Life and Teachings of Jesus - Part 1

So I just like to introduce myself a little bit because quite a lot of you I know from different workshops I've taught or moments when we met each other over the last 40 years. Some of you came to other workshops I taught online. Well, I also noticed quite a lot of people I haven't met before, and I'm really grateful and really pleased to meet new people. Of course, I'd really prefer if we could all be together in the same room, having coffee together, chatting together, giving each other a hug, but because of the current reality, we can't do that. This crisis opened up this other opportunity to join together across the nations and the continents. For me, I normally just teach workshops in Europe, and sometimes I go to other places like Russia or America, but this is a great opportunity for me to teach people from all over the place, but also not just to teach, but also to learn. We'll try and have some questions and answers, and we're more than happy if you want to put questions and comments in the chat. I can't see the comments in the chat while I'm teaching, but I can look at them again at the end.

As I said, I'd like to introduce myself a little bit. This is my wife and I, that's when I had a bit more hair, and we were blessed in Madison Square Gardens in 1982. We have four children: our older son, his wife Christophel, and they have one daughter, and they have another boy coming on the way in September. Our second son is Jonathan, his wife Reena, and they live in Singapore now. Our third son is Alexander, and our daughter Elizabeth still lives with us. This is my own natural family, my parents. Just to give you some idea of where I come from in terms of spiritual tradition, my parents belong to the Church of England, and so I belong to the Church of England. I was born, baptized, confirmed, and married in the Church of England. My father's side has a long line of priests, so in my immediate lineage, I'm a direct descendant of the last five or six generations of 16 vicars or priests within the Church of England. I have a very traditional Christian upbringing and went to a great Christian school, developing a strong love for Jesus, and that's what also brought me to meet two parents.

This is my mother's side. My mother's family is Jewish, so that's my mother, my grandmother, my great-grandmother, and my great-great-grandmother. That's my great-grandfather. This is a town in Israel called Petah Tikva; it's the first new Jewish settlement in two thousand years. My great-grandfather was one of the pioneer founders of this town. By birth, I'm Jewish and Christian by upbringing, and most of my relatives actually live in Israel. This, of course, may be interesting when I heard the Divine Principle, very much in trying to understand Jesus. Looking at the life and teaching of Jesus is something I've spent a lot of time thinking about for many years. Even though I'm Jewish by birth, I didn't have a Jewish upbringing. I went to the Church of England, and I knew my grandmother was Jewish. Once a year, she used to fast for a day at Yom Kippur, and we didn't see her for a day, but other than that, it never really made much of an impact on my personal life.

It wasn't until I started listening to some talks by someone called Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, who was the Chief Rabbi of Britain and the Commonwealth until recently, that I started to realize he made a lot more sense. Even though I grew up a Christian and went to church, I couldn't understand what was said in the pulpit when people started to explain about the life of Jesus. It didn't really make much sense to me. I couldn't really understand it very clearly, and even though I went to church every Sunday, and actually the school I went to went to church every morning and had other classes as well, especially during Lent, I loved Jesus and believed in Jesus, but I couldn't make sense of what I was being taught about Jesus. When I was 18, I met someone called Magdalena. I don't think she's on the call tonight. Magdalena's in Bologna now, and she stopped me in the street in London. She asked me if I was concerned about the world's problems, and I said I was. She asked me if I wanted to hear some teaching about how to solve the world's problems, and I thought she was probably from some weird little group or sect, so I said no thank you, I'm a Christian. But then her response was that through these teachings, she came to love Jesus more. I felt stuck; how could I say I didn't want to go and learn to love Jesus more? So I was the easiest person in the world to witness to.

On that basis, I went along, I heard the lectures, and I went down to a workshop at Cleve House where I had lectures from Mark Palmer. A week later, I went back and heard lectures from John Haines. When I heard the Divine Principle, it changed my life. It wasn't something I had to believe like it was at church; I had to recite the Nicene Creed every Sunday, 'I believe in God the Father, maker of heaven and earth.' It was something I knew was true because it helped me to make sense of my life. My immediate feeling was this is what Jesus taught. When I heard the Divine Principle, I felt this is what Jesus taught, and that's what touched my life and my heart. Later on, I heard about the life of Jesus, and it made complete sense. I discovered the Father's Messiah, and I felt as a Christian, what choice did I have? I had to follow the Messiah. That's what I've been doing for the last 45 years.

