RABBI, TEACHER, JESUS

Was Jesus was a Rabbi? Or possibly just called "Rabbi" and "Teacher" by His followers? 

Here are a few of my thoughts that I have collected in researching the matter some. In the early first century, there were Jewish customs and laws they lived by. These Judaic systems are very documented. If a "person" "wanted to" or "was chosen" to go into "the ministry" there were certain requirements and processes they had to go through and for most, starting at a young age.

One of which, they could not start Synagogue or Temple service until the age of 30 and even then only for a certain number of years. To become a Rabbi, a young man had to show skill in biblical memorization, knowledge and reasoning.  That is part of what Jesus was doing in my opinion, when He stayed behind in Jerusalem at the Temple and His family came looking for Him later.

One also, had to be chosen by an older Rabbi and study under Him until the older Rabbi said the disciple was "ready" and was at least thirty years old. At this point, the "new Rabbi" would be baptized (a "mikvah" to the Jew), and start teaching in the synagogues and Temple. He would also choose young disciples to learn and grow under his teaching & leadership to one day become Rabbi's also and then teach others and so on.

Jesus is our High Priest in heaven. Hebrews tells us, He is from the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:17, Psalms 110:8). He came to "end the old system" for a "better one." The entire old system was a type and shadow of Jesus Christ who is our priest and the only true solution to our sins. Now we are priests unto the Lord, each in true service to Him.

Some say all the disciples were very young, as in their teens, and that only Peter was old enough to be required to pay the Roman tax. For when Peter asked Jesus about paying the tax or not, Peter only drew 2 coins from the fish's mouth, one for Peter and one for Jesus. If the other "disciples" were old enough to pay taxes, he would have gotten a coin for each of them too.

If you are an American reading this, chances are that you have not known much about Jewish ways and customs of the day much more than me. And without some understanding of the day, how can we realize the full potential of the Gospels?

Jesus worked closely with the Temple leaders. He was no stranger to them at all. He was welcomed to teach in synagogues wherever He went in the land of Israel, as He was "a Rabbi". Was this strange to people that He had twelve disciples under His leadership and training? No! He was a Rabbi!

This was the "norm" of the day for a Rabbi! And just as Jesus came to change the priestly situation, He also came to broaden this situation also! Now we all become students and ministers of the Lord and His Word. Now we are all charged to go out and find the hungry ones for the Truth and show them the Way while being His ambassadors for the Father also. He took the old system and made it better.

Everyone has a right to their own thoughts. As for me, after considering various thoughts on the matter and as I continue to re-read the four Gospels on a regular basis, it seems to me, that Jesus "Yeshua" indeed learned carpentry from Joseph, but also went  through "the proper channels" to be "in the ministry" of His day, as a disciple and then Rabbi who truly went about His Father's business and has passed the mantle on to His followers/disciples!