Behind the Halo: Exploring the Humanity of Jesus

Behind the Halo offers readers an engaging, new perspective on the humanity of Jesus and how it could have impacted his emotional reactions to people and events around him in this fictional account of his ministry based on the gospels of the Bible.
Follow Jesus, the man and teacher, and his group of followers as they navigate issues of ancient Israel. Issues like poverty, political intrigue and suppression, undiagnosed and misunderstood health conditions ran rampant, much like they do in our 21st century world.
Overlay the cultural setting with a band of believers as diverse in their livelihoods and socio-economic statuses as they were in temperaments. Let’s pull back the curtain for a peek at what interactions between them, their teacher, and others may have looked and sounded like.
Peter and Philip pushed and shoved through the crowd but couldn’t get to Jesus. In a matter of seconds, he’d turned free enterprise into a free-for-all. Moneychangers were trying to snatch and grab all the coins they could. Those who had come to worship in the Temple were huddling on the fringes, and now priests and Pharisees were joining the fray like storm troopers.
Maybe there was more to this guy, Jesus, than we have dared to imagine. Maybe he displayed all the messy emotions we do. And maybe those emotions also make him more relatable than we ever dared to hope.
One by one faces lifted, smiles began to overcome worried brows. Jesus looked at each one, touched a hand, a face, a shoulder, reassuring, loving each one. Slowly, the curtain of fright and frailty was torn in two, replaced by hope and confidence. Seeing one transformation after another, joy and laughter gained footholds in Jesus until he could contain it no longer, and laughter spilled out of him.
“Each of you has been called with a plan and a purpose, and it’s not perishing in the sea today!”
When we dig deeper into Scripture, we discover Jesus was far more than a two-dimensional Bible character. He interacted with all kinds of people with humor, compassion, and yes, sometimes even frustration and aggravation.
“People, give Jesus some room! And get those kids outta here. What are you thinking, bringing them in here to see the Master?” Peter rumbled like thunder behind Jesus.
Quickly standing with a back like a ramrod and a voice like iron, Jesus said, “No, Peter! Men of God, stand down! What are you thinking!