New Light on the Difficult Words of Jesus Insights from His Jewish Context

What if we could walk along behind Jesus as one of his first disciples? What did his teachings sound like in their original Jewish context? Here we examine Jesus’ lifestyle as a first-century rabbi and discover how his sayings fit within the context of first-century Judaism. Understanding their original setting is essential to grasping their fullest implications.

David Bivin is the founder and editor of Jerusalem Perspective, a journal that explores the Jewish context of the Gospels. He has traveled and lectured internationally for more than 25 years, and is the author of hundreds of articles on that subject.

"New Light on the Difficult Words of Jesus" is a collection of some of his best writing on the Jewishness of Jesus, edited for the general reader. The book examines Jesus’ lifestyle as a first-century Jewish rabbi and looks at how his words would have been understood within the larger framework of first-century Judaism. Many scholarly footnotes make it a valuable help to those who want to study in depth.

“In Jerusalem, David Bivin has interacted for decades with some of the best Jewish scholarship in the world. This book displays many of the brilliant Hebraic gems the author has mined that help illuminate the pages of the Gospels. Clearly written and very readable, Bivin shows why Christians need rabbinic sources if they intend to know and understand Jesus in his first-century Jewish setting. New Light on the Difficult Words of Jesus is a valuable resource for every serious student of Scripture.” — Marvin Wilson, Author of Our Father Abraham: The Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith