How Did Jesus Become A Rabbi

Was Jesus a rabbi?

QuestionAnswer According to the gospels, Jesus had a well-deserved reputation as a respected Jewish rabbi (Mark 14:45; John 1:38). In Mark 9:5, Peter addresses Jesus as “Rabbi,” while Mary Magdalene addresses Jesus as “Rabbi” in John 20:16. Furthermore, the Jewish ruler Nicodemus believed that this title was fitting for Jesus, saying, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. We honor you with this title.” Because no one could achieve the miracles you are performing if God were not present” (John 3:2).

According to John 1:38, the titles “Rabbi” and “Teacher” are interchangeable.

Rabbis are frequently called upon to serve as heads of synagogues, where they impart knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures and Jewish customs.

Despite the fact that Jesus was never a member of the formal temple leadership, He was nonetheless regarded as a rabbi as a result of His teaching career.

It is believed that the term “rabbi” was employed in a more casual manner than it is today during the first century AD.

When it comes to rabbis, the Mishna refers to Gamaliel the Elder, who instructed Saul of Tarsus and who is named in Acts 5:34–40, as a teacher: There has been no more regard for the law since Rabban Gamaliel the Elder passed away, and purity and piety have also faded out at the same time” (Sotah15:18).

There can be little doubt that Jesus was regarded as a knowledgeable teacher, and as such could be correctly classified as a rabbi in the manner in which the term was used during Jesus’ lifetime.

As time progressed, the definition of a rabbi continued to shift.

Return to the Jewish Questions page.

Jesus Many Faces – Jesus As Rabbi

Scholar Jaroslav Pelikan investigates how people’s opinions of Jesus’ status as a Jewish rabbi and teacher have evolved through time. Jaroslav Pelikan’s The Illustrated Jesus Through the Centuries (Yale University Press, 1997), pp. 9-23, is a book about the history of illustration of Jesus. The Rabbi is a religious figure who lives in Israel. The study of Jesus’ place in the history of human culture must begin with the New Testament, which serves as the foundation for all later portrayals of the figure of Jesus.

  • During the decades that elapsed between the time of Jesus’ ministry and the compilation of the multiple Gospels, the recollection of what Jesus had said and done spread in the form of an oral tradition, which was passed down from generation to generation.
  • 15:1-7) and the institution of the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor.
  • The (1 Cor.
  • As a result, both chronologically and logically, there was a tradition of the church prior to the creation of the New Testament or any book in the New Testament.

It was the action of the Holy Spirit that Christians would attribute the composition of the books of the “New Testament,” as they began to refer to the Christian Bible, and before that, the composition of the books of the “Old Testament,” as they began to refer to the Hebrew Bible, to the action of the Holy Spirit.

Although the New Testament was written in Greek, the language in which Jesus and his followers were most often heard speaking appears to have been Aramaic, a Semitic language close to but not identical to Hebrew.

Among these are well-known phrases like as “Hosanna!” and “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” (Mark 15:34), which translates as “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” in Psalm 22 (which was Eli, Eli, lama azavtani in the Hebrew translation?).

Veni, Veni, Immanuel is the refrain that serves as the epigraph to this chapter.

With the exception of two passages, the Gospels only refer to Jesus by his Aramaic name; and if we assume that the title “teacher” or “master” (didaskalos in Greek) was intended to be a translation of that Aramaic name, it seems reasonable to conclude that Jesus was known and addressed as Rabbi throughout the New Testament.

