Was Jesus A Magician?

Introduction

Was Jesus a magician? I know this sounds like a crazy question to us. To us, it’s an obvious “no,” maybe followed by an obvious “duh.” But that’s because we are 21^st century Christians, in the 21^st century Christian mindset. Put your mind in the 1^st century context. Magicians were everywhere. There was probably at least two in every village and town, and maybe even more in the cities. They could commonly be seen walking down the streets and in the marketplaces. All of them claimed to have power (from gods or demons), and all of them could perform magic. From the view of a 1^st century person Jesus could have easily looked like just another magician. This post will look how made sure he never seemed like just another magician when he performed a miracle. In fact, he made sure to portray himself as quite the opposite.

The Cultural Account

First, let me carefully define a 1^st century magician. A 1^st century magician is nothing like a 21^st century magician. A 1^st century magician does not perform magic for entertainment, as a 21^st century magician would. He’s not pulling rabbits out of hats, he’s not sawing women in half, he’s not escaping from straitjackets. A better term to describe a 1^st century magician would be a witch or a witch doctor. A better 21^st equivalent would be a psychic. Like I said above, there’s usually two in a village or two: one a witch, and the other one a witch doctor. You went to the witch if you to put a curse on someone or something. You went to the witch doctor if you wanted the curse taken off of yourself, or you wanted a blessing placed on yourself.

For what specific reasons would a person go to a witch or witch doctor to harness magical powers? Ancient writings provide about 7 main reasons. They are as follows:

1.      Protection, from both the natural and the supernatural

2.      Healing, both physical and mental
3.      To have someone fall in love with you
4.      Harming someone or something
5.      Knowing the future
6.      Changing the future
7.      Victory in sport or battle

Let’s take a deeper look at these ancient writings to see how magicians performed their magic arts, looking carefully at the words spoken and the actions performed.

To have someone fall in love with you

I adjure you, demon of death, cause to pine away Sarapion out of love for Dioskorus, whom

Tikoi bore: burn his heart, let it melt and let his blood dry up through love, longing, and pain
over me until Sarapion, whom Pasametra bore, comes to Dioskours, whom Tikoi bore, and
fulfills all my wishes and loves me ceaselessly until he descends into Hades. I adjure you,
demon of death, by Adonai, by Sabaoth. (magical papyri 16)

I adjure all ghosts [demonas] in this place to come to the assistance of this ghost. Raise yourself

up for me from the repose that keeps you and go out into every district and every quarter and
every house and every shop, and drive, spellbind Matrona…that she may not (have intercourse
vaginal, anal, or oral with anyone else, nor) be able to go with any other man than Theodorus…and never let Matrona…be able to endure or be healthy or find sleep night or day without Theodorus. (“A Love Charm with Verses,”)

The irony with these spells is that while the end goal is for a certain person to fall in love with the user of the spell, these spells relay the feeling that the magic user really doesn’t love that person. After all, what loving person would pray that the person they hold closest in their heart would not be able to sleep or be healthy until they admit their love? These spells do not show the interest of the other person, but rather, only the interest of the user, even at the cost of the wellbeing of the other person.

Protection, from both the natural and the supernatural

Onto lime wood write with vermilion this name “[50 Greek letters] Guard me from every

demon of the air on the earth and under the earth, and from every angel and phantom and ghostly visitation and enchantment, me [enter name].” Enclose it in a purple skin, hang it around your neck and wear it. (magical papyri)

Knowing the Future

To Sokonnokonneus, the twice-great god. Reveal to me whether I should remain in Bachias.

Should I make a request? Reveal this to me! To the most great, powerful god, Soknopaias,
by Asklepiades, son of Aneios, Is it not prohibited to me to marry Tapetheus, daughter of Marre
and will she not marry another? Show me this and complete [the answer] to this written
[question]. To Soknopaios and Sokanpeios, great, great gods: from Statoetis, son of Apynchis,
son of Tesenuphis. Will I be saved from illness? Give me information about this! To the
great gods Soknopaias and Sokonupis. Is it granted to me to start a business for gladiators?
Give me information about this! (magical papyri 30)

