Participants: Alex Schlusser (Host), Rachael Hyman (Host), Sasha Bolotnikov
Series Code: BTOR
Program Code: BTOR000019
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00:01 What comes to mind when you hear the word rabbi?
00:04 I wonder how many people 00:05 think rabbi and think of Jesus at the same time. 00:09 Join us today on Back to our Roots 00:12 as we explore Jesus, the rabbi. 00:35 Welcome to "Back To Our Roots." 00:37 I am Pastor Alex Schlusser. 00:39 And I'm Rachel Hyman. 00:41 And we're so happy 00:42 that you've chose to join us today. 00:44 We have a great program plan for you today. 00:48 We're gonna be talking about the rabbi Jesus. 00:52 I don't know how many people say the word rabbi 00:54 and think in terms of Jesus. 00:56 Rachel, when you think of that word rabbi, 00:59 what comes to mind for you? 01:01 Well, growing up Jewish 01:03 I certainly didn't think about Jesus, 01:05 you know, when I saw the pictures, 01:07 he was just very Christian, Gentile looking. 01:10 But today as a Christian, 01:12 you know, when I think of the term rabbi, 01:14 I think of something like a pastor 01:15 in the Christian community, 01:16 a rabbi in the Jewish community, 01:17 except maybe he is even more so looked up to. 01:21 You know, I think the most common-- 01:24 If you ask somebody, what is a rabbi? 01:25 They're gonna say rabbi is teacher. 01:26 Right. 01:28 And ever since the word a rabbi is a teacher, 01:30 but a rabbi is way more than that 01:32 and that's what we're gonna explore today. 01:34 We're gonna take a look from both the historical perspective 01:38 and from a biblical perspective 01:40 to try and understand where did this position come from 01:43 and how did Jesus fit into that as a rabbi. 01:47 So before we go any much, any further, 01:50 I want to invite our friend Sasha to come join us. 01:56 Hey, Sasha. Hey, Alex. 01:58 How are you? How are you, Rachel? 02:00 He is our resident scholar. 02:02 And it's always a pleasure to have you with us as usual. 02:05 Yes. Pleasure to be with you. 02:07 Yeah. You know, I think that 02:09 we should just change you as a guest to a co-host. 02:11 Or to a rabbi. Or to the rabbi co-host. 02:15 Yeah. 02:16 So Sasha, today we're talking about 02:18 this idea of the rabbi Jesus 02:21 and most Christians certainly would not think 02:26 in terms of the rabbi Jesus and as Rachel, 02:28 so beautifully brought out. 02:30 You know, as a Jew the last thing 02:32 I would've ever thought. It's almost offensive. 02:34 Is to say Jesus was a rabbi. 02:36 Because of these pictures 02:38 that we have of who He was which was totally wrong 02:42 and what a rabbi is? 02:43 So we want to get into this, Sasha. 02:45 And we want to first look at a historical 02:48 and a biblical perspective on the idea 02:52 and where does this concept or position of rabbi come from? 02:58 It's what's known in history intertestamental period, 03:03 the period after the last book of the Old Testament, 03:07 the Book of Malachi. 03:08 And before the New Testament. Yeah, written. 03:10 So it's-- that time 03:13 there was a big transformation in Jewish society. 03:16 According to the Torah, the Book of Numbers, 03:20 the Book of Leviticus actually talk about this a lot. 03:24 The task of teaching people the principles of Torah 03:30 was given to the tribe of Levi. 03:34 They were settled in different 03:36 Levitical town across the tribes, 03:38 Levitical towns across-- throughout the 12 tribes. 03:42 And that's where people would go to them and they would, 03:46 you know, teach them. 03:48 And rabbi--these Levites and priest would preserve 03:52 the scripture and so forth. 03:54 But what happened in period of between the testaments, 04:00 one of the event--the key event was the occupation of Judea 04:06 by Syrian Hellenistic king Antiochus IV Epiphanes. 04:12 Okay, okay, I got you. 04:15 And Antiochus IV, which is second century BC, 04:22 176 BC, if I'm not mistaken. 