Download The real Jesus djvu

Once one pushes aside all they were taught or accepted who Jesus was, you are left with the TRUTH. Straight from Scripture, dare to have your mind expanded to the Real Jesus! No long hair, droopy-eyed poor man, Christ looked like an average Jew of His day, at times was not afraid to boldly speak out against His enemies and yes-he was a prosperous man! The Man/God-King revealed without the mythologies of man-devised tales and religious fables.

Garner Ted Armstrong (1930- 2003) was the son of Herbert W. Armstrong, founder of the Worldwide Church of God, and formerly hosted the radio/TV program "The World Tomorrow," until he and his father (NON-amicably) parted ways in 1978; he then started the Church of God International and had his own (much smaller) television ministry. He has written many books/booklets such as The Passover--is it for Christians?,After death...then what?,What is the Mark of the Beast?, etc.

He wrote in the Introduction to this 1977 book, "It's time you met the real Jesus... It's time you knew that Jesus ... appreciated feminine beauty... It's time that you realized that Jesus was not a vagabond; that He was a professional builder in the construction business... Few know that Jesus was a Jew... that Jesus did NOT come to save the world two thousand years ago, that He has NOT been trying to save it since, and that He is NOT trying to save it today... that He was not crucified on 'Good Friday'; that He was not resurrected on 'Easter Sunday'; that neither Jesus nor His disciples ever celebrated ... Christmas or Easter..." (Pg. 1-3)

He observes, "the creator being who is called 'God' (Elohim or YHWH) in the Old Testament is the same individual who became the Jesus Christ of the New Testament!... The Bible absolutely PROVES the fact that Jesus Christ of the New Testament is the same person as the God of the Old Testament!" (Pg. 17, 18)

He suggests, "the human physical family of Jesus Christ of Nazareth did not necessarily die in the first century; that some of those family members no doubt DID survive and continue to build families and leave progeny after themselves. If this is true... then the descendants of those families directly related to Jesus Christ through Mary... may still be walking this earth today!" (Pg. 39) Later, he adds, "In God's wisdom, none of the family members were ever revealed---though surely, somewhere, on the earth at this precise time, are the living descendants of those children of Joseph and Mary, the half brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ of Nazareth." (Pg. 307)

He asserts, "only when you are really born of the spirit and literally become spirit have you been fully 'born again.' ... many religious leaders... cannot seem to accept the plain statement that Jesus became, following His Resurrection, the 'first born among many brethren' (Rom 8:29) and this 'rebirth' was the act of being changed from human to divine, from physical to spiritual, from a fleshly body to a spiritual body. I have been criticized for allegedly claiming that 'Jesus had to be born again.' ... But Jesus was 'born again' in the BIBLICAL meaning of the term." (Pg. 148)

He argues, "The enormous importance of the Sabbath in Judaism... is powerful corroboratory evidence that neither Jesus nor any of the following apostles ever 'did away' with Sabbath observance as the day God created for rest and worship. The few scriptures (primarily in Paul's writings) often quoted in an attempt to end the obligation of Christians to keep the Sabbath pale by comparison with the overwhelming significance of the Sabbath... IF Jesus and His apostles had taught ... the total abrogation of the Sabbath ... the religious controversy and disputations would have to have filled the gospels, the book of Acts and all the epistles! There was no such enormous controversy ... because the Sabbath was not 'done away.'" (Pg. 202)

He observes about the Last Supper, "Jesus intended sitting down to a Paschal lamb supper about 20 to 21 hours before all of the other Jewish homes would be doing the same thing!" (Pg. 229) He adds, "Jesus had died late on the afternoon of Wednesday... At roughly three o'clock, some 72 hours after His death and burial... Jesus... stepped through solid rock into the Sabbath afternoon of Jerusalem." (Pg. 284-285)

Armstrong's interpretations were taken from his father, of course, and will be deemed erroneous (or even "cultic"!) by most traditional Christians. But he presents his biblically-based arguments cogently, and this book may be a stimulating experience for Christians of all stripes.

More than once, I have been asked, "Do you know the Lord?" usually be someone who thinks he/she knows Him. The late Garner Ted Armstrong really did know Him. Jesus is not who you might think He is. In this true-to-life novel, Mr. Armstrong entertains you while providing a true education on the Person of Christ, who He really is, and what He should mean to you. If you are honestly, truly serious about knowing the Lord, this is where you should start, in my opinion.