Do you know these things about the life of Jesus? 🤔
In this episode of "The Catholic Talk Show," Ryan Scheel and Ryan Dellacrosse uncover little-known facts about Jesus that will grow your appreciation for His earthly life and ministry. From His ancestry to His multilingual skills, these are sure to surprise you!
1) Jesus Had a Redeemed Prostitute in His Family Lineage
Did you know that Jesus’ genealogy includes a non-Israelite prostitute?
Rahab, the Canaanite woman who sheltered Joshua’s spies in Jericho, is part of His family tree!
“When we’re overemphasizing His divinity, we forget that He entered into humanity and His great-great-great-great-grandma was a prostitute,” which Dellacrosse thinks “speaks to how God continually loves broken people."
Her inclusion reminds us of God’s mercy and power to bring redemption and grace out of brokenness—especially in Jesus’ earthly ancestry.
2) Jesus’ Trade Wasn’t Just Carpentry—It Was Much More
While we often picture Jesus in Joseph’s workshop crafting wooden chairs, the reality may have been quite different.
The Greek word "tekton" used in the Gospels is broader, meaning a general laborer or builder. Jesus may have also worked with stone, helped harvest crops, or even yoked cattle.
Scheel explains:
“A tekton would have been likely skilled not just in woodworking, but in masonry, building walls, and even farming.”
This shows Jesus’ resourcefulness and connection to the physical and daily struggles of ordinary people.
3) Jesus Likely Spoke At Least Three Languages
Language shaped Jesus’ ministry more than we might realize. He would have spoken Aramaic in daily life, Hebrew in the synagogue, and Greek to interact with Roman officials.
“We hear Him talking to centurions and Pontius Pilate—people who wouldn’t have spoken Aramaic,” Scheel says.
Some scholars even suggest He knew bits of Latin!
This multilingual ability shows that Jesus bridged cultural and linguistic divides to spread the Kingdom of God to everyone He encountered.