You think it was hard for the first generations of disciples to explain Jesus’ death on the cross? It was almost as difficult to explain Jesus’ life. Whenever he spoke publicly it was with unique authority and with profound scriptural insight. Yet he abandoned the bimah, the teaching lectern in the synagogue, and instead chose to preach and teach in the fields, by the sea, on remote mountaintop, and from the humble homes of his disciples.

Jesus’ lifestyle just didn’t mesh with the cultural expectations befitting a revered rabbi. The brightest and most promising students didn’t seek him out to learn at his feet. Jesus strolled about the countryside, choosing those who became his “disciples,” his inner circle, from what looked to be random encounters with the most average of working guys.…