To some this question would seem nonsensical. BUT through experience of practically 45 years of Ministry, I have come to know, that there are many who do NOT truly know the correct answer, including some Christians themselves.
A few non-Christians have even asked me, “Isn’t Christ from Rome?” And there are many in Sri Lanka who are under the misconception that ‘Christianity started in the west and so it is a western religion’. Many Asians could have the same impression, though I have NOT travelled throughout Asia to say so with any certainty.
Then there are many Christians, who are oblivious of the FACT that the Person they call ‘Jesus Christ’ was JEWISH and the origin of the term ‘Christ’ is Hebraic.
Recently I was reminded that years back, one lady from a ‘Christian background’ and having had a good education in a reputed Christian School in Colombo even said during a discussion, ‘No Christ could NOT have been circumcised’. So I had to get her to read Luke 2:21. Wonder how many other Christians are either having the same impression or ‘ignorant of that FACT?’
Hence I thought of writing this article, touching only on some key factors, so that any “Non-Scriptural ideas” could be eliminated.
Practically everyone, Christian or non-Christian knows that HE was Born in Bethlehem, though some may be ignorant of the geographical location.
But wonder how many realize that HE IS from the tribe of Judah and from the line of King David.
Even though Christians generally read the Scriptures, most times they skip the genealogies, assuming they are only a ‘list of names’. Thereby they miss out on a wealth of information, contained therein.
At least now many are getting acquainted with the fact that HIS real NAME is NOT ‘Jesus’, but YAHSHUA.
Yet, wonder how many have grasped the FACT that HIS very First “Public Discourse about SCRIPTURES” took place somewhere INSIDE the “Temple Premises” in JERUSALEM, when HE Had passed HIS 12th Birthday – Luke 2:42-50. Obviously it was an area that Jewish women also had access to, because Luke Records that it was HIS Mother who asked the question, “Son why have You done this to us?”
Luke 2:41 clearly States that HIS parents went to Jerusalem every year, for the Feast of Passover. We need to be aware of the fact that ALL Jewish People HAD TO DO THIS and STILL DO, as GOD Commanded them to do so, along with attending the “Feasts of Weeks” (Pentecost) and the “Feast of Tabernacles”, as per Deuteronomy 16:16. Children were also brought, as there was no one for them to be left with. Hence it is very reasonable to ask the question, “WHY did HE stay back like this when HE was 12, and NOT when HE was 10 or younger or even 14 or so?”
Even at present, ALL Jewish BOYS undergo a Ceremony called “Bar Mitzva”, meaning “Son of the Commandments”, when they REACH age 13. THAT is when Jewish Boys are expected to seriously “Follow the Commandments”. In order to do so, they have to get acquainted with them. During ‘Biblical Times’, IF the parents desired a son of theirs to be a Pharisee, that was the age at which they ‘Officially began their studies’.
Now we can understand WHY, YAHSHUA stayed back at this particular age, instead of any other time.
WHAT was the scene HIS Parents encountered? HE was holding a “Public Discourse about SCRIPTURE with the ‘Teachers of Scripture’, that were present” – Luke 2: 46. And “ALL who heard HIM were amazed or astonished at HIS UNDERSTANDING and ANSWRERS” – Luke 2:47.
At the age that other boys began their studies, HE Demonstrated that HE HAD KNOWLEDGE that ‘astounded the teachers’.
It is like a boy of 5 years today, having a public discourse with university lecturers within the premises of a modern Academic Institution. Media would be all over him, calling him a ‘child prodigy’.
So YAHSHUA Proved Publicly, within the ‘Temple Premises’ in JERUSALEM, that HE DID NOT have to “Learn about Scriptures from ANY Rabbi or in any other forum”, at the AGE, other boys began their education.
The subject matter of the discussions is not stated. That is NOT uncommon, especially with Luke, as he or even other writers were focusing on some incidents that took place, at the time concerned.
For example, Luke 4:31 states that “HE Came down to Capernaum, a city in Galilee and taught on Sabbath Days”. What He Said at those times are NOT stated, but only that People were astonished at the “Authority (Greek “Exousia”) in which HE Taught”. And also other incidents that followed. Again Luke 5:3 simply States that “HE got into Simon Peter’s boat and taught the crowd” and NOT what HE Taught. Then Verse 4 onwards describe the “Calling of 2 sets of brothers”, which seems to be what Luke was getting at.
Getting back to our ‘Topic’, Luke 4:16 Records ‘WHERE HE Started HIS Public Ministry’. In Nazareth, where HE Grew up, which is in the Galilee area in northern ISRAEL. Capernaum quoted earlier, is situated on the shores of the ‘Sea of Galilee’.
All 4 Gospels clearly state that apart from Galilee, YAHSHUA Ministered in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, which the world media calls today the ‘west bank’. That is the name king Abdulla, the great grandfather of present king Abdulla of Jordon gave that area in 1948, after he acquired it illegally, which is what the Arab League and the UN said at the time.
HE Preached from Moses and Prophets, which the Jewish People were familiar with. That is why we see the phrase “You have heard….” Many times in HIS Preaching and Teachings, as ALL 5 Books of Moses were read from ‘beginning to end’ in the Synagogues throughout every year. This is the practice that James refers to in Acts 15:21.
Gospels Record that HE attended the FEASTS of YHWH [LORD]. HE was sentenced to be Crucified by the Roman governor in charge of JUDEA [Luke 3:1], as the Romans called the LAND THEN, during the Feast of Passover. HE was Crucified just outside Jerusalem.
As Paul points out in 1st Corinthians 15:20, HIS Resurrection occurred on the “Feast of First Fruits”, Recorded in Leviticus 23:10-14.
HE Ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives, which according to Acts 1:12 was “a Sabbath Day’s journey from Jerusalem”. That is about 3000 feet or 1100 meters.
Leviticus 23:15 & 16 Record that the “Feast of Weeks” is to be Celebrated, 7 weeks from the “Day the First Fruits were brought”.
So Hebrews call that Feast “Shavuot” (Weeks), whereas Christians call it “Pentecost”, taken from the Greek word for “50” – 7 X 7 = 49 and the following day is the 50th.
THAT was when Peter the Jewish Apostle Preached IN JERUSALEM, to the “Jewish People gathered from every country under the heaven” [Acts 2:5], addressing them as “You men of JUDEA and those that DWELL IN JERUSALEM ..” [Acts 2:14] quoting from the Book of Joel – Acts 2:16-21 = Joel 2:28-32; from Psalms – Acts 2:25-28 = Psalms 16:8-11 and also from Psalms 110:1 = Acts 2:34 & 35.
The 3000 that got Baptized that day [Acts 2:41] were ALL JEWS and the Proselytes that Acts 2:10 speaks about. They are Gentiles who had converted to Judaism, undergoing circumcision.
‘Christianity’, then called “The WAY”, [ACTS 9:2; 19:9 &23; 22:4; 24:14 & 22] initially spread in Jerusalem and Judea, as YAHSHUA Commanded them to do, as per Acts 1:8 and later went onto Samaria [Acts Chapter 8] and through the Ethiopian in a sense, to the “ends of the earth”.
Still ONLY among the Jewish People. The first Gentile family to be added onto to the “New Movement” was that of the Roman/Italian centurion Cornelius.
Even after Stephan’s martyrdom, the “Gospel Message” was shared ONLY among the Jews, as per Acts 11:19. Subsequently, some of them from Cyprus and Cyrene shared “The Message with the Greeks\Gentiles in Antioch” – Acts 11:20. THAT was WHEN ‘Christianity’ began to spread among the Gentiles, mainly as the Jewish Apostle to the Gentiles, Paul, began his “Missionary Journeys”, beginning first with Barnabas, as The HOLY SPIRIT Directed them – Acts 13:2. As per various historical evidence, that was more than a decade after, Peter first Preached in Jerusalem, on the ‘Day of Pentecost’.