DID JESUS PRACTICE JUDAISM?

DID JESUS PRACTICE JUDAISM?

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INTRODUCTION:

 What is Judaism and who owned it? Where and when did it start? Let's go into the topic properly.We will first define Judaism and when it started and where it began. Judaism is the religion of the Jews, which started immediately after their exilic period and return from Babylon. 

Before they went into Babylon, the Prophet Jeremiah had prophesied about their entry into captivity to Babylon Jer.25:11-12. Israel as nation had the Mosaic religion in place. But along the line, something happened and they got divided into two, one side, i.e the Northern side became Israel, while  the Southern side became the Jews. Jeremiah had prophesied that the two Hebrew nations, i.e 1. Israel and 2. The Jews would go into captivity to Babylon. They collectively rejected both Jeremiah and his prophecy. But on what led to their division, see the blog "Solomon's sins divided Israel" here in this site.  

In the law of Moses, they were told that the land would also observe the Sabbath and they did not accept it from God Lev.25:1-6. When Israel rejected this law, God decided to send them away so that the land then would observe her Sabbaths.   And Jeremiah said “As long as the land lay desolate, she keeps her Sabbaths" 2Chron.36:21.

And because of this rejection, and yet they identified themselves with the worship of idolatry which crept into Israel through king Jeroboam, and Judah also was eyeing it, Israel was first sent into Assyria for more than a hundred years and then to Babylon. Then God instructed Nebuchadnezzar to carry Israel there, before taking Judah also.  For this prophecy of 70 years to Babylon the king Jehoiakim sought to kill Jeremiah Jer. 36:24-28. But God hid him and the king burned his writings. 

The king’s prophets said it would not happen and they deceived the king to believe in a lie. But before his eyes Jeremiah’s words came to pass, and the king was arrested and he agreed to pay tribute to Babylon and he was restored 2kgs.24:1. But when he rebelled after three years Nebuchadnezzar came back with "the Allied forces". These Allied were 1. "the Chaldees" 2. "the Moabites" 3. "Syrians" 4. "the Ammonites" against him and they killed Jehoiakim.

After this Judah was taken to Babylon to wait there for the next seventy years to expire. After the expiration of seventy years, Persia took over from Babylon Dan.5:21-30. Because no one challenges God on his word, he allowed the next "world power Persia" to continue from where Babylon stopped. But king Cyrus of Persia was commanded by God to restore the loots which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem 2Chron. 36:22-23, Dan.9:25, and also "to rebuild the Temple of Jerusalem" Ezra. 1:1-4 which was burned at the third invasion of Nebuchadnezzar because of their stubbornness Jer.39.

It was king Cyrus who released the Jews to go back and rebuild the Temple and from there he released much people to go and do that. It was from here that those who went back began to seek for their God that they established Judaism just for the Jews as their religion. But they allowed many parties into the Temple to function in it. Among the parties allowed were 1 “the Sanhedrims 2 the Sadducees 3 the Pharisees etc. these parties were officially allowed to operate in the Temple.

 Then this religion was in place before the birth of Christ and it was the religion of his earthly parents. So before we continue, we must have taken note of these events that led to the establishment of Judaism.  But the Northern Israel which went into Babylon before the Jews came in did not seek for their God in Babylon but relaxed without expectation, but today they constitute the majority of people in Israel.

THEN THE QUESTION DID JESUS PRACTICE JUDAISM?     

This is a delicate question in its totality.  One is tempted to say yes, while we might not totally rule it out entirely. We will try it out to the best of our knowledge using only the scriptures to answer this question. In the first place we will say yes, because in his early days as a youth or as a child, he was following his father Joseph and his Mother Mary to the Temple for worship. At that time they were worshipping under Judaism; because that was the religion his parents knew.

An example of this show that as a child he went with them to worship into the Temple, which was the Temple of Judaism, and they didn’t know that the young Jesus had stayed back and was reasoning the scriptures with the Doctors and Lawyers and was questioning them with the scriptures and they were surprised at his wisdom. His Mother Mary and father sought for him three days and after seeing him, she asked him a question saying, “Son why did thou deal with us thus, behold thy father and I have sought for thee sorrowing? Luke. 2:43-49.

Now hear his answer to his mother, “How is it that you are looking for me, don’t you know that I must be about my father’s business”? This question was an answer with a question also. Yes, it was an answer indicating that Mary was wrong in describing Joseph her husband as the father of Jesus. And hearing this kind of answer with a   question, she did not say any other thing because that was true and she knew it well.

He didn’t waste time in giving them an indication that he came for a special purpose, which must be fulfilled. But at this early stage of his life he practiced Judaism, because he was obedient to his earthly father and Mother, following them.  With this early life we shall not count it to him as one who practiced Judaism but we shall only judge him with his adulthood character or behavior.

ADULTHOOD:

When Jesus became a man, or say in the Hebrew law a Son, he was about 30 years. When a man is about 30 years of age, he is said to be a man. At this time he could be numbered as a Son, and could be enlisted into the army and go to war, even though sometimes people had been taken to war at 20 years. When he attains to that age, his father would invite his kinsmen and celebrate his son, saying that he is now a son, because he has reached 30 years.  After the celebration the son could make a statement of acceptance into this “Age group”.

