My Dear Luke,
What a treat it was to hear from,
and on a matter that has been so close to my heart of late! My family is well, thank you. Business prospects have improved greatly as I
have made some new contacts throughout the region, opening up entirely new
markets, but my perspective on much has changed.
You are right to say that our views
differ on the matter you reference, Jesus the Christ, but perhaps not by as
much as you indicate. Not long ago, I,
too, was skeptical—so much of what has been said about Jesus seems far too
grand to be true. As a man of faith, I
felt it my duty to weigh the matter seriously.
My faith has always been close to my heart, and even if I did not follow
the traditions of our ancestors to the letter, I have held on to my faith in
the God of Abraham these many years. My
wife has not always shared my views on the issue, but we have worked out a
comfortable understanding, and at times I even believed that she, too, was
beginning to gravitate toward the God of my childhood.
Be careful--you will be interested
to know that the research I did transformed my life. The stories and tales of Jesus not only seem
to be true, but also affect the way I look at everything in my world. One cannot simply hear them and then set them
aside as tales for children. When one
hears them and considers them, they get inside and bounce around, scattering
once held truths and forcing one to reevaluate what is important in life. Consider this a warning and a promise—the
life of Jesus is one that will draw you in to a new life, or it will push you
away completely. There is no middle
ground, no possibility of lukewarm feelings, when one has heard everything that
is true about Jesus.
I consider myself a reasonable man,
educated and unwilling to chase the passions that so easily arouse others. I have seen many a leader hold them under his
sway, convince them to offer their life savings and more than that because of a
convicting way of speech. But with
Jesus, I have heard, it was more than that.
There were educated men, Pharisees even, who came to see him as more
than just a great teacher. The crowds
followed him out of curiosity, but he was different. I can’t explain exactly how or why he was
different than the country speakers you and I used to go laugh at in our youth,
but I assure you that this man was not the same.
So consider him on his own, with an
open mind and a heart willing to pursue whatever may come. I warn you that it might be more than you
bargained for, but I hope you come to the same conclusion I have—that the facts
of the case merit more than an intellectual response, and the changes that will
sweep through your heart are welcome changes that bring with them a renewed
sense of wonder and hope for the life that is to come.
I am glad to be your guide and
companion on this exploration, and I pray that the stories I relate may not
seem too wonderful to be true. May my
own knowledge and facts deepen your examination and lead you to a place of
comfort with each element of the case.
But I should warn you that it
doesn’t begin with Jesus. You are right
to speak of the prophecies of old. I
spent considerable time studying them when this matter first came to my
attention. Jesus does not simply appear
from Nazareth without any history. In
contrast to such men, he fits so neatly into the entire history of God’s chosen
people that it is as though God had been preparing us for him since the
beginning of time. There is no possible
explanation outside of this that could satisfy me now—I have spent countless
hours with scholars in the matter, and while the facts seem irrefutable, many
of them refuse to come to the same conclusion about the man that I have,
believing that such a thing simply cannot be.
They refuse out of stubbornness, but I tell you that you are right in
going backwards in order to go forwards.
Let me begin by referencing the
days of King Herod of Judea. This may
seem like an idle diversion at first, but I assure you that it is important, so
that you may understand the fullness of the story. There was a priest named Zechariah. I would be surprised if you have heard of
him, and many omit his role in their telling of the story, but I feel it is
important. Not that this priest from the
order of Abijah is vastly important, but he had a role to play. His wife was Elizabeth, who claims the line
of Aaron, and they lived the type of life that makes me proud of the
priesthood. They were righteous people,
who had no fault and somehow managed to keep each one of those commandments and
regulations that the Lord gave our people so long ago. How they managed, I have no idea, but I
respect a life lived in faithfulness.
Unfortunately, as is too common, they were advanced in age and had been
unable to have children, probably because of some rumored health problems of
the wife.
As the story was told to me by a
man close to all of this, Zechariah was serving as a priest before God when his
group was on duty and he was chosen to enter the sanctuary to offer incense to
the Lord. I am certain you have been to
such services years ago—the whole congregation will be in prayer outside while
the priest goes in. Well, apparently an
angel of the Lord was present at the right side of the altar where the incense
was offered, and Zechariah was, as any sensible person would be, overcome with
terror! While there is no shame in that,
the angel told him to not be afraid, that each prayer he had uttered had been
heard, and announced that Elizabeth, his wife, will have a child! Imagine his joy in hearing such an
announcement—the angel even told him that the boy will cause many to rejoice
and that he will be great in God’s eye!
It reminds me so of the tales of my youth, hearing of our ancestors and
the miraculous births that so often accompanied these people of faith! They were given instructions to name him John
and to ensure that he never drinks wine or anything of that ilk, for it is said
that he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before his birth so that many
in Israel will turn to God. The priest
then heard that the spirit of Elijah, the great prophet of old, will lead the
boy forward so that people may turn back to God, that sinners may become
righteous.
I know this is a lot to take in,
but I have heard this from multiple people, some who claim to have spoken with
Zechariah himself, so please do not doubt the truth of this story. Angels have been appearing for many
centuries, and while this latest announcement certainly brings skepticism, I
can assure you that Elizabeth was well past the age when the arrival of
children mark a couple’s life. Zechariah
himself was doubtful, asking the angel hos such a thing could happen to two old
people!
But the angel assured him that his
name was Gabriel, that he has stood in the presence of God (Imagine that! I’d like to ask him some questions), and that
he was sent for this exact purpose. Then
the strangest thing happened—Zechariah was struck as mute until the boy was
born. I know how odd this sounds, but God
has done stranger things in the past to assure the people of the reality of his
presence. Just imagine what the people
in prayer outside the sanctuary were thinking as they waited for Zechariah to
reappear, only to find him unable to speak when his vanishing act was
concluded! It is said that the people
realized something extraordinary had happened and were dying to drag it out of
him, but all he could offer was a confused pantomime of the events, and how one
pantomimes an angel announcing the birth of a child to a barren woman, no one
quite knows! The people left quite
frustrated, and yet amazed, while Zechariah returned home when his time was
concluded.
It will not amaze you, by now, to
hear that Elizabeth, the priest’s wife, conceived a child not long after all
this occurred. She did not go about in
public after this, choosing instead to remain in seclusion (and I cannot blame
her, considering the ruckus these events caused in the surrounding villages!),
offering to the people only this morsel:
The Lord has taken away my shame
among the crowds the looked favorably upon me.
The Lord has done a mighty deed for me.
I know this all seems too
incredible to be true. I assure you that
I spent weeks wrapping my mind around these events, but let me also assure you
that such things are only a hint, a foretaste, of what is to come as you delve
into this story. I am overjoyed that you
have taken up this investigation, and my prayer will be that the entirety of
the story sits before you and requires a response on its own merit. I know that you will give the matter the
thought it deserves, and I believe you will be quite convinced, as I am, of its
veracity.
I look forward to your reply, and
know that I will be with you every step of this journey.
My best,
Theophilus
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