As I said, the Divine Principle made much more sense to me than I ever came across. When I started listening to Jonathan Sacks, I realized, wow, this is what I believe. I had this experience realizing actually I'm Jewish in a way I didn't really expect or think. The way I think and the way I approach life is actually very Jewish. I was trying to realize, okay, I'm Jewish by birth, so what does that mean to me? I was trying to make sense of the relationship between Judaism and Christianity, which is very painful. My mother's one of my mother's relatives, my grandmother, lived in London, but she had a sister. Although my grandmother was born in Palestine, she emigrated to London, and one of her sisters lives in France. My mother's aunt lives in France with her family. In 1942, my mother's aunts and her family were arrested because they were Jews; they were in the underground resistance movement, and they were deported and perished in Auschwitz. For me, it's always something that if I had been living in Europe in the 1940s, that's what would have happened to me. So trying to understand and make sense of this relationship between Christianity and Judaism is something that greatly interests me.

I went to Cambridge University some years ago and studied Jewish-Christian relations for a master's degree. This completely helped me to re-evaluate the life of Jesus, the teaching of Jesus, and the relationship between Judaism and Christianity. My lectures are based upon a lot of things I've been thinking about, praying about, and reading about for nearly 30 years. To understand the life and teaching of Jesus, we need to understand who he was and the reality of the world in which he carried out his mission. The first thing to know about Jesus is that he was a Jew. He was born a Jew; his parents were Jewish. He lived as a Jew, was circumcised, ate kosher food, went to the temple to worship, and was buried as a Jew. He was as Jewish as one could be. Sometimes people think he came from heaven or was some kind of spiritual teacher, but actually, he was Jewish. The reality in which he found himself was that Israel was occupied by the Romans. That was the world in which he found himself; he was born a Jew and lived in Israel occupied by the Romans. That was the environment in which he acted and conducted himself, and we need to understand that to understand why he did what he did and why he taught what he taught. He wasn't teaching abstract spiritual truths; he was trying to address a reality that he found.

To give a little background to understand that, we can look at a bit of Jewish self-understanding. As we know, 4,000 years ago, God made a covenant with Abraham. Abraham encountered God, discovered God, and made an agreement with God based upon these promises. One of those promises was that God said to Abraham, 'Your descendants will live in the land of Canaan forever.' There is a very strong connection then that the Jewish people have to the land of Canaan because that was the land that God promised Abraham and his descendants. This is the land of Canaan, where modern-day Israel and Palestine are. You might wonder why there. This is the general self-understanding that it's the point which links Europe, Asia, and Africa. This area is all desert, so if you want to travel between Europe, Africa, and Asia, this is the main trade route. In that sense, it was what seemed to be the centre of the world. The Jewish understanding or self-understanding is that the temple, where the Jewish temple was, is the focal point of creation. This is like the centre of the world, the foundation stone for the world where Adam came into being, and Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob served God, and the temples were built there.

Because of what happened with Abraham and his offerings, his descendants went into slavery; they went down into Egypt. During that time, for many hundreds of years, they were slaves in Egypt. After about 400 years, God raised up Moses. God called Moses, and Moses led the people out of slavery in Egypt into Canaan, into the promised land. On the way there, they made a covenant, and God said to the people, not just to Moses, but to the whole people, 'If you'll listen to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine, and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' This is the Jewish self-understanding that they were called by God as a people to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. It says a kingdom of priests; normally within one village, there's one priest who is the pastor for the whole village, but here God is calling them to be a kingdom of priests. In other words, they should all be priests. To whom should they be pastors? Then to the rest of humanity. Their self-understanding is that they are a people chosen by God to spread the knowledge of God and ethics and morality to the rest of humanity.

When we talk about a chosen nation, it doesn't mean they think of themselves as being better than anybody else. They don't think of themselves as being a master race that should rule the world or govern the world, but just chosen by God entirely to serve the world by spreading knowledge of God and ethics. That's why they are often involved in education and these kinds of matters and the law. The people of Israel are defined by a covenant, by this relationship with God. That's the basis of their self-understanding and their identity. They were a chosen people, and their self-understanding was that God was to be their king. The great thing about God is that God is invisible. So how does God rule the people? That was through their conscience. That's why they need to live a spiritual life, a religious life, so they can form their own personal relationship, their own personal connection with God. God would guide them; God would rule them as a nation through their conscience, which meant they had to cooperate and work together.

