RE-MAKING THE GALILEERE-MAKING THE GALILEEIntroducing Jesus’ WorldIntroducing Jesus’ World

1st Century c.e. Coins

1. Jesus was a Jew1. Jesus was a Jew

• Ethical Ethical MonotheismMonotheism

• MonotheismMonotheism: : Behind the chaos Behind the chaos of the physical of the physical world – is the world – is the coherence of the coherence of the Spiritual WorldSpiritual World

• EthicalEthical: God : God desires desires JusticeJustice

JESUS’ WORLD WAS A TINY PART OF THE VAST ROMAN EMPIRE

2. Jesus’ World was a Roman colony

The Land of Israel & the Eastern Mediterranean

Roman colonizers …Roman colonizers …

• Bring Law & Bring Law & OrderOrder

• They also bring They also bring oppression & oppression & exploitationexploitation

3. The LAND OF ISRAEL has two parts by Jesus’ day

GALILEE is the North

JUDEA is the South

GALILEEGALILEEThe Galilee is farm country

Small family farms aren’t rich, but have survived for generations

4. KING HEROD (“the 4. KING HEROD (“the Great”), though Jewish, Great”), though Jewish, is Rome’s agentis Rome’s agent

HEROD IS DETERMINED TO RE-MAKE GALILEE –

EVEN IF HE HAS TO DESTROY ALL THE SMALL FARMS, FISHERMEN, ETC.

HEROD THE GREAT:

Hugely ambitious

Accepted Roman rule

Roman’s appointed him “king”

Herod built the SECOND TEMPLE

HEROD THE GREATHEROD THE GREAT• Is determined to RE-Is determined to RE-

MAKE the Land of MAKE the Land of Israel in Rome’s Israel in Rome’s imageimage

• Cities! Armies! Cities! Armies! Wealth!Wealth!

• TAXESTAXES

• And to collect the And to collect the taxes?taxes?

• TAX-COLLECTORS, TAX-COLLECTORS,

SOLDIERS, POLICE,SOLDIERS, POLICE, CENSUS TAKERSCENSUS TAKERS

Herod the Great dies in 4 Herod the Great dies in 4 b.c.e.b.c.e.

HEROD THE GREAT

ARCHELAUS PHILIPHEROD ANTIPAS

5. HEROD ANTIPAS 5. HEROD ANTIPAS & has even greater & has even greater ambitions!ambitions!

Herod’s GateIn Jerusalem

Built during the time of Herod Antipas

Herod Antipas’ grand new city in the Galilee

SEPPHORIS

SEPPHORIS

TIBERIASTIBERIASThe Other “New City”The Other “New City”

TIBERIAS – Herod Antipas’s even greater city on the Sea of Galilee

Tiberias, overlooking the Sea of Galilee

6. Folks in rural Galilee farmed or 6. Folks in rural Galilee farmed or fished – and were exploited by fished – and were exploited by everyone! everyone!

SEA OF GALILEE

By Jesus’ day,

Fishing & Farming were the chief occupations in Galilee

What would happen to these people if Galilee is transformed into a Roman-style network of boom-towns!

Fishing boat found on the shores of the Sea of Galilee

MOST PEOPLE IN THE GALILEE ARE FARMERS, SHEPHERDS, OR FISHERMEN, WHO LIVE IN SMALL VILLAGES

Olive Grove

More Olive Groves

Farm worker: probably much like farmer workers in Jesus’ day

8. CONFLICT: The way 8. CONFLICT: The way things “IS” is things “IS” is notnot the way the way things OUGHT to be!things OUGHT to be!ISIS::• EMPIREEMPIRE• Roman domination (+ Roman domination (+

taxes)taxes)• Herodians support Herodians support

the Romans (+ taxes)the Romans (+ taxes)• ““The strong do what The strong do what

they will, and the they will, and the weak suffer what weak suffer what they must …” they must …” ((Thucydides, Thucydides, The The

Peloponnesian War)Peloponnesian War)

OUGHTOUGHT::

• KINGDOM OF GODKINGDOM OF GOD• Everyone is equally Everyone is equally

beloved by Godbeloved by God• No one exploits No one exploits

anyone anyone • Everyone will “do Everyone will “do

justice, love justice, love kindness, and walk kindness, and walk humbling with God” humbling with God” (Micah 6:8)(Micah 6:8)

TAXESTAXES

THE FARMERS & THE FARMERS & FISHERFOLK ARE THE FISHERFOLK ARE THE SOURCE OF WEALTH SOURCE OF WEALTH -- YET THEY HAVE -- YET THEY HAVE LITTLE POWERLITTLE POWER

• Everyone taxes them!Everyone taxes them!