  • As scholarly research of the Judaism of his day has developed, however, both the parallels and the distinctions between him and his contemporaries have become increasingly apparent.
  • He may have supplied an Aramaic translation-paraphrase of the text as well as a comment on it.
  • To announce freedom to the prisoners and sight restoration for the blind, to set at loose those who have been afflicted, and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,” he has sent me.
  • The affinities between Jesus as Rabbi and the representatives of the rabbinical tradition are obscured by the clashes between Jesus as Rabbi and the leaders of the rabbinical tradition, but they are plainly visible in the forms in which his teachings emerge in the Gospels.
  • According to Matthew 22:23-33, a lady had seven husbands (all in succession, not all at the same time).
  • Is it permissible for a pious Jew to pay taxes to the Roman authority in accordance with Matthew 22:15-22?
  • The greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Matt.
  • The person who asks the question serves as a straight man, providing an opportunity for Rabbi Jesus to hammer home the message, which is frequently accomplished by turning the question upside down.
  • 13:34).
  • The narratives of Jesus as a teller of parables, as recorded by the gospel writers, make sense only when considered in the context of his Jewish heritage.

In this approach, the meaning of the prodigal son story (Luke 15:11-32), also known as the parable of the older brother, is found in the father’s final words to the elder brother, who represents the nation of Israel: “Son, you are always with me, and whatever I have belongs to you.” It was appropriate to celebrate and rejoice since your brother had been dead and now is alive; he had been lost and now has been recovered.” There was no going back on the past relationship between God and Israel, and it was into this covenant that other peoples were now being welcomed.

  1. In order to accommodate the fluctuation between portraying Jesus’ status as a Rabbi and giving to him a fresh and distinct authority, additional titles were required.
  2. 21:11), “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee,” one such figure was Jesus the Prophet.
  3. 3:14) is probably the most fascinating since it says, “The words of the Amen, the trustworthy and truthful witness,” which is rather intriguing.
  4. 27:4-26): “And all the people shall say, ‘Amen,'” the wordAmen was the phrase of affirmation to bring a prayer to a close.
  5. Jesus was known as the Prophet because he was the only one who had the authority to make such pronouncements.
  6. While preaching in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is quoted as saying (Matt.
  7. 5:21-48).

All these commentaries are an elaboration of the warning that the righteousness of the followers of Jesus must exceed that of those who followed other doctors of the law (Matt.

(Matt.

The conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount confirms the special status of Jesus as not only Rabbi but Prophet (Matt.

When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.” Then there come several miracle stories.

12:27), but it does cite the miracles as substantiation of his standing as Rabbi-Prophet.

In Deut.

In its biblical context, this is the authorization of Joshua as the legitimate successor of Moses, but in the New Testament and in later Christian writers, the prophet to come is taken to be Jesus-Joshua.

(John 1:17).

Therefore later anti-Muslim Christian apologists would find Islam’s identification of Jesus as a great prophet and forerunner to Muhammad to be inadequate and hence inaccurate, so that the potential of the figure of Jesus the Prophet as a meeting ground between Christians and Muslims has never been fully realized.

  1. 16:22).
  2. 16:22).
  3. But in the process of establishing themselves,ChristandLord,as well as evenRabbiandProphet,often lost much of their Semitic content.
  4. The beginnings of this de-Judaization of Christianity are visible already within the New Testament.
  5. 70, the Christian movement increasingly became Gentile rather than Jewish in its constituency and outlook.
  6. (for example, John 2:6).

His epistle to the Romans (9-11) is the description of his struggle over the relation between church and synagogue, concluding with the prediction and the promise: “And so all Israel will be saved”-not, it should be noted, converted to Christianity, but saved, because, in Paul’s words, “as regards election they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers.

  • 11:26-29).
  • 11:26-29).
  • Jesus Christ our Lord” in the first chapter, to “the preaching of Jesus Christ,” which “is now disclosed and through the prophetic writings is made known to all nations” in the final sentence.
  • 3:5).
  • 3:5).

For only through the Jewishness of Jesus could the covenant of God with Israel, the gracious gifts of God, and his irrevocable calling become available to all people in the whole world, also to the Gentiles, who “were grafted in their place to share the richness of the olive tree”-namely, the people of Israel (Rom.

(Rom.

No one can consider the topic of Jesus as Rabbi and ignore the subsequent history of the relation between the people to whom Jesus belonged and the people who belong to Jesus.

The question is easier to ask than it is to answer, and it is easier to avoid than it is to ask at all.

from The Illustrated Jesus Through the Centuries by Jaroslav Pelikan©Yale University Press1997 Reprinted with permission.

