The Gospel of Light

by Tom McGuire, M.Div, M.R.E., USCCA Director Emeritus

Today, we celebrate Easter in the year 2025. I invite you to read and meditate on five of the Jesus Sutras, Chinese texts from the seventh century, describing Christ’s Resurrection.

Christian priests in a procession on Palm Sunday, in a 7th- or 8th-century wall painting from a church in China.

The Jesus Sutras introduce Chinese people to Easter as a celebration of the Gospel of Light, a celebration of Hope in Christ’s Resurrection for all people. The Good News of Hope came to China as early as 635 CE as the Religion of Light or the Luminous Religion (Jingjiao). Written records, including the Jesus Sutras, of monks from the Eastern Syriac Church were found in an 11th-century secret sealed room in Dunhuang, Gansu Province, China.

The Jesus Sutras document the Good News of Jesus within the Chinese cultural heritage of Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist thought. Syriac monks, in dialogue with Chinese people, successfully translated the Christian message of Jesus as savior into a language and cultural context that was understandable to them.

The discovery of the record of profound cultural encounters between Christian monks and Chinese people illustrates ways ‘the light for revelation’ found in Chinese cultural wisdom prepared for Christ’s light in China. The monks’ encounter with Chinese cultural life fulfilled the prophetic message of Simeon: “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel” (Luke 2: 29-32).

These quotes from the Jesus Sutras describe from a Chinese perspective “…the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus, who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Tim 1:10):

While his (Jesus’) Five Attributes (form, feelings, perceptions, mental activity and nature of knowing.) passed away, he did not die but was released again after his death. Thus, is it possible for even those who fail to live after death? (Sutra 4:20-21)

Those who believe will be raised after death from the Yellow Springs (Underworld), every one of them. (Sutra 6:14)

He died, but after three days he escaped from the hold of death, through the action of the World-Honored One’s qi (life breath). (Sutra 6:21)

Through the holy wonders of the Messiah, all can escape becoming ghosts. All of us are saved by his works. You don’t need strength to receive him, but he will not leave you weak and vulnerable without qi. (Sutra 4:22-24)

You may have been taught that people cannot save themselves. This is why the Heavenly Honored One sends the spirit force to all places to save everyone. It goes to all that live and teach the truth. This is different from what the various deities and spirits do. Sutra (7:36-39).

Kin Sheung Chiaretto Yan 甄健湘, a friend of mine who teaches in Chinese Catholic seminaries and resides in China, provided the following commentary on the above quotations from the Jesus Sutras.

Although I don’t have the original Chinese text of the Jesus Sutras; based on Martin Palmer’s translation, these are my comments... The passages speak precisely of Jesus rising from death. In his resurrection he transformed death to life, weakness to strength. All because of the saving works of Jesus, the fruits of the Holy Spirit, the Qi. Therefore, it actually is a message of Easter Hope. The fact that the Christian teachings brought to China is called in Chinese Jingjiao, the Luminous Religion or the Religion of Light, light speaks to us about love, peace, and hope of the resurrection. I can see from the Jesus Sutras the encounter and the effort of inculturating the Christian message through Oriental Philosophies. For example, using the five attributes from Hindu and Buddhist thoughts, and using the Qi from the dialects of Daoist philosophy.”

To read the full article by Kin Sheung Chiaretto Yan 甄健湘 about the Eastern Syriac Church Missionary encounter with the people of China, navigate to "The introduction of Jingjiao to China: A new paradigm of interculturality between Christianity and China". Quotes from the Jesus Sutras are Martin Palmer’s translations, included in posts by Victoria Emily Jones.

Tom McGuire, M.Div, M.R.E. is a Director Emeritus of the USCCA. Tom has served as a Maryknoll Missionary in Hong Kong and as Director of Campus Ministry at University of Detroit Mercy. He is now retired, living in Chicago with his family.

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