It is most ironic that Jesus’ crucifixion was ostensibly justified on the charge of his being a threat to Roman hegemony. Not only was that far from the truth but some of the Jews of his day would have preferred that Jesus HAD BEEN a threat to the Roman occupation. Both sides got it wrong, you might say. 

It is also ironic that the Jews had every reason to hope and expect that their Messiah would overthrow the Romans in addition to being a spiritual leader.  

Does this mean Jesus was not a revolutionary? Not at all! Even on the surface of the narrative of his life given to us in the gospels reveals that, so far as the religious establishment of his time were concerned, Jesus was very much a revolutionary. In their eyes, Jesus was a blasphemer and ignored their dearly held rituals and customs.  

But even this misses the point. Jesus took the next step of the evolution of the teachings of the Jewish prophets to declare that not only was he sent by God (as were the prophets) but that he and the Father were One! Jesus declared himself a son of God. The Old Testament has support for this claim but that isn’t the point either.  

Jesus’ revolution was that he brought a new covenant with God through which directly accepting Jesus and his teachings constituted the next step in the evolution of man’s relationship to God. Rather than being a relationship founded in observance of the “law,” the new covenant offered a personal and heartfelt relationship with God through the savior, or guru. The teachings of Jesus were, compared to the Mosaic law, simple and largely devoid of ritual and sacrifice. Only from the Last Supper with the breaking of bread and drinking of wine did Jesus suggest any kind of ritualistic communion. He also gave what we call the Lord’s prayer. But for all that, what he taught was simple and straightforward. 

By Jesus’ emphasis on his person as being one with the Father, he signaled the importance of a personal relationship with God. By implication, the time was right for this new covenant.  

For the early Christians, taking that relationship personally included the willingness to suffer hardship and even death to testify to that relationship. 

On Sunday’s in the Ananda Festival of Light we say “For us now the payment of suffering has been exchanged for calm acceptance and joy.” It is the new dispensation brought by Paramhansa Yogananda to see that this relationship is characterized by inner joy; it is also impersonal and universally available to all sincere souls. It is not limited to any one “son of God” such as Jesus Christ.  

Suffering is no longer the benchmark of spirituality. Non-attachment, even-minded cheerfulness, simplicity, moderation and devotion through inner communion in meditation are the characteristics of sincere devotees in tune with this new dispensation. Compassion, kindness, faith and charity continue in all cases to be integral to the spiritual life. 

As Jesus was a revolutionary, so too is Paramhansa Yogananda and those who sent him. Indeed, it was Jesus Christ who appeared to Mahavatar Babaji to ask that someone be sent to bring this new dispensation—God realization through meditation–to the world. To lift religion from the embrace of sectarianism and place it on the altar of universality is the revolution that is much needed in these times.