Was Jesus a rabbi?

Many individuals in the Bible addressed Jesus as “Rabbi,” which means “teacher.” Among those who addressed Jesus as Rabbi were Jewish scribes (Luke 20:21), Jewish Sadducees (Luke 20:28), Nicodemus—a Pharisee (John 3:2), a rich man among the throng (Luke 12:13), and His followers (Luke 9:33), including Mary of Bethany (John 20:16). When Jesus declared in John 13:13, “You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are correct, for I am such,” He was confirming their usage of this title. As a result, the question of what this phrase signified arises.

  1. It was a title of distinction given to sages or people who were well-versed in and taught the Scriptures.
  2. The fact is that many Jewish men who taught or had disciples were treated with this title of honor throughout Jesus’ day.
  3. When Jewish sages or rabbis were in their early first century, they would take on followers and instruct them in specific interpretations of Jewish law.
  4. If you look at Jesus’ words, “My yoke is easy, and my load is light,” you’ll see that He was referring to a set of rules that govern one’s behavior (Matthew 11:30).
  5. Despite the large number of individuals who addressed Jesus as “Rabbi,” the authority of His teaching was unquestionably called into serious question.
  6. Their curiosity was piqued as to who had taught Him and why He was deemed suitable to be “teaching in the temple and proclaiming the gospel” in the first place (Luke 20:1).
  7. Being a Rabbi nowadays needs four to five years of rabbinical study, which includes academic programs, internships, and real-world experience, including a year spent in Israel before being legally ordained by the Rabbinical Court.
  8. While He was clearly an expert of Scripture in His day, in the historical sense and usage of the word, He also had a following of disciples whom He instructed in biblical life, and as a result, He was rightfully entitled to the title of Rabbi in His day.
  9. Rather than being a normal mortal who attempted to understand God’s law, Jesus claimed to be God Himself (John 8:58).
  10. (Matthew 3:17; 17:5).
  11. Truths that are related: What is the condition of Jesus, our High Priest?

What role does Jesus play as our intercessor? What does it imply that Jesus is interceding for us in the presence of the Father in heaven? What does Jesus’ role as the Lamb of God entail? What is the identity of Jesus Christ? Return to the page: The Truth About Jesus Christ.

Can we call Jesus “Rabbi”?

Is it permissible to refer to Jesus as a “rabbi” in this context? Some have stated that the phrase may have originated after Jesus’ lifetime and that applying it to him would be inappropriate. Those who disagree with this interpretation claim that Jesus rejected the title because he refused to link himself with the Jewish religious leaders of his day. What exactly is happening here? The most straightforward response is to examine the gospels themselves. For a total of 15 times throughout the gospels, Greek letters are utilized to spell out the Hebrew word “rabbi” as rather than translating it into a Greek counterpart, as in (see Matt.

  • In these texts, Jesus is referred to as rabbi mostly by his disciples – particularly Peter, Nathaniel, and Judas – as well as by certain would-be disciples, such as Nicodemus, who addressed him as such.
  • Here’s an example of a paragraph when the character appears: When the two disciples overheard Jesus say this, they immediately followed him.
  • If Jesus is addressed as “teacher” in English translations, it is logical to presume that the Gospel writers are referring to him as “rabbi” in order to translate the Hebrew term for teacher.
  • A shift in the way the term “rabbi” was employed occurred right around the time of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
  • The names “Rabbi Hillel” and “Rabbi Shammai” were not used to refer to Jewish leaders who lived a few decades before him, such as Hillel and Shammai, despite the fact that they had a large number of pupils.
See also:  How Does The Bible Describe Jesus

It is only until the year 70 AD that we come across a large number of religious instructors who were given the title of “rabbi,” such as “Rabbi Akiva” or “Rabbi Eliezar.” As a result, modern academics refer to the period following 70 AD as “the rabbinic period,” and they refer to the professors who taught during this period as “the rabbis.” “Sages” are religious instructors who collected disciples before the year 70 AD; hence, Jesus was a “sage” rather than a “rabbi” according to contemporary definitions.

