Strange Jesus Details Everyone Ignores

Summary

This video script delves into lesser-known aspects of Jesus' life, challenging conventional narratives. It explores the brevity of his ministry, the uncertainty surrounding his marital status, and the evolution of his name from Yeshua to Jesus. The script also addresses Jesus' early life as a craftsman, his interactions with a barren fig tree, the debate over animal welfare in the context of a miracle, and his complex relationship with tax collectors. Additionally, it touches on the miraculous healings involving saliva, the Last Supper's symbolic cannibalism, and the reactions of those around Jesus to his unconventional teachings and claims.

Takeaways

• 🕊 Jesus' preaching period was relatively short, likely around three years, as indicated by the mention of three specific Passovers in the Gospel of John.
• 🛠 Jesus began his ministry at the age of 30, after working for over a decade as a craftsman, which was a later start compared to other religious figures.
• 🤔 The marital status of Jesus is ambiguous; some historical texts and scholars suggest he may have been married, while traditional Christian views maintain he was single and celibate.
• 📜 The name 'Jesus' is a translation from the original Hebrew 'Yeshua', and the original name might have been unfamiliar to people in first-century Galilee.
• 🏡 Nazareth, Jesus' hometown, was a small and remote town during his time, which could have influenced people's perception of his credibility as a preacher.
• 🌳 Jesus is depicted as having a complex relationship with nature, such as cursing a fig tree for not bearing fruit, which has led to various interpretations and debates.
• 🦇 The story of Jesus casting demons into a herd of pigs, which then drown, raises questions about animal welfare and the nature of Jesus' miracles.
• 💰 Jesus encouraged his followers to pay taxes but also engaged in a creative method of paying temple tax, using a fish that contained a coin.
• 👁 Jesus performed healing miracles, including using his spit to heal the blind, which may have been based on contemporary beliefs about the healing properties of saliva.
• 🍞 The Last Supper, where Jesus instructs his disciples to partake in bread and wine as symbols of his body and blood, was met with confusion and discomfort by some of his followers.

Q & A

How long is Jesus believed to have preached for?

Jesus is believed to have preached for about three years, as indicated by the Gospel of John mentioning three specific passovers during his ministry.

At what age did Jesus begin his ministry?

Jesus began his ministry at about the age of 30, after working as a craftsman alongside his adoptive father, Joseph, for over a decade.

What is the traditional view on Jesus' marital status?

The traditional view in many churches is that Jesus was single and remained celibate for his entire life.

What are some alternative views regarding Jesus' marital status?

Some alternative views include the early leaders of the Mormon church maintaining that Jesus had multiple wives, and the controversial Gospel of Jesus' Wife suggesting he had a spouse, though its authenticity is doubted.

What was the original Hebrew name of Jesus and how did it change over time?

The original Hebrew name of Jesus was Yeshua, which was later translated to Iēsous in Greek and eventually to Jesus in English.

What is the significance of the name Yeshua in the Bible and how might it have been misunderstood?

Yeshua was a common name in the Bible, and its various translations as Isaiah or Joshua might have led to confusion. Even the prisoner released by Pontius Pilate was sometimes named Jesus Barabbas.

What was Jesus' profession before his ministry and what does the term 'carpenter' imply?

Before his ministry, Jesus worked as a craftsman, and the term 'carpenter' is a translation of the Greek word tektōn, which could also refer to a stonemason, builder, or general artisan.

What is the story behind Jesus cursing the fig tree and what interpretations have been offered?

In Mark 11, Jesus curses a fig tree for not bearing fruit and later it withers. Interpretations vary from it being a demonstration of divine judgment, a comment on the corrupt temple, or simply Jesus being tired from his journey.

How does the story of Jesus and the demon-possessed man in Gadara relate to animal welfare in Christian thought?

The story of Jesus casting demons into a herd of pigs, which then drown themselves, has led to debate about animal welfare in Christianity, with some theologians like Augustine and Thomas Aquinas suggesting Christians need not worry about kindness to animals.