And if the son happened to release any “Bondman or woman” from the father’s hold immediately, such bondman or woman is free forever. This is why it is written in scripture saying “If the son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed” Jon 8:32-36.  The people of Israel at that time did not understand that he referred them to their law which was in existence already.  

So when Jesus came to this age bracket, he was celebrated by his heavenly father after his Baptism by John at the river Jordan. How did it happen? Upon lighting up from the river Jordan, the Bible reported that Heaven opened up on him and a voice said from heaven “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” Math. 3:16-17. This was the way God celebrated Jesus.

In another place he also said “this is my beloved son in whom I’m well pleased, hear you him”.  This voice was the voice of the father in acknowledging the Son-ship of Jesus. Also this show that Jesus was 30 at this time, and it was when he started his ministry. He could not start his ministry until he was celebrated as a son.

After the celebration, then he was led into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil and he won or overcame him. Then he started his ministry immediately by walking along the river or sea of Galilee, he saw and calling his first Disciples Peter and his brother Andrew Matt. 4:18. After choosing them he began to train them and gave them the word that he was going to establish his own Church; and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it Matt. 16:18. 

By this time he was yet operating in the Temple of Judaism but his ministry was not Judaism.  Some said he was practicing Judaism because he was yet operating in the Temple, that’s wrong. That concept was wrong because there were evidences that he was not practicing Judaism at all.

Number one: if he was practicing Judaism he would have continued with it and not promising to establish another one when he was yet in the Temple. No.2 Notice that after his resurrection on the first day, in the book of John 20, he was with his disciples for forty days after his resurrection on earth Acts. 1:3, but he never entered into the Temple again, why? The reason is that he ended the law Rom. 10:4, and the new life in him was no longer to operate in the Temple but at the Upper room.

Operating at the Temple after his resurrection would be like putting new wine in an old bottle.  But as he was with his disciples for forty days, where was he operating? The upper room was his new place for his new Church and also where he had always met with them Jon.20:19-20. It was still at this upper room where he met Thomas who doubted about his resurrection, to see and feel his hands and side Jon.20:22-29. So his operation in the Temple ended the law but his new life started the Church at the upper room by his Spirit. Don’t forget he said he did not come to destroy the law but to fulfill it Matt.5:17.

It means that the law was not destroyed but fulfilled. And the scripture says “Jesus is the end of the law for righteousness to them that believe” Rom.10:4. Now those believe in the law with its commandments only need to apply faith to it and be saved. Yes because law was not destroyed but fulfilled. But those who believe in the finished work of Jesus would have express reception of his Spirit.

This is true as James said, “if you believe in the law and yet offend in one point you are guilty of all” Jams. 2:10. What it means is that everyone is now directed to go on with the finished work of Christ on the cross, not going back to do the law that had been fulfilled by Jesus Christ. For no one could fulfill the law and it was the reason Jesus came and fulfilled it us.

MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH:

It is true that Jesus did not establish the Church which he prophesied to establish in his lifetime Matt. 16:18. But the Spirit of the lord is the lord himself as we know it and believe 2Cor.3:17. His physical presence operated in the Temple but his Spiritual presence started his Church. And to make his disciples know that he was with them still, he appeared severally to them after his resurrection in the upper room Acts.1:3.

From the resurrection morning to the day of his ascension he never entered the Temple again, check this out yourself. Now it is from here that we will begin to count properly if Jesus operated with Judaism. The ministry of the Apostles did not operate in the Temple but at the upper room. The Apostles Peter and John in Acts 3, when they went to pray at the hour of prayer was a mistake which later escalated and brought trouble to the Church.

Read about the Apostles Peter and John’s mistake in   https://www.engaeawesomeblog.blogspot.com.The Holy Ghost had just inaugurated the Church at the upper room, these Apostles not understanding that they should no longer enter into the Temple of Judaism again for worship, decided to go there and pray at the time of prayer. The Spirit knowing that they have made a mistake stopped them from entering the temple. Read the rest of the story in that blog site.    

But from all indications it meant that they no longer were allowed to worship at the Temple but at the upper room. You could remember that Jesus took them there to celebrate the Passover at the upper room the night before his arrest early the next morning at Gethsemane. 

So from all these records do you see Jesus practicing Judaism? Someone said he practiced Judaism because his parents took him there at his infancy. Is that how you judge? Even at that we have earlier shown how he stopped on the way and reasoned with the doctors and lawyers, when his parents took him there.  His answer to Mary was “How is that seek for me, don’t you know that I must be about my father’s business”?

From here don’t you see that Judaism was not his father’s business? He then promised to establish his own Church which the gates of Hell could not prevail against it. He started immediately after his baptism by John the Baptist, to call up the foundation members of his Church. These people he called Apostles and ordained them. And they were exactly the ones his Spirit inaugurated at the upper room on the day of Pentecost when he descended by his Spirit as the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit Acts.2.

Now how could a right thinking person say that Jesus practiced Judaism, except such one is an enemy or one without the knowledge of the scriptures?  I believe I have exposed these things for all to see. So if someone asks you the question, “did Jesus not practice Judaism”? These truths will help you to answer such one and say No! if you have any further questions or concerns please use my email addresses at the top to communicate me.

God bless.