Letter#21   Was Jesus a Jew?

 
My dear Mr. Isaacs:
   I find it incumbent upon myself to say at this point, while the doctrine in my letters is Catholic, that I do not assume to speak for the Catholic Church, as you imagine. I merely "echo," as a layman, those doctrines I understand the Church of my adoption to teach. In the words of Pope Leo XIII (changed to the singular), I have taken upon myself "the task of communicating to you what I have myself received (thanks be to God), being, as it were, a living echo of my masters (the bishops and priests) in the faith."
   The question of Jewish genealogical records, save those in the Bible, is not a matter upon which the Catholic Church has expressed an opinion. Hence I merely presented my personal study, backed by Jewish authorities, which warrant the conclusion that there are no genealogical records known to exist with which to prove any ancestral connection of present-day Jews with the houses of David and Aaron, due to the destruction of the Temple in which they were preserved. These ancestral lines were obliterated through intermarriage of the existing tribes, mixed marriages, as well as outright rejection of all religion by many Jews. Hence those Jews whose sentimental regard for ancient Jewish tribal relation prompts them to declare, as do the Cohens, that they are of the blue blood of Israel, lack any evidence to substantiate their claim.
   History warrants the assertion that the kingly and priestly status of those children of Israel, who were privileged to belong to the houses of honor in the tribes of Judah and Levi, which began with David and Aaron ended with Jesus as the Messiah, as King of the Jews and as "priest according to the order of Melchisedec."
   But, assuming for the nonce, that there are Jews living today who trace their lineage to the houses of David and Aaron, the historic fact remains that the Judaism of yore is no more. This the Catholic Church teaches, as the Messiah, in the person of Jesus, came to fulfill the mission of Israel that God foretold the Son of David would fulfill. He instituted a new, a universal priesthood, as a continuation of Himself in the world; and established a Church, which took the place of the Temple that was destroyed, and the Aaronic priesthood that ceased to function in the first century of the Christian era.
   You say that "Jesus was a Jew, and not a Christian," to which Catholics say, "that is undoubtedly true." That has been affirmed by Catholics the world over millions of times. Yet every now and then some prominent Jew will proclaim it in words that assume it to be unknown and unappreciated by Christians in general, and Catholics in particular. I have had occasion to discuss it years ago in an open letter to Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, and more extensively recently in the "Jewish Panorama."
   Jesus held, as the Catholic Church holds today, that the Jewish religion was the one and the only religion of Almighty God during the thirty-three years of His earthly life. Jesus was born of a Jewish Mother, whom Catholics designate the Lily of Israel. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the City of King David. Jesus was circumcised, an event the Catholic Church celebrates in all parts of the world every single New Year Day. Upon arriving at religious age, Jesus went up to Jerusalem to read the Torah in the Temple, for He was Bar Mitzvah, called "confirmed" by Reform Jews. Jesus took part in the Passover and other Jewish services. He prayed daily in the Temple, and did every other thing a truly faithful Jew was obligated to do according to the Mosaic Law, for He was the Jew of Jews. Jesus, the Jew, bein- Obedience Personified, willingly submitted to the requirements of the Mosaic Law which, by the will of our Father in heaven, was in full force during the lifetime of Jesus, up to the time when He on the Cross, and the Veil in the Temple, were rent. Jesus not only obeyed the Jewish Law, but He counselled others to be obedient to it, even when commanded to do so by the scribes and Pharisees, who placed burdens upon the people from which they exempted themselves, saying:

They "have sat in the chair of Moses all things therefore, that they command you, observe and do. But do not act according to their works; for they talk but do nothing" (St. Matt. 23:1-3).

   How could Jesus be called the Son of David if He were not a Jew?   Every year Catholics hear the story read of the Magi who went from the East to Jerusalem to see "the newly born King of the Jews" (St. Matt. 2:2). Jesus was hailed as "King of the Jews" while riding through Jerusalem, at the time the multitude sang out, "Hosanna to the Son of David." Would it not be gross ignorance to claim that Jesus was not a Jew, when he acknowledged before Pilate that he was the King of the Jews (St. Matt. 27:.11)? This was appreciated by the Jews themselves, for when Pilate, passing sentence upon Jesus, ordered the inscription, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews," to be placed upon the Cross in Hebrew, Greek and Latin, the Jews cried out, "Do not write 'King of the Jews,' but 'He said, I am the King of the Jews."' (St. John 19:21).
   You say correctly, "Jesus was not a Christian." Being a practicing Jew, He could not be a practicing Christian at the same time, as the religious worship and ceremonial requirements of Jews differ from those of Christians. The designation "Jewish-Christian," used at times by undiscriminating persons, is a contradiction, if the terms are used, as they should be used, to signify religious beliefs and practices.
   Considering that a Christian is a believer in, and follower of Christ, to call Jesus a Christian would be calling Him a believer in and follower of Himself. Besides, a Christian is a person who is Christlike to some degree; hence to call Christ Christlike would be calling God Godlike.
   No one is known to have been called a Christian during the years that Christ lived in Palestine. The followers of Christ are recorded to have been called "Christians" for the first time while in Antioch (Acts 2:26), the city in which the first Catholic Church was planted among the Gentiles. The followers of Christ designated themselves "brethren" (Acts 15:1,23), "disciples" (Acts 9, 26), "believers" (Acts 5:14), "saints" (Rom. 8:27).
   Those Jews who rejected Jesus as their Messiah would surely not call His followers Christians, as the term Christ is the Greek (Christos) form of the Hebrew term Mashiach (Messiah). Hence calling persons Christians would be calling them followers of the Messiah, whom Jews claimed not to have made his appearance upon earth.
   Jesus belonged to the Synagogue, for, as I said in the beginning of this letter, the Jewish Church was the only existing spiritual society then functioning by the will of God. The Catholic Church did not come into existence as a distinctive spiritual community until the First Pentecost Day, fifty days after the Passover service, the last religious ceremony in which Jesus participated. Yes, Jesus was a Jew, the King of the Jews. He is your Messiah. Therefore let it not continue to be said of you, what St. John said of the great majority of our forebears in Jerusalem, "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not."  Line up with the holy minority in Israel, of whom St. John could say, "But as many as received Him He gave the power of becoming sons of God" (Chap. I).


Sincerely in the Messiah
D.... G........

 

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