I call upon you, inhabitants of Chaos and Erebos [the underworld], of the depth, of earth, watchers of heaven, of darkness, masters of things not to be seen, guardians of secrets, leaders of those beneath the earth, administrators of things which are infinite, those who wield power over earth, servants in the chasm, shudderful fighters, fearful ministers, inhabitants of dark Erebos,

coercive watchers, rulers of cliffs, grievers of the heart, adverse daimons, iron-hearted ones
[seven magical names are given]…Reveal concerning the matter which I am considering.
(magical papyri 7.348–58)

Victory in sport or battle

I conjure you up, holy beings and holy names; join in aiding this spell, and bind, enchant, thwart,strike, overturn, conspire against, destroy, kill, break Eucherius the charioteer, and all his horses tomorrow in the circus at Rome. May he not leave the barriers well; may he not be quick in the contest; may he not outstrip anyone; may he not make the turns well; may he not win any prizes…may he be broken; may he be dragged along by your power, in the morning and afternoon races. Now! Now! Quickly! Quickly!

Listen to how harsh this incantation is! The person praying is wants to win so bad, he prays that his rival will be hurt or killed! Once again, this incantation has no intention of showing love to the other. I think it rather shows hate in order to get his selfish desires.

Harming someone or something

WHAT TO DO: “Take a lead lamella [thin, metal plate] and inscribe with a bronze stylus the following names and the figure [depicted in the papyrus text], and after smearing it with blood from a bat, roll up the lamella in the ususal fashion. Cut open a frog and put it into its stomach. After stitching it up with Anubian thread and a bronze needle, hang it up on a reed from your property by means of hairs from the tip of the tail of a black ox, at the east of the property near the rising of the sun.”

WHAT TO SAY: “Supreme angels, just as the frog drips with blood and dries up, so also will

the body of him [a space to insert the name of the victim] whom [a space to insert the name
of the victim’s mother] bore, because I conjure you, who are in command of fire…” (magical
papyri 36.231–55)

Other Magical Objects and Actions

“A woman is guaranteed never to miscarry if, tied round her neck in gazelle leather, she wears

white flesh from a hyaena’s breast, seven hyaena’s hairs, and the genital organ of a stag.”
(Pliny, Natural History, 28.27.98–99)

 This would have been in a 1^st century fertility book! Aren’t you glad it didn’t make it to a 21^st century fertility book?

“It acts as a charm for a man to spit on the urine he has [discharged]; similarly to spit into

the right shoe before putting it on.” (Pliny, Natural History, 28.7.38)

So if you want good luck, men, either spit in your right shoe or spit in your urine every time you pee. This seems like a lose-lose or choosing the less of two evils.

“Hailstorms and whirlwinds are driven away if menstrual fluid is exposed to the very flashes

of lightning.” (Pliny, Natural History, 28.23.77)

Thunders and lightning fear a woman having her period just as much as men do :-P haha

“The extreme end of the [hyaena’s] intestine prevails against the injustices of leaders and

potentates, bringing success to petitions and a happy issue to trials and lawsuits if it is merely
kept on the person;…the anus [of a hyaena], worn as an amulet on the left arm, is so powerful
a love-charm that, if a man but [sees] a woman, she at once follows him.” (Pliny, Natural History, 28.27.106)

Men, how many times have you seen an ugly woman, but once you see her put on a hyaena butt, she becomes instantly beautiful?

“If door-posts are merely touched by the menstrual discharge, the tricks are rendered vain of

the Magi, a lying crowd, as is easily ascertained.” (Pliny, Natural History, 28.23.88)

And all other magical problems can be negated by spreading your menstrual blood on the doorposts likes it’s Passover.

I know all these magical words and performances sound crazy, but put it in a more recent context. Think about all the crazy superstitions people practice in modern times that have little to no scientific backing. Kids in the 1990s wore placed a rabbit’s foot or two on their backpacks and key chains. Before then, people had horseshoes, and some still do. I go could on mentioning throwing salt over the shoulder, knocking on wood and avoiding stepping on cracks. Now to be fair, maybe some of these superstitions arose from safety precautions. For example, people learned not to walk under ladders because walking under ladders was unsafe. Eventually, it became unlucky. Also to be fair, remember that 1^st century people did not know of a distinction between magic and science. Sometimes they 1^st century people were doing science, but they did not know it, so they called it magic. Most cases, however, as the cases seen above, did not come from safety precautions or early attempts at science. They were merely superstitions that arose from the pagan polytheism.