They left Egypt, crossed over, met God at Mount Sinai, and then they ended up going to where they made the covenant. These are some of the laws; this is like the basic laws: 'I am the Lord your God.' This then establishes our identity; they are the children of God, the people of God. It's our relationship with God that establishes our identity. 'You shall have no other gods before me; you shall not make any idols; you shall not take God's name in vain.' This sets up a sort of holy community. Also, 'Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.' Work for six days, and on the seventh day, do not work. This is the first commandment actually given to the Israelites when they left Egypt: 'Work for six days; on the seventh day, you are not to gather manna; that's a day of rest.' You might wonder why that was the first commandment given. God wanted to create, we might say, a God-centered family. We can only create a God-centered family when the family is living in the same place or spends time in the same place at the same time. By not working on the Sabbath, the family would be all together; they'd spend time together, pray together, worship together, read together, study together, play games together, sing songs together, play instruments together, and have fun together. So it's one day dedicated to God. For Jews, they say the Jews kept the Sabbath, and the Sabbath kept the Jews.

Traditions and customs played a significant role in shaping the Jewish experience. As a result, many thousands of Jews returned from Babylon to Jerusalem, where they rebuilt the walls and constructed the Second Temple, which, while not as grand as the first, was a symbol of their resilience. Following this period, another empire arose: the empire of Alexander the Great. He united the Greek city-states and invaded the territories previously occupied by the Persian Empire, achieving this in a remarkably short time. Alexander's conquests included Israel, marking not just a military takeover but also a cultural one, as Greek culture spread throughout the Middle East.

The Greeks had their own myths and stories, paralleling those found in the Bible, such as the creation narrative and the tales of Adam and Eve. They worshipped many gods who resided on Mount Olympus, embodying a polytheistic belief system. Greek mythology often depicted human beings as mere playthings for the gods, and their literature, including profound plays and novels like Homer's 'Odyssey' and 'Iliad', explored complex themes of human nature. These works continue to resonate today, reflecting a certain worldview that emphasised fate over free will, suggesting that human lives were predetermined by divine forces.

In contrast, the Jewish culture of Israel was deeply spiritual, with a focus on divine laws and moral living. The Jewish people adhered to a set of 365 laws that dictated their way of life, including customs such as circumcision and dietary restrictions. They viewed their culture as unique and distinct, whereas the Greeks considered their culture superior and universal. The vast empire established by Alexander saw many adopt Greek ways, including philosophy, art, and the Olympic Games, while the Jews maintained a strong sense of their identity, rooted in their spiritual traditions.

The clash between these two cultures—Hebraism and Hellenism—was profound. The Jewish tradition emphasised listening to the word of God and following one's conscience, while Greek culture prioritised visual perception and external appearances. This difference is mirrored in modern society, where contemporary culture often values outward appearances, as seen in platforms like Instagram. The Jewish tradition, however, focused on inner values and moral choices, as illustrated by the story of Adam and Eve, who were given the free will to choose their actions.

The Jewish community was theistic and centred around worship, believing that their identity was tied to their covenant with God at Mount Sinai. In contrast, the Greeks were more humanistic, viewing citizenship and political identity as paramount. This cultural divide extended to social norms, with Jews adhering to modest dress and conservative sexual ethics, while Greeks embraced a more liberal approach. The stark differences between these cultures led to significant tension, especially when Greek armies occupied Israel, resulting in a cultural clash reminiscent of modern-day scenarios where differing values collide.

As the Greek influence spread, many Jews, particularly those in urban areas like Jerusalem, began to adopt Hellenistic customs, viewing them as more modern. This led to a division within the Jewish community, with some embracing Greek culture and others, especially in rural areas, rejecting it vehemently. This internal conflict mirrored challenges faced by religious communities throughout history, as they grappled with modernity and the temptation to assimilate or retreat into fundamentalism.

In Alexandria, a significant Jewish community sought a middle ground, advocating for a synthesis of Hellenistic and Hebraic traditions. This approach aimed to integrate the beneficial aspects of both cultures while rejecting the negative. However, the struggle between Hellenizing and conservative Jews intensified, leading to civil strife. Following Alexander's death, his empire fragmented, with Israel falling under the control of the Ptolemaic and Seleucid empires, further complicating the situation.