What is the significance of Jesus' statement about paying taxes to Caesar?

In Matthew 22:15-22, Jesus advises to 'Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's,' which signifies the separation of religious and civil duties.

How did Jesus perform a miracle involving a fish to pay the temple tax?

In Matthew 17:24-27, Jesus instructs Peter to catch a fish that would have a coin in its mouth, which could be used to pay the temple tax, symbolizing a creative way to fulfill obligations while maintaining his stance against the corrupt religious institution.

What are some interpretations of Jesus healing blind people with his spit?

Jesus healing blind people with his spit, as recorded in Mark 8 and John 9, might be based on the belief that saliva could heal, especially vision problems, and could have been a way to boost a person's faith, which Jesus emphasized as key to healing.

How did Jesus' communion statements affect his followers?

In John 6:53-66, Jesus' communion statements, where he suggests that his followers eat his body and drink his blood, unnerved some of his disciples to the point that they 'walked no more with him,' indicating a deep discomfort with the idea.

How did Jesus' complex teachings and behaviors affect the people around him?

Jesus' complex teachings and behaviors, such as claiming to be the resurrection and life, unnerved the people around him, including his own family and the Pharisees, who found his ideas to be new and potentially threatening to established religious norms.

Outlines

00:00

🕊️ The Enigmatic Life of Jesus

This paragraph delves into lesser-known aspects of Jesus' life, challenging common perceptions. It discusses the relatively short duration of Jesus' ministry, estimated at about three years based on the three Passovers mentioned in the Gospel of John. It also highlights that Jesus began his ministry at an older age, around 30, after working as a craftsman with his adoptive father, Joseph. The paragraph raises questions about Jesus' marital status, which is ambiguous in the Gospels, with some historical interpretations suggesting he may have been married to Mary Magdalene, while traditional views maintain his celibacy. The name 'Jesus' itself is a translation from the original Hebrew 'Yeshua,' and the paragraph points out that if one were to travel back in time, calling him 'Jesus' might confuse him. It also touches on Jesus' early life in Nazareth, a small and remote town, and his occupation, which was broader than just carpentry, possibly including masonry and general contracting.

05:00

🌳 Miraculous Tales and Controversial Interpretations

This section explores some of the more peculiar stories from Jesus' life, such as his interaction with a barren fig tree in Mark 11, which he cursed and caused to wither. The story has been a subject of debate among theologians and scholars, with interpretations ranging from a demonstration of divine judgment to a lesson in faith. Another peculiar event is the exorcism of a man possessed by demons, who then inhabit a herd of pigs that throw themselves off a cliff. This story raises questions about animal welfare and has been variously interpreted by theologians like Augustine and Aquinas. The paragraph also discusses Jesus' views on taxation, where he advises paying taxes to Caesar while reserving spiritual matters for God, and his creative approach to paying the temple tax through a fish that miraculously produces a coin. Additionally, it mentions Jesus' healing miracles, including the use of spit to cure blindness, which may have been based on contemporary beliefs about the healing properties of saliva.

10:02

🍞 Last Supper and Complex Teachings

The final paragraph addresses the complexity of Jesus' teachings and their impact on his followers. It discusses the Last Supper, where Jesus instructs his disciples to partake in bread and wine as a symbolic consumption of his body and blood, an act that some found disturbing and led them to abandon him. The paragraph also touches on Jesus' unconventional and challenging teachings, such as his claim to be the resurrection and life itself, which was both affirming and perplexing to his contemporaries. The narrative highlights the confusion and misunderstandings that Jesus' teachings often caused, even among his own family and the Jewish community, who sometimes perceived him as mentally unstable or a threat to established religious norms.

Keywords

💡Sermons

Sermons are religious discourses delivered by a religious leader, often with the aim of instructing, inspiring, or persuading an audience. In the context of the video, sermons are part of the teachings attributed to Jesus, as recounted in the Gospels. The video suggests that despite Jesus' significant impact on human history, there is a limited collection of his sermons, parables, and stories, indicating that his active ministry might have been relatively short.

