“Ty, I have a question,” he said. “When did Jesus stop being Jewish?”
Jacob and I have had many great conversations over the past few years about the Bible, Jewish history, and Israel in God’s plan. But his question took me aback. My dear friend, who was once severely persecuted by “Christian” anti-Semites, essentially wanted to know when Jesus betrayed His people.
So, let’s consider the question. When did Jesus stop being Jewish?
Jesus was born a Jew.
Every December, the thoughts of Christians turn to the night of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. When we study the Christmas narrative, however, we usually brush across the account of what took place after Jesus’ birth, after the shepherds and the gifts and the angels in the highest. What happened after the Christmas story tells us a lot about the Jewishness of Jesus and His earthly family.
The Gospel of Luke records that eight days after He was born, Jesus’ parents had Him circumcised and named Him Jesus, in Hebrew Yeshua (Lk. 2:21). The circumcision and naming ceremony is called the brit milah (literally, “covenant of circumcision”). It is a rite given to Israel in the Mosaic Law that binds the male child to the people of Israel, the Law, and God (Lev. 12:3).
In addition to the brit milah, the Torah teaches that a Jewish woman who gives birth to a baby boy is considered unclean for a total of 40 days (Lev. 12:2,4). Following this time of purification, she and her husband are to take their son to the priest in Jerusalem, where they are to bring a lamb as a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a turtledove as a sin offering (Lev. 12:6).
Jesus was born to observant Jewish parents, who loved God and knew the Tanakh by heart (Lk. 1:46-55). After the 40 days of her purification, Joseph and Mary traveled from Nazareth to Jerusalem and did exactly as the Law commanded (Lk. 2:22-24).
From His first day on Earth, Jesus, under the direction of His observant parents, was obedient to the Law. He was born a Jew.
Jesus lived as a Jew.
We do not have many details about Jesus’ life prior to His ministry; but we do know that He was raised in a distinctly Jewish home.
For example, Jesus’ parents, in accordance with the Law, annually took their family to Jerusalem for Passover (Dt. 16:16; Lk. 2:41). In fact, it was after the family observed Passover in Jerusalem and began their return trip to Nazareth that 12-year-old Jesus went missing. When Joseph and Mary backtracked to Jerusalem, they eventually found him sitting in the temple, listening to the teachers of the Sanhedrims (Sanh. 88b) and asking them questions that astonished those who heard Him (Lk. 2:46).
In addition to Passover, Jesus, as the Son of God and an observant Jew, celebrated the other feasts proscribed in the Law, as well as the non-biblical Feast of Dedication, or Hanukkah (Jn. 10:22).
At no point in His life or ministry was Jesus anti-Jewish. He was born a Jew, lived a Jewish life, and died a Jew.
Additionally, when Jesus was 13, He would have had His bar mitzvah. The term bar mitzvah literally means “son of the law.” Rabbinic tradition dictates that a boy becomes a bar mitzvah at the age of 13, meaning that he is responsible to keep the Law of Moses from then on. Observant as He and His family were, Jesus undoubtedly had a bar mitzvah.
We also know that Jesus attended synagogue. He was a regular participant in the life of the synagogue (Lk. 4:16) and taught in synagogues throughout Israel (v. 15).
Jesus kept the Torah, observed the festivals, participated in Jewish traditions, and was active in His local synagogue. For all of His 33 years on Earth, Jesus lived a Jewish life.
Jesus died a Jew.
Not only was Jesus born a Jew and lived a Jewish life, He was a Jew when He died, too.
Throughout His life, Jesus never distanced Himself from the Jewish people or disavowed them. True, He called out the Jewish leadership for their hypocrisy (Matt. 23) and pronounced judgment on them (v. 36); but so did the prophets throughout Israel’s history. Jesus rebuked His people, cared for His people, taught His people, healed His people, and forgave the sin of His people.
At no point in His life or ministry was Jesus anti-Jewish. He was born a Jew, lived a Jewish life, and died a Jew.
Jesus will return to Earth a Jew.
For the Jewish people, the thought of living in a world void of anti-Semitism is unfathomable. Persecution and attempts to annihilate them have become a part of the fabric of the Jewish experience. The Bible teaches, however, that there is coming a time when anti-Semitism will be dealt with once and for all by the King of the Jews, Jesus.
When Jesus returns to Earth, He will do so as the world’s Jewish judge and king (Matt. 25:31; cf. Is. 9:7). He will gather all the people of the world to Israel, where He will judge them. This judgment is hinged on one factor: How did these Gentiles treat their Jewish neighbors in their time of distress (Joel 3:2; Matt. 25:31–46)? In accordance with God’s promise to Abraham, Jesus will bless those who cared for the Jewish people, and He will curse those who did not care for them.
After crushing anti-Semitism, the King of the Jews will become “King over all the earth” (Zech. 14:9). But even then, Jesus and the character of His kingdom will be Jewish.
Each year, the nations of the world will convene in Jerusalem, where they will worship the God of Israel and keep Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles (Zech. 14:16). On their way to Jerusalem, when they see a Jewish person, they will grab his sleeve “saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you’” (Zech. 8:23).
Throughout their existence, the Jewish people have perpetually had their sleeves grasped by the Gentiles, almost always to throw them to the ground, oppress them, or even to throw them into concentration camps. Under the rule of the King of the Jews, however, the world will be rid of anti-Semitism, and Gentiles will honor the Jewish people in their role as God’s Chosen People.
Conclusion
So, When did Jesus stop being Jewish? He never did. From His birth and brit milah, to His life on Earth, to His imminent return and reign as King, Jesus has never stopped being Jewish. Both Jews and Gentiles would do well to remember this.
