Truth and Error in The Da Vinci Code
Part 3
Christianity Answers The Code
This message contains excerpts from the book
Truth and Error in the Da Vinci Code
by Mark L. Strauss
This book may be ordered at DaVinciCodeErrors.com
The popularity of The Da Vinci Code
What accounts for the amazing success of The Da Vinci Code? There are no doubt many factors:
(1) For one thing, it is a great story. While few would call The Da Vinci Code great literature, it is certainly great entertainment, a gripping suspense novel that leaves you hanging at the end of each chapter and wanting more. Just ask anyone who has stayed up until the wee hours of the morning because they just couldn’t put it down. It is a great story.
But believers in the real Jesus Christ have a better story. In fact, it is the greatest story ever told. The overarching drama (the “meta-narrative”) of the Bible tells us who we are in relation to God and in relationship with one another. It tells us that God created us in his image to be in communion with him. In contrast to the Gnostic worldview, this physical world was created “very good” as a thing of great beauty and value, worth cherishing and protecting. While Gnosticism claimed the distinction between male and female resulted from a fracturing of our true spiritual identity, the Bible celebrates sexual diversity as part of God’s good creation. Man and woman together form complete humanity, perfect complements and equally valuable in God’s eyes.
The Bible also tells us, however, that something has gone terribly wrong with this perfect world and with the human condition. The great story took a tragic turn when Adam and Eve rebelled against God and turned their backs on him. The world entered a fallen state. Disease, death, personal tragedy, relational conflict and even natural disasters are all a result of the fallen and decaying state of creation. Yet as in any great story, this conflict gave way to hope and resolution. At the climax of the meta-narrative God himself entered human history in the person of Jesus Christ. He became one of us, real flesh and blood humanity. As the hero of the story, he set aside his own ambition and power and gave himself wholly for others. He suffered and died so that others could live. The result was the creation of a new humanity with a restored relationship with their Creator. While The Da Vinci Code is a great yarn, it pales in comparison to the greatest story ever told.
(2) Another reason for The Da Vinci Code’s great success is because it taps well into our culture of anti-authoritarianism, personal fulfillment, and post-Christian spirituality. The real Jesus called on people to set aside their own selfish desires and to live in submission to God and in self-sacrificial love for others. He said true believers must take up their cross and follow him, dying to self. The model for this was Jesus himself, who paid the penalty for our sins through his death on the cross. Jesus was completely focused on others rather than himself. In the Garden of Gethsemane he agonized over his coming fate, desiring to escape the pain of the cross. Yet he willingly submitted to the Father’s purpose, saying “not as I will, but as you will” (Matt. 26:39; Mark 8:34; Luke 22:42). The Bible teaches that salvation comes through admitting our sinfulness and trusting wholly in God for our salvation, living in dependence on him through faith. It means faith in Christ’s work on the cross rather than our own good deeds.
Gnosticism, by contrast, claimed that salvation came from within, a recognition of one’s true spiritual identity. It was not submission to some external authority, but freedom through self-enlightenment. There are striking parallels between ancient Gnosticism and today’s New Age movement. For both, humanity’s problem is not sin and rebellion against God, but ignorance, a failure to recognize the god within. Salvation comes not through faith in God, but through finding the light within oneself.
This striking contrast places the worldview of Gnosticism on a collision course with that of Christianity. Either Jesus was a self-enlightened mystic, teaching people to find salvation within themselves, or he was Israel’s Messiah, the promised Savior who called on people to repent and submit to God’s kingdom and authority. Either Jesus taught people the secret mysteries of self-discovery, or he willingly went to the cross to pay the penalty for their sins. The latter perspective is not very popular in our culture today. People don’t want to be told that they must submit to an authority outside of themselves. They don’t want to be told that the greatest good is living for others instead of for themselves. They want freedom to pursue personal happiness and self-fulfillment.
Yet the message of Christianity is that our salvation was accomplished not through an act of power or self-fulfillment, but through Christ’s sacrificial death for others. We will only find true fulfillment and our true purpose in life when we do the same, living not for ourselves but for God and for others.
(3) A third reason for The Da Vinci Code’s success is because it is delightfully scandalous. People love a good scandal, especially when it means the fall of the high and mighty. In this case the arrogant villain is the Roman Catholic Church, which supposedly has suppressed the truth and squashed all opposition for two thousand years. Yet as we have seen, the real scandal of The Da Vinci Code is that people are swallowing hook, line and sinker these ridiculous claims, simply because they are packaged in an entertaining and scholarly-sounding manner.
Even here, however, Christians have a better “scandal” than The Da Vinci Code. The New Testament calls it the scandal of the cross. It is the shocking reality that one of the most hideous forms of execution ever devised – crucifixion – in fact became the means of salvation for the whole world. The apostle Paul says that the cross of Christ is a “stumbling block to Jews” and “foolishness to Greeks,” but to those who have been transformed by its message, it is “the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:22-25). The cross reminds us that, despite the injustice and suffering in this world, and despite the apparent triumph of evil, God can take that evil and turn it into good. He can use the horrific injustice done to his own Son and bring from it salvation and redemption to a fallen world. That is a scandal worth passing on to others.