04:30 What these Antiochus wanted, 04:33 he wanted Jews to be like everybody else. 04:38 You know, thinking, believing in Greek gods, 04:41 adopting Greek culture which was very contrary to the Torah. 04:46 And the problem was that many temple priests 04:50 gave into that and they decided to 04:54 in order to preserve the nation, they had to adapt 04:58 to the pressure of a Greek culture. 05:01 Well, there was a Maccabean Revolt 05:04 and these people stood firm, they took over the temple, 05:10 they kicked out Syrians and everything. 05:13 I'm not gonna talk too much. 05:14 But this is just real briefly this is 05:16 where the story of Hanukkah comes from 05:19 and the celebration the festival of light. 05:21 It's the reestablishment the sanctuary, the temple 05:26 is cleansed and they're able to reinstitute 05:30 to relight the menorah and begin worshipping again. 05:34 So what happens afterwards 05:36 because of the position of the priesthood 05:38 you're in the Syrian occupation of Judea 05:43 they lost authority with people. 05:45 And priesthood became so Hellenized 05:49 that they were not anymore teaching the Bible 05:52 as they were supposed to be. 05:54 In fact, many priests form the cast known as Sadducees. 06:00 So the alternative was the Pharisees. 06:04 The Pharisees, the word Pharisees 06:07 from Hebrew Perushim means interpreters of the Bible. 06:12 They were lay people who stood instead of Levites 06:17 and started teaching Torah to the people. 06:21 So among them they were very knowledgeable authorities 06:27 who were became renowned. 06:30 These authorities were called rabbi. 06:33 In Aramaic rabbi, rab means great. 06:37 So it's the figure what everybody looks up to. 06:40 So then the idea that rabbi being interpret 06:45 as teacher, is that incorrect? 06:48 It is-- Let's put it this way. 06:52 Every rabbi is a teacher of the Torah, 06:56 not every teacher is the rabbi. 06:59 Right. 07:00 So then somebody could say, you know, 07:04 a person in a religious position, 07:12 it's not improper to call them rabbi. 07:15 In historically, historically, rabbi was, you know, 07:21 at this time there were many other teachers. 07:24 In Greek or Roman world there were 07:26 famous philosophers that taught and they had their disciples. 07:32 So rabbis were kind of on the opposite side. 07:36 Rabbis provided the alternative education system. 07:41 Philosophers, educated people based on human reasoning. 07:46 Rabbis were educating people based on divine revelation. 07:52 So it is incorrect. 07:53 Sometimes I hear this when they say, 07:55 "Oh, disciples of Jesus were uneducated." 07:59 Wrong. They were educated. 08:01 They were not educated in Greek philosophy. 08:05 But they were educated in Torah. 08:07 They were educated in Torah. 08:09 They just-- They were diligent students of the Torah. 08:13 They had their-- It's an education of a kind. 08:16 So we actually in the first century Judea 08:20 when Jesus comes, 08:22 we deal with two competing education system. 08:26 You can get education, have a good position 08:31 in the Roman government. 08:32 Move up, you got to go to a philosophical school, 08:35 become philosopher, become all Hellenize 08:38 or you can go behind this and sit with these rabbis, 08:43 sit at their feet in their small houses. 08:46 These rabbis were not rich people, you know. 08:51 Yeah, they were very humble. They spent all these times. 08:54 They were so poor. 08:55 Some story tells that they had like one prayer shawl, 08:59 the teacher had one prayer shawl or tallit 09:02 and he had 12 disciples under that-- his prayer shawl. 09:09 So you can see the parallel 09:11 between Jesus having 12 disciples 09:14 and some other rabbis having 12 disciples. 09:18 So before we get, you know, kind of ahead of ourselves, 09:22 we're talking now that-- 09:25 We're understanding what this term rabbi is. 09:28 And that it is teacher, but the term rabbi 09:31 then is more specific when we're talking about 09:33 those that are teaching of God. 09:36 Exactly. Teacher from the divine revelation. 