“Through this story about Jesus of Nazareth, my goal was to reach non-believers.”

– What prompted you to jump into novels with a majestic figure like Jesus of Nazareth?

Carmen Romero, director of fiction at Penguin Random House, invited me to write a novel about Jesus of Nazareth. There was an editorial meeting in which they discussed who was the most important figure in history. Some said it was Julius Caesar, others spoke of Napoleon, and Carmen said it was Jesus of Nazareth. In the end, Jesus of Nazareth emerged as the most important figure in history. She has published articles “The Twelve” and “Jesus Latest News.” Having directed and written the script for seven films, it made it easier for me to transition from essay to novel. Carmen Romero assigned me and I set out on the great challenge of writing a novel with several plots about an important historical figure like Jesus of Nazareth.

– How did you prepare to write the novel?

-At about six o’clock in the morning, I went to the storage room. There I put the cooler and the coffee machine. I was writing continuously until three in the afternoon. What did you dream about the day before? I was with Jesus of Nazareth during his three years of public preaching. I was with him when he gave the Beatitudes, when he prayed in Gethsemane or on Calvary. I also cried at certain moments. The immersion was so great that I was transported to Calvary under the Cross with music to Bach’s “The Passion of Saint Matthew,” which brought me to tears. He was so immersed in that time of the first century AD that he lost perspective. I passed the manuscript to Luis Alberto de Cuenca and Miguel Ángel Blasquez, one of the best editors I know and the author of an essay on Albert Camus (“The Last Word of Albert Camus”). They approved it and from there I sent the manuscript to the publisher. Three editions were published in just one week, and the novel tops sales on Amazon, Dar al-Kutub, and others.

The story was narrated by Praetorian Lucius Phaedro Cellier. Why did you decide to tell the life of Jesus from a Roman perspective rather than from the perspective of a disciple?

– Julia Navarro asked me this question at my presentation in Madrid. She invented the character of Lucius Phaedrus, a judge convicted of a bloody crime and whose life Tiberius spared if he spied on Jesus of Nazareth. He must discredit Jesus. Lucio depicts the hostile and skeptical attitude of many people towards Jesus of Nazareth. I wanted to humanize the character of Jesus through the gaze of a skeptic like Lucio, which is the skeptic’s gaze today. What is most curious is that I receive a stream of thousands of letters, especially from unbelievers who are fascinated by Jesus of Nazareth. That was my goal, to reach non-believers. It is not a blessed and religious novel, but rather a human portrait of Jesus. It’s a reflection of the time and how he was physically, how he ate, etc. That picture I painted of Jesus does not appear in the Gospels, just like the picture I painted of the Apostles, who are largely unknown. I also draw a picture of the women who followed him to the end: the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, Mary Cleopas, and Mary Salome. It is a tribute to women who were persecuted in the first century AD.

The novel mixes careful documentation with a fast-paced plot. Where was the greater challenge: in historical fidelity or in constructing an exciting story?

-I think about everything. On the one hand, I had the advantage of having been researching the character of Jesus for more than ten years and having written two books about him. Also, writing seven movie scripts helped me a lot. TVE’s Moises Rodriguez told me it was a very visual novel and that it felt like a script. There is a very important producer in Spanish cinema who has already shown interest, but at the moment nothing has been signed.

—Did you discover anything during your research that forced you to rethink your view of Jesus or the era?

– I wrote the novel to have a good time, to escape the world of bad news, persecution and divisions. But it is not just an elusive narrative, it has tremendous depth, and it is the message of Jesus of Nazareth, and it is very objective. This message can be summed up in three words: love, hope and peace. If these values, which are lacking in today’s society, were implemented, a different rooster would crow, and we would care about each other more. The book goes beyond just a historical suspense novel about a character like Julius Caesar or Napoleon because it includes that message. Many readers agree that it moved them indoors. Julia Navarro said at the presentation that the novel shook her soul. It is an appeal to today’s reader to conclude that what is material does not give happiness, but what is transcendent and spiritual.

– What do you think of the phenomenon created by the “Al-Mukhtar” series?

—I didn’t watch The Chosen because I didn’t want to condition myself. I was only at the Season 5 preview at Kalaw Cinema, where a couple of episodes were shown that I really liked. I had the opportunity to meet and interview Jonathan Romey. It is a mass phenomenon. It was broadcast in more than 175 countries. Mel Gibson filming the sequel to The Passion. Jaime Llorente, of La Casa de Papel, has publicly declared his faith in Jesus of Nazareth. Instagrammer Pablo García left everything to enter seminary and become a priest. Rosalia, same thing. Antonio Banderas gave the premiere of his musical “Godspell” about Jesus of Nazareth. I also met a YouTuber who has tattoos all over his body. This man had a dream in which he felt loved by Jesus of Nazareth and said so publicly. Human respect is lost when it comes to declaring admiration for Jesus of Nazareth, even if it is in the case of non-believers.

– How did I meet Jesus again?

—I have been far from Jesus for many years without ever setting foot in confession. I was very unhappy though with my job. “The Prophet” has helped me try to be a better person. This is the key. We love each other. You feel happiest when you leave your comfort zone and try to make others happy. When I see my wife, children, or readers writing to me about the novel, I feel very happy. There are many people who, without knowing it, thirst for Jesus of Nazareth. People far from religion, unbelievers, and their souls shaken. This is the explanation of how a novel by an author like me achieves such amazing success in a week without even starting to be promoted.

– Why is there more talk about Jesus of Nazareth than about Buddha or Muhammad, for example?

– Don’t you think it’s strange that people today continue to talk about a person of flesh and blood who was crucified as an ordinary criminal? Then there is the reference to measuring history by the division that characterized it before and after Christ. He was a man born in a manger and was very austere all his life. He exercised charisma on people and also aroused envy, so they killed him. Matteo’s sight was impressive. All it takes is one word, “Follow me,” and one search for Him to leave everything to Him. And on Calvary, when he was crucified, one of the two robbers rebuked him and went in, but the other, Demas, said to him: “You and I are here because we deserve it, but this one has done nothing wrong.” He asks Jesus to remember him when he gets to heaven and Jesus promises him heaven that same night. They are very cinematic images.

— What do you think is the best literary approach to the character of Jesus of Nazareth that has been offered so far?

– There are books that are very strict from a theological point of view, but they did not penetrate people. Benedict XVI wrote a great work, “Jesus of Nazareth,” but it did not reach people because it was an essay. What I wanted was to bring the character of Jesus closer to people, and the best way was to make an action novel. I didn’t read any novels about Jesus because I didn’t want to condition myself. I have read articles to gain historical background on Jesus of Nazareth. I also relied on archaeology. Science and faith go hand in hand, even if people don’t believe it. Archaeological discoveries confirm the historicity of the Gospels. A first-century boat was found that could seat thirteen passengers, like the one used by the apostles. An inscription of Pontius Pilate also found in Caesarea Maritima confirms him as the praetor of Judea and the ossuary of Caiaphas. I used a lot of these things in the novel.