In the eyes of academics, referring to Jesus as a “rabbi” implies that he lived many decades later than he actually did.

Nevertheless, separating him completely from the Jewish teachers who lived a few centuries after him is both inaccurate and misleading.

In Hillel’s day, the disciples of Hillel and Shammai were disputing, and their disagreements formed the center of much of the discussion that is recorded in the Mishnah and Talmud, which is still relevant today.

In several areas, Jesus looked to be commenting on their disputes, such as on divorce, which they were having (Mt 19:3-9). Even if Jesus did not personally engage with them, understanding what they believed is essential to comprehending his Jewish reality in the first place.

What did Jesus’ Disciples Call Him?

So, what would Jesus’ disciples have used to refer to him if they had to guess? Rabbi. Nonetheless, in a different sense. Even before the birth of Jesus, it was customary for disciples to address their instructor asrav, which literally translates as “master” or “great one.” In the Mishnah, there are statements from the oldest sages who speak of the relationship between atalmid (disciple) and hisrav (mentor), which illustrates this (master). (For example, Pirke Avot 1:6, which dates back to the 2nd century BC.) Moreh, the Arabic meaning “teacher,” refers to a person who was in charge of instructing pupils.

Adding a I to the end of a sentence denoted “mine,” thus a student would address his or her teacher asrav-i, “my master,” orrabbi.

Historically, clergy were honored with the phrase “the most reverend so-and-so,” but eventually the word “reverend” became a recognized professional designation.

The title “master” is used frequently by Jesus, particularly in Luke’s gospel.

– (Matthew 10:24, 25) When Jesus made this connection, it was most likely because the disciples were referring to him by his given name of Rav and addressing him as Rav-i, “my master.” The fact that John translates the wordrabbiasdidaskalos indicates that the term was also recognized to signify “teacher” at the time of its usage.

  1. It is important to them that men witness all they do.
  2. 5, 7, and 8 of the NIV).
  3. He, on the other hand, did not object when his disciples used the term rav-ito to refer to him.
  4. In relation to him, the gospels, on the other hand, expressly use the term “rabbi” in their text.

And Jesus himself speaks as if he expects us to see him as our “master,” as if he expects us to regard him as such. The fact that we refer to him as our “rabbi” seems very natural if we consider ourselves to be his students.

What sort of rabbi was Jesus?

There is a frequent myth that Jesus was merely a carpenter by trade — albeit one who was endowed with divine intelligence, which enabled him to discuss scripture with the greatest authorities in Jerusalem from an early age. This, however, cannot be the case since these rabbis would not have taken correction from an illiterate worker in the first place. The requirement for credentials was no different in ancient times than it is now, and Jesus would not have been permitted into towns to preach unless he had been recognized as an official religious leader by the local authorities.

Galilee was a strongly religious region that generated more well-known teachers than any other region on the face of the earth.

According to thattheworldmayknow.com, the following is the curriculum for a typical Galilean child: At the age of five, one learns the Scriptures, at ten, the Mishnah (oral Torah, interpretations), at thirteen, one learns the commandments, at fifteen, one learns the Talmud (making Rabbinic interpretations), at eighteen, one learns about marriage, at twenty, one learns about authority, and at thirty, one learns about authority (able to teach others) This certainly identifies the outstanding student, because only a small number of them would go on to become instructors, but it also demonstrates the importance of Scripture in Galilee’s educational system.

  1. According to what we know about Jesus’ early life, it appears that he accomplished all of the following milestones: When we read Luke 2:52 we learn that Jesus “grew in wisdom” as a child.
  2. As a result, Jesus was a well-established rabbi whose command of the scriptures and understanding of the law were widely regarded as authoritative.
  3. If he had been perceived just as a carpenter, he would have been discarded as a wanderer, which he was.
  4. The position of Teacher-Priest was not widely held; only a small number of rabbis attained this rank.
  5. Joseph for guidance.
  6. In the gospels, Joseph is referred to as a tekton, which is a Greek term that literally means “technical expert.” This does not allude to his use of time-consuming tactics, but rather to his expertise as a Torah instructor.
  7. Jesus followed in the footsteps of his adoptive father, eventually becoming a tekton in his own right.

