The Jesus Assist

by Beverly McNeff

It was years ago, but I remember it as if it were yesterday. My then five-year-old son looked up at me with his big blue eyes and asked, “Why did Jesus have to die?”

I was shocked! How could such a sophisticated thought come out of his mouth? And, how would I answer? I asked him where he had come up with the question, and he said he had read it on the cover of a magazine.

My pride in my five-year-old reading the magazine cover was quickly overshadowed by my parental desire to be honest, but not frightening; clear, but not complicated. I asked him if he would like to sit down and talk about it. He looked at me and said, “No, I’d rather watch SpongeBob.”

I sighed in relief, but the question lingered in my mind. The world does not really answer this question, nor did the magazine article, but in A Course in Miracles, we are given an answer that makes a lot of sense to me.

The Course tells us that Jesus’ death was only part of the mix. The example of him being betrayed, beaten, and killed could not truly affect the Son of God. Jesus tells us he did not share in the perception of persecution or death.

“My one lesson, which I must teach as I learned it, is that no perception that is out of accord with the judgment of the Holy Spirit can be justified. I undertook to show this was true in an extreme case [the crucifixion], merely because it would serve as a good teaching aid to those whose temptation to give in to anger and assault would not be so extreme. I will with God that none of His Sons should suffer.” (T-6.I.11)

He used the most extreme example of death to show us that nothing in this world is more powerful than the love of God. He undid the illusion of the world by showing us that what we call death – the end of a body – did not end life. He vividly demonstrated that the greatest fear of our ego, our finality, is an illusion. Jesus’ physical death was not the end of his life. He lived on. That is why, in the Course, Jesus asks us not to focus on the crucifixion but to move on to the resurrection.

“The journey to the cross should be the last ‘useless journey.’ Do not dwell upon it, but dismiss it as accomplished. If you can accept it as your own last useless journey, you are also free to join my resurrection. Until you do so your life is indeed wasted. … Do not make the pathetic error of ‘clinging to the old rugged cross.’ The only message of the crucifixion is that you can overcome the cross. Until then you are free to crucify yourself as often as you choose. This is not the Gospel I intended to offer you. We have another journey to undertake, and if you will read these lessons carefully they will help prepare you to undertake it.” (T-4.in.3)

As you read the Course, it becomes clear that the “Gospel” Jesus intends for us to accept is our oneness with God; to heal the thought of separation between our Creator and us, which is how the Course defines the atonement. Jesus stresses that the only way for us to heal the thought of separation is to use the relationships that stand before us … each person we meet becomes our “holy encounter.” The encounters we have with each person, either physically or mentally, become the way we either remember our oneness with God or lose that awareness – whether we experience crucifixion or resurrection.

“When you meet anyone, remember it is a holy encounter. As you see him you will see yourself. As you treat him you will treat yourself. As you think of him you will think of yourself. Never forget this, for in him you will find yourself or lose yourself.” (T-8.III.4)

Easter, as well as Christmas, are times when you see articles, movies, and documentaries pop up talking about Jesus. His birth and life are often trumped by his death. The ego loves to perpetuate guilt. After all, it is really guilt that keeps this illusory world going around, but it is love that will save it.

So perhaps it is time we all answer the question for ourselves of: “Why did Jesus have to die?” Was it to keep us on the straight and narrow by scaring, threatening, and guilting us into submission? Or is there another way? Can we find atonement and salvation through love and its mandate “to heal and comfort and to bless?” (T-31.VI.1)

In Christianity, there are at least two schools of thought on the question of the atonement and Jesus’ place in the plan: substitutionary and exemplary. In substitutionary atonement, Jesus is seen as paying the price for our sins. Because Jesus (the innocent lamb of God) suffered and died on the cross, we are given new life. This guilt-inspiring approach has kept Jesus and God distant from many people, and is certainly not the Course’s approach.

In exemplary atonement, however, we find a closer fit. Exemplary atonement states that the mission and purpose of Jesus’ life was to model for humankind the power of God’s love and forgiveness. As one proponent of exemplary atonement said, “It is not Jesus’ death that can save us but his life!”

Why did Jesus have to die? Well, from the Course’s perspective, he didn’t die. Nothing can end what is eternal, and life is eternal. Can a body be destroyed? Yes, it is not eternal, and it is not you either. From the Course’s perspective, the purpose of our body is only for communication. As we read in the Course,

“As you let the Holy Spirit teach you how to use the body only for purposes of communication, and renounce its use for separation and attack which the ego sees in it, you will learn you have no need of a body at all.” (T-15.IX.7)

It would appear from the life of Jesus that this was his experience. He used his life on this earth to further the message of love and to renounce thoughts of separation and attack. He, therefore, finally had no need of a body.

Now, we may be far from having “no need of a body at all,” but we can still follow Jesus’ example. He used an extreme example of betrayal, abandonment, and death to show that there is no justification for attack. He saw “attack” as a call for love and says that “the message of the crucifixion is perfectly clear: Teach only love, for that is what you are.”(T-6.I.13)

From what we know of Jesus, that message seems consistent with his life. The question now is: How consistent is that with our lives? It is not easy to “teach only love” in every circumstance, which is why, I guess, Jesus used such an extreme example. It may not be easy, but it is the lesson we must learn and therefore teach.