💡Late bloomer

A late bloomer is someone who achieves success or reaches maturity later than is typical for their peers. The video uses this term to describe Jesus, who, after spending over a decade as a craftsman, began his ministry at the age of 30. This detail challenges the common perception of Jesus as a young, dynamic figure and adds a layer of complexity to his life story.

💡Celibacy

Celibacy refers to the state of being unmarried and abstaining from sexual relations. The video discusses the ambiguity surrounding Jesus' marital status, with some traditions asserting his celibacy while others speculate about potential spouses. This ambiguity reflects the diverse interpretations of Jesus' life and the varying theological perspectives on his personal life.

💡Authenticity

Authenticity in this context refers to the genuineness or the true origin of a historical document or artifact. The video mentions the 'Gospel of Jesus' Wife,' a papyrus fragment whose authenticity is debated, as an example of the challenges in verifying historical records related to Jesus. This term is crucial for understanding the reliability of sources that contribute to our knowledge of Jesus' life.

💡Yeshua

Yeshua is the Hebrew name for Jesus, from which the name Jesus is derived through Greek and English translations. The video highlights the linguistic transformation of the name, emphasizing the cultural and historical distance between the original context of Jesus' life and the contemporary understanding of his name. This term underscores the importance of considering the original cultural and linguistic context when interpreting historical figures.

💡Tektōn

Tektōn is a Greek term used in the Gospels to describe Jesus' occupation, which is often translated as 'carpenter' in English. However, the term is more ambiguous and could refer to various types of craftsmen, including stonemasons and builders. The video suggests that Jesus might have been a general contractor, indicating a broader range of skills and roles than typically associated with the term 'carpenter.'

💡Fig tree incident

The fig tree incident refers to a story in the Gospels where Jesus curses a fig tree for not bearing fruit and it withers away. The video discusses this event as an example of Jesus' miracles and the broader theological message about faith and divine power. It also raises questions about the interpretation of this story and its implications for understanding Jesus' character and teachings.

💡Demons

Demons, in the context of the video, are supernatural entities that are said to possess individuals, as in the story of the 'Gerasene demoniac.' The video mentions Jesus' interaction with demons as part of his miraculous acts, which are central to the narrative of his divine power. The story also sparks debate about animal welfare, as it involves the casting of demons into a herd of pigs that then perish.

💡Tax collectors

Tax collectors in the video are historical figures who were responsible for collecting taxes on behalf of the Roman Empire. They were often viewed negatively due to their association with the oppressive regime. Jesus' interactions with tax collectors, as mentioned in the video, show a complex relationship and a call for lawful behavior, as exemplified in the story of Jesus instructing his followers to pay their taxes.

💡Communion

Communion, also known as the Eucharist, is a Christian sacrament that involves the consumption of bread and wine as symbols of the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The video discusses the Last Supper, where Jesus is said to have instituted the rite, as a complex and somewhat unsettling event. It highlights the discomfort some of Jesus' followers felt at the idea of consuming his body and blood, reflecting the deep theological and symbolic significance of the rite.

💡Parables

Parables are simple stories used to illustrate a moral or religious lesson. The video touches on Jesus' use of parables as a teaching method, noting that they were often new or fringe ideas at the time. Parables such as the one about the healing of blind men with Jesus' saliva are used to convey deeper spiritual truths, while also challenging conventional beliefs and expectations.

Highlights

Jesus likely preached for only about three years, as indicated by the mention of three specific passovers in the Gospel of John.

Jesus began his ministry at around the age of 30, after working as a craftsman with his adoptive father, Joseph.

The marital status of Jesus is uncertain, with some theories suggesting he was married to Mary Magdalene, while traditional views hold that he remained celibate.

The name 'Jesus' is a translation from the original Hebrew 'Yeshua', and the original name might have been unfamiliar to people in first-century Galilee.

Nazareth, Jesus' hometown, was a small town with a population of around 400 during his time, which was considered remote.

