, and ethnicity—Jesus Followers in the Roman Empire will help readers cultivate a deeper understanding of the identity, beliefs, and practices of early Christ-believers.
Jesus for Everyone: Not Just Christians
by Amy-Jill LevineWhy Jesus’s historic and cultural influence makes him fascinating, provocative, and relevant for everyone, not only Christians.Two thousand years after his birth and death, Jesus of Nazareth continues to be of vital interest. Yet much of the scholarship around Jesus focuses on his religious significance. Jesus for Everyone examines his most famous teachings from a fresh perspective, exploring how they have continued to shape ethics and civilization in the West for two millennia.Even for those who reject faith, Jesus’s life and his philosophy are important to study, writes renowned biblical scholar and author Amy-Jill Levine, because of the insights they hold for us today. Poring through scripture, analyzing what historical scholarship has revealed about Jesus’s views on a number of subjects—including women—reveals surprising messages sure to be fascinating to all readers.Placing Jesus of Nazareth within his historical context, Levine brings him vividly into focus and invites everyone from faithful Christians, agnostics, and the most committed nonbelievers to appreciate his lasting impact on the modern world.
Jesus Framed (Biblical Limits Ser.)
by George AicheleBiblical Limits is a new series which brings to the traditional field of Biblical Studies literary criticism, anthropology and gender-based approaches, thus reaching new ways of understanding Biblical texts.Jesus Framed is a collection of essays on reading the gospel of Mark. It uses literary theory, most notably the writings of Roland Barthes, to examine some of the difficulties in the text of Mark. A series of close readings of the gospel of Mark is compared to similar texts, both biblical and otherwise. Drawing on Mark's famous phrase that "to those who are outside all comes through parables" (Mark 4:11-12), Jesus Framed explores the boundaries between insiders and outsiders, those who can and those who cannot find a meaning in the text.
The Jesus I Never Knew Bible Study Participant's Guide: Six Sessions on the Life of Christ
by Philip YanceyBased on Philip Yancey's Gold Medallion Book of the Year on the life of Christ, The Jesus I Never Knew Bible Study Participant's Guide is a six-session small group Bible study (DVD/digital video sold separately) in which Yancey uses film portraits of Jesus and contrasts them with the Jesus of the Bible.The Jesus I Never Knew gives you fresh, uncluttered perspectives on history's central figure—his radical claims, his challenging teachings, and his effect on others . . . including you.This remarkable experience will spark discussion, interaction, application, and growth. Together, you'll share life-changing discoveries about God, the Bible, and yourself. Best of all, you'll come face-to-face with the most compelling, creative, challenging, fearless, unpredictable, and ultimately satisfying person anyone can know: Jesus Christ.This guide is filled with insights, questions for discussion, and applications that will help you discover the Jesus you never knew.Sessions include:The Jesus We Thought We KnewThe Teachings of JesusThe Revolutionary Grace of Jesus The Miracles of JesusThe Death of JesusThe Resurrection, Ascension and Ongoing Presence of JesusDesigned for use with the Jesus I Never Knew Video Study (sold separately).
Jesus in America
by Richard W. FoxWhere else but America do people ask: What Would Jesus Do? What Would Jesus Drive? What Would Jesus Eat? "This book is for believers and non-believers alike. It is not a book about whether one should believe in Jesus, but about how Americans have believed in and portrayed him."--from the Introduction Jesus in America is a comprehensive exploration of the vital role that the figure of Jesus has played throughout American history. Written by one of our most distinguished historians, Richard Wightman Fox, this book provides a brilliant cultural history of Jesus in America from its origins to today, demonstrating how Jesus is the most influential symbolic figure in our history. Benjamin Franklin understood Jesus as a wise man worthy of imitation. Thomas Jefferson regarded him as a moral teacher. The assassination of Abraham Lincoln, which occurred on Good Friday, was popularly interpreted as paralleling the crucifixion of Jesus . . . as one preacher put it, "Jesus Christ died for the world, Abraham Lincoln died for his country." Elizabeth Cady Stanton appropriated Jesus' message to champion women's rights. George W. Bush named Jesus as his favorite political philosopher--and several other GOP candidates followed suit--during the last presidential race. As we have seen in recent presidential elections, the name of Jesus is often thrust into the center of political debates, and many Americans regularly enlist Jesus, their ultimate arbiter of value, as the standard-bearer for their views and causes. Fox shows how Jesus influenced such major turning points in American history as: Columbus's voyage of discovery The arrival of the English puritans and Spanish missionaries The American Revolution The abolition of slavery and the Civil War Labor movements Social and cultural revolutions of the sixties and beyond The swelling tide of Christian voices in the politics and entertainment of today Fox gives an expert, lively account of all the ways that Jesus is portrayed and understood in American culture. Extensively illustrated with images representing the multitude of American views of Jesus, Jesus in America reveals how fully and deeply Jesus is ingrained in the American experience.
Jesus in America: Personal Savior, Cultural Hero, National Obsession
by Richard Wightman FoxWhere else but America do people ask: What Would Jesus Do? What Would Jesus Drive? What Would Jesus Eat? "This book is for believers and non-believers alike. It is not a book about whether one should believe in Jesus, but about how Americans have believed in and portrayed him." -- from the Introduction Jesus in America is a comprehensive exploration of the vital role that the figure of Jesus has played throughout American history. Written by one of our most distinguished historians, Richard Wightman Fox, this book provides a brilliant cultural history of Jesus in America from its origins to today, demonstrating how Jesus is the most influential symbolic figure in our history. Fox shows how Jesus influenced such major turning points in American history as: Columbus's voyage of discovery The arrival of the English puritans and Spanish missionaries The American Revolution The abolition of slavery and the Civil War Labor movements Social and cultural revolutions of the sixties and beyond The swelling tide of Christian voices in the politics and entertainment of today. Fox gives an expert, lively account of all the ways that Jesus is portrayed and understood in American culture.