Let me repeat this quote from the Course,

“My one lesson. which I must teach as I learned it, is that no perception that is out of accord with the judgment of the Holy Spirit can be justified. I undertook to show this was true in an extreme case [the crucifixion], merely because it would serve as a good teaching aid to those whose temptation to give into anger and assault would not be so extreme.” (T-6.I.11)

Well, there you have it. He really had one lesson to teach regarding the crucifixion: nothing that is not in accord with the judgment of the Holy Spirit can be justified.

The Holy Spirit’s judgment in all situations is that everyone is either extending love or calling out for love. This is very hard for us to understand because we see bodies and actions and focus on the form of the world and its happenings, but that’s where the Holy Spirit comes in. If we don’t protect our fearful judgments (our need to be right, whether it be righteous or not), the Holy Spirit will step in and reinterpret them. We are not asked to be docile and weak in this world, but rather strong in the power of love guided by the Holy Spirit. After all, have your fears and judgments really made you feel safe?

The Course tells us teachers of God are needed now more than ever before – and that God’s Voice (which is a synonym for the Holy Spirit) asks of everyone one question only: “Are you ready yet to help Me save the world?” (M-C-2.9) That does not sound passive to me. It sounds like a call to action – an action that will finally stop the cycle of fear, guilt, judgment, and hopelessness that is the current condition of our living in this world.

It can be done. Jesus did it in an extreme example to show us that, even then, it is possible to teach only love. We are not alone. We have help during our own “crucifixions.” We must stop protecting our judgments, our fears, and our need to be right and allow the Holy Spirit to reinterpret them. It can be done, but it will take our willingness … and it may take some time. But what’s wrong with that? That is the purpose of time. Like everything in this world, the Holy Spirit uses time for healing and eventually “rendering the need for time unnecessary.” (T-13.IV.7)

I have been a student of the Course since 1977, and I still have times when I feel crucified. The difference is that it doesn’t last as long as it used to. I ask for Help more quickly, and with that, I see things in a clearer perspective … and with a lot more humor.

Many years back, at one of our retreats, a participant told me I was “trivial.” He said the whole retreat was trivial several times. I didn’t feel that way, nor did the other attendees. Since I have been called much worse in my lifetime, I just laughed off the comment and went on.

Frankly, I could see he needed a lot of attention, which is a clear sign of a soul lost in fear. Whenever I saw him or thought about him, I simply sent him a silent blessing and then went on my “trivial” way. He never changed (at least I never saw any difference), but it changed me – and it seemed to help others.

Later, I received numerous comments from those in attendance who said they were very irritated by this man’s constant disruption, and that the way I “dealt” with him helped them release him and their anger toward him. They were actually able to see him as a child of God in need of love, not judgment. As one person put it, “You were a tremendous role model for seeing his cries for love and recognizing who he truly is. You helped several of us do the same. You didn’t just teach us about the Course, you lived it.”

It is the living of the message of Jesus’ life that needs to be our focus, not his death. I was so impressed to read that the Buddhist monk’s 2026 “Walk for Peace” continued its 2300-mile journey from Texas to Washington, DC, despite the snow, ice, and freezing temperatures of the most recent winter storm. They continue to be a wonderful example of love in action, as exemplified by the Buddha and Jesus.

In light of all the chaos and fear in the world, Jesus in the Course is giving us tools to refocus our lens and steer a new course to love. From the section in the Course entitled “The Holy Encounter,” from which this publication derived its name, we find another very powerful thought: “Whenever two Sons of God meet, they are given another chance at salvation.” (T-8.III.4)

It is not the death of Jesus that gives us salvation; it is allowing the message of his life to reframe our relationships with one another into holy relationships. How we see, think, or treat each other in every encounter becomes the way we either find or lose our salvation.

I once read a story about a young man who had been raised as a Christian and had converted to Buddhism. He tried to explain his new faith to his mother, but she would hear nothing of it. She thought he was going to hell. Every time they talked, it became an argument and an attack. He wanted her to respect him and his beliefs, but she could not.

This went on for quite a while until, in prayer one day, he found another way. His relationship with his mother began to transform, and their time together became a joy rather than a source of pain. His friends wanted to know the secret. He simply answered, “When we talk about the Buddha, my mother hates it. But, when I am the Buddha, my mother loves it.”

What painful relationships are robbing you of your salvation? Isn’t it time to allow the Holy Spirit to reinterpret them for you so you might experience your resurrection instead of “clinging to the old rugged cross”? Allow this Easter season not to be about the death of Jesus, but about his message of love and forgiveness expressed through you to all your relationships. “Salvation is a collaborative venture.” (T-4.VI.8) Jesus is simply waiting to help us complete our part.

Respond to Beverly’s Article
Support Our Work
Get Articles in Your Postal Mailbox