Presenting Jesus Volume 5

Description

Jesus’ use of parables, His commissioning of the disciples, and the awe-inspiring presence of God known as the Shekinah are central to the Gospel narratives. In Presenting Jesus: the Son of Israel, Volume V, author Rivi Litvin continues to uncover the deeply Jewish roots of Jesus’ ministry. Litvin demonstrates that Jesus did not invent parabolic teaching to conceal His message from the masses. Instead, He utilized the traditional rabbinic Mashal (parable) to boldly illustrate the truths of God’s Kingdom, ensuring His audience could clearly understand the Torah and put it into practice. When Jesus sent out the twelve—and later the seventy—He commissioned them as Shlichim (messengers). They carried His full delegated authority to heal the sick and preach repentance to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel”. He instructed them: “Freely you received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8). This teaching echoed the rabbinic understanding that one must not charge a fee for teaching the word of God. Litvin also explores the profound mystery of the Shekinah. The Shekinah is the visible, physical manifestation of God’s presence on earth. Just as it appeared to Moses at Mount Sinai, the disciples witnessed this radiant glory during the Transfiguration—a powerful glimpse of the light that will one day cover all of Jerusalem in the Messianic era.