(4) Another reason for The Da Vinci Code’s appeal is because it purports to be pro-women and pro-liberation. Christianity is presented as a male-dominated and oppressive institution that has enslaved and subjugated women throughout history. Yet The Da Vinci Code’s “liberation” is comprised mainly of ritualistic sex acts performed publicly in front of crowds of “fellow-worshippers.” Most women I know would not view this as very liberating, but more like an adolescent male fantasy. It seems to me true Christianity’s view of women and sex is far more liberating than that of The Da Vinci Code. The Bible calls women and men to live in lifelong, loving, mutually-affirming and sexually-fulfilling monogamous relationships, where each partner seeks to bring out the best in the other and to enable them to be all that God calls them to be.
It is certainly true that fallen human nature often results in abuse, oppression and the exploitation of women (and men). Dysfunctional families, abusive relationships, and sexist attitudes are rampant throughout our society and throughout the world. But such behaviors are totally contrary to Jesus’ teaching and to what God calls his people to be. Indeed, while the church has not been immune to sexism and misogyny, historically Christians have been agents of liberation for women. It was the early Christians who often rescued baby girls who were “exposed” – abandoned and left to die – in the Greco-Roman world. It was Christian missionaries in India who opposed the practice of Sati, the burning of a widow upon her husband’s funeral pyre, as well as the modern practice of bride-burning. Christian organizations have led the way in providing food relief and health services to women and children in famine-ravaged and war-torn countries. It is Christians who have sought to rescue women from slave prostitution and from exploitation as child brides in developing countries. And Christians have pushed hard for equal rights and protections for women under oppressive Muslim regimes. While the church’s historical record regarding women has certainly not been spotless, The Da Vinci Code fails to acknowledge that it is Christianity, not paganism, which has led the way in promoting the rights of women around the world.
(5) A final reason I think The Da Vinci Code is so popular is because it gives an ancient story contemporary relevance. How exciting to think that Jesus’ descendants could be among us today. This is better than an Elvis sighting!
But of course Christians know that it is not just Jesus’ descendants, but Jesus himself who is present in the world today. Jesus told his disciples that, although he was leaving, he would be with them through his Spirit. He is now present through his “body” – the church – made up of all true believers. We are his hands and his feet. We show his compassion by reaching out to the poor and the weak. We demonstrate his love by loving others – even our enemies. We reveal his justice by speaking out against injustice. We exhibit his passion for truth by speaking out against falsehood and lies.
Why are Christians so bothered by the book? For one thing, it is not true. But what is worse, its inaccuracies concern what Christians view as the most important thing in life: the abundant life and eternal salvation available through Jesus Christ. The bottom line with reference to Christianity and The Da Vinci Code, then, is “Who was Jesus Christ?” Was he merely a human teacher who was later deified by his enthusiastic followers, or was he the divine Son of God who brought redemption to a lost and dying world?
Who did Jesus claim to be?
We saw in our first message that Christians in the first century were already worshipping Jesus as the divine Son of God and the Savior of the world. But were these beliefs misguided? What did Jesus really claim about himself? Jesus’ most explicit claims appear in the Gospel of John. There Jesus says that whoever has seen him, has seen God the Father (14:9). He claims to be the “I AM” who existed before Abraham, a title recalling God’s self identification in Exodus 3:14 (John 8:24, 28, 58). Jesus shares God’s attributes: he is the giver and sustainer of life (John 5:16-18, 26; 6:27, 35, 50-58); he will raise the dead at the final resurrection (John 5:21, 25; 4:53; 6:39-40, 44, 54; 10:28; 11:25-26) and will serve as the final judge of all people (John 5:22, 27). He knows all things (John 1:48; 2:24-25; 6:15; 8:14; 13:1, 11; 21:17). As the Son sent from above, he provides the only access to the Father and to eternal life. No one comes to the Father except through him (John 14:6; John 1:48; 2:24-25; 6:15; 8:14; 13:1, 11; 21:17). The Father and the Son operate in complete unity and know one another perfectly (John 10:15, 30; 14:10).
While these are Jesus’ most explicit claims, his words and deed in the other three Gospels – Matthew, Mark and Luke – leave no doubt about his divine nature and unique status. Jesus there exercises the attributes of God: he forgives sins (Matt. 9:2; Mark 2:5; Luke 5:20), knows people’s thoughts (Matt. 9:4; Mark 2:8; Luke 5:22; Matt. 12:25) and accepts their worship (Matt. 2:11; 14:33; 28:9, 17; Luke 24:52). He will be the judge of all people, determining their eternal destiny (Matt. 7:21-23; 25:31-46). He is the Lord of nature, calming the storm, feeding the multitudes, and walking on water (Mark 4:35-41; 6:30-44; 6:47-51. Following the resurrection he claims to mediate the Holy Spirit – the presence of God – to his people (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:5, 8; 2:33.), and promises his divine presence among them (Matt. 18:20; 28:20; Acts 16:7).