09:38 Exactly. 09:39 So let's again we're gonna move forward 09:42 and we want to talk about Jesus. 09:44 In the Gospel of John Chapter 1, 09:47 beginning verse 35 I want to read for you. 09:49 This is I believe, Sasha, the first time 09:52 that Jesus is called rabbi. 09:55 Exactly. In fact, this is the first time 09:59 Jesus was addressed ever. 10:02 He was addressed by the disciples of John the Baptist. 10:06 And in fact, if we look at the Acts Chapter 1 10:10 we discover that John the Baptist was the rabbi, 10:14 was considered a rabbi. 10:16 He had his disciples. 10:18 And so when he pointed to Jesus-- 10:21 So let me read this, okay. And it goes. 10:24 This is again John Chapter 35-- 10:27 John Chapter 1 beginning at verse 35. 10:30 "The next day again John was standing 10:32 with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus 10:35 and as he walked by and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God!' 10:41 The two disciples heard him say this, 10:44 and they followed Jesus. 10:46 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, 10:48 'What are you seeking?' 10:50 And they said to him, 'Rabbi.'" 10:52 And it has in parenthesis in my Bible 10:54 which means teacher. 10:57 "Where are you staying?" 11:00 Where do you live? 11:02 Yeah, where do you live? Where are you staying? 11:03 It's kind of an interesting how, you know. 11:06 It's like, more of a startle 11:09 because if you look at these disciples 11:11 where they come from, they were shown a Messiah 11:17 and they-- if you study carefully 11:20 where Jesus was in Nazareth, where His disciples were, 11:24 they couldn't avoid knowing each other over the years. 11:27 They were too close. 11:29 So it was so surprised to this. Rabbi, where do you live? 11:33 So you're saying, more than likely the disciples of John 11:37 had crossed paths with Jesus and knew Him. 11:40 And so when John proclaims him the Lamb of God 11:45 that must have been quite a shock to them. 11:47 They didn't expect their neighbor to be that Messiah, 11:52 but what gives them credit, 11:56 they immediately accepted Him as a new rabbi. 11:58 Right. They just-- 11:59 It was that because they were inspired by His teachings 12:01 because obviously they didn't have knowledge 12:04 that He went any type of rabbinical school. 12:06 Was it just because they could just tell by the way, 12:09 His stance was and the atmosphere 12:11 that surrounded him and what he was teaching 12:13 that they called Him rabbi? 12:14 Well, they called Him rabbi because their teacher 12:17 John the Baptist pointed them to Him. 12:21 And they trusted John? 12:22 They trusted John. I would say this. 12:26 It wouldn't be exactly correct to say that Jesus 12:29 never studied anywhere. 12:31 This is not-- 12:33 But He didn't go through 12:34 all the traditional rabbinical training, right, or did He? 12:36 Well, He did not. No. But He started with rabbis. 12:40 We have Luke Chapter 2 points specifically 12:44 He went to school to study for his 12:46 what's known in Jewish tradition as Bar Mitzvah. 12:49 Exactly, so he didn't-- He studied with rabbi 12:53 but He did not follow any specific for the sake rabbi, 12:57 that specific for the sake rabbi 13:00 did not ordained Him as His success. 13:03 And that is typically part of becoming a traditional rabbi. 13:06 Well, so He's kind of out on his own 13:08 as we had talked about in a previous program. 13:13 Sorry, did John the Baptist did that kind of count 13:15 with the dough coming down? 13:17 Was that kind of like his ordination so to speak? 13:18 Well, he was ordination from God, exactly. 