It is hard to imagine that a Jew started the first Christian church. It began with the calling of his disciples, an unlikely group of men whom he gathered together and taught about the kingdom of God. Becoming a follower of Christ was costly. Besides leaving their professions, they had to leave behind everything in which they were accustomed.
             In Jesus' day, Jews were under Roman authority. They despised the Romans and hated their life under them, which resulted in several factions of Judaism forming. One such group was the Pharisees. They were very legalistic, following strictly Jewish law.
             Another group was the Sadducees who were wealthy aristocrats that enjoyed the sophisticated Greco-Roman culture. The Sadducees controlled the Sanhedrin, the high Jewish council.
             Another party, the Zealots, chose to show their distaste for the Roman rule through armed resistance. The Zealots got their ideas from the Maccabees and were always ready to revolt against Roman authority.
             The Essenes were unlike the other groups in that they weren't interested in revolting against their rulers or getting involved in politics. Instead they were a group of Jews who withdrew into the wilderness and formed a community of believers who lived in isolation, studying the Scriptures.
             Jesus's desire was to separate his mission from that of these other groups and still draw a group of loyal follower.
             Jesus chose to begin his ministry by being baptized by John the Baptist. John and Jesus alike called for repentance. The main theme of Jesus' teaching was the kingdom of God. He performed many miracles of healing but asked that they be kept quiet for fear that they would be misinterpreted. But soon the news got out and large crowds followed him.
             During his ministry, Jesus contrasted his message of repentance and grace with the observance of laws by the Pharisees. Regarding Luke 18:11-12, Jesus made it clear that
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