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Lesson 1 Early Christianity

Jesus and the Jewish Religion

Jesus of Nazareth was born into a Jewish community and raised
as a Jew. His teachings reflect his background in the Jewish
religion and his understanding of important religious books like
the Torah. As a preacher, Jesus did not see himself as the
founder of a new religion. Stories about him in the four gospels
of the New Testament show how much of his thinking was
influenced by his Jewish upbringing. Jesus taught that
observing the laws of Judaism was not enough. If people
wanted salvation, then they must also recognize that the
kingdom of God was coming. Therefore, people had to
drastically change their lives in order to be worthy of salvation.

Directions Read the following three excerpts. The first two

are from the Torah, which is also the first five books of the
Hebrew Bible. The third excerpt is from the Gospel of Mark in
theNew Testament, which is in the Christian Bible.

Reading 1 Deuteronomy and Leviticus are two of the five books

that make up the Torah. The books were written long before the
lifetime of Jesus. They are part of the foundation of the Jewish
religion.

From Deuteronomy
This is the commandment, the statutes, and the ordinances that the Lord, your
God, commanded to teach you, to perform in the land into which you are about
to pass, to possess it.
In order that you fear the Lord, your God, to keep all His statutes and His
commandments that I command you, you, your son, and your sons son, all the
days of your life, and in order that your days may be lengthened. . . .
Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God; the Lord is one.
And you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart and with all your
soul, and with all your means.
And these words, which I command you this day, shall be upon your heart.
Deuteronomy 6:12, 46, The Complete Jewish Bible

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Excerpts 1 and 2

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From Leviticus
You shall not go around as a gossipmonger amidst your people. You shall not
stand by [the shedding of] your fellows blood. I am the Lord.
You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your
fellow, but you shall not bear a sin on his account.
You shall neither take revenge from nor bear a grudge against the members of
your people; you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
Leviticus 19:1618, The Complete Jewish Bible

Reading 2 The New Testament was created several decades

after the lifetime of Jesus. It consists of writings of early
Christian leaders like Paul along with the gospels, which are
accounts of the life and teachings of Jesus. The Gospel of Mark
contains a story about an encounter between Jesus and a
scholar, or teacher of the Torah.
Excerpt 3
From the Gospel of Mark
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that
Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, Of all the commandments,
which is the most important?
The most important one, answered Jesus, is this: Hear, O Israel, the Lord
our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with
all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is
this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than
these.
Mark 12:2831, New International Version

Directions Answer the following questions.

1. Identifying Who do you think the writer of the passage
from Deuteronomy is speaking to?

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Analyzing Primary Sources

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2. Identifying Points of View What are two kinds of
behavior the writer of Leviticus thinks are wrong?

3. Describing In the Gospel of Mark, what does the man

asking Jesus a question observe?

4. Explaining Why do you think the unnamed man in the

Gospel of Mark wants to ask Jesus a question?

Critical Thinking
5. Comparing How is Jesus response to the question similar
to the views expressed in both Deuteronomy and Leviticus?

Copyright by The McGraw-Hill Companies.