13:21 Okay. So he didn't need to follow any-- 13:24 The voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son." 13:28 Well, the Pharisee tradition says 13:31 we're not listening to the voices from heaven 13:34 and that's where the encounter became because Jesus had become 13:40 the rabbi based on the divine voice 13:43 from heaven and-- 13:44 He was the ultimate teacher. Ultimate rabbi. 13:46 Who better to teach than the one that had penned, right? 13:52 So I think that we've established that Jesus 13:55 is a legitimate rabbi by the definition 13:57 of what we're saying a rabbi is, then if you're a rabbi, 14:02 you have to have people to follow you, right? 14:05 And so we get to His disciples, okay. 14:10 Let's talk a little bit about that. 14:11 What exactly that meant for someone to be 14:15 a disciple one who followed the rabbi? 14:18 Because I think that there is an illusion 14:20 when they asked the question in this passage, 14:23 where are you staying, there's more to that-- 14:26 It's almost like, can I follow you? 14:27 Can I come to you? Well, exactly. 14:28 There's more to it, than just I'm gonna 14:30 sit in class with you. 14:31 Correct? 14:33 Oh, people, I don't have time to tell all these stories 14:37 about how these disciples lived so close with rabbis. 14:41 Jesus in this case was not unique. 14:44 Unlike these fancy Roman schools, 14:49 you know, the rabbinic schools were extremely humble, 14:52 extremely simple. 14:54 They depended on a sustenance 14:56 that community have provided for them. 14:59 And, you know, we have these women in Bethsaida, 15:06 Bethsaida that gave them food, 15:08 you know, these things like this. 15:10 But generally it was an honor in small 15:15 rural community of Galilee when young man decides 15:20 to become a disciple of the sage. 15:24 So, these disciples-- this is how Jesus formed 15:29 the circle of His disciples. 15:33 So it's way more than just them sitting around 15:36 and Him rolling out a scroll 15:39 and teaching them how to read Hebrew 15:41 or here is what this passage means 15:43 or what that passage means, right. 15:44 Because the inference I believed was that these-- 15:48 these men would live and eat and walk and go 15:52 and be wherever He was and Jesus is model it seems like 15:56 of teaching them was so experiential, 16:00 right, that He would do things 16:01 and He would show and He would interact with people 16:04 and He would show them here is how you do it, 16:06 here is how you teach, this is what you do. 16:08 And then He would in turn later 16:10 we see Jesus having His disciples actually doing it 16:14 and then them coming back and Him correcting them 16:17 and teaching them okay, wait a minute 16:18 the reason this didn't work 16:19 was because you didn't do this 16:21 or you didn't do that. 16:22 Have you ever heard the statement 16:24 that the disciples must be covered 16:26 in the dust of the rabbi's feet? 16:28 Oh, that's the one of the first-- 16:32 one of the first from many books 16:33 known as Teachings of the Fathers, 16:36 you know, one of the first pages says, 16:39 find yourself for yourself a rabbi, 16:42 eat from the dust of His feet. 16:46 That's the honor-- honorable thing 16:49 you know to really immerse. 16:54 Right, so, this was a teaching style 16:56 that is not just lecture, 16:59 no this is a teaching style 17:01 that required living with that rabbi, 17:04 that's why I brought up when they would say 17:06 where are you staying? 17:08 We want to live with you, we want to eat your dust. 17:11 Yeah, exactly that's absolutely right. 17:13 That's the alternative more though 17:17 to the classical education we're used to 17:19 where you come and you go, 17:21 you have your own life, no, 17:23 you have the same like you share your life with rabbi, 17:27 with your rabbi you share your food with your rabbi, 17:30 you share everything with your rabbi. 17:33 Can I take just a moment 17:34 and say that I think that one of-- 17:37 I mean there are so many great loses that 17:39 we have had in the body of Messiah as Christians 17:43 and I think one of them is really 17:46 attaching to this concept 17:48 that so many people really aren't disciples. 