1) Jesus grew up in Nazareth near the city of Sepphoris after his family returned from Egypt following the death of King Herod. 2) Around 6 AD, a Galilean named Judas led a revolt against the Romans that was brutally suppressed, with 2000 Jews being crucified along the roads in Galilee, something a young Jesus likely witnessed. 3) When Jesus emerged to begin his ministry around age 30, he was baptized, then tempted in the wilderness before exorcising demons and curing illnesses as signs of the coming Kingdom without evil or death.

1. The
Historical
Jesus
Week 3 Christ: God. Creator. Man. Prophet. Savior. King.

2. The Maccabee Revolt gave Israel independence (temporarily) but it also
created a bit of chaos because there was no clear successor to the Throne of
David or to head the priesthood. Factions emerged that produced the
Sadducees, Pharisees and Essenes.

7. Jesus’ family returned from Egypt after the death of
Herod (Matt. 2:19-23) and settled in Nazareth near
the growing city of Sepphoris.

8. Around 6 AD, a Galilean named Judas led a revolt. It
was brutally suppressed and the Romans crucified 2000
along the roads in Galilee. A young Jesus would have
witnessed it on his walk to work.

10. Why wasn’t Jesus chosen as a rabbi? The most
gifted Jewish males were often chosen to study to
be rabbis around the age of 12. There may not
have been a school available in the small town of
Nazareth or Jesus may have had to work with his
father to help support their growing family, which
included at least 4 younger brothers (see Mark 6:3
and Matthew 13:55-56).

11. What was the culture of first century Palestine like? There w
as “messiah fever!” The Romans could be brutal and taxes w
ere high yet the Sadducees tried to keep the people in check
and people needed to work.

12. What was it like to worship as a Jew in 1st Century
Israel? Most people attended synagogues, which
were for training. Worship only took place at the
Temple.

13. Jesus emerges into this landscape after he had
turned thirty, which was the age when Jews were
allowed to speak publicly. According to liberal
historian JD Crossan, the life expectancy of the
average 1st Century Jewish male was 29!

14. What did Jesus look like? The prophet Isaiah
stated that the Messiah would be plain looking
(53:2). The average Jewish man at the time
looked like this:

15. What?
What does Jesus do
when he emerges? He
is baptized (Matt. 3:13-
17; Mark 1:9-11 and
Luke 3:21-23).

16. Tempted

17. Jesus then begins his
ministry by exorcising
demons and curing
illnesses. Why? It is a
sign of the Kingdom to
come where there will be
no evil or death.