Authors: Ted Dekker
EVEN AS Yeshua's Way to peace and power was so easily forgotten by Maviah, it is as easily forgotten by most today. For more information on
A.D. 33
and
A.D. 30
or to explore The Forgotten Way for yourself, two thousand years later, visit the website below. This is only the beginningâ¦
theforgottenway.com
Every teaching spoken by Yeshua in
A.D. 33
is taken directly from the record of his teachings, referenced in the appendix below. How his teachings were understood by various characters in the story is a matter of their interpretation.
In addition, though I have fictionalized Maviah's journey, none of what otherwise occurs in
A.D. 33
contradicts well-supported historical records of what happened within the scope of this novel. Scholars agree that Yeshua would have repeated his teachings many times throughout his ministry from beginning to end, yet I have focused primarily on those teachings recorded in the last weeks of his life on earth. His earlier teachings are explored in far greater detail in
A.D. 30
.
Please note that there is little agreement in the scholarly community regarding specific dates for certain eventsâwhole books have been written to argue various points of view. But in the end, the lack of consensus about the specific timing of some events has little bearing on the significance of those events. I contend that when an event occurred is not nearly as important as the fact that it did. I have thus chosen a scholarly calendar that best facilitates Maviah's story.
References for the teachings of Jesus. Unless otherwise noted, all references are from the NASB.
Matthew 26:52 “Then Jesus said to him, âPut your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.'”
Matthew 10:34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”
Matthew 5:44 “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
Matthew 5:39 “But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.”
Luke 4:18 (ESV) “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.”
Matthew 5:5 (ESV) “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”
Matthew 11:25 “At that time Jesus said, âI praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants.'”
Matthew 19:14 (ESV) “But Jesus said, âLet the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.'”
Mark 10:15 (ESV) “Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
Luke 15:4â6 “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them. âRejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'”
Mark 14:6â7 (NIV) “âLeave her alone,' said Jesus. âWhy are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with youâ¦But you will not always have me.'”
Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”
Luke 18:29â30 “And He said to them, âTruly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life.'”
Matthew 16:24 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, âIf anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.'”
Luke 14:27 “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”
Matthew 16:26 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”
Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.”
Luke 14:28, 31â32 (NIV) “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won't you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to compete it? Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won't he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.”
Luke 14:33 (NIV) “In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.”
Luke 14:28 (ESV) “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?”
1 Corinthians 15:57 (NLT) “But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
John 11:26 “And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Hebrews 5:7â8 (NIV) “During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered.”
John 15:1â2 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.”
John 15:4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.”
John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”
John 15:7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
John 5:39 (NIV) “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me.”
John 17:3 (ESV) “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”
Luke 17:21 (KJV) “Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”
Matthew 24:5 “For many will come in My name, saying, âI am the Christ,' and will mislead many.”
Matthew 7:15â16 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.”
Matthew 7:22â23 (ESV) “On that day many will say to me, âLord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, âI never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'”
John 5:22 (ESV) “The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son.”
John 5:45 “Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope.”
John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
Hebrews 5:8â9 (NIV) “Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.”
John 14:18â19 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.”
John 14:16â17 “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”
Luke 19:43â44 “For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”
Mark 11:11 “Jesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple; and after looking around at everything, He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late.”
John 12:25 “He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.”
John 12:27 “Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, âFather, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour.”
John 12:28 “âFather, glorify Your name.' Then a voice came out of heaven: âI have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.'”
Matthew 21:19 “Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it, âNo longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.' And at once the fig tree withered.”
Mark 11:23â24 (NIV) “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, âGo, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
Mark 11:17 (NIV) “And as he taught them, he said, âIs it not written: “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations”? But you have made it “a den of robbers.”'”
Mark 12:17 “Jesus said to them, âRender to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.' And they marveled at him.”
Luke 10:18â19 “And He said to them, âI was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.'”
Luke 10:20 “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”
Matthew 19:26 “With God all things are possible.”
Luke 22:42 “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”
Hebrews 5:7â10 (NIV) “During the days of Jesus' life on earthâ¦Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.”
Luke 22:42 (NIV) “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
Matthew 26:41 (ESV) “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Luke 23:34 “Jesus was saying, âFather, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.'”
Matthew 27:46 (ESV) “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, âEli, Eli, lema sabachthani?' that is, âMy God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'”
Genesis 3:4â5 “The serpent said to the woman, âYou surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'”
Luke 3:38 “Adam, the son of God.”
John 1:29 “The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, âBehold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!'”
1 Corinthians 15:45 (ESV) “Thus it is written, âThe first man Adam became a living being'; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.”
John 12:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”
John 15:15 “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.”
John 10:17â18 (ESV) “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.”
John 17:16 “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”
1 Corinthians 15:6 “After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep.”
John 14:9 “Jesus said to him, âHave I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, “Show us the Father”?'”
Romans 8:38â39 “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
1 Corinthians 15:45 (ESV) “Thus it is written, âThe first man Adam became a living being'; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.”
Romans 5:18 “So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.”
Revelation 13:8 (KJV) “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
Ephesians 1:3â4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.”
Galatians 3:13 (NIV) “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.”
Galatians 2:20 (ESV) “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Ephesians 2:6 “And raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
John 14:16â17, 20 (ESV) “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truthâ¦In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.”
John 17:22â23 “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one just as We are one, I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me and loved them even as You have loved Me.”
Matthew 11:25 “At that time Jesus said, âI praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants.'”
Ephesians 1:18 “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 (WEB) “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
Colossians 2:9â10 “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete.”
Romans 8:1 “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Galatians 3:27 “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”
1 John 3:1 (NIV) “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!”
Galatians 4:6 “Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, âAbba! Father!'”
Luke 17:20â21 “Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, âThe kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, “Look, here it is!” or, “There it is!” For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.'”
Romans 8:19 (NIV) “For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.”
1 Corinthians 13:12 (ESV) “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”
Philippians 2:5â8 (ASV) “Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, existing in the form of Godâ¦emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; and being found in the fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross.”
Matthew 6:33 (ESV) “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Luke 9:48 (NIV) “For it is the one who is the least among you all who is the greatest.”
Matthew 20:16 “So the last shall be first, and the first last.”
Mark 12:31 “The second is this: âYou shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Matthew 25:45 (ESV) “Then he will answer them, saying, âTruly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.'”
John 13:34 (ESV) “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”
1 Corinthians 13:2â3 “If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledgeâ¦but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.”
John 13:35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”