https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Gti54XeIeA

Nature of Jesus Sermon 6-15-08

     In my surfing the web and collecting pamphlets from other groups I have found that we at the Church of Thomas are not alone in our view of the Nature of Jesus. As a kid I just took it on faith that we were the only ones who saw Jesus as an Angel of God. We see him as the highest Angel and Messenger of God. He and his twin the Holy Spirit are in charge of us. We do not believe the God we worship could possibly fit into a person no matter how wonderful. We also believe it is self- centered to think that God would abandon the Universe to live 33 or so years on Earth. (Reference 1)

   We do believe that Jesus' Authority comes from God. We also reject the idea that Jesus only appeared to be in a human body. We feel that Jesus not only lived, grew up, loved and suffered here, but that he died to be the ultimate Blood Sacrifice to allow our sins to be forgiven. He came to this World to be the ultimate Scape Goat.

   In the old days, it was not a sheep that was the first choice of religious sacrifice; it was a perfect male goat. They would adorn this animal with garlands, then tie and pin written down sins to his body. The weight could be hefty. This was because unlike a ram sacrifice that was for individual sins, a Scape Goat carried the sins of an entire Village. When the sins were attached they drove the animal out into the dessert to die. There was no quick untraumatic death for him; it was slow torture. We believe that the slow torture and suffering of Jesus was meant to mirror this sacrifice, as a symbol of forgiving the sins of the Global Village.

   We know that Jesus had brothers. He learned that he was a Messenger of God as a boy. The brother that was born with him as his fraternal twin was Judas, later called Didymous and Thomas. Both of those names mean Twin in Aramaic and Greek.

   We know that he had students that included women. Mary of Magdala was high born of the house of Benjamin, unlike the redaction that tried to discredit her as being the woman who was possessed by Demons or the other woman who was a prostitute. Jesus did not draw the line between men and women that most of his students drew. (Reference 2)

   Mary of Magdala helped finance Jesus' Ministry. Most of the men who were his students had no resources to contribute, being farmers and fishermen.

   We understand the formation of Islam in some ways to be a reaction to the division of God as indivisible into a Pantheon of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We also do not believe there are aspects of God represented by more than One. (Reference 3)

1)    Jesus as Angel and Messenger of God

  RGoT (13) Jesus asked his students, “Whom do I remind you of, who do you think I am?”

     Peter said to him, though he recanted later because of pressure from John,

“I see you are a righteous angel.”

     Mathew said, “You are a wise philosopher.”

     Thomas said, “You are my Master, more I am not able to say.”

     Jesus acknowledged their answers, “I am all you say and more, but I am not your Master, but a servant like you will become when you fully know The One. Because you have freely consumed my knowledge, you have become drunk from the bubbling spring, which I have shared. I share what you can understand at this time.”

     Taking Thomas with him Jesus walked a little ways off, telling Thomas three things. Jesus stayed to pray. Thomas returning to the other students, they asked him, “What secrets did Jesus share with you?”

     Thomas said, “If I share even one thing with you, you will want to stone me to death for blasphemy. The stones would then turn on you, burning and consuming you in the flames.”

    The Jehovah's Witnesses also see Jesus as the Highest Angel of God. In the "Awake" dated April 22nd, 2005, it is discussed in detail. Pages 5-9 specifically.

   The Jews that are also Christian also see Jesus as the Highest Angel (Metatron) of God. The link page has a link to this referenced site.

2)   Unlike in many Christian Denominations we feel that men and women are equal in the eyes of God. This includes Righteousness as well as sin. Jesus did not elevate one above the other, why should we.   

   The people of Islam believe that both Adam and Eve shared equally in the First Sin.

Here is a quote from the Talmud

"A Woman"

This is written in the Hebrew Talmud, the book where all of the sayings and preaching of Rabbis are conserved over time.

It says:

"Be very careful if you make a woman
cry, because God counts her tears. The woman
came out of a man's rib. Not from his feet to be
walked on. Not from his head to be superior, but
from the side to be equal. Under the arm to be
protected, and next to the heart to be loved."

3)   God as One not three

RGoT (30) Jesus said, “Where there is a trinity of gods, they are a human fabrication. Where The One holds all, there I am, as a child as well as a beloved servant.”

   In Islam God is not divided into three.

   To the Jehovah's Witnesses God is not represented by a trinity. Reference "Awake" April, 22nd, 2005. Specifically pages 6 and 7.