We talk about Jesus as the true lamb of Passover, but moderners have a hard time imagining what that means. We have no mental imagery of what a Temple sacrifice ceremony was like. We know that the disciples joined crowds of other worshipers in the Temple to sacrifice a lamb, which they roasted and ate […]
Teaching about Blessing the Lord
Just an update — I’ll be speaking about the rich Jewish prayer traditions that Jesus observed at Grace Church in Granger, Indiana this Saturday (March 16). For more info about the event, see this page. I’m speaking about the chapter in Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus called “For Everything a Blessing.” If you […]
Top Ten Favorite Articles of 2012
Here are readers’ favorite articles from Our Rabbi Jesus: His Jewish Life and Teaching over this past year. Below that I’ve shared a few that were highlights for me personally. I’m glad if my writing has blessed you, and hope to continue as the Lord gives me ability. …Drumroll… 1. What Does the […]
Having a “Kosher Mouth” – A Talk I Gave
Now that the elections are over, we’re all breathing a sigh of relief from the mud-slinging ads. Our ears were practically pickled in the brine of malicious words. This has been on my mind especially lately because I spoke at a conference last weekend on “How to Have a Kosher Mouth.” The talk was about […]
Love your Neighbor…It Can Save Your Life
In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, many neighbors who hardly knew each other are making friends, huddling together and bailing each other out, quite literally. Many are learning how essential it is to love your neighbor. I read a study a while ago that showed that loving your neighbors (or at least knowing them) can […]
Stop Book Evaporation Syndrome!
If you’re reading this blog, chances are that you’re a little bookish, like me, and that you appreciate a good church library. So you’ll resonate with my feelings about the conversation I had this past weekend. A few years ago my church had a budget to buy a bookcase full of resources for an in-depth […]
Great Books for Learning to Walk Like Rabbi Jesus
A few weeks ago I wrote a blog called “Good First Reads About Jesus’ Jewish Context” which shared what I’d give to people who are just beginning to learn about Hebraic studies. Many of you wonder what else I recommend. You’d think that the next books I’d suggest would be more history. But discipleship is […]
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 […]
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 […]
Many Ways to Repaint Jesus
(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 […]