We all know about the Great Commission. But what about the Great Omission? It sounds so simple and obvious: The Jewish Jesus. But this essential truth has been lost to nearly all of his followers. Why has the Jewishness of Jesus been downplayed or even denied throughout a large part of history? Why is this one simple fact critical to our relationship with him? Join Rabbi Damian as he walks us through the history of anti-Semitism, Replacement Theology, and the reinvention of Jesus in the first installment of our mini-series, The Jewish Jesus.

WWJD — What Would Jesus Do? In its day, this acronym connected deeply with disciples of Yeshua, and the reason is obvious — we want to do what Jesus did, right? But what if the world has no real idea what he actually did? What if the Jesus we think we’re emulating wouldn’t actually recognize the things we do? Part of knowing Jesus is to understand the life he lived on this earth, his Jewish life, and consider how that should matter to us.

The word "Rabbi" means "teacher." The word has a somewhat different connotation today than in the 1st Century. Jesus was a "rabbi", which means he taught.  But what was he teaching? Did he come with a radical new message designed to upend his disciples from the Jewish faith they knew? Was he waging war against the Pharisees and their Jewish teaching? Or was he sharing a message rooted in Judaism, that resonated within the Jewish world he sought to impact?

Last week we considered the background of Jesus teaching by looking at the Jewish root from which it sprung. This message discusses some specific examples — Sabbath, dietary laws, and even the message of the Gospel itself — to show how Jesus’ words stayed connected with the word of God spoken in Torah. And maybe more importantly, to show that he never set out to change what God has previously said, only to return his people to it.

Did Jesus have the authority to change the Sabbath? The answer seems obvious, right? Ever heard it said that Jesus was a rebel, intent on tearing down traditions of men, and at war with the Jewish leaders of his time? Maybe you’ve also noticed that one of the main topics where Jesus seemed to come to blows with the Jewish leadership of his day was the Sabbath? He’d had enough of bondage and legalism that the common people were being put under and he was going to turn over some tables and fix the problem. And why not? After all, he’s Lord of the Sabbath. But this answer has serious implications that you might not have heard about. This message will make sure you do.

WWJD? We’ve spent the last 5 weeks understanding what He would do—No, even better, what He did. That question has been answered. It’s in the Gospels. There’s a more important question—once we know what Jesus did, what are we going to do? The series' conclusion offers some insights and encouragement for our journey together in Messiah.