Jesus is referred to as a teacher by the 1st-century historian Josephus, who also alludes to him in another way: “A wise man, if it be permissible to call him a man, because he was a doer (poietes) of great things, a teacher of such men as accept the truth with joy.” He attracted a large number of Jews as well as a large number of Gentiles to him.

See also:  When Jesus Say Yes

In ancient Israel, anointing was not widespread, and it was not even done for the high priests such as Theophilus or Caiaphas.

Because the name “Christ” literally translates as “anointed one,” this shouldn’t come as a surprise to anybody who is familiar with Jesus’ identity as Christ.

It also explains why the Romans, who were well aware of Jesus’ standing in Jewish culture, referred to him as the “King of the Jews” in their writings.

Was Jesus a Rabbi?

Before beginning his public ministry, Jesus had not only undergone the rigorous religious instruction characteristic of the average Jew of his day, but he had also spent years studying with a distinguished sage (or sages) in the Galilee, who was considered to be one of the greatest minds of the ancient world. As a result, Jesus arrived on the scene as a revered elder in his own right. The fact that he was acknowledged as such by his contemporaries may be shown in texts from the New Testament.

Revised: 28-Oct-2016
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To grasp the full importance of Jesus being called as “teacher,” it is necessary to understand what a Jewish teacher of the first century was like and how he functioned in society at the time.

Origin of “Rabbi”

Originally, the name “rabbi” was taken from the Hebrew word rav, which in biblical Hebrew meant “a large deal,” “many,” “many,” and “a great deal.” Additionally, the term was occasionally used to refer to high-ranking government officials or army officers (see, for example, Jer. 39:3, 13). In Jesus’ day, the term “rav” (master) was used to designate to the owner of a slave or the leader of a follower. As a result, rabi (rabi) literally translated as “my master” (a form of address similar to “sir” in English) and was a term of respect used by slaves to address their masters and by followers to address their professors in the Islamic tradition.

  • (see Emil Schürer, The History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ, 2:325-26), it cannot be accurately attributed to Jesus.
  • Insofar as this name implies that Jesus was well regarded as a teacher in his day and that he was well-known enough to attract pupils to himself, the term “rabbi,” albeit archaic, may serve a valuable function.
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Was Jesus a Jewish Rabbi? – Amazing Bible Timeline with World History

Yes, it is correct. The Bible has two genealogies of Jesus Christ, one in Matthew 1 and the other in Luke 3. Matthew 1 is the first and Luke 3 is the second. Neither of the genealogies places Jesus’ ancestors before David. The lineage of David begins with the following: David, the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Naason, the son of Aminadab, the son of Esrom, the son of Phares, the son of Judas (Judah), the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of David.

  • These articles are written by the editors of the magazine.
  • Learn information that you wouldn’t otherwise learn by simply reading the Bible.
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  • Yes, once more.
  • See, for example, Matthew 26:25, Mark 9:5, 11:21, John 1:38, and other passages.
  • In accordance with the Biblical Timeline, ten of Israel’s original twelve tribes were lost during the many sackings and captivities that occurred between 735 BC and 720 BC.
  • They took control of Jerusalem, also known as the City of David.
  • (12:23; I Kings 12:23) We may fairly assume that not only was Christ a Jew, but so were all of the apostles based on this evidence.
  • They are still God’s chosen people, and He will bring them back into His kingdom.

These articles are written by the publishers of The Amazing Bible Timeline with World History, and are available for free download. See almost 6000 years of Bible and world history at a single glance.

