Jesus was a Jew! His Parents too! What does that mean to you?

My article “Jesus was a Jew” was published in Catholic Answers magazine this week.

I think you’ll find it helpful and interesting, especially if you want to understand Jesus himself and our Catholic faith. Enjoy!

Read Here or listen below!

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“Jesus was a Jew. This fact slips past most casual readers of the New Testament, but it is crucial to understanding Jesus and the book written about him—the Bible. Unfortunately, we are far removed from the ancient world of Roman-occupied Judea and the life of Israel in which Jesus lived.

”Let me ask you a few questions. Were you born and raised in Israel? Did you study the Torah with the rabbis from an early age? Have you traversed the rocky hills and dusty paths to celebrate the mandatory feasts in Jerusalem?

“Do you speak Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic? I have not found many in my Catholic circle of friends who have. Without this background, we are at a disadvantage when studying the word of God as contained in the Bible.

When we open the pages of our English Bible, we find a Jewish book! The setting revolves around the country of Israel and the worship of Yahweh. With one exception, the more than forty biblical writers were all Jews, and the one exception was most likely a Jewish proselyte. (Do you know who the only non-Jewish author in the Bible is? I’ll give you a few hints: he was a physician, one of St. Paul’s co-workers, and he wrote the first history of the Church.)
“But the point is, how can we understand the Bible and the teachings surrounding Jesus without understanding his people, his culture, and his Jewish identity?”
To read the rest of the article, click click here

 

 

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