Our Rabbi Jesus

Sheep that REALLY Follow Their Shepherd

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“In many countries, sheep spend their lives in fenced-in pastures where they spend their time grazing and milling about. In Israel, however, where grass has difficulty growing in the arid soil, sheep must know their shepherd, following him obediently from pasture to pasture. There, shepherding is a much more active task. Some sheep come running […]

Biblical Laws for Kids Today (Humor)

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Years ago I received this in an email and I laughed so hard I nearly cried. It’s by Ian Frasier, from The Atlantic magazine (February 1, 1997). The original is at this link. Laws Concerning Food and Drink; Household Principles; Lamentations of the Father Of the beasts of the field, and of the fishes of […]

The Shema and the First Commandment

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Years ago I used to scratch my head at Jesus’ response to the question “What is the greatest commandment?” in Mark 12:28. Why does he start with the line “Hear O Israel, the Lord is Your God, the Lord alone” before stating the command: “Love the Lord your God…”? Why state a fact before giving […]

Hesed: Enduring, Eternal, Undeserved Love

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Hebrew has a word for life-long love that is richer and deeper than English has ever conceived of—hesed (HEH-sed). Based in a covenantal relationship, hesed is a steadfast, rock-solid faithfulness that endures to eternity: “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love (hesed) for you will not be shaken” […]

Golden Bell from a Priest’s Robe Found

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I got a kick out of a recent archaeological finding in Jerusalem – a golden bell that was likely sown on the hem of a high official’s garment. Remember how God stipulated that the high priest’s robe was to have bells and pomegranates hanging from it (Exodus 28:34)? Well, they found a golden bell that […]

Discovering the Jewishness of Our Faith

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Below is an interview I did recently with Sam Hailes of Christian.co.uk about Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus. See the original at this link. (I’ve tweaked a few lines of my own below, just for clarity.)   Discovering the Jewishness of Our Faith When Lois Tverberg first heard about a seminar at her […]

A Jewish Translation Debate, Finally

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A few months ago I wrote an article called, “Translation Debates – A Jewish View.” I noted that Christians often get into heated debates over translations. Many have sparred over the “KJV-only debate” and the inclusive language in the TNIV.  Surprisingly, I’ve almost never heard this kind of discussion among Jews. The reason why is […]

Many Ways to Repaint Jesus

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(As I was writing my latest book, Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus, I found an endless amount of fascinating material that I just couldn’t include. This blog is the perfect place to share some of the extras. In coming months I’ll post more. See this link to read chapters 1-3 for free.) Walking […]

Covered in the Dust of Your Rabbi: An Urban Legend?

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Some time back ago, pastor/blogger Trevin Wax posted an article called “Urban Legends: The Preacher’s Edition.” There he lists several “urban legends” that he’s heard floating around lately in sermons. Like Internet rumors that people forward on ad infinitum, these preaching illustrations don’t have much grounding in fact. One potential fallacy on his list caught […]