Many people around the world are eagerly waiting for the new Harry Potter movie to come out.  If you are at all familiar with the series, the next installment, "The Half Blood Prince," details the origins of Harry's nemesis, Voldemort. In it Dumbledore takes Harry into the past to see the origins of the person that will become his archenemy throughout the series.

The fact that the origins of Voldemort are not revealed until much later in the story (Half Blood Prince is book six in the series) is typical of stories and movies that are sequelized. Star Wars, the Hannibal Lecter series, Star Trek, and many others are modern day mythological stories that follow the same structure.

The first story is told, about the character and their adventure. Then as the story grows in popularity, the natural question on the minds of the readers and watchers around the world is "how did it all get started?"  You don't have to look very far through modern literature to find this theme occurring again and again.

Probably one of the most widely told stories in the history of western civilization also follows this same exact pattern. The Story of Jesus the Nazarene. After His crucifixion and resurrection, stories about His life and teachings were spread through what is called "oral tradition." Meaning that the idea of Jesus was spread by stories being told and retold. If you've ever played "telephone" as a kid, you know that sometimes a story can take on life of its own.

The first written account of the life of Christ was the Gospel of Mark, written around 40 AD.  And just like the above story structure, this first written account didn't contain anything about the origins of Jesus. No virgin birth, no three wise men, no Word made Flesh. It was only after this written account spread for approximately twenty years (as the next Gospels are thought to have been written around 60 AD) did the various accounts begin to reveal the Origins of Jesus.

Which begs the question. If Jesus did in fact exist, as literally billions of people believe, why were His origins left out in the original account?

Those that believe unerringly in the historical existence of Christ may argue that all that was written in the Gospels was inspired by God, and only God chooses when to reveal His truth. And subsequent stories are all modeled, unconsciously after the story of Jesus.

Those that vehemently disagree with the historical existence of Christ would likely argue that this story, like many others before it, and countless others to come, represent a general human truth that is common to all people. A deep desire to see good triumph over evil, and peace to prevail among men. And to always seek reasons why.

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