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PAL, 360 minutes

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Text and Context - Part 2 (DVD)

Towards A Deeper Understanding Of Jesus by �Xploring� Jewish Scripture and Jewish Life

Author: Desi Maxwell

Product code: S141

Look further at the Jewish roots of the Christian faith by exploring various aspects of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth, whom if we are to truly understand, must be set as a Torah-observant Rabbi in the matrix of first century Jewish life.

Jesus never went to church. He never read a New Testament. He never sang a Christian hymn. He never encountered a Protestant or a Roman Catholic. He never possessed a passport. Much has been written and spoken about Jesus, but so often this has been filtered through the lens of scholarship or culture. Jesus has become many things to many people, and sadly the real man from Nazareth has been obscured or even lost. We constantly need to pursue the quest for insights into the true Jesus as we engage with His world, words and wisdom.

He grew up in a Jewish family, attended synagogue on Sabbath, celebrated the Jewish festivals and walked the land of Israel. So much of what He said was coherent with Jewish thought and consistent with the teaching of contemporary rabbis. Yet He was unique. He lived in a context of social turmoil, political conflict and religious dissent.

A line from someone attending the conference provided an appropriate prayer: ‘Lord of Life, send our roots rain.' It was an opportunity to ‘xplore' the roots of our faith in more depth. Delving into the world of Yeshua/Jesus is like visiting a foreign country where we discover people do things differently and speak another language.

However, both the text of Jewish Scripture and context of Jewish life will help us get to know more about the person and work of this Torah-observant village workman whose work is now known all over the world.

This set of 7 video recordings is offered by CFI Communications as the second part of an excellent follow-on from our Kesher Course. We trust that you will be inspired and your walk with God enriched as under Desi's engaging leadership, you follow him on a journey back into the world and surroundings that were so very familiar to Jesus and His first disciples. Comes as a boxed set of 7 DVD's, complete with one copy of the Student Guide.

Click on the following titles to view a brief sample of that session.

  • Session 8: Jesus - Son and Stone
    In this Session, Desi takes us to the Parable of the Tenants (Mark 12:1-12). He contrasts two quite different ways of looking at this story. Depending on which one you adopt, the conclusion will be very different. The subtle linkages in the story back into the Hebrew Scriptures of the Old Testament are also examined, along with a possible deliberate play on the words 'son' and 'stone'. 

  • Session 9: The Bible As Jesus Knew It
    Desi gives an overview of the three major sections of the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament): The Torah; The Prophets (Neviim); and The Writings (Ketuvim). We are clearly reminded that these are the only inspired Biblical writings that Jesus, the Apostles and leaders of the Early Church knew and used. 

  • Session 10: Jesus and Halakah
    Desi returns to the major theme running through this whole teaching series: the journey that each of us is called to take as we ‘walk' with the God of the Bible through this earthly life. Jewish ‘halakah' covers every area of life: how we live with one another, how to love, how to raise families, how to create community. All of these are covered, along with the very striking parallels between Moses and the receiving of the Torah, compared with Jesus and the Sermon on the Mount. 

  • Session 11: Jesus and the Sabbath
    In this teaching Session, Desi looks at the whole subject of ‘Rest' encompassed in the Biblical term ‘Sabbath' as it is applied to various periods of time: from the weekly "day of rest" through to Sabbatical Years and also the Year of Jubilee. All of these point in the end to the promise of "a rest to come", but included are a place to live, a peace to enjoy, and a person to trust. 

  • Session 12: Jesus and the Synagogue
    The synagogue has been described as one of the most important institutions in Jewish society down through the centuries. In this teaching Session, Desi looks at three aspects of the place that the synagogue held in Jewish life: (i) the Beit Knesset - the Meeting Place; (ii) the Beit Tefillah - the House of Prayer; and (iii) the Beit Midrash - the House of Study or Learning. 

  • Session 13: Jesus and the Temple
    Desi returns one more time to the central theme of the road that runs through Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. Integral to that unfolding story is the nation of Israel...the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And a key part to the story of the Jewish people is their relationship to the structures that have stood for various periods of time on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. 

  • Session 14: From Last Supper in Egypt to Lord's Supper Today
    Drawing upon the story of the Jewish people's escape from bondage in Egypt to freedom on the border of the Promised Land in the Book of Exodus, Desi reminds us that at both Passover and the Lord's Supper we: (i) obey the Lord's command; (ii) remember the Lord's work; and (iii) we join together with the Lord's people.

The first part of these set of recordings can bought here or as one set here, as video on demand here, on CD here or individually in MP3 format here. Further copies of the Student Guide are available here or at a discounted price for 5 or more copies here.

Not compatible with countries using NTSC: Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Bolivia, Burma (Myanmar), Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guam, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Montserrat, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Samoa, Suriname, Taiwan, Trinidad & Tobago, USA, Venezuela, Virgin Islands

Please note that we cannot advise individuals about whether you will be able to play these DVDs. You are advised to check you current DVDs to find out what format they are in, or contact any local DVD supplier for more information. Please note that we will not issue a refund if you order these DVDs and you can not play them.

About the Author

Desi Maxwell

Desi grew up in Co. Antrim, N. Ireland. After studies at the University of Ulster, then Westminster and Princeton theological Seminaries, he entered pastoral ministry for seven years: three in Canada, followed by four in Belfast.

For the next twenty years he lectured at Belfast Bible College (and remains a senior teaching fellow), before seeking to bring the classroom to the living room through `Xplorations`, the ministry he co-founded and directs with his wife Heather.

He has studied at Dwight Pryor`s Haverim Schools of Discipleship and comes with his warm recommendation as a gifted teacher with his own unique presentation and introduction to Jesus in His Jewish world.

Click here to see an introductory video about Xplorations.