Who is the real Yeshua (Jesus)? Did he really live, do miracles, talk about a way to God? How could we know what to think about his identity and aims. Derek Leman, popular blogger at Yeshua in Context and Messianic Jewish Musings, describes the path to knowing the historical Jesus through the stories of the gospels. Yeshua in Context is a thoughtful journey through some of the Yeshua stories that are most revealing about his aims and identity.
Chapter 1. The Real Yeshua 2. The Unexpected Yeshua 3. The Heralding Yeshua 4. Yeshua as Exorcist 5. Yeshua as Healer 6. The Messianic Secret 7. The Temple Cleansing 8. The Handwashing Dispute 9. The Prodigal Story 10. Beatitudes of Hope 11. Seeds and Fruit 12. The Wicked Tenants 13. Born from Above 14. Messiah's Trial 15. Crucifixion Irony 16. The Living and Present Lord 17. The True Vine
I'm writing my first fantasy novel, set in a Mesopotamia-like world in a Bronze-age sort of setting. I hope it will be the first of many and that I'll have it finished in early 2021. For now I'm reading epic fantasy as much as possible when I'm not working, writing my book, taking care of kids & puppies, or hanging out with my beautiful wife. Oh, in a previous life -- or maybe it was just my 30's and 40's -- I wrote religious non-fiction.
A very accessible book most notable by being written from the perspective of a Messianic Jew. Leman takes a fresh look at parts of the gospels that have often been interpreted with the modern Christian church in mind. The phrase "in context" is seldom used more aptly; this book is a reminder that Jesus was a first century Jew speaking to first century Jews, and introduces new insights into many familiar stories.