Was Jesus an Essene? A Historical Look Behind John Davis's Claims

Peace Be With You Reader,

“Responding to John Davis | The Man Who Claims He's The Apostle John | Jesus Way Podcast 026” 🎧

In this episode, Aaron, James, and Kam respond to @ExpandingSpirit’s recent videos featuring John Davis (who claims to be “John the Beloved” reincarnated) and his attempt to discredit The Jesus Way message.

John assures his listeners that “Jeshua,” as he calls him, was an avid meat-eater and had no connection to the Essene type of Judaism. Aaron and the Jesus Way crew take these claims seriously and measure them against the historical-critical evidence to see whether John is a credible authority on the historical Jesus and His true gospel message.

In this powerful discussion, they address:

The historical evidence surrounding Jesus’ connection to the Essenes and Nazarene movements
What the earliest sources reveal about Jesus’ teachings on compassion and nonviolence
How diet, purity, and daily practice were viewed in the earliest Jesus communities
The linguistic and cultural problems with the name “Jeshua” and how this differs from “Yeshua”
The dangers of spiritual misinformation and why discernment matters today

This episode isn’t about attacking anyone. It’s about truth. Aaron, James, and Kam invite everyone to examine the historical record for themselves and to seek the Jesus of history; the teacher of love, peace, and purity of heart.

👉 Watch or listen to the full episode here:

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“But we want to appeal to you, John: refute our arguments. If you can disprove anything we’ve shared, please do so. But personal visions and claims about what we’ve never said aren’t evidence. We’re not here to evangelize or convince anyone to believe what we believe. We came to these understandings through our own study, and we encourage everyone to do the same. Don’t just listen to every voice on the internet. Seek the truth for yourself.”

As they conclude, the team speaks with love and forgiveness:

“John, we send you love. You asked for a response, and here it is. We’re grateful for the opportunity to clarify what The Jesus Way stands for. There’s no animosity here — only love and the desire for truth. We forgive you for the misunderstandings and thank you for giving us the chance to strengthen our message. Because the truth remains: love God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself. When you do that, you are walking the Jesus Way.”

Here are some historical quotes shared throughout the video: