Sunday, May 2, 2010

Do You Want Jesus' Real Teachings?

Every disciple of Yeshua (i.e. Jesus) should want His real teachings. I have a test for you. It will enable you to be transported back in time to the first century as if you were sitting at His feet. The phrase, "sitting at His feet" is an idiom that means to be a disciple. Find a red letter edition of the New Testament. Then start reading the red letters in Mark because this is generally acknowledged to be the first of the gospels in the Bible to have been written. Then, go to Matthew and read just the red letters. Next, go to Luke and remember, only read the red letters. Finally, go to the gospel of John and do the same. Ask yourself, "What exactly did Yeshua teach?" What did He stress in the parables and object lessons? What did He teach about the crucifixion and the resurrection? What was His most consistent message? If you will do this (and you should make notes), you may find a paradigm shift on the horizon.

This is exercise is very important. The reason is that as the church separated itself from its Hebraic roots, it left the teachings of Yeshua for teachings about Yeshua. This is subtle, but a major difference. By reading the red letters, you will rediscover the teachings of Yeshua as opposed to those about Him which developed several decades later. The results might surprise you. I hope they do.

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