Jesus in Context

Jesus spoke to people who lived in a world very different from our own.

His listeners were familiar with customs and institutions that modern readers may know little about. They understood figures of speech that were common in their language and recognized the significance of everyday objects, religious practices, social expectations and the like.

The Gospel writers usually had no reason to explain these things since their audiences already understood much of the background. However, modern readers can miss an important part of a saying or event simply because we do not share that first-century perspective.

Each topic presented here begins with a passage from the Gospels and examines something that can help us understand it more clearly. Some explain an ancient custom or religious practice, while others examine a Greek or Hebrew expression, a feature of everyday life, or the political world in which Jesus lived.