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It is perhaps no surprise that the four gospel accounts of Jesus’ life place great emphasis upon the final days leading to his crucifixion and resurrection. As he repeatedly declared, this was the mission for which he volunteered, with all its momentous ramifications (Matthew 16:21, John 12:27). But there is much more to Jesus than this. In the roughly three years of his earthly activity, he devoted himself not only to training his immediate disciples, but also to carrying out an extensive teaching ministry.

Much within the gospel accounts is devoted to the content of Jesus’ teaching, contained in parables and sermons offered in synagogues, informal settings, and public gatherings. What is so notable about these teachings?

Arguably the single, most earthshaking statement Jesus ever made was, “The kingdom of God is in the midst of you” (Luke 17:21), by which he referred to himself as Israel’s promised king. This proclamation did not spring out of nowhere. It answered the long-suffering expectation of the children of Israel, who eagerly anticipated a world of righteousness and justice under the authority of the promised Son of David, who would rule with the sovereign majesty of God. It is a kingdom that turns the world upside down, as Jesus’ mother, Miriam (Mary), sang—where unjust rulers are brought down from their thrones, the hungry and humble are raised up and filled with good things, and the rich and proud are cast down and sent away empty (Luke 1:51–53).

Regarding this royal proclamation, Jesus gave the command: “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). In many instances, in the tradition of the prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures, Jesus contrasted the priorities and values of God’s kingdom with the existing social order. The extended passage in Matthew, known as the Sermon on the Mount, establishes many of the kingdom’s principles and practical applications. It is also a kingdom where “many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Matthew 19:30). In addition, those who would be great in the kingdom must act as servants (Matthew 20:26), in contrast to the greedy, power-hungry impulses of this world.

Jesus is more than just a revolutionary teacher of a new order. Seekers after this kingdom must begin with a move toward inner transformation for it to have any effect. As Jesus instructed the religious leader Nicodemus, who sought him out under the cover of darkness, “Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). One becomes born again—that is, a new person with Spirit-empowered reordered priorities—by accepting Jesus’ message.

This new birth involves a radical reorientation of character and values based upon a lifelong exploration of the love of God toward creation and humanity. This unique form of love is embodied in the self-sacrificial lifestyle and ministry of Yeshua the Messiah. It is passed on to us through the gift of the Holy Spirit, whom he imparts to his followers.

His love transforms our heart and attitudes toward others and even toward ourselves. It teaches us to put aside the bondage of pride in favor of the freedom of humility. It teaches us to delight in the gifts and contributions of others and not to envy them or compare ourselves. It teaches us to devote our talents and gifts to the service of our loving master.

Obeying Jesus’ teaching sometimes involves going against our own instincts, such as forgiving those who wrong us, forbearing those who get under our skin, and even suffering for the sake of his truth. But for those who have received him, he is indeed the “pearl of great value,” whom the buyer rejoiced to obtain, even at the price of every other thing in his possession (Matthew 13:46).

The teachings of Jesus are profound pathways into a rich and rewarding relationship with God. It is not without reason that many have remarked that no one taught like Rabbi Jesus taught. We encourage you to discover his uniqueness for yourself.

It is perhaps no surprise that the four gospel accounts of Jesus’ life place great emphasis upon the final days leading to his crucifixion and resurrection.

What Did Jesus Teach? | Blog | LaOmek

What Did Jesus Teach?

What will the Messiah be like, and what will he do? Many people have asked this question throughout the centuries. The prophet Isaiah had a lot to say in response to this question. In Isaiah 52:13—53:12 (from here on, just “Isaiah 53”), the prophet Isaiah described the Messiah, whom he called the “Servant of the Lord,” and this description fits Jesus perfectly. What is amazing about this passage is that it was written nearly 700 years before Jesus was even born! Listen to Isaiah’s description of the Messianic Servant:

1. The Servant came from unimpressive beginnings (Isa. 53:2).

Isaiah 53 describes him as “a root out of dry ground.” No one would expect dry ground to grow much of anything useful. When Jesus taught, the people questioned his authority because he was not from a prominent family. They asked, “Is not this the carpenter’s son?” (Matthew 13:55).

2. The Servant was rejected by Israel (Isa. 53:3).

Isaiah’s Servant “was despised and rejected by men.” Jesus was rejected by the majority of his own people. “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him” (John 1:11).

3. The Servant was condemned via oppression and judgment (Isa. 53:8).

According to Isaiah, the Servant was taken away by unjust and oppressive means, which was true of Jesus as well. After the Roman governor Pilate declared Jesus innocent, an angry mob demanded that Jesus be killed (Luke 23:4-25). It was only at the crowd’s insistence that Pilate ordered Jesus to be flogged and crucified.

4. The Servant submitted to his sentence without resistance (Isa. 53:7).

Isaiah compared the servant to a lamb that was led to the slaughter but didn’t open his mouth in protest. When Jesus was accused during his trial, “he gave him [Pilate] no answer, not even to a single charge” (Matthew 27:14).

5. The Servant suffered for the sins of others (Isa. 53:4-6, 8).

Repeatedly throughout the chapter, the servant took on himself the sins and the punishment that others deserved. This was ultimately Jesus’ purpose in coming to the earth. Jesus was completely innocent, but he took our sins on himself so we would not have to suffer the repercussions (2 Corinthians 5:21).