  • On this fantastic study companion, you will have access to over 1,000 references in a circular arrangement that is unique to it. Educate yourself on intriguing facts: Biblical events with scriptural references placed alongside global history demonstrate amusing chronological linkages. People will stop and speak about this well laidout Jesus historical timeline poster, which is perfect for your house, business, or church because of its attractive and simple design. More information about this unusual and entertaining Bible study tool may be found by clicking here.

Was Jesus a carpenter or a rabbi?

People who were termed rabbis in the Roman-occupied Jewish world had genuine employment on the side 2000 years ago, when the world was dominated by the Romans. There were no structured rabinnic schools back then, but famous rabbis typically had pupils (Hillel and Shammai both had a large number of disciples), and a rabbi might ordain his students when he believed they had gained sufficient knowledge. The reputation of the rabbi who performed the ordination determined whether or not the ordination was acknowledged by the greater community.

In order to train our clergy, the rest of us, Jews and Christians, rely on established seminaries.

  • Hillel was a woodchopper, while Shammai the older was a builder or carpenter or anything along those lines. Abba Chilkiyah is a field laborer, whereas Yochanan ben Zakkai is a merchant of some sort. Abba Shaul is a gravedigger (which is regarded a shameful occupation)
  • Abba Oshiya is a laundry worker of some sort
  • Shimon Pkuli is a cotton? flax? merchant
  • And Shmuel ben Shilas is a schoolteacher (which is considered a dishonorable occupation). Mier is a scribe, and Channai is also a scribe. Yosi ben Chalafta worked as a tanner, which was considered a shameful occupation. Yochanan Hasandlar – a shoemaker, as the name suggests
  • Yehoshua ben Chanania – a blacksmith
  • Safra – a merchant
  • Dimi of Nehardia – a merchant
  • Abba ben Zavina – a taylor
  • Yosef ben Chiya – a vintner, perhaps a vinyard owner or a wine maker
  • Yannai – a

K-HB inquired about possible sources. The Talmud contains the majority of the information we have about the Jewish community of the time period, and, like the New Testament, this is all material that was put down on paper years after the events took place, so we must rely on oral transmission for a period of time before it was recorded in writing. That, as well as the sheer volume of material included inside the Talmud, are also obstacles. What little we know about the rabbis mentioned in the Talmud is derived primarily from stories about them that are included in the text as illustrations of one or more points in the text.

As a response, Rabbi Shammai smacked him in the face with his ruler (literally, builder’s cubit).

Hillel said in kind “That which you despise in yourself, do not despise in your neighbor; that is the entire Torah; all else is commentary.

All of the others are covered by a similar rationale, and there are other lists available on the internet that provide such lists of “day occupations.”

Jesus-A Jewish Rabbi: Part 3

In our first two classes, we learnt about the home life and educational system of the Jewish people who lived in the Galilee during the time of Jesus. In our third lesson, we studied about the Jewish people who lived in the Galilee during the time of Jesus. We looked into what kind of education and training was necessary to become a Rabbi and be referred to as such by the people in your town. Now we’ll take a look at what occurred to a guy after he finished his apprenticeship and became qualified to acquire the honor of being called a Rabbi.

The recognized title of Rabbi as a trained minister did not appear until many centuries after Jesus’ death.

They were referred to as “Torah instructors” or “teaching the law.” The Pharisees, or the pious ones, were those who attempted to follow and live by the teachings of Jesus to the fullest extent possible.

They were well aware of the fine details of the law and made every effort to adhere to them in order to ensure that they were obeying God’s laws. There were two types of Rabbis in Jesus’ day: the orthodox and the heretics.

