Virtualization is a very powerful tool and -in fact- we use it all the time in our "parliaments".
The Speaker of the House is a virtual "god" with virtual/imagined/perceived status and power. All members address this virtual god ... instead of talking to each other. He then "moderates" their comments but otherwise, does nothing else. The other members HEAR what the speaking member is saying and they know that the speaking member is talking about THEM ... but they're not "allowed" to jump up and protest; they have to take their turn and speak their thoughts to the virtual god/Speaker person instead.
So this virtual god is their "mediator" between each other. They speak "through him" to each other.
That's kind of what Jesus Christ was to the early Christians and even is today, amongst Christians who pray out loud in church meetings. People get to hear what other members THINK ... as they're talking to a perceived mediator. It's effective ... it gets consensus ... and it avoids direct conflict. (No Christian is ever going to ream out another Christian for what he said in a prayer about the first Christian ... when the second guy was talking to GOD!!)
And ...
We have this thing about "what would Jesus do?"
That's good because the person asking ... is attempting to EMULATE the conceptualized perfect Jesus Christ.
But when it turns into ... "what DID Jesus do?" ... it starts to get pretty tacky because the written-down "historical" Jesus said and did some things that can easily be turned into tyranny.
