A letter to Jesus and a letter from Jesus
What is this statement…? “A letter to Jesus and a letter from Jesus...” usually the bible is considered to be the letter written by God to his people. But this is a letter which is not recorded in the bible but has happened in history. Most of my stories are based on the real life incidents which are not recorded in the bible but are of great importance. Did Jesus really write this letter? If so to whom did he write this letter? You will soon find the answer to all these questions which arises in your mind as you read the title. This is a true story in history and I am happy to introduce this to you. The historians accept the fact that the king of Edessa, Apkar heard about the greatness of Jesus and wrote a letter to him asking him to heal his sickness and Jesus also wrote a reply for this letter.
Edessa is a place in the northern part of Turkey. During the time period when Jesus Christ was on this earth, Edessa was ruled by king Apkar. He was quiet old and he suffered from leprosy. In those days there was no medicine for this disease. It was considered as the curse of God and also people believed that only God can cure this disease. Due to this reason the lepers were set apart from the society and were considered as untouchables. This rule was applicable to all the people whether the person was a king or a beggar. Hence king Apkar was mentally and physically down with sorrow. He often thought “how nice it would be if someone could be merciful enough to deliver him from this disease? If I find such a person then I will surely consider him and accept him as God. Is there such a person in this world? Is there a God who is so powerful and merciful to cure me of this curse? Will I meet him in my lifetime?” in this way king Apkar started to long for the hour of his miracle day by day.
In this situation king Apkar came to know about Jesus Christ and all the great miracles he performed through the travelers and his own official messengers. These people informed the king that there is a great man of God who is a Jewish Rabi who belonged to Palestine, and that if he prays any dreadful disease was sure to be cured. They also told him that Jesus has even raised the dead alive. They also told him that Jesus had given sight to people who were born blind and made the lame people walk who were born lame. Hearing all this Apakr asked one of his messengers whether Jesus Christ had healed any lepers. His messenger told him, “Dear king, not just one leper…. But jesus Christ has healed ten lepers on the same day. Also once a leper came to Jesus and told him ‘Lord, if You are willing, you are able to cleanse me by curing me.’ And Jesus reached out his hand and touched him, saying, I am willing; be cleansed by being cured. And instantly his leprosy was cured and cleansed.” All this gave new hopes in the heart of king Apkar. He thought to himself, “What leprosy got cured instantly, that too just by a touch of Jesus? Oh! If I would have been the one whom Jesus touched, then I too will be cleansed and cured of this dreadful disease.”
Along with this good news King Apkar came to know about the hatred toward Jesus by his own people, the Jews and the high priests and that they planned to kill him. The king was deeply troubled and worried on hearing this information. So he wrote a letter to Jesus inviting him to come to his city where he could be safe and also requested Jesus to cure him of his dreadful disease. The contents of the letter are as follows:
Dear Lord Jesus Christ,
“Greetings to the great physician of Jerusalem. This is a letter from the king of Edessa, Apkar.
Dear Lord, I bow before you with great respect and love,
To a physician who is pure and gentle like a dove,
You cure worst disease not by medicine or pills,
But with just a word you cure all those who are ill
Your word drives away the forces of darkness and hell
Your word breaks the bondage of curse and spell
Your words make the blind to see and the lame to walk,
Your words make the deaf to hear and the dumb talk,
Your words raise the dead and make them rejoice,
Your words cleanse the lepers who came to hear your voice
All this information about you makes me conclude that you are a physician from heaven and that you are truly the son of God in the form of man living on this earth. I believe in this statement of mine and hold on firmly to it. After coming to know all the great miracles you have done, I have a request and I place it in front of you right now. I know Lord that nothing is too hard for you…… I humbly request you to cleanse me of the dreadful disease I am suffering from….. Leprosy and cure me on account of your great mercy. Also since I came to know that your own people are your enemies and are waiting for an opportunity to kill you, I am greatly troubled in my heart. I will not let this happen to a great man of God like you. So I request you to come to my country along with your disciples and preach to my people and help them to know you and accept you. Also cure my people of their dreadful disease. I make this humble request to you Lord. Though my country is a very small place, still it is very beautiful and peaceful. We can live happily here. Once again I request you to come to my country and bless me and my people.
