Jesus the Jew

*I know this is an extremely old article [I dug it out of the back of my closet} but it is well worth the read.

Jesus was a committed Jew of his day. And to truly understand Jesus, we need a solid background in Jewish religious, social, and political history.

Jesus, a rural Jew, lived in Galilee, in the northern part of Palestine. And in Jesus day, Galilee was divided into an upper and lower region. The lower region, where Jesus lived was a rich valley that stretched from the Mediterranean to the sea of Galilee, a distance of about 25 miles.

As far as we know, in Jesus' time there were four principle Jewish sects: The Essenes, the Zealots, the Sadducees, and the Pharisees.

The Essenes, whose name may come from an Arabaic word meaning "pious," had already withdrawn from Jerusalem and Temple participation by the time of Jesus. In isolated monastic communities established in the Judean wilderness, they studied scriptures and developed a rule of life. Essenes were known for their piety--daily prayer, prayer before and after meals, strict observation of the Sabbath, daily ritual bathing, emphasis on chastity and celibacy, wearing white robes as a symbol of spiritual purity, and sharing communal meals and property. Nowhere in the Gospels, however, is Jesus presented as adhering to the Essenes way of life.

Jesus was not a zealot either. Zealots were Jews who vehemently opposed the Roman occupation of Palestine. But there is no evidence in any of Jesus' teachings that he encouraged revolt against Rome.

Jesus also was clearly set apart from the Sadducees, whose name in Hebrew means "Righteous ones." These Jews believed in a strict interpretation of the Torah and did not believe in life after death. Jesus, of course believed in bodily resurrection (Mark 12:18-27)

Contrary to common understanding, Jesus may well have been close to the Pharisees, even if he did debate them vigorously. Many of Jesus' teachings and much of his style was similar to theirs. To understand this, we need to compare the central teachings of the Pharisees to Jesus' teachings.

The Pharisees were a lay reform group within Judaism. The name Pharisee itself means "separate ones" in Hebrew, which refers to a ritual observance of purity and tithing; the word Pharisee can also be translated as "The interpreter," referring to this group's unique interpretation of Hebrew scripture.

As reformers, the Pharisees did not oppose Roman occupation; rather their focus was on reforming the temple, especially with respect to its liturgical practices and priests. And the Pharisees turned their attention toward strengthening Jewish devotion to the Torah, which, they said, had to be continually readjusted within the framework of the contemporary Jewish community. While the Pharisees insisted that the 613 commandments found in the written Torah remained in effect, the commandments had to be carefully rethought in light of new human needs.

The temple priests, though, looked upon the precepts of the Torah more literally and primarily in terms of sacrificial observances at the Temple. The Pharisees, on the other hand, taught that every ordinary human action could become sacred--an act of worship. Doing a "good deed" for another human, a "mitzvah" in Hebrew, was accorded a status that in some ways, surpassed Temple worship. This was truly a revolution in religious thinking.

In addition, a new religious figure in Judaism--the teacher--or Rabbi--emerged within the Pharisaic movement. For their part, rabbis fulfilled a twofold role in the community: They served as interpreters of the Torah and, more importantly, they helped make its teachings relevant. Their principle task was instructional, not liturgical.

From the Pharisaic reform emerged what was later called the synagogue ("assembly of people"). The synagogue became the center of this movement, which quickly spread throughout Palestine and the cities of Jewish Diaspora. Unlike the Jerusalem Temple, the synagogues were not places where priests presided and sacrifices were offered; rather they were places where the Torah was studied, rabbis offered interpretations, and prayers were said. Thus, synagogues became not merely "houses of God" but far more "houses of the people of God."

The Pharisee also emphasized table fellowship--a way of strengthening relationships within a community. In the eyes of the Pharisees, the Temple altar in Jerusalem could be replicated at every table in the household of Israel. A quiet but far reaching reform was at hand. There was no longer any basis for assigning to the priestly class a unique level of authority.

The Pharisees saw God not only as creator, giver of the Covenant, and much more, but in a special way, as the Parent of each individual. Everyone had the right to address God in a direct and personal way, not simply through the temple sacrifices offered by the priests.

The Pharisees also believed in resurrection. Those whose lives were marked by justice would rise once the Messiah had come. Then they would enjoy perpetual union with God.

There is little doubt, then, that Jesus and the Pharisees shared many central convictions. The first was their basic approach to God as a parent figure. In story after story in the Gospels, Jesus addresses God in this way. And Jesus' central prayer begins by invoking God as "Our Father" (Matt. 6: 9-13). The effect of this emphasis was fundamentally the same for Jesus as for the Pharisees (although Jesus had a unique position as God's "Only begotten Son"). More than anything, this approach led to both an enhanced appreciation of the dignity of every person and ultimately to the notion of resurrection--and perpetual union with God.

