I Am Who I Am: The Truth About Jesus

Sixty-One

Description of Contents

All things contained within this book are the result of a careful interpretation of the four well-noted and historical gospel documents, which were recorded anciently according to the instructions of him to whom these records pertain. There is no one source that may be lauded for this special work, except for the same Source which inspired the original work.

Therefore, the question may be rightly asked again, Did the work of the gospels come from heaven or from men? We are most certainly assured that all Scripture is the result of an infusion of God’s will upon the minds of men, and that its words have been divinely inspired for the benefit of all.

These four documents, named after the four men who recorded them, tell a true and similar story of the Author of all things. These records have often been a source of shame and controversy, and they ultimately led to the death of those same men who wrote them, and also of many others who followed thereafter.

This manuscript has mingled the words of John, Luke, Matthew, and Mark. Imagine being able to read all four of their accounts together in a refreshing and new way, without any interruptions or repetitions. By the careful study of public records, and with years of painstaking effort and thought, the ideas of these men, which were elevated with the understanding of God, have been wonderfully brought together as many pieces of a perfect puzzle, and their light has been reflected in a reverent and artistic way to highlight the theme which runs through them all.

To be clear, this book is about the One who has made all things, seen and unseen, now and then. The thought has often been expressed that the words written then pertain to things of the past, and are not necessarily relevant to our current and political present. But how wrong are these expressions of antiquity? These words, recorded so many centuries ago, are actually a timely expression of the events that occurred even before there was time, and they shall surely continue to shine far beyond the realms of the here and now, into a seemingly faint but most certain future.

This book is about Jesus, and by this book shall the thoughts of many minds be made manifest, for this story shall be shared throughout the world as a witness to the world, and then shall it meet its unfortunate but necessary end. Woe upon the world that has repeatedly rejected its only Source of sustenance, and has acted contrary to the supreme Sovereign of the Universe.

—Isaiah Thomas

Introduction

Look at the Servant, who has been exemplified and exalted, the One who shall be placed upon the pinnacles of power, for he has humbled himself before an entire generation of people. His face was razed beyond recognition, and his body was battered more than those who had been beaten before. Therefore, he shall be given the right to decide the destiny of nations, and the rulers of this world shall be silenced before him. The report which they refused to receive shall be seen with their eyes, and the story which they never bothered to consider shall be heard with their ears. Nevertheless, who will believe the words which they have heard, and what will become of those who have seen the power of the Lord’s right hand?

As a beautiful tree before the Lord, the Servant will grow upwards and become strong, but before us he will appear to be like a plant which has been uprooted and withered away. Therefore, when we see him, there will be nothing desirable or attractive about him, and he will be hated and rejected by men without a just cause. Certainly we filled his soul with sorrow, and burdened him with grief, and then we turned our faces from him and also refused to hear his words. But it was for us that this awful burden was borne in his flesh. Even though we misunderstood the reason, for us he was thoroughly pressed and punished. He was brutally beaten for the crimes we committed, and the peace we enjoy has come because of the terror he had to face. Our sicknesses and diseases can certainly be cured, but only because of the punishment and pain he endured.

Look and see that the world has lost its way, and look upon the multitudes which have been easily led astray. But the Lord, though unwilling, placed upon him the punishment that belongs to men, yet they willingly rejoiced to torture and torment his soul. He was led like a lamb to slaughter, and just as sheep are silent before the shearer, so he refused to speak in his own defence. He was taken as their prisoner and tried without due process, and so there will be none to carry forward his name, for he was mobbed and then maliciously murdered.

It was their intention to bury him with criminals of the common sort, but when he died he was instead placed within a tomb reserved for the rich, for indeed he had done no wrong, and also everything he had said was true. Yet it was God’s plan for him to suffer for the sins of men, and so he suffered silently. But when he cried aloud that all was finished and done, he looked upon those who had dared to believe, and so he was strengthened to take his life again to rule gloriously over the sons and daughters of men. Therefore, the goodness of God will be given into his hand, and then he will be satisfied with the labour of his love and pain.

For the Lord says, Because of the tremendous trial which my Son, who always does that which is right, has endured, he shall be given the power to save the souls of men by the removal of their guilt and the putting away of their shame. Therefore, I give him the greatest of rewards: he shall divide his inheritance with those who have proved themselves to be faithful and true.

