Jesus often referred to sheep as, for instance, when he said that he was “sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt.10:6). He very often stressed his mission to the Jews but he did not neglect the Gentiles. Probably Christianism would have died if limited to the Jews. As we know Paul considered his job to preach to the Gentiles although he was himself a Jew.
But what about the unknown world? It is a known fact that when the white men landed in what is now Mexico and Hawaii, the natives greeted them as their returning white God who visited their ancestor and left without leaving any trace, but had promised to return as Jesus did in Jerusalem. It is useless to ask oneself if Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances occurred also in central America and in the Pacific Islands. This, however, would explain the legend of a white bearded God who had taught many concepts similar to those of Christianism and who promised to return, as the New Testament tells us that Jesus did too. When Jesus appeared again after the crucifixion he asked his believers to make more disciples, to baptise them, and to teach them to behave according to His Laws (Matt.28:18-20). Then he led his apostles to Bethamy and blessed them before he parted. They returned to Jerusalem and, after receiving power in the shape of the Holy Spirit, they went out to spread the Gospel of Jesus everywhere. Finally, these few disciples replaced Paganism with Christianity in the whole Roman Empire and, from there, in the whole world. One of the main point of their teaching was that Jesus would come back. In the meantime the New Testament says that He was sitting to the right of the Father. Some people assume that he did more post-resurrection appearances and that would explain the white bearded God of Central America and of the Pacific Islands. Is there any non-biblical support for such a belief? The millions of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints believe that Jesus made a post-resurrection appearance to the Nephites, who lived in Mexico and Central America, as recorded in the Book of Mormon. The Mormons, as a result, believe that the Indians of the Americas are descendants of the Jews who migrated to the New World a long time ago. The Book of Mormon, according to the members of this church, is the translation of ancient records written on gold plates and buried in a “time capsule” by the last survivor of a white race that was living in America in the past.
The tradition of a white God is spread among the Indians from Alaska to Peru and their legends are similar to the story and the preaching of Jesus of Nazareth. For instance, when Hernando Cortez conquered Mexico in 1520 AD, he was welcomed by the Aztecs as the white God they had been waiting for a long time. This facilitated his conquest of the land. He was also received by their Emperor, Montezuma, as the descendant of the God Quetzacoatl. Cortez did not behave as a God, but when the Aztecs realised this, it was too late, Mexico was taken. The Polynesians greeted also James Cook as their long-expected God, Lono. He was killed in 1778 by the natives of Hawaii when they realised that he did not behave as a God. Beside the white skin and the beard, the God they expected should wear a long robe. According to the legends he was born of a virgin, appeared to various tribes in a very mysterious way, and disappeared in the same manner once his mission was completed. He always brought a message of peace and kindness, he healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, restored the speech and the hearing to the deaf and dumb and even rose the dead. The Spanish priest Francisco Fernandez said that a Mayas chief told him that they believed in God who was in heaven, that God was the Father, the Son (whose story on earth is very similar to Jesus’) and the Holy Ghost. These ancient traditions of Central America, so similar to ours, cannot really be explained if Jesus did not make post-resurrection appearances in these lands. We cannot, of course, explain these similarities between the Gospel and the traditions of these far-away countries. (30)
There are still some people to-day who believe that Christ is alive and that they have seen him. Claims of visions of Christ, after those following closely his resurrection, are not uncommon and have always been made, starting perhaps with Paul. Through their faith the Evangelists, whoever they are, as well as St Paul, are convinced that Jesus lives.