Let’s also review some of the discussion about demon exorcism, since demon exorcisms are miracles, and since demon exorcisms have commonalities with miracles. Already, we have seen that magic depends on some amulet, talisman or device, just like in exorcisms. Also, notice the necessity to call on gods or higher powers. The people of the 1^st century believed that even the gods had to submit to the powers of magic. So in theory, a human well versed in magic could overcome the will of a god. So just like in exorcisms, magicians, witches and witch doctors sought to call out a god by name in order to control his power. These gods had very little sovereignty; their will constantly fought the will of man.

The Biblical Account

The Bible records Jesus performing 37 miracles, but John 20:30,31 hints that Jesus probably performed more. As a case study, let’s look at when Jesus cured the blind. The New Testament records Jesus healing the blind 4 times. They are as follows:

1.      Jesus heals 2 blind men (Matthew 9:27-31)
2.      Jesus heals Bartimaeus (Matthew 20:29-34, Mark 10:46-52, Luke 18:35-43)
3.      Jesus heals the blind man at Bethesda (Mark 8:22-26)
4.      Jesus heals the man born blind (John 9:1-41)

Pause here. Open up your Bible and read all 4 stories. Yes, this includes reading all 3 accounts of healing blind Bartimaeus. As you read each story, take notice of how Jesus heals them. Write it down if you have to. When you are done, come back here and compare answers with me. This is what I got:

1.      Jesus healing 2 blind men – Touching the eyes
2.      Jesus healing blind Bartimaeus – speaking and touching
3.      Jesus healing the blind man at Bethesda – spitting, then touching
4.      Jesus healing the man born blind – made mud with spit, placed mud on eyes, wash in the pool of Siloam

Compare it to how the culture would say a witch doctor would cure blindness. Jesus never calls upon a god or a higher power. What a testimony to his own deity! Jesus never prays a prayer or speaks a special incantation. In fact, Jesus never addresses the blindness directly. He just states the healing has happened. Jesus never needs any kind amulet, talisman or device. In fact, the four blindness healings really don’t have anything in common; they are all different. The closest commonality is that Jesus touches them, but this touching is most likely to be intimate or personal in the healing.

This is very important that Jesus does not have a formula or procedure to curing the blind. Suppose Jesus healed every blind person that same way he healed the man born blind: making mud from spit, spreading the mud on the eyes, and washing the eyes in water. Then pastors would hold blindness healing services in their churches, which the whole service would consist of spitting, making mud, spreading the mud on blind people’s eyes, and then washing them off. Problems would really occur if a blind person still couldn’t see after undergoing the spit, mud and washing ceremony. Talk about having doubts!

From the start, Jesus de-emphasizes any kind of method. If the method is de-emphasized, then what is emphasized? Jesus is. Every miracle points back to Jesus. At the most, someone could say that faith is a commonality with every miracle, and therefore faith is emphasized, but even there, the faith points back to Jesus, emphasizing him.

Conclusion

So was Jesus a magician? Some of the Sanhedrin of the 1^st century claimed Jesus was a magician, in hope that a truly religious Jew would not follow someone like a witch doctor. But if anyone living in the 1^st century knew their culture, they would know how far from the truth that claim is. Jesus did not perform his miracles like magicians or witches performed magic. He did not call upon gods for higher power, he did not speak any prayer or incantations, and did use any use any object, like the magicians and witches. Jesus also never performed his miracles to get the upper hand on his personal life or other people. Rather, Jesus performed miracles to help lift up people in unfortunate circumstances. So Jesus was not a magician, he was much better than that. He was the Messiah, saving people from unfortunate situations. He was God, depending on his own power instead of manipulating a higher up power. Therefore, the miracles of Jesus should encourage us to not seek other supernatural solutions, like psychics, but instead to seek Jesus for the solution to all our problems.


Acknowledgements
I am eternally grateful to Dr. Doug Buckwalter, New Testament professor at Evangelical Seminary, for the original texts and the original resources.