Term Paper on "Jesus Was He Jew or Christian"

Term Paper 15 pages (5150 words) Sources: 1+

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Jesus, Jew or Christian

The common confusion as to whether Jesus Christ was Jew or Christian basically derives from the unclear or misunderstood relationship between Judaism and Christianity. The importance of this relationship, in turn, derives from the universal view or acceptance of Jesus Christ as the Messiah of the Jews, the fulfillment of Messianic aspirations and the lack of knowledge that Christianity started as a Jewish sect. Many assume that Judaism, the religion of the Jews, and Christianity are two different religions. An overall ignorance of the Bible by professing Christians themselves and a long period of anti-semitism account for the mis-interpretation or misreading of the Bible and the consequent discrediting or hatred of the Jews. This misreading or lack of knowledge of Jesus Christ's Jewish origins has not only obscured His basic message but also resulted in the common confusion on His religion or as to whether He was a Jew or a Christian.

The parents of Jesus, Joseph the carpenter and Miriam or Mary were both Jewish descendants of the royal house of King David (Mat 1; Lk 3). He was born a Jew in Nazareth in Galilee 20 miles of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was not only a Jew, but also never separated Himself from His Jewish community nor rejected the Jewish Law. Throughout His life, He observed that Law. More than that, He declared that He had come precisely to fulfill it. This claim and His condemnation of the formalism, hypocrisy and materialism of the priests progressively led to His arrest, condemnation and death. And Jesus was not the only Jew who criticized the behavior of the priests, except that He gave the Law a deeper and true ethical substance and meaning in the lives of ordinary people, rather than abandoning it or teaching another religion. He said that He did not come to abolish that Law and the prophets but to fulfill it and declared that anyone who keeps the Law will stand high in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Scriptures reflect His fidelity to the Jewish Law from beginning to end. He was circumcised at birth according to the Law of Moses (Lk 2:21). His parents, grandparents Joachim and Ann, uncle Zachary, aunt Elizabeth and cousin John the Baptist were also loyal observers of the Mosaic Law, described as "righteous... walking in the commandments and ordinances... And blameless (Luke 1:6)." These commandments and ordinances constitute the Jewish Law, which Jesus never abandoned or denounced, but strictly endorsed. He, therefore, practiced Judaism and was a Jew.

Jesus, the Jew, followed the Mosaic Law consistently and perfectly. He attended the Sabbath according to the requirements of the Law and the religious festivals of the Torah. He taught about tithing of agricultural produce (Matt. 23:23-24) and other Jewish practices, thereby agreeing with and confirming their validity, while pointing to the excesses and hypocrisies of the Pharisees. He also dressed as the Law commanded in Numbers 15:37-39 on tassels and criticized the wearing of excessively long fringes.

His religious teachings were also focused on Israel, particularly in declaring that He was sent only the "lost sheep of the House of Israel" and giving them first preference. Jesus taught that salvation came from the Jews in John 4:22 and was therefore delighted to find a Roman centurion who had greater, and exceptional, faith than He had expected of the people of Israel (Matt 8:10). He was the son of the Covenant and a zealously religious, practicing Jew Who started His ministry with a handful of fishermen and peasants, all Jews, and in the Jewish land, Palestine, a place He never left. He taught, preached and spoke with the characteristically Jewish rhythm of expression, balanced repetitions and alliterations of Hebrew poetry in Rabbinic literature of Israel called the midrash. His birth, breeding, occupation, community life, demeanor, clothing, alliances, religious observances and speaking style altogether were typically Jew, and His Jewish-ness was an allegiance He not only never denied but also raised above other races of men. As the true son of the Covenant, He recognized that the Jews had a single and most important mission in the world and a specific and special destiny of their own.

That the Jews were God's chosen people was not only known to Jesus the Nazarene but was also His all-consuming sentiment and the lone objective of His coming to earth. He was to fulfill to the promises of God the Creator to these people in Israel as their Messiah who was spoken of by the prophets and whom they had been waiting for. God's agenda of salvation for humankind, His composite dealing with the world, was designed exclusively for the Jews as His chosen people, whom He had lost because of Adam's sin. The repair of that eternal separation was to through the sin sacrifice of the Messiah Whom was sent to the Jews. The Jews and what happens to them have historically proved to be central to human affairs as the especially chosen people, and what happens to them will dictate the direction that world affairs will take in the future, which is the will of God.

Why are the Jews so special and privileged? The Bible is the instruction manual on how life should be lived on earth. It contains laws that regulate all the aspects of human existence and form the divinely willed basis of human conduct. It establishes only one religion. Only the Jews have obeyed God's laws and standards for living, as set forth in the Bible, and have adopted the only religious mode He approves. This is Judaism, the religion of the Jews, which Jesus the Messiah Himself confirms and practiced. He was, therefore, clearly and, without a doubt, a Jew.

God chose the Jews or Israelites as a pattern or demonstration of how His will works in the world through what happens to these people. When they disobey His laws, He punishes them; when they obey and believe, He greatly rewards them. He intended the Jews to be His representatives on earth, and caused His only begotten Son, the Messiah Yeshua or Jesus to be born and to live among them, as a Jew, to save them from their sins and restore them to a former divine friendship.

Jesus also came from a lineage of preachers, healer and charismatic leaders. Before the start of His public ministry, a cousin, John the Baptist or Baptizer, was already preaching about repentance and cleansing through water immersion. John was part of the Essenes and Qumran community that specialized in this ancient Hebrew cleansing ritual. He was later beheaded by King Herod whom he annoyed for his immorality. John was a forerunner to Jesus who took off from John's message and also took in two of John's former followers. As His public ministry grew, He acquired more local disciples, mostly fishermen in the Lake Kinneret chief among them, Simon Bar Yonah, whom Jesus called Peter.in Greek and Cephas in Aramaic.

When Jesus called Himself the Son of Man, the ascription of made to the Messiah in the Book of Daniel, He did so as a fervent Jew who preached a radically ethical understanding and observance of the Law. He condemned the hypocrisy of the Jewish priests who observed the letter of the Law and not its spirit. He poised the greed or hunger for material wealth against morality and taught that those who did not lust after material prosperity would inherit the Kingdom of His Father. In the beginning, the impact of His radical departure from the ways of the priests was insignificant until He ventured into the Passover festival in Jerusalem where He created waves and drew the annoyance and resentment of public authorities. Their entrance into the holy city in a time of triumph and fashion called the attention of these authorities and the public together. He drove out the money changers who bought sacrifices by the priests and accused them of materialism. When He sensed His persecutors coming after Him, He intimated to Peter that He is really the Christ, the Son of God, but told Peter to first keep it secret. Rumors spread that Roman soldiers were looking for Him to arrest Him for subversion. In the meantime, He held a Passover or last supper with His 12 apostles where He blessed and shared a cup of wine and matzoh bread with them and told them to repeat the act in His memory. In their conversation, Jesus expressed the awareness that they would betray Him. Indeed, Judas sold Him for 30 pieces of silver and betrayed Him with a kiss in the Garden where Jesus sweated blood at His forthcoming execution, and the rest went into hiding or denied even knowing Him, as in His favorite friend Peter's case. Before Pilate, Jesus called Himself King of the Jews and for which He was convicted and sentenced to crucifixion, through the instigation of the priests whose sensitivities Jesus hurt.

Three days after His crucifixion, His body… READ MORE

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