“What Jesus Would Jesus Say to Dan Brown”
-Biblical Answer to the Da Vinci Code-
2 Peter 2:1-3
2 Peter 3:17-18
There’s a lot of talk these days about the “Da Vinci Code”, a best selling book by Dan Brown. The film came out a couple weeks ago and has been seen by hundreds of thousands.
Dan Brown states that his book is fiction but he also said on a talk show that if he were writing a non-fiction book on the same subject he wouldn’t change one thing in the book.
He voices his personal belief when he has one of the book’s characters say: “Almost everything our fathers taught us about Christ is false.” The book claims you can’t trust the four Gospels in the Bible and that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and Mary became an Apostle and one of the key leaders in the early church.
Why is there so much interest in “The Da Vinci Code?” People like a mystery. People are all ears to a possible cover up.
The climate in American society causes some people to harbor suspicion toward the church. Rather than searching history and the Word of God they buy into the doubts and writing of skeptics like Dan Brown.
Many Americans don’t know the Bible so when they read Dan Brown’s novel they have no basis to compare truth with fiction. Many who read the book say the book makes sense to them.
I’m afraid many seekers after the truth are like W.C. Fields who was reported thumbing through the Bible when he was on his deathbed. Someone asked what he was doing and he said, “Looking for loopholes, m’boy – looking for loopholes.”
If the early church did a cover up of the truth about Jesus and Mary Magdalene and the theory of Dan Brown is true then Christianity is based upon flagrant lies. Jesus was not and is not God. Jesus did not provide a way for sin to be forgiven and God’s plan of salvation is not true..
It is important for you to have an answer for people who are seeking answers to the teachings of the “Da Vinci Code” or more correctly, “The Dan Brown Code.”
If Jesus met one-on-one with Dan Brown, Jesus might say to him?”
I. “You Can Trust the Bible.”
I Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do it with gentleness and respect.”
If someone asks you what you think of the “Da Vinci Code” or what the character Sir Leigh Teabling says: “The Bible is a product of man, my dear. Not of God.” “The Bible did not fall magically from the clouds. Man created it as a historical record of tumultuous times, and it has evolved through countless translations, additions, and revisions. History has never had a definitive version of the book.” What would you say to that person?
What about all the other gospels the Da Vinci Code refers to? There’s the Gospel of Thomas, The Gospel of Philip, The Gospel of Mary, and the Gospel of Truth. The Gnostic Bible is based upon many other gospels. The Gnostic Bible is drawn heavily upon by Dan Brown in the Da Vinci Code. The Gnostic Bible gives you permission to make God into whomever you want him or her to be.
The Gnostic gospels were written in the third century compared to the four Gospels all written in the first century. The big difference is that not one of the Gnostic gospel writers was an eye witness of Jesus. All of the New Testament Gospel writers were eye witnesses to the life and ministry of Jesus.
The Gnostics believed that matter was evil and spirit was good. To the Gnostic, Jesus was not material. Jesus was only spiritual. If you looked closely, according to their teaching,Jesus never cast a shadow. The Gnostic gospels were written based upon the Gnostic teachings. To Gnostic thought everything physical is evil. Gnostics saw women as inferior and unworthy.
According to the last verse of the Gospel of Thomas, Simon Peter says to Jesus, “Let Mary leave us; women aren’t worthy of life.” Jesus replied, “I will lead her to become male, so she can become a living spirit like you males. For every woman who makes herself male will enter the kingdom of heaven.”
The Apostle Peter declares the historical accuracy of what he wrote. 2 Peter 1:16 “We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.”
In I and II Peter, the Apostle Peter is telling his story as an eye witness. The Gospel of Mark was written by Mark but under the mentoring and coaching of the Apostle Peter. Through Mark, Peter tells and records the life and ministry of Jesus.
Peter relates how he along with James and John witnessed Jesus talking to Moses and Elijah on the Mountain of Transfiguration. The disciples heard a voice from heaven speak: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” Matthew 17:5
The Apostle Peter reflects on this mountain top experience when he writes in 2 Peter 1:17-18, “For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is My Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’ We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.”
Jesus would say to Dan Brown and to us today, “You can trust the Bible. I am the incarnate Son of God.”
John 1:1,14, “In the beginning was the Word (Jesus) and the Word (Jesus) was with God and the Word (Jesus) was God…And the Word became flesh.”
Philippians 2:9-11, “God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Hebrews 1:3, “He reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of His nature.”
The Biblical accounts are clear, Jesus is who He said He was and is, the incarnate Son of God. Jesus was a man, but more than a man.
