A.D. 33

by Ted Dekker

  Saba, Fahak, Arim, and Talya faced south on the dune with the towering red cliff to our rear. Spent coals from our fire still darkened the white sand in the wadi beside us.

  “You say he made this fire?” Arim asked, staring down the slope. “This very fire just here, with his own hands?” His camel shifted under him and he twisted to us, beaming. “Then was I not right? He raises the dead even as he raised Lazarus and now himself!”

  “Not only Lazarus,” Saba said, eyes fixed ahead. “Us as well.”

  The old sheikh Fahak stared at Saba, still at a loss, as he had been since leaving Petra. “Raised? Then my sagging flesh could be young to love many wives once again,” he muttered. “To this god I would enslave myself.”

  I could not help but grin. “Be careful not to enslave yourself to your body, mighty sheikh. It will soon return to dust.”

  He grunted but remained silent.

  He would know soon, I thought. Both he and Arim, in ways not even Arim could yet comprehend.

  Saba sat to my left, Talya to my right atop his camel, bared of shirt now, to be like Saba. The calm that now lived in his eyes filled me with wonder. He was still a child, only eight, but I was humbled to be in his presence.

  He turned and gazed at the dune a hundred paces to our right. There, the lion lazed on its haunches, watching us. Talya had asked if he might take it, and Shaquilath had agreed. But Talya didn’t need to take the lion. It followed without encouragement.

  That a lion should be drawn to a boy was a marvel to all of us, particularly Arim, who kept as much distance between his camel and the lion as possible without appearing to have lost his bravery.

  I glanced at Saba and he gave me a gentle, knowing nod.

  Saba, whom I hated so that I could love and whom I would wed. And how deep was that love, which I had never thought possible. I would expect nothing of him; I would give my life for him.

  “We should go, my queen,” he said, gazing south again. “They await us.”

  I nodded. It would take us ten days to reach the orphans in Dumah.

  My thoughts returned to the question that had bothered Saba for so long before returning to Judea. If clear vision was required to see the path of faith into the kingdom, by what means could one’s sight be restored?

  “Tell me, Saba,” I said, following his eyes. “How can one see the eternal realm of the Father here on earth?”

  He nodded. “By placing your identity in Yeshua’s identity. Only then can you see the Way.”

  “And what is that Way that is so easily forgotten?”

  Saba thought only a brief moment.

  “In any given moment, you, as the son, the daughter, of the Father, believe in and so are mastered by one of two perceptions of reality. One is seen in flesh—the passing system of the world, darkened by the knowledge of good and evil, deceiving and so enslaving all those sons and daughters who put their faith in it. The other realm is seen in the light, the eternal dimension of the Father flowing with love and power without grievance.”

  He paused.

  “Yes?”

  “Yeshua, the second Adam, came as light into all darkness and undid what the first Adam did, restoring communion with the Father once more and making it possible for all who so choose to see in the light, and to know, as a child, their Father and his sovereign dimension of peace, power, and love, even now. This is eternal life—to know and so experience the Father and his eternal realm, now and beyond all time.”

  My heart beat faster…I was eager to hear the rest. Saba continued.

  “Our journey is to now believe who we truly are, having been raised from the dark grave into that realm of light with and in Yeshua.”

  He faced me.

  “Belief in Yeshua is this: identifying with him in his death, resurrection, and glory even now, he in you and you in him. Your true identity is this: you are the daughter of your Father, already made complete and whole, already at peace and full of power, though you often forget, each day, whenever you are blinded to your true identity and so search for and cling to whatever else might save you in this life.”

  I smiled. Identity. It was all about our identity.

  But Saba wasn’t done. He faced the desert again.

  “The only way to identify with your true identity is to let go of all other identities, and all offense that blocks your vision, and all vain imaginations of what else might fulfill you or save you from trouble in this life and that to come.”

  “This is true surrender,” I said.

  “Walking in the realm of the Father’s sovereign presence here on earth, we will find peace in the storms; we will walk on the troubled seas of our lives; we will not be poisoned by the lies of snakes; we will move mountains that appear insurmountable; we will heal all manner of sickness that has twisted minds and bodies.”

  I finished it off for him, because I knew as well as he.

  “The fruits of the Sprit—love, joy, and peace—will flow from us as living waters, because the manifestation of the kingdom of heaven on earth is love. This is the evidence of the Spirit. In this evidence, all will see: there goes one who knows God and walks in the eternal realm.”

  For a long while, we sat in silence, lost in awe at such good news. Imagine, if all people could love both themselves and their neighbor this way. This was our purpose now: to share this good news and to love as Yeshua loved us.

  His teaching there by the vines near Bethany came to me. Many will say to me, Lord, Lord…did we not do many mighty works in your name? And I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you.” And…Many will come in my name, saying “I am Christ,” and will deceive many.

  I wondered how many…Perhaps many thousands or perhaps whole nations, for surely news of his power could not be contained, yet many who called him Lord and served him would still be blinded by their offenses and still lost in their storms of fear, misery, grievance, and judgment. My heart broke for them.

  You will know them by their fruit, he’d said.

  Good fruit was unconditional love, without which all dogma and claims of authority were only noise.

  What you do to the least of these you do to me, he’d said.

  Oh that everyone would know the Father! Oh that all would see what I saw and know as I knew such boundless rivers of love for all who were weary and downtrodden in this life! That they would taste the fruit of Yeshua and see that he is good. That this taste would forever wash away the bitter taste of the fruit that had opened their eyes to darkness and grievance.

  Truly, the Way of Yeshua was profoundly simple. His meaning was simple, his burden was light…but the serpent’s lies made for the weight of the world.

  What great hope we had for all that was to come! And how powerful we were in his Spirit while yet in this realm!

  We were the sons and daughters of God on earth. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Now and always.

  I turned to my son who was not my son and whom I loved as myself. What a beautiful, beautiful boy he was. I had no doubt that he would one day flood the dry desert with the living water of a single word. He, who now sat shirtless on his camel like Saba, though thin and pale. Talya, a tenth of Saba’s size. Talya, who was loved by the lion.

  He looked up at me with bright, innocent eyes and my heart soared.

  “The orphans are waiting for us,” he said.

  I smiled.

  “The whole desert awaits you, my son,” I said softly.

  Then I nudged my camel and took us into the sands.

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  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 beginning…

  theforgottenway.com

  Every teaching spoken by Yeshua in A.D. 33 is taken directly from the record of his teachings, referenced in the append
ix 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 events—whole 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.

  APPENDIX

  References for the teachings of Jesus. Unless otherwise noted, all references are from the NASB.

  Chapter Six

  Matthew 26:52 “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Put 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.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Matthew 11:25 “At that time Jesus said, ‘I 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, ‘Let 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 15:4–6 “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. ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’”

  Mark 14:6–7 (NIV) “‘Leave her alone,’ said Jesus. ‘Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you…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 18:29–30 “And He said to them, ‘Truly 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, ‘If 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, 31–32 (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?”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Hebrews 5:7–8 (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 15:1–2 “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, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many.”

  Matthew 7:15–16 “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 7:22–23 (ESV) “On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, 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, ‘I 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 5:8–9 (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 14:18–19 “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 14:16–17 “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.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Luke 19:43–44 “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, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.”

  John 12:28 “‘Father, glorify Your name.’ Then a voice came out of heaven: ‘I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.’”

  Chapter Twenty

  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, ‘No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.’ And at once the fig tree withered.”

  Mark 11:23–24 (NIV) “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, 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, ‘Is it not written: “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations”? But you have made it “a den of robbers.”’”