The term 'carpenter' may not accurately describe Jesus' occupation; he might have been a more general artisan or craftsman.

Jesus' interaction with a fig tree, where he curses it for not bearing fruit, is a peculiar story that has been subject to various interpretations.

The story of Jesus casting demons into a herd of pigs, which then drown in the sea, raises questions about animal welfare in Christian theology.

Jesus' advice to his followers to pay taxes, as recorded in Matthew, contrasts with his own creative approach to paying the temple tax.

Jesus performed miracles, including healing the blind with his saliva, which might have been based on contemporary beliefs about the healing properties of saliva.

The Last Supper and Jesus' instructions to eat his body and drink his blood have been a source of discomfort and debate among his followers.

Jesus' complex personality and teachings often unnerved those around him, including his own family and the Jewish community.

Jesus' claim to be 'the resurrection and the life' in John 11 is a profound and unusual statement that challenges conventional religious concepts.

Transcripts

He's one of the most-discussed  people in human history,  

but there are some things about Jesus that  get swept under the rug. These are some of  

the stranger details about Jesus that  practically everyone tries to ignore.

Given the long history of Christianity,  you'd think there would be a pretty  

impressive collection of sermons, parables,  and stories about Jesus' life. And there are,  

judging by the closely packed text of the  Gospels alone. But while you could get  

at least a solid year of Sunday school  lessons out of all that, the reality is  

that Jesus probably only preached for about  three years – the gospel of John mentions  

three specific passovers - so we know at a  minimum Jesus was active for three years.

Also, Jesus was a bit of a late bloomer.  After what must have been over a decade  

spent working as a craftsman alongside  his earthly adoptive father, Joseph,  

he went into the ministry at about the  age of 30. This was shortly after he was  

baptized in the River Jordan by his cousin,  John the Baptist. Now, while he was hardly  

considered an old man at this point, he  was no fresh-faced whippersnapper, either.

Considering his importance in human  history, you'd think we'd know more  

basic facts about Jesus, but we can't even  be sure whether he was single or married.

"Jesus married Mary Magdalene"

However, even raising that question may make your  resident religious figures blanch. That's because,  

in many churches, the traditional view is  that Jesus was not only single but that  

he remained celibate for the entirety of his life.

Some deviate pretty widely  from that view — for instance,  

early leaders in the Mormon church maintained  that Jesus had multiple wives. More recently,  

the papyrus fragment known as the Gospel of  Jesus' Wife contains a mention of Jesus' spouse,  

but serious doubts have been  raised about its authenticity.

"The Gospel of Mary. It specifically says  that Jesus loved Mary more than the other  

disciples. In fact, they actually put that  in the mouths of one of the disciples."

The uncomfortable reality is that the  Gospels neither definitively say Jesus  

had a wife or that he didn't. This leaves  theologians digging for details, like noting  

the absence of a wife in passages where it  would have been a slam-dunk to mention her,  

including Paul's take on marital relationships  in 1 Corinthians 7. For some, that's good enough,  

but for plenty of others, the possibility  of a Mrs. Jesus is an open question.

To the faithful, it's hard to consider anyone more  

of a big deal than Jesus. Too  bad that wasn't his real name.

"The book says so, and there ain't nothin'  written in the book that ain't the truth."

The man in question started with the Hebrew  name of Yeshua, a shortened version of  

Yehōshu'a. However, the Gospels were originally  written in Greek, so Yeshua came out as Iēsous,  

the best the Greek writers could manage. Then,  when English came along, Iēsous got translated  

again, morphing into Jesus. In short, if you could  travel back in time to first-century Galilee and  

greet the man himself by name, calling him Jesus  would probably be met with a confused stare.

"What did you call me?"

The name thing is so awkward that some  churches just ignore it altogether.  

What makes things even more strange and  confusing is that there are plenty of  

Yeshuas in the Bible. It's just that their  names were often translated as Isaiah or  

Joshua. Even the prisoner released  by Pontius Pilate in place of Jesus,  

right before the crucifixion, was in  some accounts named Jesus Barabbas.