Throughout the ceaseless ages, it will never be forgotten that he was wrongfully abused, that he carried the conviction of crimes that did not belong to him, that he pleaded dreadfully with God on our own behalf, and that he then rendered his soul to a fearful and frightful death.

It was only for a while that I left you, but it will be with an even greater love that I bring you back again. In a moment of anger, I hid my face from you, but with the greatest care will I show my kindness once more. The Lord has spoken these things. Surely, as it was in the days of Noah when the flood waters came and destroyed the land, and when I made a promise that water would never again cover the globe, so have I sworn that I will never again be angry with you or rebuke you. The mountains shall be thrown into the sea and the hills shall be brought beneath the deepest blue, but my kindness shall never leave you, and neither shall the promise of my peace be taken away from you.

This is what the Lord, who is merciful, has said: All of your children shall be taught by me, and they shall follow me wherever they go. For in doing what is right, you shall be saved, and fear shall be moved far from you. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor shall you be taken away during the destruction of the day, for with your eyes you shall look upon the reward of those who refuse to yield. They shall surely gather themselves together against you, but not because they have been sent by me. Those who assemble against you shall fall by the hand of him who is mighty and strong. I am the One who has made he who fans the flame for his furnace of fury, and I have made those men who invent their weapons of war. I assemble the host of armies for their baleful work of destruction, and every weapon which was devised against you shall be utterly destroyed. Everyone who speaks against you shall quickly be condemned. This is the reward of the righteous, for their strength is from me.

—Isaiah.

Chapter One

Many persons in the past have recorded their version of the life of the man called Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee. These include those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses of these events, and those also who were entrusted with the word which was first given to them, and then to us. Therefore, having had a good understanding of these things, it seemed good to write down an organized account, so that we may have a better appreciation of them. This factual account is an accurate interpretation of the events in the life of the One who was born into this world to become the Saviour of the world.

In the beginning, God said, Let us make man in our image, and according to our appearance. Therefore, we see that God was not alone in the beginning. The One who was with God in the beginning was the Word of God. The Word of God was the One who was with God and who spoke for God, for from the beginning all things were created by him and for him, and without him there would have been nothing created in all the realms of creation. The Word of God, therefore, is the genesis of all creation and the light of all things living, and yet, when the light dawned upon the darkness, the darkness did not understand him, nor did it appreciate his light.

A man was sent by God whose name was John, and he was sent to tell everyone about the light, so that everyone might understand him. John was not the light, but he was sent to prepare everyone for him. The Word of God, who came as a man into the world, is also the light of the world. He is the light that shines upon all who are in the world. Even though the world was made by him, the world did not desire him, because it did not understand him.

He came to the people he had chosen, but they did not choose him, nor did they desire him. But to everyone who did desire him, and to everyone who believed in him, to them he gave the right to become children of God. All who truly believe in him, and all who desire to have him, are to be born again, not born by any natural or scientific means known to man but born through a supernatural process known only to the God above.

So the Son of God became a man and lived among us, and we observed him and saw that he was filled with goodness and truth, the kind of goodness and truth that could have only come from the Father above, whose entire creation is overflowing with goodness and truth.

John spoke of him and said, This is the man of whom I told you about when I said that someone was coming after me who was really before me. Whether we know it or not, we have all received his kindness, mercy, and truth. For the law was given to us by God through Moses, yet mercy and truth came through Jesus the Christ. No one has ever heard or seen the Father, but the one and only genetic Son of God, the one who is dearly loved by the Father, has both seen and heard him, and he has revealed God for all to hear and see.

Chapter Two

Now in the days when Herod was the king of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zacharias whose wife Elizabeth was a descendent of the daughters of Aaron. Zacharias and Elizabeth both did what was right before God, and they followed all the rules and regulations of the law perfectly. However, they did not have any children, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both becoming actively advanced in age.

One day, when Zacharias was at work performing the requirements of his priesthood, he was chosen to offer incense upon the altar when he entered the temple. There were many other people praying outside the temple at the time of the offering of incense.

Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared before Zacharias, standing upon the right side of the altar. When Zacharias saw him, he was startled and became very afraid.

Do not be afraid, the angel said to him. Your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will give birth to a son. You are to name him John, and on the day that he is born, you will celebrate his birth with many others. He will be very great before God, and he will drink neither wine nor any alcohol. He will be filled with the Spirit from before his birth, and he will turn the minds of many toward the Lord their God. He will also be separated by the same spirit which inspired Elijah, and he will turn the hearts of men toward their children. To those who are disobedient, he will demonstrate the wisdom of doing that which is right, and he will encourage all to be ready for that great and awful Day of God.

