In 1960, Norman Cousins, former editor of Saturday Review, suggested that Judaism should embrace Jesus, as his spiritual presence is rooted in Judaism. However, Jesus’ identity as the Messiah, Lord, and God has remained a source of mystery, leading billions of people to follow him and identify as Christians.
Jesus’ religion was Judaism, as he was a rabbi who taught about the kingdom of God, ethics, and a new covenant at his final Passover meal. His teachings emphasized the importance of understanding his role as the promised Messiah who sacrificed himself for humanity’s sins and rose from the dead.
During Jesus’ time, Judaism encompassed a variety of sects, including the Essenes, Zealots, Sadducees, Pharisees, the People of the Land, and Hellenists. The People of the Land were common people struggling under Roman oppression, while Hellenists were influenced by Greek culture to varying degrees.
Jesus, born to an Am Ha’aretz, shocked many with his religious knowledge and comprehension at a young age. His disciples, mostly commoners, were viewed as ignorant by religious leaders. Meanwhile, Jesus’ teachings emphasized not conforming to the materialistic and pagan culture of the Gentiles.
Overall, Jesus’ Jewish upbringing influenced his teachings and interactions with various sects of his time, highlighting the complexity of Judaism during the Second Temple period. Just like there were Hellenists among the Jewish people, there were also ammei ha’aretz and extreme ammei ha’aretz. Jesus taught his followers not to conform to the materialistic and pagan culture of the Gentiles, urging them to prioritize seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness above all else. He emphasized being the “light of the world” and the “salt of the earth,” contrasting with the assimilationist Hellenists who abandoned their covenant with Israel.
Among the first-century Jewish sects, the Essenes stood out for their pursuit of purity and righteousness. They viewed the Jewish establishment as corrupt and fled to the desert to live as purists, waiting for an apocalypse to consume Israel. Jesus, though also emphasizing purity and righteousness, did not isolate himself but engaged with the broader Jewish community, even befriending outcasts and ritually impure individuals.
The Zealots, on the other hand, were political activists and revolutionaries fueled by hatred of Rome. Jesus condemned violence and focused on the kingdom of heaven rather than political upheaval. While one of his disciples was called “the Zealot,” Jesus emphasized non-violence and peace, urging his followers to put down their swords. He stood in stark contrast to the Zealots who sought to overthrow Roman rule through armed resistance. In conclusion, it is evident that Jesus was not an Essene or a Zealot. He differed from the Sadducees in his belief in the resurrection of the dead and in following traditions beyond the written Torah. Jesus engaged with the Pharisees, who respected him as a Rabbi and teacher. He shared the Pharisees’ belief in the resurrection of the dead, demonstrating his alignment with mainstream rabbinic teachings of his time. Jesus, as a rabbi, taught the core principles of the Torah that emphasized love for God and love for others. He challenged the Pharisees to live out these principles authentically, criticizing them for their hypocrisy and self-serving behavior. Despite this, Jesus acknowledged the authority of the Pharisees in teaching the Torah.
Following Jesus’s resurrection, his followers, known as Nazarenes, continued to live out his teachings by sharing their possessions and meeting together in worship. They were a diverse group, reflecting a variety of Jewish backgrounds and beliefs.
The Pharisees, after the destruction of the Temple, regrouped and preserved their teachings, eventually forming the foundation of Rabbinic Judaism. The Orthodox and Conservative Jewish traditions trace their origins back to the teachings of the Pharisees.
In conclusion, Jesus, as a rabbi, emphasized the importance of love and compassion in fulfilling the Torah’s commandments. His followers, the Nazarenes, continued his teachings, while the Pharisees played a significant role in preserving Jewish tradition and forming the basis of Rabbinic Judaism. The teachings of Jesus pointed back to the heart of Jewish faith, emphasizing salvation through faith in the God of Israel and His Messiah, by God’s grace. Jesus made atonement so that salvation could be accessible to all, from Israel to the ends of the earth.
Jesus did not create a new religion but preached about the kingdom of God. He shared similarities with the Pharisees in belief and lifestyle but also made distinctions. His sacrificial death ushered in the new covenant promised in the Hebrew Scriptures, where God’s Torah would be internalized through the Messiah’s love and sacrifice.
If Jesus were on earth today, he might be found in Jerusalem engaging with the ultra-Orthodox Jews, ministering at the Western Wall, or interacting with people in Jewish community centers worldwide. He would continue teaching, healing, and asking the question, “Who do you say that I am?”
References:
– Ancient Jewish History
– Deuteronomy Chapter 16
– Miraculous Journey: A Complete History of the Jewish People
– The New Interpreter’s Study Bible
– The Rabbinic Traditions about the Pharisees before 70
– Jewish Virtual Library
– The Complete Works of Flavius Josephus
– Mere Christianity
– Pharisees
– Pirkei Avot
– Sanhedrin
– Society in the Time of Jesus
– Shabbat
Endnotes:
1. “The Jewishness of Jesus,” American Judaism
2. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament
3. “What is Authentically Jewish”
4. The Complete Works of Flavius Josephus: The Jewish Historian
5. “Society in the Time of Jesus”
6. Flavius Josephus
7. Society in the Time of Jesus
8. Last Supper significance
9. Society in the Time of Jesus
10. Pharisees’ beliefs
11. “Spiritual Leadership in Yavneh”
12. Zealous temperament interpretation
13. Greek-speaking ability
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