These are astonishing claims. If true, they would confirm that Jesus is the center-point of human history, the Savior and king whose perfect life and death on the cross brought reconciliation and restoration to a fallen world. But were they true? Or was Jesus a self-deluded prophet or, worse yet, a great deceiver? The ultimate test for the authenticity of Jesus’ claims is his own resurrection. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, then his claims to be the Savior of the world were certainly false. If, on the other hand, he did rise, this is proof that God vindicated him as Messiah and Lord (see Acts 2:36).
The evidence for the Resurrection
According to the apostle Paul, Christianity rises or falls on the reality of the resurrection. If Christ rose from the dead, then all that he said was true. If he did not rise, then Christians are affirming and testifying to a lie:
…if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead…. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. (1 Cor. 15:14-19)
While no historical event can be proven with absolute certainty, certain evidence can be verified beyond reasonable doubt. In the points that follow, I will not assume the absolute reliability of the New Testament, but will take the perspective of a skeptical historian, asking the question, “What can be known beyond reasonable doubt?”
(1) The first fact that is beyond reasonable doubt is that Jesus of Nazareth was a real person who died at the hands of Roman authorities in the early first century. No credible scholar today denies Jesus’ existence nor the basic fact that he was arrested and crucified in Jerusalem by the Romans around AD 30.
(2) The second near certainty is that Jesus actually died on the cross. Even the most liberal critics scoff at books like The Passover Plot by Hugh Schonfield, which claimed Jesus survived the cross and revived in the cool of the tomb. The Romans were experts at crucifixion and could not have botched the job. In any case, a half-dead Jesus emerging from the tomb could scarcely have convinced his disciples he had risen triumphant from the grave.
(3) A third reasonably certain fact is that Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin, took the body of Jesus and buried it in his own tomb (Matt. 27:57; Mark 15:43; Luke 23:51; John 19:38). There is no reason the church would create such a person or incident unless it actually happened. Joseph’s hometown of Arimathea has no symbolic significance that could explain its creation. It is particularly unlikely that the church would create a story where a member of the Sanhedrin – the group that condemned Jesus – performed such an action.
(4) Fourth, the tomb in which Jesus was buried was discovered empty on the third day. Proof of this is, first, that all four Gospels testify that the empty tomb was discovered by female disciples. This is remarkable since women were not viewed in first century Judaism as reliable witnesses. If the church had made up these stories, they would never have identified women as the primary witnesses. Second, if the tomb was not empty, the disciples could not have preached the gospel in Jerusalem. But there is indisputable evidence that the church began in Jerusalem shortly after Jesus’ death (see Acts 1-2; Gal. 1:18-20). Third, no objection was ever raised to Christianity that the tomb was not empty. In fact, the Jewish claim of a stolen body (Matt. 28:11-15) presupposes an empty tomb.
(5) Many credible witnesses saw Jesus alive. While the Gospels record many resurrection appearances, some skeptics claim these are late and legendary accounts. But no one can deny the remarkable evidence presented by the apostle Paul, a contemporary of Jesus who underwent a dramatic conversion to Christianity. In his letter known as First Corinthians (written about AD 55), Paul asserts the reality of the resurrection and claims that more than five hundred people saw Jesus alive – many of whom were still alive (1 Cor. 15:3-8). He essentially challenges his readers to check out the evidence for themselves. Here we have a first person, primary source historical account concerning the reality of the resurrection appearances.
(6) Finally, the lives of the disciples were completely transformed. We have to ask what else could account for the transformation of a small band of defeated cowards in a matter of weeks into a group of believers who could not be silenced by any amount of persecution. Something happened on that Sunday morning that changed their lives forever.
Weighing the evidence: the choice is yours
I sometimes hear Christians complain that The Da Vinci Code is a disaster for the church. But I don’t see it that way. In my opinion, it is not a disaster, but a great opportunity. After all, people who have scarcely thought about Jesus are considering his claims. And I am convinced that anyone who takes the time to honestly examine the evidence will discover not the Jesus of The Da Vinci Code, but the Jesus of the Gospels, the Messiah who came to earth to offer himself as a sacrifice for sins, to seek and to save the lost (Mark 10:45; Luke 19:10). It is this Jesus who brings hope and purpose to a lost and dying world.
In the end, of course, no amount of historical evidence will convince the confirmed skeptic. But the essence of the gospel is not about historical proofs or arguments for the existence of God. It is about a real relationship with the living God. Two thousand years ago Mary Magdalene and the other women went to the tomb of Jesus, expecting to anoint his dead body. Instead, they discovered an empty tomb and had a real encounter with the living and resurrected Lord. The Bible is an invitation to you to have such encounter with God through his Son Jesus Christ. I hope you will respond to this invitation.