Thanking you,
Apkar Okaama
King Apkar handed over this letter to his minister Hennan and asked him to hand over the same to Jesus Christ with due respect and care. Hennan handed over the letter to Jesus Christ with due respect as instructed by king Apkar. Jesus Christ received the letter and read the same. He understood the heart of king Apkar and wrote a reply letter in his own handwriting and gave it to Hennan and asked him to hand over the same to king Apkar. The great historian Ebusis confirms that the letter was written by Jesus Christ himself. The contents of the letter of Jesus are as follows:
“I am happy to know your faith and belief you have on me even though you have neither seen me or my miracles. For it is written in the holy bible, that. “Those who see me do not believe in me but those who do not see me believe in me”. Since you believed in me even though you have not seen me, I bless you and grant you all that you wished and requested for. According to your request I will surely come to your country but not now….. I will surely remember you, when I have completed all the will of my father on this earth and be seated in heaven on the right side of my father. I will meet you and your people and make them mine. I will bless them and give them the mantle of salvation. I will send my servant who will preach the good news about me to you and your people and on that day no one will be able to overcome you and your country. After the entry of that disciple of mine in your life, your life will take up a totally new dimension. You will have a new life in me. I bless you and grant you peace.
Jesus Christ”
[Some of the historians do not agree that this letter was written by Jesus himself. They agree the relationship between king Apkar and Jesus Christ and all the incidents that had happened in their life. But they do not agree that the letter was written by Jesus Christ himself. They are of the opinion that the letter could have been written by one of the disciples of Jesus or by the minister Hennan himself as dictated by Jesus Christ. The chances of Hennan having written the letter as dictated by Jesus Christ is high since he was an artist and in the later days he painted the picture of Jesus Christ. This was possible only because he saw Jesus Christ that too so close to him.]
Let’s come back to the story. Jesus Christ gave the letter to Hennan and said, “Good minister, hand over this letter to your master who sent you to me. Also tell him that everything is going to be fine. He need not worry any more. Tell him that I bless him and his people.” After saying this Jesus took a towel and wiped his face and the impression of his countenance got printed on the towel. Jesus Christ gave the towel to Hennan and asked him to hand over the towel along with the letter to his master and asked him to tell his master to wipe his face with that towel and when he does that he will be cured of his leprosy. So saying, he sent the minister away.
[After the death of Jesus and his ascension to heaven, Jesus remembered his promise to king Apkar. He sent his apostles Thaddaeus and Thomas to Edessa.]
King Apkar received the letter and the towel from his minister and wiped his face with the towel. Immediately that great miracle happened. The moment he wiped his face with the towel, he was cured of his leprosy. His joy reached great heights. In honor of this great deliverance, he became a Christian and also converted the people of his country to Christianity. He also announced his country as a Christian country. In this way the whole country of Edessa became a Christian country. Hence this is a living example that Jesus Christ keeps up his promise.
Now let us see some interesting facts about this great country Edessa:
Since many Armenians got settled in this country and became Christians, this country was also called as Armenia Mesopotamia.
Historical information states that during the time when Saint Thomas was doing his ministry in this country he had the chance to meet two of the three wise men who came to Jesus when he was born. Historical information states that he met those wise men in Arabia, before the death of Jesus Christ. One of the wise men who was the youngest of the three, Seir, died of some disease before he could meet Jesus Christ. The other two wise men, Thiyokinon and Mensur lived many years after the death of Jesus Christ in Arabia. Hence Saint Thomas had the chance to meet them when he lived in Edessa.
Saint Thomas died in India and was buried in Mylapore, Chennai. In 232 AD his bones were taken to Rome through land transport. They had to face a lot of hindrances before they could take the bones safely to Rome. At that time his bones were buried and kept in the country of Edessa for a long time.
Historical information states that the bodies of the three wise men were brought to the country of Edessa and was buried there where the people used to go and show their reverence. After many years the bones of these three wise men were taken to Rome and from there they were taken to Germany and are being kept in a place called Colon. They are there even today. Similarly the bones of Saint Thomas were taken from Edessa and were taken to Italy. It was taken to Archie and kept in a cathedral in a place called Ortano. It is also said that there is a tomb for Saint Thomas in that cathedral.
The Armenians of Edessa keep the towel with the impression of Jesus Christ as their most valuable treasure. The towel in the country of Edessa, the impression of Jesus Christ in the towel of Veronica, and the impression of Jesus Christ in his death shroud shows us how Jesus would have looked like when he was on this earth. Since the scientists confirm that the impression in all the three clothes is the same, it gives us the confidence that the bodily resemblance of Jesus Christ in the clothes is true. Also the Southern church has announced that the impression of Jesus in the towel kept in Edessa is not a hand print painted by any human being.
The southern church has acknowledged that king Apkar (who was healed by this towel) as a saint. The Armenian government has released their currency with the impression of king Apkar.
