2' How Jewish was Jesus

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2. How Jewish was Jesus?
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Jesus matrix

• within Roman Empire (last week)
• within Judaism (this week)

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Discussion

• What is your religious background?
• How did the faith of your parents/family
  influence your spiritual journey and
  self-understanding?

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Jesus as Jewish in the Gospels

• Genealogy (especially in Matthew)
• Birth stories circumcision
• Jesus in Temple as 12 year old (Luke)
• Jesus knew Jewish scriptures
• Jesus often taught in the synagogues

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Jesus was very Jewish
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Covenant, Exile Restoration

• 1800 BCE Gods Covenant with Abraham
• Slavery in Egypt - Exile
• 1250 BCE Exodus from slavery in Egypt -
  Restoration
• 1000 BCE Kingdom of David, Solomon - Restoration
• 586 BCE Exile to Babylon - Exile
• 538 BCE Return to Israel - Restoration
• 323 BCE Alexander conquers - Exile
• 63 BCE Romans conquer Exile
• Time of Jesus looking for Restoration

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Basic points of continuity between Jesus and
Judaism

• Scriptural Torah, prophets, psalms
• Historical The history of the people of Israel
  was the history of Jesus ancestors
• Theological Jesus G-d was the G-d of Israel,
  Jesus taught people to pray to the G-d of all
  creation, with whom it was possible to have an
  intimate relationship

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Basic points of continuity between Jesus and
Judaism

• Prophetic Like the ancient prophets, Jesus used
  arresting speech, risked political persecution,
  and turned traditional family values upside down
• Geographical The area where Jesus lived and
  traveled was populated mostly by Jews
• Rabbinical Jewish rabbis were incredibly well
  versed in scripture and typically had disciples
  to whom they were imparting their knowledge,
  interpretation, and way of life

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Common myths, assumptions, and stereotypes about
the relationship between Jesus and the Judaism of
his day
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1 The main purpose of the Hebrew Bible was to
predict the coming the Jesus

• The Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) contains an
  incredible variety of literature
  laws/instructions, poetry, history, prophetic
  writings, stories, philosophical wisdom
• The Hebrew prophets called people in their own
  day to change their ways and live justly, there
  is little evidence of them intending to predict
  the coming of Jesus of Nazareth

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2 All Jews in Jesus day were the same

• Variety of occupations, rural and urban
• Wealthy, peasants and in-between
• Diversity of expressions and formal sects
  Pharisee, Sadducee, Essenes, Zealots
• Various education levels
• All Jews today are not the same, either

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3 Jewish women were oppressed Jesus liberated
them

• Jewish women enjoyed a variety of rights and
  opportunities
• Freedom of travel (women traveled with Jesus)
• Home ownership
• Access to their own money
• Right to worship in the synagogues, some were
  leaders in synagogues

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4 Jesus wanted to abolish the Torah (Law)

• Jewish rabbis disagreed among themselves about
  the proper interpretation of the Law.
• He debated certain interpretations and
  applications of the Law as did the rabbis.
• For the most part, Jesus followed the Law.
• He spoke of coming to fulfill the Law.

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5 Jesus was anti-Jewish

• Jesus observed most of the common Jewish
  practices of his day
• He met in synagogues for prayer and community
• He made pilgrimages to the Temple in Jerusalem
• He kept traditions and commandments of the
  ancestors
• Circumcised
• Wore tzitzit (fringes)
• Ate Kosher diet
• Observed the Sabbath
• Learned and followed the Torah (instruction)
• Acknowledged hope in the coming of G-ds kingdom
  on earth

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6 All first century Jews had a messianic
expectation

• Some Jews had a messianic expectation others did
  not
• Among those who did, the details of the
  expectation were varied
• Military leader
• Priest
• Prophet
• Angel
• Revered figure from the past
• Among those who did, the results were similar
• Rome would be gone (restoration)
• Death would end (restoration)
• New heaven and new earth (restoration)

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7 Jesus cared more about people believing in him
than he did about how they lived

• Judaism was and is a religion marked by
  practice
• It stresses what one does more than what one
  believes
• Jesus seemed to agree. Matthew 721 Not
  everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter
  the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does
  the will of my Father in heaven.

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Four main Jewish sects

• Sadducees
• Pharisees
• Essenes
• Zealots

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Sadducees

• Centered in Jerusalem Temple
• Religious elites priests and aristocrats
• Connected to the politically powerful supported
  Roman client kings and governors

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Sadducees

• No belief in an afterlife
• Literalist interpretation of the Jewish
  scriptures
• Oversaw sacrificial system at the Temple
• Temple functioned as a central bank, made loans

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Pharisees

• Alternative to Temple religion
• Followed strict set of purity codes, righteous
  living
• Believed in resurrection and afterlife
• Cultivated disciples

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Pharisees

• Studied, debated and interpreted Torah,
  scriptures
• Centered in synagogues
• Led by rabbis
• Modern day Judaism emerged out of Pharisaic
  Judaism after the destruction of the Temple in 70
  CE

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Essenes

• Formed desert community at Qumran
• Lived like monks
• Developed detailed set of community rules and
  practices

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Essenes

• Withdrew from Temple religion because they
  believed that it was corrupt
• Waited in readiness for God to intervene and
  eliminate evil
• Valued shared property, celibacy, ritual purity

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Zealots

• Known for committing acts of banditry and terror
• Used violence to resist Roman occupation and rule
• Active throughout the Galilee and in Jerusalem
• In most organized form after Jesus death

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Approach to Roman Empire

• Sadducees cooperation
• Pharisees focus on religious purity, wait for
  messiah
• Essenes leave society and create alternative
  community
• Zealots rebellion, resistance, violent revolution

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Jesus and the Judaisms

• Sadducees
• Agree no violent revolution
• Disagree against cooperation
• Pharisees
• Agree importance of seeking best interpretation
  of Jewish scriptures
• Disagree against over pious, over strict purity
  codes
• Essenes
• Agree create new community
• Disagree against separation from the world
• Zealots
• Agree need for restoration
• Disagree against use of violence

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Luke 416-21 How Jewish was Jesus?

• 16When Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had
  been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the
  sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to
  read, 17and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was
  given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found
  the place where it was written 18The Spirit of
  the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me
  to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to
  proclaim release to the captives and recovery of
  sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free,
  19to proclaim the year of the Lords favor.
• 20And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to
  the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in
  the synagogue were fixed on him.
• 21Then he began to say to them, Today this
  scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.

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Discussion

• How do you think Jesus fits in to the Jewish
  story of covenant, exile and restoration?
• Do you think Jesus saw himself as reforming
  Judaism, starting Christianity, or doing
  something else?
• What new questions do you have about Jesus as
  seen in the matrix of the Judaisms of his day?

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Questions?