Vox Podcast With Mike Erre

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 – Unde