That currency depicts king Apkar pointing towards the towel with the impression of Jesus Christ.
“In the tide of time nothing lasts except memories, sweet memories…. It is in the heart that one locks his ever green memories…. And so did this king Apkar treasure the towel and letter of Jesus Christ…. And was surely rewarded for his faith….”
Edessa is a place in the northern part of Turkey. During the time period when Jesus Christ was on this earth, Edessa was ruled by king Apkar. He was quiet old and he suffered from leprosy. In those days there was no medicine for this disease. It was considered as the curse of God and also people believed that only God can cure this disease. Due to this reason the lepers were set apart from the society and were considered as untouchables. This rule was applicable to all the people whether the person was a king or a beggar. Hence king Apkar was mentally and physically down with sorrow. He often thought “how nice it would be if someone could be merciful enough to deliver him from this disease? If I find such a person then I will surely consider him and accept him as God. Is there such a person in this world? Is there a God who is so powerful and merciful to cure me of this curse? Will I meet him in my lifetime?” in this way king Apkar started to long for the hour of his miracle day by day.
In this situation king Apkar came to know about Jesus Christ and all the great miracles he performed through the travelers and his own official messengers. These people informed the king that there is a great man of God who is a Jewish Rabi who belonged to Palestine, and that if he prays any dreadful disease was sure to be cured. They also told him that Jesus has even raised the dead alive. They also told him that Jesus had given sight to people who were born blind and made the lame people walk who were born lame. Hearing all this Apakr asked one of his messengers whether Jesus Christ had healed any lepers. His messenger told him, “Dear king, not just one leper…. But jesus Christ has healed ten lepers on the same day. Also once a leper came to Jesus and told him ‘Lord, if You are willing, you are able to cleanse me by curing me.’ And Jesus reached out his hand and touched him, saying, I am willing; be cleansed by being cured. And instantly his leprosy was cured and cleansed.” All this gave new hopes in the heart of king Apkar. He thought to himself, “What leprosy got cured instantly, that too just by a touch of Jesus? Oh! If I would have been the one whom Jesus touched, then I too will be cleansed and cured of this dreadful disease.”
Along with this good news King Apkar came to know about the hatred toward Jesus by his own people, the Jews and the high priests and that they planned to kill him. The king was deeply troubled and worried on hearing this information. So he wrote a letter to Jesus inviting him to come to his city where he could be safe and also requested Jesus to cure him of his dreadful disease. The contents of the letter are as follows:
Dear Lord Jesus Christ,
“Greetings to the great physician of Jerusalem. This is a letter from the king of Edessa, Apkar.
Dear Lord, I bow before you with great respect and love,
To a physician who is pure and gentle like a dove,
You cure worst disease not by medicine or pills,
But with just a word you cure all those who are ill
Your word drives away the forces of darkness and hell
Your word breaks the bondage of curse and spell
Your words make the blind to see and the lame to walk,
Your words make the deaf to hear and the dumb talk,
Your words raise the dead and make them rejoice,
Your words cleanse the lepers who came to hear your voice
All this information about you makes me conclude that you are a physician from heaven and that you are truly the son of God in the form of man living on this earth. I believe in this statement of mine and hold on firmly to it. After coming to know all the great miracles you have done, I have a request and I place it in front of you right now. I know Lord that nothing is too hard for you…… I humbly request you to cleanse me of the dreadful disease I am suffering from….. Leprosy and cure me on account of your great mercy. Also since I came to know that your own people are your enemies and are waiting for an opportunity to kill you, I am greatly troubled in my heart. I will not let this happen to a great man of God like you. So I request you to come to my country along with your disciples and preach to my people and help them to know you and accept you. Also cure my people of their dreadful disease. I make this humble request to you Lord. Though my country is a very small place, still it is very beautiful and peaceful. We can live happily here. Once again I request you to come to my country and bless me and my people.
Thanking you,
Apkar Okaama
King Apkar handed over this letter to his minister Hennan and asked him to hand over the same to Jesus Christ with due respect and care. Hennan handed over the letter to Jesus Christ with due respect as instructed by king Apkar. Jesus Christ received the letter and read the same. He understood the heart of king Apkar and wrote a reply letter in his own handwriting and gave it to Hennan and asked him to hand over the same to king Apkar. The great historian Ebusis confirms that the letter was written by Jesus Christ himself. The contents of the letter of Jesus are as follows:
“I am happy to know your faith and belief you have on me even though you have neither seen me or my miracles. For it is written in the holy bible, that. “Those who see me do not believe in me but those who do not see me believe in me”. Since you believed in me even though you have not seen me, I bless you and grant you all that you wished and requested for. According to your request I will surely come to your country but not now….. I will surely remember you, when I have completed all the will of my father on this earth and be seated in heaven on the right side of my father. I will meet you and your people and make them mine. I will bless them and give them the mantle of salvation. I will send my servant who will preach the good news about me to you and your people and on that day no one will be able to overcome you and your country. After the entry of that disciple of mine in your life, your life will take up a totally new dimension. You will have a new life in me. I bless you and grant you peace.
