Did Jesus have a bar mitzvah?

[jasJis]

I think we should dress like Jesus.

[Theoketos]

Jew for Jesus are a little to bent on fundamentalism to be a trusted historical source.

[Thy Geekdom Come]

On 5/2/2006 at 9:43 AM, Theoketos said:

Jew for Jesus are a little to bent on fundamentalism to be a trusted historical source.

Additionally, I have a Jewish friend who can't stand them...I got the feeling that he considered them anti-Jewish...as such, I wouldn't trust them, since he doesn't.

[MichaelFilo]

Hahaha and Paul was anti-Jewish too from what I read about what he said about Jews.

At any rate, I think someone missed the point when mentioning that we ought to dress like Jesus as well. I'd defer to the mystics who had visions of Jesus's life and who attempted to detail every tiny miniscule detail to remind themselves and us that indeed Jesus is human as much as He is God. Every moment of Jesus's life is of importance, I think, and while that doesn't mean to go out and be a carpenter, it certainly means that Jesus' conduct is of importance. his attendance of religious services that were appropriate to his age are, as far as i can tell, a testament to the need to attend our own services especially those Rites of Christian initiation.

OF course, I don't think Jesus had a Bar Mitzfah and it seems an extention of a Talmudic sort of tradition than one found in the Bible, which certainly mentioned no sort of coming of age celebration among the Jews.

God bless,
Mikey

[toledo_jesus]

Why is this so important?

It's interesting, not important...

[H B Gill]

It's interesting to me and I think it's always fascinating to explore any aspect of Jesus' earthly life, without arguing with others over insignificant things.

In Luke 2 Jesus is said to be 12: not the age commonly taken now for boys to be bar mitvah, 13.  He obviously knew it was time for Him and he wasn't obliged to go home with Mary and Joseph.  Since the teachers were discussing with Him, presumably they had accepted this too. Yet in v51 "Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. " (NIV) so He wasn't asserting His independence of them, just taking up His responsibility and privileges with respect to the Torah.

Edited February 15, 2022 by H B Gill
misspelling

[Norseman82]

On 4/30/2006 at 2:52 PM, Charms717RM1 said:

Something about a Jewish boy becoming a man?

On a humorous note, I recall an SNL episode where I believe Phil Hartman was playing Frank Sinatra performing at a Bar Mitzvah, and he tells the boy to get him a refill on his drink since he's now a man...