Encountering Jesus in the Real World of the Gospels

By: Cyndi Parker

Narrated by: Emily Ellet

Length: 6 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

Encountering Jesus in the Real World of the Gospels draws listeners into a deeper understanding of ancient Israel and first-century Judaism to better understand Jesus' ministry. Instead of viewing the Gospels through 21st-century eyes, author Cyndi Parker introduces listeners to the larger context with the weight of the Old Testament behind them.

Have you ever wondered if it is important that Jesus grew up in Nazareth but moved his public ministry to Capernaum, even though Jerusalem was the capital of Jewish thought? Does it seem strange to you that Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes held significantly divergent religious views, even though they were all Jewish? In this book, Parker guides us through the intriguing drama of history that created the context of first-century Judaism. She extends an invitation to listeners to take a new look at the long drama of God's interactions with humanity that reach a climax in the life of Jesus.

This book focuses on the complexities of the political, social, literary, and religious context of the Gospels. The purpose is to advance listeners' understanding of the Gospels and help them encounter Jesus, the disciples, and crowds as real people in a real place at a time vastly different from today. Come explore the land of ancient Israel with its dramatic history, culture, and religion.

©2021 Cyndi Parker (P)2021 eChristian

Mind blown!!

It was an amazing book that opened my eyes to so much! I started with another complimentary Audible title, Women of the Word by Wilkins, and she suggests a study method that includes studying with perspective of the listeners of the time and this was the perfect start to that. If anything it really encourages me to keep looking for that perspective that is not intuitive to me but pertinent to the message as it was meant when originally given. I’m going to buy the physical book just so I can loan it to people.

Eye opening

I’m grateful for this book. Despite having heard the Bible often, I thought this book brought great context to the story of Jesus, the society He was born into, and all that was going on around Him. I thought the narrator did a great job too. I need to get the hard copy so I can mark it up and refer to it for many years.

Context is Key!

We already know the who, what and why of the Bible but it turns out that there are intriguing backstories that lie behind the narratives. Dr. Parker draws back the curtain of our 21st century Western worldview to reveal how knowing something of the geography, culture and politics of the ancient near east adds greater texture and deeper meaning to familiar stories. Why did Jesus tell some of those whom he miraculously cured to stay silent and others to spread the word? Were the Pharisees really as belligerent toward Jesus as we’ve been lead to believe? Why was ancient Israel the ideal place for God to place his chosen people? Regrettably, we often learn Bible stories as detached bubbles with discrete lessons and miss the overarching environmental influences that bind them together and the patterns that reverberate throughout the text. Likewise, our mental images of biblical places and events have been badly distorted by our Western art and thought. In Encountering Jesus the reader is offered a new perspective to view the ancient actions alongside the original audience for an enriched experience. Lacking nothing in solid scholarship, Dr. Parker’s writing is clear and accessible to an average listener with just a passing knowledge of the Bible. Emily Ellet’s narration has an easy cadence and good inflection for enjoyable listening. The occasional mispronunciations of names and places are forgivable.

New book to recommend

This is a volume that I will recommend many times over to those who are looking for a cultural primer for reading the Bible, and specifically, engaging with Jesus in the Gospels. Dr. Parker has done a tremendous job summarizing the narrative and story of the OT, of the time between the testaments, and of the various Gospel writers portrayal of Christs birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection. She points out things that many look over, or don’t know to ask about, that correct our vision when engaging with the text to be more in line with how things were then, and not now.

As a pastor, a resource like this is one that I could use in many applications. As a Christian, this book has enriched my understanding and love of Christ.

Helpful and Fun

Nearly fifteen years ago, I studied under Dr. Parker in Israel. She led us through steep hikes so that we'd understand, through our sweat, the geography of Jesus's world. She easily made connections between the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and the intertestamental world, ever-pointing to maps and mountains in front of us to help us more fully see the biblical story. She connected us with her Jewish friends and Muslim friends. She prayed with us. She was easily one of the more learned and personable professors in college.

When I saw that Dr. Parker was releasing a book, I quickly purchased it. And I'm amazed to see how much of her infectious passion -- for the God of Israel in Jesus, for the land of Israel, for the biblical and historical stories -- comes through in the book. Prominent stories and conversations that I remember from my study abroad so long ago even made it into the book!

Like being with her in a class room or on a field study, in a conversational but polished style, Dr. Parker in her book moves between big picture overviews of the biblical story, the geography of the land (with maps), and the political history outside of the Bible, eventually placing Jesus in this context. Most intros that I've read focus on either the literary form of the gospels or on the history "behind" the gospels, but Dr. Parker is able to weave observations together observations from both in a helpful way. By beginning with such a substantial and broad background, she's able to make literary, historical, and social observations about the life of Jesus.

I was impressed, also, with how deep some of the material goes without becoming difficult to understand and without losing its sense of fun. Moments after she explains the normally obscure science of gematria and how it helps the reader better understand the Gospel of Matthew, she uses the word "awesomeness." The book is indeed helpful and fun.