Reframing Ritual Purity: How Jesus Confronts the Forces of Death - w/ Dr. Matthew Thiessen)
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How Jesus’ healing encounters with corpses, hemorrhages, and skin conditions aren’t abolishing purity laws—but revealing His divine power over death itself. In this fascinating conversation, Mike, Tim, Susie, and guest scholar Matthew Thiessen reshape our understanding of ritual impurity in first-century Judaism and offer fresh insight into Jesus’ ministry as a radical confrontation with death, not a rejection of Jewish tradition.
Thiessen—Professor at McMaster University and author of Jesus and the Forces of Death—walks us through what ritual impurity really is (and isn't), how Gospels misread it today, and why Jesus’s purification miracles were revolutionary within Judaism, not against it.
Using examples from stories like the healing of the hemorrhaging woman, lepers, and the demoniac, this episode challenges the way many Christians have interpreted Jesus’ actions—and suggests a deeper, more Jewish-honoring way to read His life, purpose, and kingdom mission.
Key Takeaways: • Ritual vs. Moral Impurity – Understanding the real biblical categories of purity: corpses, skin afflictions, and genital discharges are not sinful, but symbolize human mortality and distance from the divine presence. • Jesus as a Purifier, Not a Rule-Breaker – Rather than abolishing Jewish purity laws, Jesus works within them to cleanse, restore, and affirm them—displaying dominion over death and decay. • God’s Holy Presence and Human Messiness – Exploring the idea of God's “neat freak” holiness in tension with our messiness, and how the structures of the temple guarded against protective—not punitive—boundaries. • The Real Danger of Misreading Jesus' Jewishness – How viewing Judaism as oppressive or outdated leads Christians toward theological anti-Judaism and supersessionism. • Life, Death, and the Forces of Impurity – From exorcisms to healings to crucifixion, Jesus’ entire ministry confronts the powers of death and impurity with restorative holiness and victory.
Guest Highlights: Matthew Thiessen – Associate Professor of Religious Studies at McMaster University and author of Jesus and the Forces of Death. Thiessen’s scholarship challenges modern assumptions about Jesus and Judaism, helping readers and listeners reclaim an accurate, historically situated view of the Gospels.
Resources Mentioned: • Jesus and the Forces of Death by Matthew Thiessen – [Link to book] • Jacob Milgrom's Commentary on Leviticus – [Link] • Voxology episode with Jesner Rosner (referenced) – [Link] • Matthew 9, Mark 5, Leviticus 13–15, and Numbers 19 (Purity Laws) – [Link] • Follow Matthew Thiessen on Twitter – @MatthewThiessen
Take your understanding deeper by unpacking how the cultural background of ancient Judaism elevates—not invalidates—Jesus’s ministry. Be part of the ongoing conversation redefining what it means to follow a Jesus rooted in his Jewish identity.
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Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford
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