How Jewish was Jesus?
That’s kind of an interesting discussion, in part related to last week’s blog. It’s interesting that for many generations Christians were not in touch with Jesus’ Jewish roots. In fact, this book references a site in Nazi Germany where there was a large crucifix but also a sign stating “No Jews allowed”. This is certainly an extreme historical example, but it does reflect the reality that the Church has not always been in touch with Jesus’ Jewish heritage.
Of course, we then find there is sometimes an overreaction. Out of the quests for the historical Jesus we find a larger empahsis on Jesus being Jewish. Sometimes to the extent that some would say anything Jesus said should be in line with Jewish thinking of the time and that one could read everything Jesus said and find other rabbis who said the same things.
In more recent history, scholars such as E.P. Sanders and N.T. Wright have helped Christians understand Jesus as Jewish, but rather than identifying him specifically with any of the parties we discussed last week or trying to tie him directly to the Jewish cultural milieu of his era, they’ve emphasized his preaching in connection with the biblical heritage of Judaism. They’ve especially emphasized the idea of restoration. Jesus is Jewish, but in a sense that he wants to restore the Jewish faith to that which was really running under the words of God throughout the Old Testament.
When you look at the image above, clearly showing a Jewish Jesus, what does it make you think? How does this challenge you to go back to the Old Testament to find the Gospel themes that Jesus drives home?
