BACKGROUND - Israel in the Time of Jesus
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Greek influence
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Roman culture and control
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Jewish faith and culture
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Zealots
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Sadducees
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Pharisees
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Essenes
What Jesus Did Not Do
1. He did not address slavery
2. He never went to the capital
3. He never met Caesar
4. He did not resist the government
5. He had no house
6. He did not seek crowds
7. He did not seek fame
8. He did not seek approval (He was hard on religious leaders
9. He was never in a hurry – waited to go to Jerusalem for Feast Tabernacles
10. He did not guard His reputation – Woman at well, lepers, prostitutes, woman adultery, tax collectors, etc.
11. He did not defend himself
12. He was not afraid to die
JESUS APPROACH – He lived above the world
In the world but not of it He ignored most of the things that capture us.
He didn’t worry - Cares of the World
WHAT DID HE DO? He paid attention to people
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Loved His Father – prayer, obedience
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Loved people – He saw the people and their needs
Feeding 5,000 and 4,000
Spoke to the unclean
Healed many
CONCLUSIONS
But he did pay attention to people and to His Father. And obviously so should we.
(1 Pet 2:21) 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.