  1. Common – not to imply that they were all the same, but rather that there were quite a few of them. They were referred to be Torah instructors because they were well-versed in the Torah and exceptionally skilled at imparting it to others. However, they did not leave home and travel with a group, and they were restricted to instructing pupils in local settings, and they were only permitted to teach established theology, and they were not permitted to develop their own interpretations or new doctrine. Rabbis with s’mekah – Rabbis who have s’mekah. There were just a handful of these available. They were granted an extraordinary stamp of approval since they were considered to be someone who was so good at what they did that they had earned God’s approval. In order for you to receive this honor, two other rabbis who had s’mekah were required to bestow it on you and state that you too had God’s blessing and that your authority came directly from God himself. It was possible to travel and bring a group of talmidim with you if you had s’mekah (for example, John the Baptizer had s’mekah). Additionally, as a result of s’mekah, you have the authority and right to create new interpretations of the law. If a Torah instructor says, “It is written,” or “Rabbi so and so says,” the Rabbi with s’mekah will respond, “You’ve heard it stated, but I say to you,” and then present a new and distinct interpretation of a Law of Moses.
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What type of rabbi did Jesus happen to be? One that includes S’mekah! Look at Matthew 7:28-29 for an example. When Jesus concluded the Sermon on the Mount and the Bible says they were amazed at His teaching, it is because He spoke as one who had authority (s’mekah), rather than as their normal Torah instructors, the Bible says they were amazed at His teaching. Their astonishment was not due to the fact that they had never seen anything like it before or that he was so strange, but rather because He taught with s’mekah!

  1. “He’s never taken a class with anyone around here!” Jesus was a traditional Jewish Rabbi who possessed s’mekah.
  2. The Bible appears to suggest that Jesus received his s’mekah from both John the Baptist and God (see Matthew 21:23-27), despite the fact that we cannot be certain.
  3. a little about the author: Bob is the founder of this website and a follower of Ray Vander Laan’s teachings.
  4. He also enjoys hunting and fishing in his spare time.

Why was Jesus called ‘Rabbi’?

Jesus’ biblical names and titles range from ‘Prince of Peace’ to ‘Immanuel,’ but to those who knew him best, he was simply referred to as ‘Rabbi,’ or simply ‘Jesus’. “Rabbi” is an Aramaic term that means “teacher” or “master” in the gospels, and it is frequently used by the disciples to refer to Jesus as such. Orthodox Jews gather on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea in the southern city of Ashdod to perform the Tashlich prayer, which is a Rosh Hashanah tradition, as part of the Tashlich prayer ceremony.

  1. Reuters To understand why Jesus was referred to as this, we must first recall that he was born into a Jewish family.
  2. The question and response method of teaching, which is widespread among Rabbis and occurs in the gospels, is one such strategy.
  3. ‘Is it legal for a pious Jew to pay taxes to the Roman authorities?’ Jesus is questioned, and his response is illustrative of this.
  4. (10:17-22) and ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ (Mark 10:17-22).
  5. The gospels, on the other hand, emphasize Jesus’ distinction from other Rabbis.

When Jesus opens the scroll in Luke 4, Isaiah 61 is read aloud to him, and he says, ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to deliver good news to the poor.’ He has sent me to announce freedom to the captives and sight restoration to the blind, to set the oppressed free, and to herald the coming of the year of the Lord’s favor.

After all is said and done, by the time the gospels come to a close and the disciples realize who Jesus truly is, they proclaim him to be much more than their Rabbi.

To the disciples, Jesus served as a Rabbi, or teacher, and he continues to do so today. But he is also much more than that.

Jesus – The relation of Jesus’ teaching to the Jewish law

Many sections in the Gospels are devoted to the topic of Jewish law. According to one set of passages, which is particularly prominent in theSermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7), Jesus admonishedhis disciples to obey the law without fail (Matthew 5:17–48). Another school of thought holds that Jesus did not completely adhere to the law himself and even went against existing opinion on several areas of it, particularly the Sabbath (e.g., Mark 3:1–5). It is possible that both of these statements were correct: that he was exceedingly rigorous about marriage and divorce (Matthew 5:31–32; Mark 10:2–12), but less strict on the Sabbath (Matthew 5:31–32).