Jesus Christ”
[Some of the historians do not agree that this letter was written by Jesus himself. They agree the relationship between king Apkar and Jesus Christ and all the incidents that had happened in their life. But they do not agree that the letter was written by Jesus Christ himself. They are of the opinion that the letter could have been written by one of the disciples of Jesus or by the minister Hennan himself as dictated by Jesus Christ. The chances of Hennan having written the letter as dictated by Jesus Christ is high since he was an artist and in the later days he painted the picture of Jesus Christ. This was possible only because he saw Jesus Christ that too so close to him.]
Let’s come back to the story. Jesus Christ gave the letter to Hennan and said, “Good minister, hand over this letter to your master who sent you to me. Also tell him that everything is going to be fine. He need not worry any more. Tell him that I bless him and his people.” After saying this Jesus took a towel and wiped his face and the impression of his countenance got printed on the towel. Jesus Christ gave the towel to Hennan and asked him to hand over the towel along with the letter to his master and asked him to tell his master to wipe his face with that towel and when he does that he will be cured of his leprosy. So saying, he sent the minister away.
[After the death of Jesus and his ascension to heaven, Jesus remembered his promise to king Apkar. He sent his apostles Thaddaeus and Thomas to Edessa.]
King Apkar received the letter and the towel from his minister and wiped his face with the towel. Immediately that great miracle happened. The moment he wiped his face with the towel, he was cured of his leprosy. His joy reached great heights. In honor of this great deliverance, he became a Christian and also converted the people of his country to Christianity. He also announced his country as a Christian country. In this way the whole country of Edessa became a Christian country. Hence this is a living example that Jesus Christ keeps up his promise.
Now let us see some interesting facts about this great country Edessa:
Since many Armenians got settled in this country and became Christians, this country was also called as Armenia Mesopotamia.
Historical information states that during the time when Saint Thomas was doing his ministry in this country he had the chance to meet two of the three wise men who came to Jesus when he was born. Historical information states that he met those wise men in Arabia, before the death of Jesus Christ. One of the wise men who was the youngest of the three, Seir, died of some disease before he could meet Jesus Christ. The other two wise men, Thiyokinon and Mensur lived many years after the death of Jesus Christ in Arabia. Hence Saint Thomas had the chance to meet them when he lived in Edessa.
Saint Thomas died in India and was buried in Mylapore, Chennai. In 232 AD his bones were taken to Rome through land transport. They had to face a lot of hindrances before they could take the bones safely to Rome. At that time his bones were buried and kept in the country of Edessa for a long time.
Historical information states that the bodies of the three wise men were brought to the country of Edessa and was buried there where the people used to go and show their reverence. After many years the bones of these three wise men were taken to Rome and from there they were taken to Germany and are being kept in a place called Colon. They are there even today. Similarly the bones of Saint Thomas were taken from Edessa and were taken to Italy. It was taken to Archie and kept in a cathedral in a place called Ortano. It is also said that there is a tomb for Saint Thomas in that cathedral.
The Armenians of Edessa keep the towel with the impression of Jesus Christ as their most valuable treasure. The towel in the country of Edessa, the impression of Jesus Christ in the towel of Veronica, and the impression of Jesus Christ in his death shroud shows us how Jesus would have looked like when he was on this earth. Since the scientists confirm that the impression in all the three clothes is the same, it gives us the confidence that the bodily resemblance of Jesus Christ in the clothes is true. Also the Southern church has announced that the impression of Jesus in the towel kept in Edessa is not a hand print painted by any human being.
The southern church has acknowledged that king Apkar (who was healed by this towel) as a saint. The Armenian government has released their currency with the impression of king Apkar.
That currency depicts king Apkar pointing towards the towel with the impression of Jesus Christ.
“In the tide of time nothing lasts except memories, sweet memories…. It is in the heart that one locks his ever green memories…. And so did this king Apkar treasure the towel and letter of Jesus Christ…. And was surely rewarded for his faith….”
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