17:53 You know, most people think in terms of disciples 17:56 that they are gonna sit down and they are gonna 17:57 do some workbook or someone is gonna teach them 17:59 you know how to read the Bible 18:00 or something where we are seeing that 18:02 being a disciples following your rabbi 18:07 was really embedding yourself in their life 18:10 and allowing the rabbi to be able 18:12 to impart his life into you, 18:16 which is really what our rabbi is asking of us. 18:19 Is what Jesus is asking of us 18:21 that we walk in His dust, right 18:25 that He is able to impart 18:27 not just His knowledge of what the Bible says, 18:31 but His knowledge of how to live and to do as He did. 18:35 That's awesome. 18:36 And that was the essence of Jewish education 18:39 because rabbi's always trust 18:42 that Torah covers all aspects of life. 18:47 Interesting. 18:49 So, let's I want to ask you a question then, 18:51 so here we are talking about the greatest teacher, 18:54 the greatest rabbi that ever lived. 18:57 Right? 18:58 And somebody comes up to Him 19:01 and this is in the gospel narrative 19:04 comes up and says rabbi, what is the greatest. 19:09 He says of all the commandments 19:11 but what is greatest of all of the teachings? 19:13 Right? 19:14 Which would land me to ask the question 19:16 of all the things that Jesus teaches, 19:21 I think we have to look at 19:22 what He says as one of the most important things 19:26 that He brings out. 19:28 Well, it is interesting that-- 19:31 So let's tell them what it was that He said. 19:33 Well, first of all He quoted the two statements 19:38 from one is from the Book of Deuteronomy 19:41 which is the famous Jewish prayer "Shema" 19:45 Hear, Israel The Lord is your God, 19:48 the Lord is one and you shall love your Lord 19:51 the Lord your God with all your heart, 19:53 with all your mind, with all your strength. 19:55 Exactly. 19:57 And the second one is from Leviticus 19, 19:59 you shall love your neighbor as yourself. 20:02 And it is interesting that Sadducee, you know 20:06 Pharisee ask Him this question 20:09 and many people make erroneous conclusion 20:13 that this is how Jesus throws away 20:16 the Ten Commandments and replaces them with two. 20:19 Well, if you look at the famous for a sake teacher Hillel, 20:23 who lived three decades before Jesus. 20:26 It was the story how Hillel converted a Gentile 20:31 who asked him if he could teach him a Torah 20:34 while he stands on one leg, on one foot. 20:39 And Hillel converts him and says you know, 20:44 don't do to your neighbor 20:46 what you don't want to be done to yourself 20:48 this is the-- the essence of the Torah, 20:50 the rest is the common thing. 20:51 Now, go study. 20:52 Go study the Torah. Right. 20:55 It is interesting that the same question 20:59 arises in the Book of Luke 21:02 while in Matthew it is the Pharisee 21:06 who is trying to provoke Jesus 21:09 in Luke it is the Pharisee 21:11 who is asking it differently 21:14 and he says how do I get saved? 21:17 And what Jesus answers? 21:20 What does the Torah teach? 21:22 And the Pharisee says, 21:24 love God dear Lord with all your heart soul 21:27 and might and love your neighbor as yourself. 21:31 So it is a Pharisee who knows what the Torah teaches. 21:37 So you can see how close 21:41 Jesus was to what was taught 21:44 in--in the rabbinic circles. Yes. 21:48 He didn't invent something new, 21:51 he didn't nullify any commandments. 21:53 The Pharisees knew the same thing. 21:56 Yeah, if anything He in one statement 22:00 validates the most important part, 22:02 you know, to love God and love man. 22:06 And then everything else follows around and after that. 22:10 I have, you know, I have always seen that 22:12 and I thought, you know, Jesus hears one of those cases 22:14 where you are asked the question, 22:16 what is the greatest of all the commandments? 