David Barnard is a retired military veteran who continued his career in police work and, most recently, within the wind turbine industry. He supports his writing with lived experiences, and most of his characters are inspired by real war heroes. Although his book Kidnapping Jesus is a story, all elements of location, operations, and key pieces are based on real events. Learning about some of the characters in Kidnapping Jesus will help you better understand this compelling book’s story and depth.
John Elder was inspired by the environment where David Barnard grew up and the people he knew. Elder’s character was modeled after Barnard’s life, including his ability and attitude in approaching problems. David, a police officer, created John Elder from his experiences in high-level police work. In Barnard’s stories, Elder becomes the man who wins the $25 million George Bush offered for the capture or death of Osama Bin Laden.
George Hastings, who won BIOTECH 150 and unlocked the geocode of mankind, then asked Elder, the war hero, to steal the shroud that holds the living blood of Jesus. Elder retired from the Marine Corps and led an elite team accustomed to facing the hardest challenges. Initially, Hastings offered John $100 million, which he rejected to preserve his reputation. However, after his entire team accepted the challenge, John reconsidered and took on the mission.
David Barnard was inspired by real-life war hero Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier in U.S. history. While $100 million motivated the team, for John, it was the impact on history and the challenge itself that drove him. The primary opposition came from the Catholic Church, the protector of the shroud. The Catholic Church, the first organized religion, is portrayed as brutal, using any means necessary to maintain its followers. The Church’s structure is likened to a military hierarchy from the Pope down.
John and his team had to steal the shroud without harming it and replace it with a fake one. During their return, a storm caused the shroud to shine due to the contrast of positive and negative energy. A team member quipped, “I don’t know about you, but I feel like I just kidnapped Jesus,” inspiring the book’s title, Kidnapping Jesus.
The shroud is crucial because it contains the living blood of Jesus, showing 24 chromosomes of a man and nothing more. When a child is reborn from this blood, the Catholic Church commits to killing everyone involved, from the soldiers to the scientists and the newborn child. As tension rises and faith is breached, John and his peers begin to grasp the gravity of their actions. When Elder’s team lands at Hasting’s base in Arizona, they transfer the shroud to scientists. In an underground lab, they extract the DNA from the shroud and impregnate George Hastings’ adopted daughter, Maria.
As the plot thickens, we recall Jesus’s words to the man who killed him, “When man becomes wiser, he shall return to earth. You are content with who you are and will remain until I return.” This man, punished with eternal soldierhood until Jesus’s return, is portrayed as Casey Long in the book. Long recognizes the eyes of the child as those of Jesus, whom he crucified thousands of years ago.
John Elder represents everything kids like David Barnard aspired to be. The characters are based on real-life members Barnard served with in the Marines, many of whom have passed away. For instance, the geographical significance is precise; when Elder’s team flies into the Kushi Hindi mountains, it reflects the actual location of Osama Bin Laden. The co-author, Samuel L. Brody, a retired Lt. Colonel with 26 years in the Army, ensured the military action, geographical details, and character representations were accurate.
John Elder has been Barnard’s main character since he started writing short stories. Kidnapping Jesus is an action-packed book that forms part of Barnard’s perspective-changing series. The series begins with Kidnapping Jesus, which lays the groundwork for the child’s birth. Echoes of the Past continues the story, depicting the battle against the Catholic Church and the protection of the newborn child. Breach of Faith explores the internal conflicts within the Catholic Church and the resulting contrasts.
This book has caught the interest of producers for its potential adaptation into a movie or series. With its rich character development and exploration of societal controversies and beliefs, this project was designed to captivate audiences and challenge their perspectives. As you read the book, the author challenges you to consider: do we have the technology to make this a reality?
Kidnapping Jesus is available on all major platforms. For a chance to connect with the author and get a signed copy, visit www.kidnappingjesus.ai.
Published By: Aize Perez
