The Good Samaritan

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The parable of the Good Samaritan came as a response to the lawyer’s question, “And who is my neighbor?” The lawyer wanted Jesus to draw a circle defining who is inside, and therefore the neighbor I must love, and who is outside. Jesus, by using Leviticus 19:34, ingeniously turned the lawyer’s question on its head.
This article is a sample chapter of Marc Turnage’s, Windows into the Bible: Cultural and Historical Insights into the Bible for Modern Readers (Springfield, Mo.: Logion, 2016), which will be released at the end of March 2016.

Parables on the Character of God

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Jerusalem Perspective is excited to announce that in the coming months Dr. R. Steven Notley will be sharing a series of blogs on Jesus’ parables with our readers. In anticipation of these blogs, and as a preview of what we might expect from Dr. Notley, we are sharing two sermons on the parables that Dr. Notley delivered to the Narkis Street Congregation in Jerusalem. Enjoy!

Jesus and a Canaanite Woman

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Does the story of a Canaanite woman’s encounter with Jesus, which is found in the Gospels of Mark and Matthew, show indications of having descended from a Hebrew source? Why did the author of Luke fail to include this story? Explore these questions and more in “Jesus and a Canaanite Woman.”

Sending the Twelve: “The Harvest Is Plentiful” and “A Flock Among Wolves”

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Yeshua told his twelve emissaries: “There’s a huge harvest, but a shortage of harvesters. So send word to the owner of the field to hire more workers to help them finish the job.

“Go! But beware, I’m sending you out like a defenseless flock into a pack of ravenous wolves.”

The Significance of Jesus’ Words “Not One Jot or One Tittle Will Pass from the Law” (Matt. 5:18)

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“Jot” and “tittle” are not everyday words in English. What do they mean and how should Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:18 be understood? Jerusalem Perspective‘s editor-in-chief, David Bivin, tackles these questions on behalf of a subscriber’s request for help.

David Flusser on the Historical Jesus: An Interview with Roy Blizzard

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On the occasion of what would have been Prof. David Flusser’s 98th birthday (Sept. 15), we are pleased to share footage of an interview with Flusser on the historical Jesus that has recently come to light. The interview was conducted by Dr. Roy Blizzard as part of a television series entitled The Quest: In Search of the Jewish Jesus. In the interview Flusser discusses the language of Jesus, the importance of studying ancient Judaism of the Second Temple period for the understanding of Jesus’ message, and Jesus’ high self-awareness.

The Messianic Consciousness of Jesus: Lesson 10

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In Lesson Ten of The Messianic Consciousness of Jesus series, Dr. Robert L. Lindsey discusses “Son of Man” as a messianic title from Daniel 7:13 in the saying, “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners’” (Matt. 11:19 // Luke 7:34). Lindsey also discusses the story of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) in which the title “Son of Man” appears.

The Messianic Consciousness of Jesus: Lesson 09

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In Lesson Nine of The Messianic Consciousness of Jesus series, Dr. Robert L. Lindsey discusses Jesus’ riddle about the Messiah and David’s Son (Matt. 22:41-46; Mark 12:35-37; Luke 20:41-44) and the Healing of the Paralyzed Man story (Matt. 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26).

The Messianic Consciousness of Jesus: Lesson 07

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In Lesson Seven of The Messianic Consciousness of Jesus series, Dr. Robert L. Lindsey continues his discussion of Jesus’ sermon in the Nazareth synagogue.

The Messianic Consciousness of Jesus: Lesson 02

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In Lesson Two of The Messianic Consciousness of Jesus series, Dr. Robert L. Lindsey examines the interrogation of Jesus by the chief priests and the origin of the Son of God concept.

The Major Importance of the “Minor” Agreements

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In this article, Dr. Robert Lindsey discusses the importance of the so-called “minor agreements” of Luke and Matthew against Mark for properly understanding the interrelationship of the Synoptic Gospels. David N. Bivin and Joshua N. Tilton collaborated with Lauren Asperschlager to bring this article, which previously existed only as an unfinished draft, to Jerusalem Perspective subscribers.

Not Everyone Can Be Yeshua’s Disciple

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When three eager prospective disciples asked permission to follow Jesus, Jesus responded to each of them with a riddle. Why would God allow Jesus and his followers to sleep on the ground when he provides safe places even for the animals to sleep? How can the dead bury a corpse? Why would a disciple set his hand to a plow when Elisha had given up plowing in order to follow Elijah? These riddles would have to be puzzled over before their meaning was fully understood. But each of the riddles were ominous, and it appears that each of the three prospective disciples reconsidered his desire to join Jesus.