Joseph Arellano
There was a brewing revolt to drive the Romans out of Israel. The plot is to incite rebellion with Jesus as the sacrificial lamb. Jesus’ sacrifice is none too great for the reward he expects. His crucifixion thus was a part of the scheme. However, although the plot revolved around him, he was not the mastermind but an underling executing decisions made away from the field. He even has not the vaguest idea on when the rebellion would actually explode. He is not even aware who the Center is, who could only be the beneficiary should the Romans are eventually driven out. Jesus was the man the Center has selected; he is the Anointed One. He was to lead a covert operation to clandestinely recruit men for the army that would carry out the rebellion. The book started in a public classroom of grade-schoolers in the Philippines in December, and the topic of the class is the upcoming Christmas party. By some twist of nature, the story gravitated to the man whose birthday they would be celebrating. The narrative is interlaced with the frailties of a nation that relies on a borrowed philosophy for its spirituality.