"If I was you, I shouldn't  loiter. I'd want to see the  

back of this place before  they change their minds."

Step out of your time machine  and shout the name Yeshua,  

and a fair portion of the crowd around  Jesus might turn in your direction.

While there may be a passing reference or two  to Jesus' humble beginnings as a carpenter,  

the Bible quickly moves on to the whole messiah  thing. Few people focus on Jesus' earliest job and  

life in his hometown. Perhaps because doing  so would make him seem less sophisticated.

Though it's a bustling city of  more than 70,000 people today,  

Nazareth was considered a remote town  in Jesus' time, with a population that  

topped out at around 400. That put him at a  serious disadvantage when convincing people  

to follow him. For instance, according to John  1:46, a future follower of Jesus, Nathaniel,  

was initially skeptical of a preaching  handyman from next to nowhere, asking,

"Can there be any good  thing come out of Nazareth?"

To the faithful, that's downright insulting;  

but to many of Jesus' contemporaries,  it was perfectly reasonable.

Oh, and the carpenter thing isn't  quite right, either. The original  

Greek version of the Gospels refers to  Jesus as a tektōn. While many English  

translations of the Bible interpret this as  "carpenter," the true meaning is more vague.  

A tektōn could have worked as a carpenter,  sure, but also as a stonemason, builder,  

and general artisan. It may be more accurate  to think of Jesus as a general contractor.

In Mark Chapter 11, a rather odd incident occurs.  The day after entering Jerusalem on a donkey,  

Jesus finds that he's hungry and walks up  to a fig tree. But when he finds the tree  

hasn't produced any fruit, he essentially  tells the tree off. Later in the chapter,  

after Jesus has famously flipped the  tables of the moneylenders in the temple,  

Peter notes that the tree has withered.  The incident is also related in Matthew  

21:18-22. And, in Luke 13:6-9, Jesus urges  a farmer to dig up a non-fruiting fig tree.

Jesus seems to be in a mood and lashes  out at a tree, which isn't committing any  

obvious wrong by being barren. The lesson,  at least according to Mark and Matthew,  

is that if the disciples have faith  then they can do much the same,  

from cursing reluctant fig trees to flinging  mountains into the sea. In fact, Jesus says,

"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask  in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."

But thinkers have tussled with this odd story  for generations. Some say it's a demonstration  

of divine judgment, while others think Jesus  is coming down on the corrupt temple in  

Jerusalem. Then there are those who wonder  if Jesus was simply tired from his trip.

In Mark 5:1-20, Jesus and his group  travel into the land of the Gadarenes,  

where they find a demon-possessed man living  amongst tombs. Jesus speaks to the demons inside  

the man. They say they're called Legion and ask  Jesus to send them into a nearby group of pigs.  

Jesus does just that, and then all 2,000 demon  pigs fling themselves off a cliff into the sea.

Matthew 8:28-34, tells much the same story with  some small details changed – this time Jesus is  

in the land of the Gergesenes and casts demons  out of two men. And in Luke 8:26-39, basically  

echoing the other two versions, this  incident happens in Gadarene country  

and concludes with the Gadarenes  becoming frightened by His powers.

"This man works for the devil."

"He's a cheat. A madman."

But why did the pigs have to get involved?  This story has long inspired uncomfortable  

debate as to whether or not Christians ought to  care about animal welfare. Augustine of Hippo  

and Thomas Aquinas concluded that we don't  have to worry about being kind to animals,  

while others place more of the blame on the demons  

and point to Jesus' parables about  good shepherds as a counterbalance.

The Bible had some complicated takes on tax  collectors. They're hardly beloved figures in  

the text, but Jesus and some of his associates,  like John the Baptist, were known to treat them  

and their governmental masters with respect.  Jesus in particular urged his followers to  

stay on the right side of the law and pay their  taxes. In Matthew 22:15-22, he tells people to:

"Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are  Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's."

