What was Jewish about Jesus?

sooda · Sep 20, 2019

The literature of the Pharisaic tradition in no way sanctions hypocrisy. In fact it is in agreement with Jesus, yet there can be no doubt that hypocrisy existed among the Pharisees during the time of Jesus but we must not make the mistake that the early writers of the oral tradition were all corrupt and blind.

It is also important to note that all of the Pharisees were not like those described in Matthew 23. The gospels contain references to Pharisees who were admirable men. Nicodemus is an excellent example of what a Pharisee ought to have been. He was genuinely a seeker of truth (John 3:1 ff.), spoke out for justice on behalf of Jesus (John 7:50) , and remained a follower of Jesus even after the disciples had fallen away (John 19:39) .

Joseph of Arimathea was a member of the Sanhedrin and he looked for the kingdom of God (Mark 15:43) , he was almost certainly a Pharisee, he also did not consent to the decision to do away with Jesus (Luke 23:51) . He was a disciple of Jesus "secretly, for fear of the Jews" (John 19:38) and he made final provisions for the body of Jesus.

There were no doubt many such Pharisees who believed in Jesus, yet probably secretly. Even those who were not necessarily believers could display admirable traits: Gamaliel argued for open-mindedness (Acts 5:34 ff.); others warned Jesus of an attempt on His life:

Luke 13:30-31 "On that very day some Pharisees came, saying to Him, "Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You."

And others showed hospitality to Jesus (Luke 7: 36ff.; 11:37; 14:1) even though they were being accused by Jesus.

Desert Snake · Sep 20, 2019

You expect the 'divine incarnation of the Lord', (in judaism that's Yahweh, to 'act like a jew'? Interesting, there is some ideas to that, some say His name is Yeshua, (Aramaic Bible.

Good-Ole-Rebel · Sep 20, 2019

Had Jesus not been Jewish His enemies would have brought that up immediately. They never did. When Jesus entered His public ministry, the first thing the Jews said is "...Is not this Joseph's son?". (Luke 4:22)

Interestingly enough, it was Jesus who questioned the Jewishness of His enemies. (John 8:39)

Good-Ole-Rebel

LightofTruth · Sep 20, 2019

The Jewish people are descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Jesus is a son of Abraham. The sons of Jacob became the tribes of Jacob (Israel) and it was those who were taken out of Egypt who God made covenant with.at Mount Sinai. They were bound as God's people and required to obey His commands. So, anyone who is born in the line of Abraham is bound to obey God's commands. Jesus was bound to obey God's commands.

viole · Sep 20, 2019

Ach so, that is what american conservatives mean when they complain that people are trying to keep Jesus out of America.

Ciao

- viole

calm · Sep 20, 2019

@Nowhere Man
Of course Jesus is Jewish. Jesus is a descendant of Isaac, was circumcised after 8 days his birth and fulfilled every Jewish law until his death.
Have you ever read the Bible?

Kenny · Sep 20, 2019

I'm not sure why you would say that...

Luke 2:45-47 King James Version (KJV)
45 And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.
46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.
47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.

Luk 4:
15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

Sounds like the Jewish Rabbis didn't have a problem thinking he was Jewish.

Twilight Hue · Sep 20, 2019

Yes. But do you read Jewish sources?

Why Jews Don't Believe In Jesus

InChrist · Sep 20, 2019

Well, the first people who did believe in Jesus and did believe He was the promised Messiah, were Jewish.

InChrist · Sep 20, 2019

And there are Jews who believe in Jesus...

"We reject the stereotype that Jewish people cannot be followers of Jesus, and we believe that both identities cannot only be embraced, but can enhance one another in beautiful spiritual harmony."
https://jewsforjesus.org/about/

Milton Platt · Sep 20, 2019

The blood line is all that is necessary to be a Jew. I know several secular Jews....they are still Jewish.

Epic Beard Man · Sep 20, 2019

What was Jewish about Jesus?

He recited the Sh'ma

1213 · Sep 22, 2019

I think you could as well ask, what makes anyone a Jew.

For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without the law. As many as have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it isn't the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified (for when Gentiles who don't have the law do by nature the things of the law, these, not having the law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying with them, and their thoughts among themselves accusing or else excusing them) in the day when God will judge the secrets of men, according to my gospel, by Jesus Christ. Indeed you bear the name of a Jew, and rest on the law, and glory in God, and know his will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, and are confident that you yourself are a guide of the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of babies, having in the law the form of knowledge and of the truth. You therefore who teach another, don't you teach yourself? You who preach that a man shouldn't steal, do you steal? You who say a man shouldn't commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who glory in the law, through your disobedience of the law do you dishonor God? For "the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you," just as it is written. For circumcision indeed profits, if you are a doer of the law, but if you are a transgressor of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. If therefore the uncircumcised keep the ordinances of the law, won't his uncircumcision be accounted as circumcision? Won't the uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfills the law, judge you, who with the letter and circumcision are a transgressor of the law? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God.
Romans 2:12-29

Jesus showed that the Law is written in his heart and he was righteous, therefore I think he was a Jew, more than any human ever.

Samantha Rinne · Sep 24, 2019

Dude, read more carefully.

Jesus quotes Jewish sceipture regularly. Offhand:
-During his three temptations in the wilderness.
-"The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone"
-"Whose image and inscription is on the coin? " is a reference both to not having a graven image and the Shema Yisrael command to inscribe the name of God on the door, basically drawing to attention that Caesar's coins are an idol.

He also attends Sukkhot and Passover and all these festivals. It says "as was his custom." He is an observant Jew. He routinely debated law with the Pharisees. This is exactly why they hated him. All of the rest of the Jews were obedient to the law, Jesus obviously loved the Jewish customs and culture but knew that there was something wrong with it back then.

To put it in perspective, Jesus was as much a Jew as Martin Luther was a Catholic. If you recall the story of Martin Luther, night after night he dreamed he was going to hell. He watched Israel and Rome and the sorry state these were in, until finally he read the passages about how works doesn't save one, but rather grace.

Jesus came to reform Judaism, and to try to get the Sabbath laws away from a manadate about how many lb you carry and towards an idea that Sabbath was a gift. When he did, he ran into the fact that the Jews of his day were probably alot different from today's Jews. Basically, he was teaching stuff and they'd come and bother him, asking on whose authority he acted, or heckle him, or outright try to find a way for him to be arrested. Today's Jews aren't really like these Pharisees, but other groups in power are.

firedragon · Sep 24, 2019

This is a historical question. What do we know about Jesus? Not much. The Bible is written by people who never met Jesus. So is the Quran. What we have heard is the Jesus of faith. Not the real person.

By birth, Jesus should be called a jew. Thats it.

Tumah · Sep 24, 2019

That explains why we don't believe in Jesus, not that he wasn't Jewish (assuming he existed).

Tumah · Sep 24, 2019

I reject the rejection of the stereotype that Jewish people cannot be followers of Jesus.
Now what?

Thief · Sep 24, 2019

during a high sabbath Passover ritual

He gave instruction......Do this in memory of Me

displacing memorial of the Exodus and Moses

not very Jewish

Thief · Sep 24, 2019

He drove the crowd out of the Temple

a place the Jews considered their own

not very Jewish

Thief · Sep 24, 2019

He belittled the Pharisees in public

not very Jewish

What was Jewish about Jesus?

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