  1. In general, the legal issues described in the Gospels are within the confines of 1st-century Judaism.
  2. Minor healing on the Sabbath (such as that which Jesus is pictured as performing) was prohibited by some, but it was authorized by others.
  3. In addition, there were several debates over purity in 1st-century Judaism.
  4. It is notable that Jesus did not object to the regulations governing purity.
  5. However, according to one passage in the Gospels, Jesus appeared to be hostile to Jewish law as it was generally understood.
  6. According to Mark 7:19, Jesus “declared all foods to be fit for human consumption.” If he did, Jesus would be in direct conflict with the law of God as it was given to Moses.
  7. More significantly, Peter appears to have learnt of this after Jesus’ death by a heavenly revelation (Acts 10:9–16), which was the first time he knew of it.
  8. Mark 2:23–28 indicates that Jesus may have encountered legal difficulties in which he was able to defend himself by citing biblical precedence, implying that he did not act in defiance of the law.
  9. Traditionally, legal arguments took place between opposing camps or schools of thought, and those who determined how to comply with the law were seen as troublemakers.

The fact that he was by no means the only individual in ancient Judaism who went out on his own and did things according to his own interpretation of God’s will did not make him especially concerning in this regard, but such behavior may be construed as suspicious.

Ethics

With his teachings on the kingdom and the law, Jesus also espoused the need of ethical purity. It was he who commanded entire dedication to God, placing it above all other obligations, including familial obligations (Mark 3:31–35; Matthew 10:35–37), and he was the one who taught that people should give up all in order to achieve what was most valuable (Matthew 13:44–46). The teachings of Jesus in Matthew 5:21–26 and 5:27–30 indicate that compliance of the law should be both exterior and internal in nature: anger and desire, along with murder and adultery, are all considered sinful behavior.

This is consistent with the proclamation of the eschatological kingdom of God because Jesus believed, as did fellow moral perfectionist Pauldid, that divine intervention was close at hand and that people would only have to be “blameless” for a short period of time before the kingdom of God would be established (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

Paul quoted Jesus’ prohibition against it but then went on to make an exception, stating that if a Christian was married to an unbeliever and the unbeliever desired a divorce, the Christian should agree to it—a position that he explicitly stated was his own, not the Lord’s, opinion (1 Corinthians 7:10–16).

Because it is impossible to be flawless for the entirety of one’s life, some modern interpreters believe that Jesus meant these admonitions to be just an ideal, rather than a demand, in his teaching.

Miracles

Jesus was not only a prophet and a teacher of ethics, but he was also a healer and a miracle worker. Healers and miracle workers were pretty well recognized in the first century, though they were not very frequent. They were also not regarded to be superhuman creatures at the time. According to Jesus himself (Matthew 12:27; Mark 9:38–41; Luke 6:7), people are capable of performing miracles, such as exorcisms, regardless of whether or not they are followers of his teachings. As a result, the significance of this extremely significant component of his life is commonly misconstrued.

The issue was, by what force or spirit were they able to accomplish this.

He reacted by claiming that he was guided by the spirit of God (Matthew 12:28; Luke 11:20).

Miracles were considered neither proof of divinity nor of messiahship in Jesus’ day, and they could only be used to legitimize an individual’s message or way of life at the most.

1570, depicts Christ Healing the Blind, oil on canvas; on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The dimensions are 119.4 x 146.1 cm. It is a gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, 1978, to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and it depicts the peril in Galilee.

Crowds and autonomy

It is clear from the first few chapters of Mark that Jesus’ reputation as a healer had at least one very significant historical consequence: he attracted large crowds. (See, for example, 1:28, 45, and 2:2) By doing so, Jesus increased the number of people who heard his message, but he also increased the likelihood of attracting those who were simply interested in him for selfish reasons and who came expecting for cures. Furthermore, large gatherings were potentially problematic from a political standpoint.

The revolutionary implications of Jesus’ promise of future reversal of rank may have made some people uncomfortable, and Jesus’ promise to sinners may have been bothersome to those who were more religiously observant.

Unlike other religious leaders, he did not attack the heart of Judaism as such: he did not question the election of Abraham or the need of circumcision, nor did he criticize Moses or the law.

It was hard to predict what a person who was completely autonomous could do next, and this may be harmful, especially if he had a large number of followers.

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