Jesus' own public stance closely paralleled the evolving role of the Pharisaic teacher. Jesus on a number of occasions in the Gospels are filled with examples of Jesus teaching in synagogues.

Jesus clearly picked up on another central feature of Pharisaism as well, that of the oral Torah, which refers to interpretations given by the Pharisees to various Torah texts. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus offers interpretations of Scripture quite similar to those of the Pharisees.

Finally, Jesus also embraced the table fellowship notion of Pharisaism. The meal narratives in the New Testament are an example of this. In the end, He selected table fellowship for a critical of his ministry, the celebration of the first Eucharist.

Then why, in the Gospels, do the Pharisees appear as the archenemies of Jesus? Here is gets complicated. For one thing, some Pharisees were praised by Jesus (for example the scribe of Mark 12:32). And we know that Jesus ate with Pharisees (Luke 7:36; 14:1).

But there was still conflict between the Pharisees and Jesus, nevertheless. And here scholarship offers three possible explanations.

The first sees Jesus and his teachings as quite similar to the Pharisees. The animosity in the Gospel results from subsequent interpretations of Jesus' action. For example, Jesus' practicing healing on the Sabbath or his disciples picking grain in the holy day were actions clearly not supported by the Pharisees.

Another possible explanation results from our enhanced understanding of the Talmud, the collected teachings of the Pharisees and their rabbinic heirs. In the Talmud are references to some seven categories of Pharisees, which clearly shows that the Pharisaical movement encompassed a wide range of viewpoints and, more important, that internal disputes, often of the heated variety, were quite common. The Gospel portraits of Jesus disputing with the "Pharisees" were examples of "hot debates" that were common in the Pharisaic circles rather than examples of Jesus condemning the Pharisees.

A third scholarly approach stresses positive connection between Jesus' central teachings and those of the Pharisees. In light of these, one becomes suspicious about the so-called texts of conflict. Surely Jesus would not denounce a movement with which he had so much in common.

Hence, either Jesus was speaking in a very limited context, or what are commonly called "the conflict stories" represent religious tensions existing in the latter part of the first century when the gospels were written. The Christian community--now formally expelled from the synagogues--was engaged in intense competition for Jewish converts. The New Testament statements about conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees may reflect that competition.

Regardless, one fact remains. Jesus' own Bible was the Hebrew Scriptures. His attitude toward the sacred writings is summed up in the assertion "Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish the Law but fulfill (Matt. 5:17).

On the whole, Jesus' teachings were wither literally biblical or filtered through the Pharisaic use of the scripture, or both.

The way the Pharisee and Jesus used the Hebrew Scriptures becomes more clear when Jesus argues his position by using so-called "proof-texts." Here, Jesus quotes from the Hebrew Scriptures to prove a point or refute a critic (See the Sermon on the Mount Matt 5, 6, & 7). In such instances, Jesus was drawing on a technique used by the Pharisees in trying to make a point.

The "Proof-Texting" that Jesus used did, at times, pit him against the Pharisees--such as when He challenged certain claims they made about the unwritten law and called them hypocrites for placing higher value on teachings of humans than of God (Matt. 23: 1-36).; such as when He used scripture to refute the Pharisaic teachings about plucking grain on the Sabbath (Matt 12: 1-8). or unwashed hands (Matt. 15:20).

At other times though, Jesus' "proof-texting" placed him on the side of the Pharisees. Once in an impressive debate with the Saduccees, He used Hebrew scripture to reinforce his belief, and that oft he Pharisees, in an afterlife. Jesus was so impressive he won the Pharisees' applause (Matt. 22: 23-33).

Possibly the best example we have of Jesus' use of Hebrew Scriptures is his teaching on love. "Teacher," one Pharisee asked, "which commandment is greatest?" And Jesus responded by quoting Deuteronamy 6:5, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment" (Matt. 22: 36-39). Them Jesus went on quoting Leviticus 19:18, "The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." In brief, Jesus was proof-texting his answer.

Jesus' use of the Hebrew Scriptures, therefore, was unabashedly Jewish. And it was similar to that of his contemporaries, particularly the philosophy of the Pharisees.

Knowing and appreciating the Jewish origins has at least three advantages: First, it helps us revise negative understandings of the Pharisees. It also helps us to avoid anti-Semitism. Finally, it allows us to better appreciate the Jewish roots of Christianity. Ultimately, understanding Jesus as a Jew will help us to better understand both our own faith and that of the contemporary Jews.