But that doesn't mean Jesus wasn't above creative  tax-paying. When discussing a temple tax that he  

ought to pay in Matthew 17:24-27, Jesus admits  that he doesn't want to do it, but will anyway  

to keep the peace. Then he tells the apostle  Peter to go to the sea and start fishing, saying,

"When thou hast opened his mouth,  thou shalt find a piece of money:  

that take, and give unto them for me and thee."

Most readers and scholars think  this story means something,  

but no one's sure exactly what. Sure,  Jesus isn't into supporting what he sees  

as a corrupt religious institution and  doesn't want to rock the boat, either,  

but why the coin-spitting fish? Most people  just shrug and move on to a less obtuse parable.

According to the Gospels, Jesus performed  quite a few miracles, from the feeding of  

the 5,000 with just five loaves of bread  and a couple of fish to raising the dead.

"He sends us out again, and we catch  all these fish! It's a miracle!"

But what about the times Jesus healed blind  people with his own spit? For anyone who  

needs a reminder, Mark 8:23-25 relates  Jesus spitting into a blind man's eyes;  

the man then reports that he can see again. John  9:6-7 has Jesus mixing his saliva with some clay,  

applying the mixture to the blind man's  eyes, then telling the man to "go,  

wash in the pool of Siloam." The man  does, and his vision is restored.

"I can see. I am not blind anymore!"

But what is the true meaning in the spitting?  It may have been based on a more widespread  

Jewish and Roman belief that saliva  could help heal people — especially  

those with vision problems. Spitting may  have even helped boost a person's faith,  

which Jesus maintained was key to actually getting  healed just a few verses earlier in Mark 8:5-13.

Many churches hold communion to be one of the  most holy rites in Christianity. But the whole  

sequence at the Last Supper, in which Jesus  tells his disciples to eat bread and drink wine  

while mentioning that they are metaphorically  – or not, as many transubstantiation–believing  

Catholics have it – consuming his own  body and blood, is a little creepy.

"This is my body which is given for  you. This do in remembrance of me."

Some of Jesus' own followers were so  unnerved by his communion statements  

that they abandoned ship.  In John 6:53-66, Jesus says,

"So he that eateth me, even he shall live by me."

But when some of the disciples aren't too  keen on the idea, and, even though Jesus  

doubles down on his statement, some of his  followers, quote, "walked no more with him."

This surely has to do with Jewish dietary laws,  which today forbid cannibalism except to save  

lives in the most dire circumstances. That's part  of a broader concept known as pikuach nefesh,  

in which someone must do everything they  reasonably can to save a life. However,  

John’s passage about “walked no more  with Him” doesn’t specifically refer  

to those at the Last Supper, so Jesus'  words seemingly had a different impact  

on them than everybody else who heard  it in a metaphorical game of telephone.

Even a brief scan of the Gospels makes it pretty  clear that Jesus was complex. Some passages are  

not completely clear - even to today’s scholars  who have toiled over the texts for decades. That's  

not necessarily a bad thing, but Jesus really  unnerved the people around him. Take this as an  

example: In Mark 3:21, they are said to go after  a preaching Jesus, quote, "to lay hold on him:  

for they said, He is beside himself." Even  Jesus’s own concerned family didn’t quite  

get all his parables. It's all but certain that  other people thought there was something really  

wrong with him, as the high-ranking Pharisees  and other members of the Jewish community,  

who admittedly had an interest in tamping down a  religious upstart, likely thought this way, too.

If you spoke to Jesus, you might agree with  them. You have to keep in mind that what we  

see as basic tenets of Christianity today  were brand new or at the very least fringe  

ideas – in other words, no one was saying the  things Jesus was saying. In John 11:17-26,  

Jesus comforts disciple Martha by saying  that her recently deceased brother will  

live again. She answers that, sure, she  believes that he'll rise again at the  

resurrection, to which Jesus replies, "I am the resurrection, and the life."

For many, that's beautiful and affirming.  It's also an odd statement for a man to make,  

as he's not only claiming to be a non-human  concept but a pretty pivotal one at that.