In Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus I talked about Christian individualism. Our tradition greatly emphasizes the idea of isolating ourselves in order to experience God’s presence, whereas Judaism emphasizes community. Many Jewish prayers speak to God as “we” rather than “I.” Their daily morning prayers actually require a minyan, the presence of at […]
Great News, If You Need Images for Preaching
If you give talks on biblical subjects and use Powerpoint images like I do, you’ll be happy to hear this news. Todd Bolen recently issued a major update of the Pictorial Library of the Bible Lands, which includes images and maps from Israel, Egypt, Greece and other biblical lands, as well as Jewish culture and […]
What Really Happened at Pentecost?
Last weekend Christians celebrated Pentecost, recalling the account in Acts 2 where the disciples heard a wind and saw tongues of fire that appeared above each others’ heads. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and suddenly able to praise God in other languages. Peter then shared the Gospel with 3000 people who were baptized […]
Sheep that REALLY Follow Their Shepherd
“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)
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
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
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
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
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
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 […]
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