The Da Vinci Code proposes that at the Council of Nicea in 315 AD, an event where church leaders were called to meet by Emperor Constantine. The Council of Nicea declared that Jesus was divine. According to Dan Brown the divinity of Jesus was a man made belief.
The Gospels written in the first century all declare that Jesus was the divine Son of God. The Council of Nicea was called by Emperor Constantine to refute the teachings of a deposed Bishop named Arius who claimed that Jesus was only a created being rather than divine. There were 318 bishops in attendance. After extensive debate with the final vote being 316 agreeing with the early church that Jesus was the Divine Son of God and 2 opposing. The Da Vince Code reported that the vote was close.
The Nicene Creed affirmed what the New Testament teaches that Jesus is equal and one with God. To know Jesus is to know God the Father.
The Nicene Creed written in 325 AD states: “There is but one living and true God. And in the unity of the Godhead there are Three Persons, of one substance, power and eternity: The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
Jesus said in John 10:30, “I and the Father are one.” John 8:19, “If you know me you will know my father also.”
The Apostle Paul declared in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2 Peter 1:20-21 “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
Jesus would say to Dan Brown, “You can Trust the Bible.” Secondly, Jesus would say to Dan Brown,
II. “I Am the Resurrection and the Life, No One Comes to the Father Except through Me.”
John 11:25 and John 14:6
Jesus was a man, but he was more than a man. Jesus was the Son of God.
The scriptures are clear that Jesus lived his life single, and ascended into heaven without ever marrying.
The Da Vinci Code declares that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and the early church covered up the story. It proposed that Leonardo Da Vinci knew about the cover up and gave a clue to the truth in his painting of the Last Supper that it was Mary Magdalene not John that was sitting next to Jesus. The person looks more like a woman than a man. Yet many painters of that day painted young men with a feminine touch. If John wasn’t sitting next to Jesus where was he? There should have been 13 people, plus Jesus, at the table. There were only twelve plus Jesus at the table in the painting.
There is no evidence that Jesus was ever married. At the foot of the cross many believing women, including the mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalene were present. Jesus was most concerned about His mother and asked John to care for her. (John 19:26-27) If Jesus had been married to Mary Magdalene He surely would have asked John to care for her also.
If Jesus was only a man and a good moral teacher with a wife and a baby name Sarah and if according to the Da Vinci Code they traveled to south France where they had more children, then the account of the crucifixion and resurrection are lies.
The Da Vinci Code is grounded in mythology more than historical fact. The Da Vinci Code is popular because many people are looking for a “do it yourself religion.” People are searching for meaning to life and are looking to metaphysical and spiritual writings for answers. Go to Barnes and Nobel and you will find hundreds of writings from New Age to Eastern religions on how to be the master of your own fate and destiny of your soul. For many religions God is merely an extension of yourself. Spiritual enlightenment is the discovery of your divine self within. When you encounter God you are actually encountering yourself. We can be gods and we have the power to make our own gods.
People today testify that they are a Christian Buddhist or a New Age Christian. People take the best from the religious smorgasbord and create their own preferred belief.
Jesus would say to Dan Brown and all who want to make their own gods. “You have forgotten the fact of sin.” Listen to the radio, turn on the television and you must realize there is evil in the world. Romans 3:23 - “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life is in our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Jesus is the only one who has the qualifications to bridge the gap caused by sin between God and humanity. Only Jesus can qualify to die on the cross for sin and provide salvation and the hope of eternal life.
Jesus still says today: “ I am the resurrection and the Life – no one comes to the father except by me.”
The incarnation is the great divide between Christianity and Gnosticism or Christianity and Islam. In Islam the Incarnation of Jesus is the greatest blasphemy. Muslims believe Allah can have no direct contact with the world.
Is Jesus the only way and the only truth and the only way to eternal life? Or are there other ways? Is God silent? Or, has God spoken?
The good news is that we have overwhelming evidence that God has spoken, and He has spoken plainly. God has spoken through His inspired and revealed word of God.
If you are skeptical about whether God has spoken or not, I challenge you to read one chapter a day of the Gospel of John and pray as you read, “Dear God show me your truth!” I believe you will find that God has spoken plainly in the person of Jesus.
My challenge to you today is to know Jesus as Lord and Savior and to know what you believe. “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15
As you have opportunity let people know the truth about the deceptions presented in the Da Vinci Code. Make sure you personally have confessed Jesus as your Lord. “If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9
You can trust God’s Word.
Jesus is the resurrection and the life – no one comes to the father except through Jesus.
Let’s pray