The Seleucid ruler Antiochus Epiphanes attempted to impose Hellenism on the Jewish people, leading to violent resistance. He banned key Jewish rituals, including circumcision, and desecrated the Temple in Jerusalem, actions that were deeply offensive to traditional Jews. This period marked an existential crisis for Judaism, as the community faced the threat of assimilation or extermination. The Maccabean revolt in 167 BCE was a response to this oppression, resulting in a significant victory for the Jews and the establishment of Hanukkah as a celebration of their resilience against Hellenistic forces.

The Romans would invade neighboring territories, particularly in what is now called Italy, to extract wealth back to Rome and build up the empire. This resulted in a very exploitative system where taxation levels were incredibly high. The culture was harsh and brutal, exemplified by the entertainment of gladiators fighting to the death, with spectators cheering and placing bets on who would kill whom. Christians were often fed to wild beasts or burned alive, which was considered entertaining by many. While the Romans did contribute some infrastructure, such as roads and buildings, their rule was marked by extreme exploitation and oppression.

When the Romans occupied Israel, the general leading the invasion entered the temple's Holy of Holies, expecting to find an idol, but found it empty. This led to the Jews being mocked as atheists because they did not worship statues like other cultures. The Romans controlled the high priesthood and imposed heavy taxes on the Israelites, including land tax, income tax, and various other levies. Those who resisted faced severe punishment; for instance, four towns that refused to pay taxes were sold into slavery. The Romans invaded Egypt to access grain, further demonstrating their exploitative nature.

The bulk of the money collected in taxes was sent to Rome, often enriching the emperor personally. The Romans built a fortress next to the temple in Jerusalem to exert control over the Jewish people, as the temple was central to their spiritual and cultural life. This led to numerous uprisings, including those led by figures like Simon of Perea and Judas of Galilee, which were brutally suppressed. After Jesus' death, another revolt led by a man named Theodos was also crushed. The reality of Roman rule was one of harsh militaristic oppression, aimed at extracting wealth from the Jewish population.

Interestingly, the portrayal of Romans in the Gospels is quite favourable. For example, a Roman soldier is commended by Jesus for his faith, and Pontius Pilate is depicted as reluctant to execute Jesus. However, the Gospels do not fully acknowledge the oppressive taxation and injustices caused by Roman occupation. The Jews, who had a strong religious and national identity, revolted against the Romans more than any other group, driven by their long history and cultural pride. The Romans viewed the Jews with contempt, seeing them as old-fashioned and overly religious, which contributed to the tensions between the two groups.

Amidst this backdrop, many Jewish people were waiting for a Messiah, a figure who would deliver them from Roman oppression. The term 'Messiah' is derived from Hebrew, meaning 'the anointed one,' and is equivalent to 'Christ' in Greek. The expectation was that this Messiah would restore Israel's glory, similar to past kings like David and Solomon. The angel Gabriel's announcement to Mary about her son Jesus highlights this political expectation, as he is foretold to reign on the throne of David and establish peace and justice.

Mary, understood in Christian tradition to be the daughter of Anne, is mentioned in various texts, including the Quran. After the angel's announcement, Mary visits her relative Elizabeth, who is pregnant with John the Baptist. When Jesus is born and grows up in Nazareth, his parents, Joseph and Mary, take him to Jerusalem for festivals. During one visit, they lose track of him and find him in the temple, engaging with teachers. This incident illustrates the complex relationship between Jesus and his parents, as they do not initially understand his purpose or where to find him.

Jesus expresses his need to be in his Father's house, indicating his deep connection to God and his desire to study the scriptures. This moment reflects the tension between his divine mission and his earthly family's understanding of him. The narrative suggests that Jesus was not just a passive child but actively seeking knowledge and understanding of his role. The depiction of this scene, including the body language of Jesus and his parents, highlights the misunderstandings and conflicts that arose from Jesus' unique identity and mission.

Your mother has been driving me mad for the last three days. Please just say sorry, apologise, and I can have a good night's sleep. You can see this kind of dynamic in this relationship. What should have happened is that Jesus' parents should have left him in the temple. Jesus needed to get a good education; he needed to study in the temple school. He needed to study the Torah and all the prophets, but he also needed to get to know the religious leaders and the other leaders in Jerusalem, which was the political capital. I'm sure, because of the kind of person he was, that they were already amazed at his understanding and answers after only three days. You can imagine if he stayed there in Jerusalem and studied at the school, the teachers would soon realise that this young man knew more than they did. They would conclude that maybe he was the Messiah they were waiting for, the one that God had sent.