6. The Servant was beaten beyond recognition (Isa. 52:14).

The Servant’s “appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance.” Jesus was flogged before his crucifixion (Matthew 27:26). This meant that Jesus was repeatedly beaten with a leather whip with pieces of sharp metal or bone on the ends, which were designed to shred whatever flesh it touched.

Isaiah made it clear that the servant died. “He was cut off out of the land of the living” and buried. Some claim Isaiah 53 is about Israel, but unlike Jesus, Israel has never died as a people. Am Yisrael Chai! In addition, Isaiah clearly distinguished the servant from Israel when he wrote that the servant suffered “for the transgression of my people [Israel].” After experiencing the terrible pain of crucifixion, “Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last” (Mark 15:37).

8. The Servant was buried in a rich man’s tomb (Isa. 53:9).

The Servant’s grave was “with a rich man.” It seems antithetical that someone who suffered an extreme punishment for sin would be given an honorable burial, but that is what happened with Jesus. “A rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph… took the body [of Jesus] and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb” (Matthew 27:57-60).

9. The Servant will be raised from the dead (Isa. 53:10).

After explaining the Servant’s death and burial, Isaiah said his days would be prolonged. The only way a dead man’s days can be prolonged is if he comes back to life. After three days in the tomb, Jesus resurrected from the dead (Matthew 28:1-10)!

10. By knowing the Servant, many will be accounted righteous (Isa. 53:11).

Because the Servant bore our iniquities on himself, we can be accounted righteous through putting our faith in him. It is only through faith in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection that we are forgiven of our sins and made right with God (Romans 10:9).

What do you think? Do you think anyone else could possibly fit this description?

What will the Messiah be like, and what will he do? Many people have asked this question throughout the centuries. The prophet Isaiah had a lot to say in response to this question.

Ten Reasons Why Isaiah 53 Points to Jesus | Blog | LaOmek

Ten Reasons Why Isaiah 53 Points to Jesus

Jesus of Nazareth is arguably the most influential person in history. Billions of people around the world know about the God of the Bible (the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) because of Jesus’ life, death, claimed resurrection, and teachings. As Bible scholar Robert Van Voorst puts it, Jesus has had an impact on the entire world through the spread of Christianity. Whether that be through directly shaping the beliefs, values, and practices of a society as in the case of Western cultures, or indirectly influencing minds and hearts of individuals within other cultures, Jesus has impacted billions.1 His followers love the God of the Bible and do their best to follow Him via obeying the “Golden Rule” espoused by Jesus in his famous “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:31) but first taught in the Torah (Deuteronomy 6:4–5; Leviticus 19:18). Jesus has impacted the world on a level that is impossible to ignore. However, the question begs to be asked: Was he a real historical figure? Or was he a legend created by early Christians?

It may surprise you that we do not need to consult the New Testament to answer the question. In short, the answer is yes; Jesus of Nazareth was a real historical figure. We can be confident about this because non-New Testament material provides enough evidence to prove his existence. In fact, all of the non-New Testament material we will give below comes from non-believers in Jesus. The authors of the various texts were Jewish, Greek pagans, or Roman pagans. Their texts range from official government documents, to personal letters, to Talmudic texts, all dating from approximately 93 C.E. to 200 C.E. The information gathered from these sources mirrors that of the New Testament’s description of Jesus to a high degree. Bottom line, whether someone believes Jesus was the divine Messiah sent by God or not, the fact remains that he existed and made a profound impact on history.

What are these sources and what do they say? Each original document is interesting and worth investigating in its own right, but for the sake of brevity, I will provide a table of what each document is, where it can be found, who wrote it, what time frame it was written in, and what it discusses. Again, each has a great deal of information worth reading on its own, but for the sake of a summary, here is the following chart:

When we put all these together then, the following can be gleaned from non-biblical sources. Christian theologian and philosopher Norman Geisler writes:

Of course, each of these things are discussed at length in the New Testament, but it is remarkable that these claims about Jesus can be found outside of the New Testament’s pages. In the realm of history, historians often employ a tool known as multiple attestation. In short, it argues that something is more likely to be historically true if it has several sources independently corroborating a person, place, thing, or event. As such, the New Testament’s account is corroborated by more than eight individual authors who did not have personal or spiritual bias at play when writing about his existence.

The question for every reader then is, “In relation to Jesus’ historical existence, are you willing to go where the evidence leads?” If you believe Jesus did not exist, would you then apply the same kind of skepticism to Claudius Caesar of Rome, Rabbi Hillel of Jerusalem, or any other first-century historical figure? Are you allowing Jesus to play by the same rules as every other historical figure? And if not, then why? And if you are willing to let Jesus play by the same rules as all other historical figures, then welcome to the interesting world of the historical texts around him.

Jesus of Nazareth is arguably the most influential person in history. Billions of people around the world know about the God of the Bible (the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) because of Jesus’ life, death, claimed resurrection, and teachings.

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Yeshua

What Did Jesus Teach?

September 13, 2022

Ten Reasons Why Isaiah 53 Points to Jesus

September 10, 2022

Did Jesus Exist?

September 5, 2022