In this facinating book by Sunny George, Jesus Christ A Carpenter of Nazareth?, a question that both Christians and non-Christians assume has been established for centuries is re-examined. Was Jesus really a carpenter? How has Jesus' work as a poor carpenter shaped his image throughout the ages?
This piece of Jesus' biographical history has had major implications for his legacy and teachings. For devoted Christians, the central figure of their relegion labored as a carpenter with meager earnings before he began his public ministry. This idea resonates with many who believe that they should refrain from enjoying wealth in honor of Jesus' sacrifices. This book explains why Jesus was not a carpenter as well as why Christians should awaken to the material blessings along with the spiritual blessings Jesus' life has bestowed on his followers.
The story of Jesus' occupation as a carpenter has also incorrectly shaped the non-Christian views as well. The story casts Jesus in a worldly light, leading some to believe he was merely a man who worked, taught life lessons and began a relegion that caught the attention of millions.
This book examines the consequences of the Garden of Eden and the restoration through Jesus' sufferings in the Garden of Gethsemane. It explains the manifestation of the sweat free life Jesus achieved for mankind, which the whole world enjoys today through the scientific and technological advancements.
This book investigates by using the Bible and other sources to answer important questions: Was Jesus a carpenter? If not, how did he acquire enough resources to launch a widespread public ministry? Was he really a poor young man, or did he have wealth than is commonly believed? If he did, how does this change the world's view of him? This book answers all these and many other compelling questions.
Millions of people in the world today know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; he came from heaven to Earth to save the human race, which was lost. He lived a perfect life and then gave his life as an offering on the cross for the redemption of mankind. Those who received the saving grace, abundant and eternal life from God through Jesus, now have the real understanding of who Jesus is and what he did—and can do—for human beings. They enjoy various blessings of God that Jesus Christ regained for human beings by dying on the cross. All the blessings and privileges that man (Adam) and woman (Eve) lost by disobeying God and enjoying the forbidden fruit of the tree in the Garden of Eden, Jesus regained for mankind through his suffering and death on the cross.
At the same time, there are millions—even though they received the saving grace of God through Jesus Christ—who are not enjoying many blessings that were lost and are now available, due to the lack of knowledge of the word of God. As Prophet Hosea says:
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6).
They are not aware of all the things Jesus achieved for them through the cross. They do not even know the kind of life that Jesus lived when he was in this world. They are so naïve about the life of Jesus that they think and even believe that Jesus worked as a carpenter to make his living before he entered into public ministry. This thinking has led many to look at Jesus in an incorrect perspective, and the divinity of Jesus has gone from the minds of thousands, if not millions of people in various ways. It has gone to the extent that even many dedicated, spiritual Christians stayed away from enjoying the physical blessings in this world, which God has graciously granted to them. They think that Jesus was poor and had to work as a carpenter to make a living, so they also want to stay poor, work hard with their body to sweat, and follow the example of Jesus. Many of them denounced most, if not all, of the material blessings that were available to them. Of course, there is nothing wrong if someone chooses to live that way, but it is wrong if they choose it because they believe that Jesus was very poor and he did physical labor as a carpenter to make his living. By careful study of the Bible under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we will come across very interesting and significant information about the life of Jesus contrary to this belief.
Then there is a third group who never knew or experienced the saving grace of God through Jesus Christ. They view Jesus from a wordly prospective and have never understood his divinity. They think he was just another relegious leader who might have been smarter than many other people of his day. They think that he created a relegion, provided some good teachings, and finally, was killed by the Romans because he was a revolutionist—and that is the end of his story.
All the above categories of people had different views about Jesus, and most of them agree on one thing: He was a carpenter before he started public ministry. Let us look into it from various angles to know the truth of the matter. Was he really a carpenter? Was there a need for him to be a carpenter? How did he make his living? All these questions need answers. I believe by going through the pages of this book, any reader should be able to find the answers to these questions. It is true that Jesus lived with his earthly parents and submitted to them while growing up. He might have helped them in many different ways before he entered into the public ministry. As a human being, he needed some source of income to survive in this world. Then we wonder, how did Jesus receive the means to sustain and later do his public ministry? To find the answer to this very prominent question, we should examine his life, which is recorded in the Bible. Then we will come to this remarkable understanding, contrary to the common belief that he was neither poor as people think, nor worked as a carpenter during his life on the Earth as a human being, but was doing the will of his Heavenly Father.