Jesus would have gotten to know all the priests, the high priests, the chief priests, and all the teachers and political leaders of the establishment. Because of the kind of person he was, he would have won their love and respect very easily. He could have guided them and advised them on how to deal with the incredibly intense political reality of the relationship between the Roman occupation and the Jewish people. He could have been a peacemaker, advising them on how to bring peace and reconciliation to solve this intense situation before it blew up. Instead, he went home with them to Nazareth, trained there, and became a carpenter.

Sometimes people wonder if Jesus really existed. Some secular people question whether everything in the Gospels is made up. While it is all written in the Gospels, some argue that it was produced by the Christian Church and may have been fabricated. However, we can find that quite a few people who were contemporary with Jesus, and who were not Christians, recognised that Jesus was a historical figure. For example, Tacitus, one of the best Roman historians, lived not long after Jesus. He had experience as a magistrate dealing with Christians in court, as Christians were often punished for their beliefs. Tacitus wrote about Nero, for whom he had little respect, and mentioned that neither human effort nor the emperor's generosity ended the scandalous belief that the fire had been ordered by Nero.

Tacitus noted that the crowd called those who were punished 'Christians', and he referred to their founder as Christ, or Christus in Latin. He stated that Christ had been executed during the reign of Tiberius by the procurator Pontius Pilate. Tacitus regarded Christianity as a deadly superstition, yet he recognised that Jesus was a historical figure who lived during a specific moment in history. This provides evidence in the historical non-Christian record of the existence of Jesus and the time in which he lived. Another well-known historian, Josephus, a Jewish priest who lived shortly after Jesus, also provides evidence of Jesus' existence. Josephus was a commander of the Jewish army who defected to the Roman side and wrote a history of the Jews, including the Jewish War and Jewish Antiquities.

In his writings, Josephus refers to a high priest named Aeneas, who called a meeting of judges and brought in the brother of Jesus, who is called the Messiah, James by name. He made accusations against James and others, leading to their stoning. Josephus uses Jesus as a historical reference to identify which James he meant. He also wrote that around this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man. Some argue that this passage has been tampered with by Christians, as it suggests Jesus was more than just a man. Josephus noted that Jesus performed surprising deeds and taught those who accepted the truth gladly, winning over many Jews and Greeks. While the statement that he was the Messiah may be a Christian addition, Josephus' writings still acknowledge Jesus as a historical figure.

The fact is that no writers in the ancient world—Roman, Greek, or Jewish—doubted the existence of Jesus. Those who have doubted since the European Enlightenment do so simply because they lived a long time afterward. None of Jesus' contemporaries or those who lived shortly after him doubted that he was a historical figure. From this, we can conclude that Jesus existed; his name was Jesus in Greek, he was called Christ, and he had a brother named James, who became the head of the Christian Church after Jesus' death. He garnered support from both Jews and Greeks and was executed by crucifixion under Pontius Pilate. These are all pieces of factual evidence we can gather from the non-Christian historical record.

Next, we have John the Baptist, who appears on the scene in Matthew. He was the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, and Elizabeth and Mary were relatives. John the Baptist made an incredible impression upon the Jewish people, who were in expectation of the Messiah. Many questioned whether he might be the Christ. John answered that he baptised with water, but one mightier than he was coming, who would baptise with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Some people came from Jerusalem to interview John, and when asked if he was the Christ, he denied it. This is interesting because Zechariah was told that his son would go forward in the spirit and power of Elijah, yet John claimed he was not Elijah, which remains a mystery.

Eventually, Jesus came to John to be baptised, and when John saw Jesus approaching, he proclaimed, 'Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.' John testified that Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah. However, it is noteworthy that while some of John's disciples followed Jesus, John himself does not appear to have done so. One might wonder why that is. Perhaps John had his own idea of what the Messiah should be like, envisioning a king adorned in robes, while Jesus was a humble carpenter. John himself admitted that he did not know Jesus initially, which surprised him. It was only through a revelation that he recognised Jesus as the Messiah.

