The sense of mission that he received as a Spirit person led him to undertake the role of prophet. As a prophet, he aggressively and provocatively challenged the corporate direction of his people. Violating the taboos of table fellowship, subverting the Sabbath, criticizing traditions regarding the Temple, he reversed the expectations of the future held by his contemporaries. Motivated by a profound love for his own people in a time when their future was at stake, he repudiated the burgeoning momentum leading toward armed resistance to Rome and called his hearers to the path of peace.