Gentiles should never assume God has divorced His Chosen People. Jewish people should not cast Jesus off as a traitor to His people. He never denied the Jewish people, and His message of salvation by grace through faith is for all people, the Jew first and also the Gentile (Rom. 1:16).
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Comments 18
Excellent Ty you answered the question fully. I was blessed.
The gift of salvation is to all of mankind. “There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Gentile, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Gentile.” (Rom 2:9-10). So the gospel is first for the Jew, and also for the Gentile. (1:16) Jesus lived the perfect life and died as a Jew as a perfect sacrifice for the sins of all mankind to the Jew first because of the sin of Adam and Eve and Hos people, the Jews and all of mankind whom He created and loves. Jesus is God who is beyond any constraints of time, space, and His creation; he is the Alpha and the Omega which supercedes any identification as being a Jew.
Thank you. This is what I believed but you put it in such a way that all will be able to understand. I stand with Israel
Jesus stopped being a Jew when Rome got involved. They made him a white dude with long hair. Jesus stopped being a Jew when the very days His Father created about Him were “done away with” and replaced with pagan holidays. Jesus stopped being a Jew when people started eating pork on His alleged birthday and resurrection day. Jesus stopped being a Jew when people started believing the church replaced Israel. Jesus stopped being a Jew when Martin Luther is celebrated for Reformation Day even when he wrote a book on burning synagogues and Hebrew bibles.
Yeshua never stopped being a Jew! Once a Jew always a Jew! And he is still a Jew and He isn’t white and blue eyed with long hair! That’s a lie from Christianity! He was dark complexion as He was from Israel! The Jesus Rome taught was the false Jesus many Christian’s believe in. They don’t know the “Jewish Jesus “ Yeshua! He IS the only one who can save!
Tan complexion; most middle eastern Jews are tan-toned. I wouldn’t say dark…
I agree Jesus most likely was not considered white by today standards, most people in Judea were dark
I agree with you entirely.
Complexion is irrelevant. Whether Christ was black, white, pink, green or yellow is irrelevant. ‘Race’ as it stands today is a lie created by governments to segregate people. There is only ONE race, human. Skin color and birth location do not determine your race.
I’m Roman Catholic but from infancy I knew Jesus was born, lived and died Jewish and that the Jews are God’s chosen people. I also believe that was why Hitler was sent by Satan to destroy but thankfully failed to destroy the Jewish race, and why, despite being a Christian, I would never stand against the Jews, so on that point I guess I do stand with Israel, and why during Christmas church service I took great pride in singing, ‘O come, o come Emanuel.’
What you say is common sense. Christianity only came after his death. Jesus would be astounded at the division caused in his name.
I am more confused now than I have ever been in my entire life. I am a devoted Catholic and reading the above has made me so uncomfortable that I don’t know what to think.
Hi Doreen, I’m Catholic too and went to convent school but from early years we were told Jesus was born, raised and died Jewish, No reason why you shouldn’t carry on being a devout Catholic as long as you accept that the Jews are God’s chosen people and Nazism is the spawn of Satan. According to the historian, John Toland, who did Hitler’s biography, 12-year-old Adolph refused to renounce Satan and all his evil show at his Catholic confirmation service, and we all know where that led. Nothing wrong with remaining Catholic as long as you stand by your.confirmation pledge.
There are white europeans that adopted the Jewish religion, two of my grandparents most likely were part of that group, I vaguely remember them, My grandfather show me love but my grandmother ignore me till she died. My mother baptized me and raised me as a Catholic, my father worked very hard and left my mother to raise me as a Christian like her. Two years ago my grandson was dying of Leukemia, he was 2 years old, I prayed holding my crucifix daily and hourly asking Jesus to take my life instead of my grandson. One day I found the cross on the floor rigth on the doorstep were the sun made it glow, that never happened before, I put it back in my chain and a week latter the cross was in my staircase. I had the cross for 10 years and that was the first time it happened. I took that as a message. My grandson is 4 years old and is free of cancer. My cross never fell off again, thank you Lord
Ya if a bit strange that mosh Christian’s can’t even name the festivals, kashrut laws, what keeping shabbat is all of what of there so called savior practiced. It’s bizarre.
Yes, so true this is. I know that Jesus was born a Jew to Jewish parents, went to synagogue as well as all the festivals and died a Jew. I bet alot of Christians and Catholics dont realize this factor and to this day there’s still so much hatred against the Jews. Why I dont understand as your savior was a Jew too so why the hatred I ask!
The term Jewish is not mentioned in the Bible once, nor does the term Jew in the Bible, mean the same as it does today. I’ll give examples.
For one, a Jew in the Bible means a person is from the tribe of Judah, which is passed down by the father; or a person from the Southern Kingdom of Judah. It was not a religion called Judaism.
To be a Jew today, you can be an atheist but as long as your mother is Jewish, you’re Jewish. You can also be Jewish if you convert to the religion called Judaism. It is not the same. This is a gross misuse of nomenclature.
As a Catholic Christian, it is important to understand this distinction. Catholics were the first Christians, the first followers of Christ. They became known as Catholic, because that word means universal, which is to say that the church which Jesus established is His church throughout the universe. In celebrating the Eucharist whenever we gather for Mass, we are doing what Jesus asked us to do: “Do this in memory of me.” Catholics greatly respect and honor our Jewish brethren and their heritage, graciously thankful that through them our Emmanuel was given to the world and the universe. We pray that all faiths will unite and recognize that Jesus is the Christ who was promised through Jewish lineage, and our salvation is through Him, just as He said it would be for ALL believers in Him.