Jesus was born into a Jewish family, Jewish culture, Jewish
religion, Jewish customs, education, worship, and festivals. We believe that He was trained in a Jewish
Yeshiva (seminary), to become a Jewish Rabbi, and His disciples were Jewish. Our study on
The Jewishness of Jesus spans more than a half a century. As you interpret
Jesus, and His teachings against the taperstry of His' Jewish background,
the Gospel events burst forth with new life.
It is vitally important to understand Jesus' Jewish background because, without this knowledge, it is virtually impossible to comprehend Jesus' life and teachings. Our Heavenly Father placed His only Son in the heart of first century Judaism, in the center of Jewish life and customs, which had developed under the Father's watchful eye, for nearly 2,000 years.
Across the centuries, people have interpreted Jesus, in light of their culture and personal preferences. Very intersting intepretations and concepts have arisen. Some have spiritual value, but most lead away from accurate exegesis. Our interpretations of Jesus are simply based on his cultural background and influences.
We teach that Jesus' native language was Hebrew, not Aramaic, and surely, not Greek. We believe that Jesus was a Rabbi, as the Scriptures tell us on fourteen seperate occasions. We teach that His ministry assignment, as the Teaching Rabbi, was specifically to the northern end of the Sea of Galilee (the synagogues of Capernaum, Bethsaida, and Chorazin). In this area He spent most of His earthly ministry, traveling this area and training His disciples. Jesus taught according to the Rabbinical teaching methods of His day, ministering to those in need, and demonstrating through miracles His relationship to God. When Jesus is placed in this Jewish context, His ministry comes alive with new meaning. New insights will flood your heart as God's Spirit opens His Word, in a new and exciting way. Your Bible study and quiet times will take on new meaning. Your teaching will share new and exciting perspectives.
Our thirteen hour, twenty six session, seminar on The Jewishness of Jesus will soon be available online. We have recently filmed the sessions and they are now being edited. Obviously, our Study Tours to Israel are packed with these Jewish insights. This coming spring we will film the entire study tour with two cameras...over 200 hours of Israel. This will be condensed into "the best of the tour" and available on DVDs. It is our hope to soon film the main sites in Israel for a Virtual Tour presentation, available to the public by TV.
As we publish materials on this subject, they will be made available through this web site. If you are interested in joining the growing list of those interested in these studies, please register for pre-publication information by emailing us at bc_ross@verizon.net. Thanks!