John's complicated feelings about Jesus may have stemmed from Jesus' family background. Mary was pregnant outside of marriage, and Joseph, who was not the biological father, received a revelation that Mary was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. This complicated background may have led John to view Jesus as illegitimate. John acknowledged that Jesus would increase while he must decrease, but he did not act upon this inspiration immediately. Later, when John was imprisoned, he sent disciples to Jesus to ask if he was the one to come or if they should look for another. This indicates that the inspiration John received faded because he did not act on it. It serves as an important lesson: when you receive inspiration or an idea, it is crucial to act on it to make it substantial.

After the baptism, Jesus went into the desert and fasted for 40 days. During this time, he was tempted by Satan. The first temptation involved the tempter asking Jesus to turn stones into bread. Jesus responded, 'It is written, man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' This temptation is connected to the concept of mind-body unity. It recalls the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, where Eve gave in to her physical desire for the fruit. Jesus, however, established mind-body unity by refusing to give in to his physical desires, even after fasting for 40 days. He was committed to following the word of God, which had warned Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit, stating that they would surely die if they did.

The Son of God said, 'Throw yourself down, for it is written: You'll command his angels concerning you, and they'll lift you up in their hands, so you will not strike your foot against the stone.' So again, what's going on here? Why is the devil approaching Jesus with this temptation? Jesus answered, 'It is also written: Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' This takes us back to what happened in the Garden of Eden when Lucifer tempted Eve. The serpent said to Eve, 'Did God say you can eat from any of the trees in the garden?' The woman replied, 'We may eat the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said you shall not eat from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.' The serpent said to the woman, 'You will not die.' She ate it. This is very similar to the temptation here: 'Throw yourself off the temple; you won't die; you can fly; the angels will come and protect you.' The idea is that you can violate the laws of nature and not suffer the consequences. You can jump off the top of the temple without breaking your leg or dying, just as you can eat the fruit without dying. It's the same kind of temptation, just as Lucifer approached Adam and Eve, he approached Jesus here. Jesus, as the second or last Adam, faced a similar temptation and overcame it.

The third temptation involved the devil taking Jesus to a very high mountain and showing him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. 'All this I will give you,' he said, 'if you'll bow down and worship me.' Jesus replied, 'Away from me, Satan, for it is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.' This temptation is connected to restoring the third blessing. God said to Adam and Eve, 'You can have dominion over creation.' It's about temptation for wealth and ownership. Sometimes, this temptation is prevalent in the world; people are told that if they do certain things, they can get promoted in their jobs. If they break moral or legal laws, they can be rewarded. It's about corruption—doing unethical things to gain wealth, position, or power. Jesus faced that temptation and rejected it. These are the kinds of temptations everyone faces: giving in to physical desires, breaking moral laws, and thinking they can get away with it, or being corrupt to gain power and wealth.

When the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time. After this, Jesus started his ministry, filled with the power of the Spirit. He returned to Galilee, which is in the north, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. Jesus started his ministry by going around the synagogues. The synagogues were different from the temple; the temple was where sacrifices were made by the priests, while the synagogue was a community centre where people met on the Sabbath to study the Torah and God's word. It was a place for education, marriages, festivals, and celebrations. Jesus taught in the synagogues and was praised by everyone for what he was saying and teaching. What was he teaching? The gospel. He proclaimed, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,' which was also John’s good news. Jesus was taking on what John was doing, preaching about the kingdom of God being in the midst of them.

The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field. The kingdom of God is like a grain of mustard seed; the kingdom of heaven is like yeast. Jesus said, 'It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.' This message was very much political. The Israelites, when they left Egypt and entered Canaan, wanted to establish a God-centred kingdom, with God as their king, guiding them through the Mosaic Law. They sought to establish a kingdom of peace and justice. Jesus spoke about the kingdom of God, going throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every infirmity among the people. Jesus was incredibly well received wherever he went; people welcomed him, spoke highly of him, and listened to him.

As it says in Matthew, great crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, which are ten towns in the north of Israel on both sides of the Jordan, as well as from Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. Great crowds followed him, showing how well received he was. One example of this is the Sermon on the Mount, a collection of his sayings put together in Matthew. When Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority and not as their scribes. Jesus was an incredibly charismatic person; when he spoke, people felt God speaking through him. That's why Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life.' Jesus himself was the embodiment of the truth. When he spoke, people felt their hearts pierced by the word of God, unlike the scribes who merely shared book knowledge. Jesus spoke with authority, and these sayings, such as the Beatitudes, represent a whole point of spiritual growth and development.