• Herod AntipasHerod Antipas

• Jerusalem’s PriestsJerusalem’s Priests

• The RomansThe Romans

• AND THE POOR ARE AND THE POOR ARE LEFT WITH NOTHING!LEFT WITH NOTHING!

Coin from the time of Herod the Great

IN FARM TOWNS LIKE NAZARETH, ALL THE TALK IS ABOUT

* DEBT,

•LOSING YOUR FARM,

* CRUSHING TAXES

9. Response 1: Cooperate 9. Response 1: Cooperate with Herod Antipas & the with Herod Antipas & the RomansRomans• The SADDUCEESThe SADDUCEES

• ““They’ve got the They’ve got the Power! … Stop Power! … Stop dreaming! … You dreaming! … You can’t change the can’t change the way things is!”way things is!”

10. Response 2: Withdraw 10. Response 2: Withdraw from the Worldfrom the World

• The ESSENESThe ESSENES

• Qumran Qumran CommunityCommunity

• The Dead Sea The Dead Sea ScrollsScrolls

• ““Flee the world!”Flee the world!”

11. Response 3: Call for 11. Response 3: Call for Individual PurificationIndividual Purification

• THE PHARISEESTHE PHARISEES

• NOT villains!NOT villains!

• Intensely pious Intensely pious people; Jesus, people; Jesus, certainly Paul, were certainly Paul, were deeply influenced deeply influenced by themby them

• ““Focus on your own Focus on your own personal piety!”personal piety!”

12. Response 4: Political 12. Response 4: Political RebellionRebellion

• THE ZEALOTSTHE ZEALOTS

• One apostle is One apostle is described as a described as a “Zealot”“Zealot”

• ““Get your spears Get your spears and take to the and take to the hills! We’ll fight hills! We’ll fight it out with it out with them!”them!”

13. THE FATEFUL 13. THE FATEFUL CONFLICTCONFLICTHerod Antipas & Herod Antipas &

the Imperial the Imperial MovementMovement

• UrbanUrban

• WealthyWealthy

• Secular PowerSecular Power

• PowerPower

The “Renewal of The “Renewal of Israel Movement”Israel Movement”

• RuralRural

• PoorPoor

• The CovenantThe Covenant

• Justice!Justice!

14. JOHN THE BAPTIST14. JOHN THE BAPTIST• John & the John & the

Prophetic Prophetic Tradition Tradition (remember (remember Micah!)Micah!)

• ““NOW IS THE NOW IS THE TIME!! GOD’S TIME!! GOD’S KINGDOM IS KINGDOM IS NOW!!!”NOW!!!”

15. As a Jew, Jesus inherits 15. As a Jew, Jesus inherits all the fundamental Jewish all the fundamental Jewish beliefsbeliefs• Genesis: Genesis: Abraham Abraham

& Covenant& Covenant

• ExodusExodus: God as : God as savior; Ethical savior; Ethical monotheismmonotheism

• RuthRuth: : ChesedChesed (“faithfulness”)(“faithfulness”)

• AmosAmos: God : God demands demands Mishpat Mishpat (“Justice”)!(“Justice”)!

16. Jesus of Nazareth is 16. Jesus of Nazareth is John’s successorJohn’s successor

• GOD IS JUDGING the worldGOD IS JUDGING the world!! “ “The Time is Fulfilled! The The Time is Fulfilled! The

Kingdom of God has come Kingdom of God has come near! Repent, and believe near! Repent, and believe the Good News!” the Good News!” (Mark, (Mark, 1:15)1:15)

• GOD DEMANDS RIGHT GOD DEMANDS RIGHT BEHAVIORBEHAVIOR! “Blessed are ! “Blessed are the poor … those who the poor … those who mourn … the meek … mourn … the meek … those who hunger and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness … thirst for righteousness … (Matthew 5:3-11)(Matthew 5:3-11)

JESUS IS BAPTIZED BY JOHN IN THE JORDAN RIVER (Photo of Child at the Jordan River)

WHO DO PEOPLE SAY THAT I AM?

A HUMAN BEING LIKE US …

Also: “FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT”

TEACHER: JESUS EMERGES AS LEADER OF THE “RENEWAL OF ISRAEL MOVEMENT”

MODEL – of the right way to live – “agape” – self-sacrifical love