Bump for later and excellent post. As a Southern Baptist, I can testify that there are several within our own church that would not know, some even shocked, that Jesus Christ was Jewish. His ministry was meant first to the Jews and then only later to the Gentiles as evidenced in his rebuke of the woman following them in Samaria (?, not sure of the country)

Jesus was a Jew and there is no circumstantial evidence to prove otherwise. Everybody knew it at the time, nobody questioned it. Are there actually people who profess to be Christians who have a problem with Jesus being a Jew? That's just plain stupid! I've heard wacky theories put forward by members of the "Jesus Seminar" that try to discredit Jesus in every way, but I've never heard of anyone suggesting he wasn't a Jew.

I posted it because of a debate I've been having with another poster, and I wanted to show that Judaism is indeed a religion of love and that Christians do have an obligation toward Jews and Israel.

The article is garbage. The writer treats Jesus rather flippantly and seriously downplays His conflict with the Pharisees. This wasn't a debating society squabble. Calling Jesus a Pharisee is just downright goofy. While Jesus praised some individual Pharisees, He rejected their form of Judaism.

In addition, Christians owe nothing to Jews but the truth. In rejecting Christ, they are cut off. No real Christian can possibly maintain that someone who rejects Christ nevertheless retains the favor of God.

I am a Jew, and was educated in the Orthodox Jewish tradition, and I agree that most of this is quite accurate.

Another parallel between Jesus and the Pharisees can be seen in the teachings of Hillel, a leading rabbi of the Pharisees, who flourished around 50 BCE. In a famous story reprted in the Talmud, a pagan Greek came to Hillel and said he would convert to Judaism if Hillel could teach him the entire Torah in the time he could remain standing on one foot. Hillel replied, "what is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor: this is the essence of the Torah; all the rest is commentary. Now go and study it."

Of course Jesus was a Jew. That has always been understood.

Hey, I had a high-school teacher at a private Christian school who would argue with anyone until he was blue in the face that Jesus was not a Jew. Not sure that the fact that th eteacher was from Jordan had anything to do with it, but he was emphatic. I personally dont know the argument.

Your screen name doesn't do your post justice.

Are you forgetting the second of the two great commandments? Love your neighbor as yourself. We owe them our friendship and to stand up for them when they are in danger of being eradicated from the planet by people who hate. I won't turn my back on them.

Hillel replied, "what is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor: this is the essence of the Torah; all the rest is commentary. Now go and study it."

He pretty muched nailed it, didn't he? LOL

He was accurate though, as Jesus did the same thing when he condensed the 613 commandments into two with "Love G-d with all your heart, mind, and soul--and Love your neighbor as yourself."

What a fool that "christian" teacher was to argue that Jesus was not a Jew. Countless scriptures in the Old Testament pointed to His coming from the lineage of David, the stake of His execution read "King of the Jews", etc. etc. What a fool of a "teacher", he/she should have studied the Word of God instead of pretending to know Him.

Just FYI, here's a little more about how we ended up at Beth Tefilloh:

Back in 1984, when we met & married, she was the Organist/Choir Director at St. Mark's Episcopal, which is a block away from the Temple. Both institutions have enjoyed a long history of fellowship; they were built in the 1880's, and the first organist at St. Mark's, Guy Hackett, was also the Temple's first organist.

Right before we married, the Temple's President, Phil Salkin, wanders into the office and mentions that "their organist just retired, how'd you like another job whose hours won't conflict with the ones here?"
( Phil was an old friend of her family's, and mine, from way back... )
She thought it sounded interesting, accepted, and indeed we cut our honeymoon short so she could return for her debut there.

The next year she convinced her choir ( I was a member, naturally ) that singing for the High Holy Days would be a challenging & interesting thing to do, and the St. Mark's Choir has done so every year since. This will be the first year she misses, I'm not sure what, if anything, the choir will do in her absence.

Her resignation last week was a source of considerable grief; we've enjoyed a long & very congenial relationship with the Temple, indeed last year the Sisterhood inducted her as a member, much to her delight.

Calling Jesus a Pharisee is just downright goofy.

Welllllll......I don't know if He was or not, but this article makes a good case for it. It doesn't really matter one way or the other, does it? It doesn't to me. But now that I think about it, I don't remember reading that He ever ate with the Sadducees and I don't think the Essenes are even mentioned. At least one of the disciples was a Zealot (Simon--not Simon Peter). It's been awhile since I've read the 4 Gospels, but Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were Pharisees if I remember correctly.

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