Zacharias trembled before the angel. How can this be true? For I am an old man, and my wife is the same age.

I am a messenger of the Lord, who stands before the presence of God, and I was sent to tell you these things, the angel answered. Now listen, because you have not believed my words, which will certainly take place when the time comes. You will not be allowed to speak until the day that these things have happened.

So the people waited for Zacharias to appear, and they marvelled that he took so long in the temple. When he did come out, he wasn’t able to speak to them, and they realised that he had seen a vision, for he motioned to them with his hands but could not speak.

As soon as the days of his service were ended, he left the temple and went to his home, and not long afterwards his wife Elizabeth indeed conceived a child. She hid herself for five months, saying, This is how the Lord has helped me, in the day when he looked upon me, to take away my shame from among the people.

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth to visit a virgin who was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph. The virgin’s name was Mary, and when the angel entered into the house where she lived, he spoke to her: The Lord is with you, and you have been chosen by God to be separated from among the daughters of men.

When Mary saw the angel and heard what he said, she was troubled and wondered what all of this might mean.

Mary, there is no need for you to be afraid, for you have found favour with God, Gabriel said. You shall conceive a Child in your womb, a Son whose name shall be called Jesus. He shall be exceedingly great, and he will be called the Son of the Most High God, and the Lord God will give him the kingdom of his ancestor David, and he will rule over the true sons of Jacob forever, without his kingdom ever coming to an end.

When Mary found her words, she said, How will this possibly happen, for I am still a virgin and have never slept with anyone before.

So the angel answered her and said, The Spirit which is Sacred shall descend upon you, and the power of the Most High will hover over you. Therefore, this Sacred Son who will be born of you will be called the Son of the Most High. Behold, the process has already begun, for Elizabeth your cousin has conceived a child in the days of her age, and this is now the sixth month of her conception. Even though she was not able to bear children before, now she has, for there is nothing that is impossible with God.

Mary submitted herself to the Lord. I will patiently wait upon the Lord, she said, and let everything that you have said happen just the way you have said it.

So the angel of the Lord left her and returned to the other realm.

Chapter Three

Mary immediately went up into the mountains, to the city of Judah, and she entered the house of Zacharias and Elizabeth. She saw her cousin and greeted her, and as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s voice, the baby inside her jumped for joy.

Elizabeth was filled with the Spirit of Grace, and she spoke with a loud voice to Mary. You have been set apart from among the daughters of men, and the Child you now carry has also been set apart from the sons of the daughters of them! There must be some reason why I have been permitted to see the mother of my Lord, for as soon as I heard your voice, the infant inside me jumped for joy. Because you have believed everything that was told you from the Lord, you have been blessed. Everything you were told will certainly come to be.

My entire being is now filled with fervent praise, Mary replied. I am so glad that God is my Saviour and Song. For he has seen how low I have been, and he understands that I wait for his word all day long! From now on, everyone will know that the Lord has chosen me. He has certainly done great things for me, and his name is Sacred and True. His kindness is always with them who have shown him kindness, and he will certainly prove his power by prosecuting those who think themselves better than others. He will remove mighty men from their positions of power, and will defend those who have no power to defend themselves. He has been generous to those who hunger and thirst for him, and he has helped the princes of God. As for the rich and greedy, he will send them away empty, with nothing at all. He has always remembered to be merciful, and he has not forgotten his promise to our father Abraham, to make him a blessing to all the sons of men, through the One of his own design.

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months, and afterwards she returned to her home in Nazareth.

The time came for Elizabeth to give birth to her child, and she bore a son. When her neighbours and relatives heard how the Lord had helped her, they rejoiced with her. On the eighth day, when Elizabeth and Zacharias came to circumcise the child, they normally would have named him Zacharias, after his father. But Elizabeth told them that his name was to be called John. She was told that no one among her relatives was called by that name, so they made signs to Zacharias to find out what he would have him named.

Zacharias asked for a writing tablet, and wrote down that his name was to be called John. They all marvelled, and immediately Zacharias received back his speech. He shouted aloud, giving thanks and praise to God.

Everyone who lived in that area became afraid, and all these things were spread throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard what had happened wondered among themselves what kind of child would this be.

The hand of God was with John, and his father Zacharias was filled with the Spirit of Prophecy.