Seek the Truth - Exposing the Da Vinci Hoax (Conclusion)

We now come to the end of my response to Dan Brown's challenge: "Seek the Truth." Before you read this conclusion of the series, I encourage you, if you haven't already, to read the previous posts in this series:

Seek the Truth - Exposing the Da Vinci Hoax (Introduction)
Seek the Truth - Exposing the Da Vinci Hoax (Part 1)
Seek the Truth - Exposing the Da Vinci Hoax (Part 2)
Seek the Truth - Exposing the Da Vinci Hoax (Part 3)
Seek the Truth - Exposing the Da Vinci Hoax (Part 4)

Dan Brown's book and movie, The Da Vinci Code, has caused quite a stir, hasn't it? It has sparked an industry in its own right and countless discussions on the Internet, both for and against, and all of this has been to Dan Brown's benefit. He is not opposed to all this discussion, because it sells more books and more tickets to the movie. But we need to realise that, for Dan Brown, this wasn't just fiction. He sincerely meant what he wrote at the beginning of his book when he stated his "facts." In fact, Dan Brown sincerely believes that Jesus really was married to Mary Magdalene, that they produced a child, and that there exists today descendants of Jesus -- a royal bloodline guarded by a secret society called the Priory of Sion.

On November 3, 2003, Dan Brown made this public confession:

"I began as a skeptic. As I started researching The Da Vinci Code, I really thought I would disprove a lot of this theory about Mary Magdalene and holy blood and all of that. I became a believer."

When asked by host Matt Lauer on NBC's Today Show, "How much of this is based on reality in terms of things that actually occurred?", Brown replied, "Absolutely all of it."

We have not explored all of the possible ways that Dan Brown's beliefs can be disproven, but instead have limited ourselves just to the four primary premises that underpin The Da Vinci Code:

1. The Authority of Alternative Gospels
2. The Beliefs of Leonardo Da Vinci
3. The Historicity of the Priory of Sion
4. The "Culturally Unacceptable" Marital Status of Jesus

I purposely restricted the scope of this series because, quite honestly, discussions on these and related issues could go on indefinitely. Scholars will continue to debate these questions for years to come, and Internet forums will overflow with posts both for and against the theories proposed by The Da Vinci Code, Holy Blood, Holy Grail and dozens of other books in this genre.

Did you know that the genre that The Da Vinci Code falls under has a history dating back 800 years? The first Grail story was a novel, just like The Da Vinci Code, called Perceval, le Conte du Graal (Percival, and the Story of the Grail), written by Chretien de Troyes, and, just like The Da Vinci Code, it took the medieval world by storm. It was the bestseller of its day. In other words, this fascination with grail quests has proven just as marketable in the 21st century as it was in the 12th century.

Dan Brown's marketers came up with the phrase, "Seek the Truth", in order to promote the movie version of The Da Vinci Code. I agree. Seek the truth. But in seeking the truth, get back to the original source material. Don't just rely on hearsay -- people's opinions of who Jesus is. We must get back to what Jesus Himself said, and as we saw in Part 3 of this series, the Gospel record is the best historical evidence that we have for Jesus' life. In John 8:32, Jesus said:

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

But this isn't just any truth that will set you free. Jesus was very specific about what kind of truth he was talking about, for in the preceding verse (John 8:31), Jesus said this:

"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

In other words, the "truth" that Jesus is referring to -- the truth that has an innate liberating power -- is His own teaching.

Jesus said the same thing in Matthew 7:24-27, where he told a parable of two construction workers to illustrate the two ways a person can build his or her life:

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

Can I challenge you to go on your own "Grail Quest"? But this grail is not a chalice, or any physical object. In The Da Vinci Code, Teabing says:

"...legend tells us the Holy Grail is a chalice -- a cup. But the Grail's description as a chalice is actually an allegory to protect the true nature of the Holy Grail. That is to say, the legend uses the chalice as a metaphor for something far more important."

Teabing then goes on to explain that the Holy Grail was, according to him, a woman. I both agree and disagree with Teabing. The Holy Grail is indeed "a metaphor for something far more important." But I disagree with Teabing as to the identity of what the Grail represents. He says it is Mary Magdalene. I say it is Jesus Himself.

Think about it for a moment. The Holy Grail, in ancient legend, was many different objects, but it was primarily understood to be the chalice used by Jesus at the Last Supper, the cup described in Luke 22:20:

"In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.'"

The Bible tells us that God personified salvation in a person (note 1 Corinthians 1:30). He wrapped up the "whole package" in Jesus (Ephesians 1:4-8). So I encourage you to embark on your own personal Grail Quest - discover Jesus for yourself. After all, Jesus described Himself not just as a teacher of the truth. He said, "I am the truth" (John 14:6).

In John 5:39-40, Jesus challenged the religious people of His day:

"You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life."

I think Jesus would say the same thing to us, in response to our fascination with the grail legends. He might say something like, "You diligently read the latest books, because you think that through them you will discover the truth, yet you refuse to come to me to discover the truth for yourselves."

So, if you're interested in taking up the challenge, may I suggest you download the "Grail Package" that I've put together for you:

http://www.online-bible-college.com/journey/grailpackage.zip (4.6 MB)

The Grail Package contains 40 lessons that I've written for the Online Bible College, which can kickstart your understanding of what the Bible teaches about Jesus and what He means for you personally.

In conclusion, and as a good critic, I want to rate Dan Brown's novel, The Da Vinci Code. As a work of detective fiction, I give The Da Vinci Code four stars. As a work of scholarly investigation, however, I give The Da Vinci Code half a star, and even then I think I'm being generous. As long as you can separate fact from fiction, it's a great book - a real "page turner." But if you do purchase the book, make sure that it stays in the "fiction" section of your bookshelf. And if you're genuinely interested in the facts behind the grail legends, I encourage you to first go to the original source material. Pick up a Bible and read the Gospel of Mark (it's short -- just 16 chapters, so you can easily read it in a couple of nights). If you don't have a hardcopy Bible, you can access a Bible online by clicking here.

And if you're still really keen to learn more about answering the questions raised by The Da Vinci Code, then you can listen to the two-part audio presentation that Ken Li Koh and I conducted recently at ECC, by clicking on the links below (you will need QuickTime to listen to the files):

Cracking the Da Vinci Code: Separating Fact From Fiction (Part 1)

Cracking the Da Vinci Code: Separating Fact From Fiction (Part 2)

I wish you all the best on your own journey of discovery.