Jesus in an Age of Enlightenment: Radical Gospels from Thomas Hobbes to Thomas Jefferson (Christianities in the Trans-Atlantic World)
by Jonathan C. BirchThis book explores the religious concerns of Enlightenment thinkers from Thomas Hobbes to Thomas Jefferson. Using an innovative method, the study illuminates the intellectual history of the age through interpretations of Jesus between c.1750 and c.1826. The book demonstrates the persistence of theology in modern philosophy and the projects of social reform and amelioration associated with the Enlightenment. At the core of many of these projects was a robust moral-theological realism, sometimes manifest in a natural law ethic, but always associated with Jesus and a commitment to the sovereign goodness of God. This ethical orientation in Enlightenment discourse is found in a range of different metaphysical and political identities (dualist and monist; progressive and radical) which intersect with earlier ‘heretical’ tendencies in Christian thought (Arianism, Pelagianism, and Marcionism). This intellectual matrix helped to produce the discourses of irenic toleration which are a legacy of the Enlightenment at its best.
Jesus in Asia
by R. S. SugirtharajahReconstructions of Jesus occurred in Asia long before the Western search for the historical Jesus began in earnest. Asians remade Jesus at times appreciatively and at other times critically. R. S. Sugirtharajah situates the historical Jesus beyond the narrow confines of the West and offers an eye-opening chapter in the story of global Christianity.
Jesus in Beijing: How Christianity Is Transforming China And Changing the Global Balance of Power
by David AikmanPolitics are being transformed by religion, namely in China-within the next thirty years, one-third of this potential superpower could be Christian.If this religious transformation occurs, China would be one of the largest Christian nations in the world. <P><P>David Aikman, former Beijing bureau chief for Time, unveils this spiritual revolution, detailing the impending political-religious conversion of the People's Republic of China and potential overthrow of its Communist Party through Jesus in Beijing: How Christianity is Transforming and Changing the Global Balance of Power.e way a reader views the world. Jesus in Beijing is one of those books.
Jesus in Beijing: How Christianity Is Transforming China and Changing the Global Balance of Power
by David AikmanWritten by a former correspondent for Time Magazine based in China, this book details the history of Christianity in China and relates the unreported story of the explosive growth among Chinese house churches. Through detailed interviews, the author presents several biographical sketches of Christians in China, providing a cross section from party officials to pastors and peasants. The book discusses how they network, how they worship, their influence on Chinese society, and what this change means to the global balance of power. It also discusses how party leaders and academics are responding to the rapid growth of Christianity.
Jésus in Little America
by Jesus Sablan Leon GuerreroIn this book, Jesus Sablan Leon Guerrero narrates the story of his life, as well as the founding of the Bank of Guam. Comments by Manny Crisostomo, Editor, Latte Magazine: "He held me rapt with his stories of growing up in pre- and post-war Guam. He led me from one place to another and I followed along eagerly, asking a question to clarify a point or to get a more descriptive account. The time flew by and I wanted more."
Jesus in the Feasts of Israel: Restoring the Spiritual Realities of the Feasts to the Church
by Richard Booker[THIS SYNOPSIS IS QUOTED FROM THE BOOK.] "Through God's carefully ordered system of ceremonial worship. He revealed Himself most clearly to the nation of Israel. This is especially evident in the seven 'feasts of the Lord' as detailed in Leviticus 23: Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles." Jesus in the Feasts of Israel: Restoring the Spiritual Realities of the Feasts to the Church . . . "is a study of the Old Testament feasts showing how they pointed to Jesus and their personal and prophetic significance for today's world. The book points out how the Feasts represent seven steps to Christian growth and the peace, power and rest of God."
Jesus in the House of the Pharaohs: The Essene Revelations on the Historical Jesus
by Ahmed OsmanA provocative thesis that the historical Jesus was connected to the royal 18th dynasty of Egypt• Contends that Jesus, Joshua, and Tutankhamun were the same person• Provides evidence from church documentation, the Koran, the Talmud, and archaeology that the Messiah came more than a millennium before the first century C.E.• Shows that Christianity evolved from Essene teachings Although it is commonly believed that Jesus lived during the first century C.E., there is no concrete evidence to support this fact from the Roman and Jewish historians who would have been his contemporaries. The Gospel writers themselves were of a later generation, and many accounts recorded in the Old Testament and Talmudic commentary refer to the coming of the Messiah as an event that had already occurred.Using the evidence available from archaeology, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Koran, the Talmud, and biblical sources, Ahmed Osman provides a compelling case that both Jesus and Joshua were one and the same--a belief echoed by the early Church Fathers--and that this person was likewise the pharaoh Tutankhamun, who ruled Egypt between 1361 and 1352 B.C.E. and was regarded as the spiritual son of God. Osman contends that the Essene Christians--who followed Jesus’ teachings in secret after his murder--only came into the open following the execution of their prophet John the Baptist by Herod, many centuries later. Yet it was also the Essenes who, following the death of Tutankhamun and his father Akhenaten (Moses), secretly kept the monotheistic religion of Egypt alive. The Essenes believed themselves to be the people of the New Covenant established between their Lord and themselves by the Teacher of Righteousness, who was murdered by a wicked priest. The Dead Sea Scrolls support Osman’s contention that this Teacher of Righteousness was in fact Jesus.