22:19 And, you know, 22:22 He had an opportunity here to say anything, right. 22:25 Right. 22:26 And look at what He says, you know, 22:29 He chooses doesn't talk about merry, 22:31 He doesn't talk about adultery. 22:33 He doesn't even really, I mean the thing 22:36 that may be surprises so many people is that 22:38 He doesn't say look the Sabbath is the most important thing. 22:41 Okay, not nullifying that but He takes the opportunity 22:45 to say to people look if you love God 22:48 with all your heart, soul and strength 22:49 with all that you are 22:51 and then you take that same love 22:52 and you love those people around you. 22:56 Okay, because Sasha, correct me if I'm wrong 22:58 but I think the concept extends beyond-- 23:03 beyond when it says love your neighbor as yourself, 23:05 this isn't just talking about, okay, love your best friend. 23:08 Yeah, exactly, that's why next question is Pharisee asks, 23:12 who is my neighbor and here is the illustration 23:15 in the parable of Samaritan that's your neighbor. 23:19 That's like if today some Israeli 23:23 who suffered from some terror attack 23:25 is now being told your neighbor is Palestinian whom you love. 23:30 That will blow many people's minds. 23:32 You know, but that's what Jesus was trying to teach 23:35 that love is the foundation of the Torah 23:40 and that's the essence of Jesus' teaching as a rabbi. 23:45 And isn't it interesting too that we hear this 23:48 and there is no way that we can turn away 23:50 and say well, the God of the Old Testament was one way 23:54 and Jesus brought something different. 23:56 Listen I hate to cut it short 23:58 but I have a song that I'd love to do. 24:01 It's called "Hallelujah B'Yeshua" 24:04 and if you will excuse me, we will do that. 24:08 All right. 24:11 It's hallelujah, actually it literally means 24:16 let us praise God. 24:21 And the B'Yeshua in Jesus. So, let us praise God in Jesus. 24:27 Amen. 24:35 Hallelujah b'Yeshua Ha Melech Yisrael 24:38 To the Lion of Judah We sing and praise 24:42 Hallelujah b'Yeshua Ha Melech Yisrael 24:45 Adonai Tzedkeynu He is our prince of Peace 24:52 Hallelujah b'Yeshua Ha Melech Yisrael 24:56 To the Lion of Judah Oh, we sing His praise 24:59 Hallelujah b'Yeshua The king of Israel 25:03 He is the Lord our righteousness 25:05 He is our prince of peace 25:10 Praise Him, He is worthy 25:17 Praise Him, Yeshua Ha Mashiach Ben David 25:24 Oh, praise Him, give Him glory 25:31 Oh, praise Him, 25:34 Yeshua Ha Mashiach son of David 25:40 Hallelujah b'Yeshua Ha Melech Yisrael 25:43 To the Lion of Judah Oh, we sing and praise 25:47 Hallelujah b'Yeshua Ha Melech Yisrael 25:50 Adonai Tzedkeynu Sasha Shalom 26:14 Oh, we Praise Him, 26:18 He is worthy 26:21 Let's Praise Him, 26:25 Yeshua Ha Mashiach Ben David 26:28 Oh, praise Him, 26:32 We'll give Him glory 26:35 Let's Praise Him, 26:39 Yeshua Ha Mashiach Ben David 26:42 Oh, praise Him, 26:46 He is worthy 26:49 Let's Praise Him, 26:53 Yeshua Ha Mashiach Ben David 26:57 Yeshua Ha Mashiach Adonai 27:00 Yeshua Ha Melech Yisrael 27:09 Praise Him, Jesus He is the king of Israel, 27:14 Jesus He is our rabbi. 27:16 He is the ultimate teacher and we are told that 27:21 we are to be His disciples but not only that 27:24 we are Rachel, to make disciples. 27:27 That means that we are to take what we learn 27:30 and we are to teach it and impart it to others. 27:33 We are not supposed to just sit on it 27:35 and hold and go wow, look at what I have learned. 27:38 We need to share it with a lost and hurting world. 27:41 So we hope that you have been blessed today 27:43 and as always, may the Lord bless you 27:45 and may He keep you 27:47 and may the Lord make His face to shine upon you 27:50 and be gracious to you. 27:51 May the Lord lift His countenance upon you 27:53 and bring you His peace. 27:55 Thank you and join us once again on Back to Our Roots. |
Revised 2014-12-17