Bible Question:

Why does our clergy persist in calling Abraham and Jesus Jews, when in fact Abraham lived at least 1800 years before Christ?

Bible Answer:

Why is it that our clergy persist in calling Abraham and Jesus Jews? The first part of our response asks if Abraham was the first Jew and the second part asks if the Jewish religion started with Abraham?

Abraham Travels To Canann

Abraham Travels To Canaan

The Origin of The Jews

Abraham had two sons who were named Isaac and Ishmael.

The sons of Abraham were Isaac and Ishmael.  1 Chronicles 1:28 (NASB)

The Jews trace their genetic heritage from Abraham to Isaac and from Isaac to Jacob. Acts 7 records a speech that was given by the first Christian martyr. In verse 8 he traces the lineage of the Jews from Abraham and then through the twelve patriarchs.

And He gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs. Acts 7:8 (NASB)

This reveals that the Jews considered Abraham to be their father (Luke 1:73), but Jacob’s twelve sons were the actual fathers of the Jewish people and of the original twelve tribes. Genesis 32:28 explicitly states that Jacob is called Israel. He was the father of the twelve patriarchs who were named: Asher, Benjamin, Dan, Gad, Issachar, Joseph, Judah, Levi, Naphtali, Reuben, Simeon, and Zebulun (Exodus 1:2-5). These men are the ancient fathers of the twelve Jewish tribes.

So, the term Jew is an abbreviated form of the name, Judah, who was the son who inherited the promises from Jacob or Israel. The term Jew occurs for the first time in the Bible in 2 Kings 25:25. The context of the chapter reveals the word refers to those who were living in the southern kingdom of Judah. In the book of Esther, the term Jew was used in a broad sense to refer to any descendant of Jacob who lived in Persia (Ezra 4:12, 23; 5:1, 5; 6:7, 14). According to Jewish thought, there are either Jews or Gentiles, which means “nations.” The term continued to be broadly used for any descendant of Jacob into the New Testament era and down to today. So a Jew is still one who is a descendant of Jacob.

Were David and Jesus Jews?

The genealogies in Matthew 1:2-6 and Luke 3: 31-34 reveal that King David and King Solomon were Jews since he was a descendant of Jacob.

Jesus was also a Jew since He took on human flesh and blood when He was born of the Holy Spirit to Mary. Luke 3:23 accurately states that people assumed His father was Joseph, but Joseph was not.

So in a broad sense, we could say Jesus was a Jew since He was a physical descendant of Judah through Mary (Matthew 1:2, 16; Luke 3:23, 33). Romans 1:3-4 give us a summary as it speaks about Jesus,

. . . who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 1:3-4 (NASB)

The Founder of Judaism

It is important to realize that a man or woman can be a Jew by birth or race and reject the Jewish faith – Judaism. A Jew is not automatically a follower of Judaism.

According to Jewish thought, Abraham was the founder of Judaism.[1] John 8:39-40 reveals that the Pharisees considered Abraham their father. Abraham was the founder of their religion (Matthew 8:11; Luke 16:23-24, 29-30). The covenant of circumcision was the sign of a follower of Judaism and essential for salvation (Acts 7:8; 15:1, 5). Scripture teaches that Judaism resulted from the covenant that God made with Abraham (Romans 9:3-8). So, Abraham was the founder of the Judaism, but not the father of Jews.

The Jews believe that only the Hebrew Scriptures (Tanakh) or Old Testament is sacred scripture while Christianity accepts both the Old and New Testaments. Jesus was a Jew by birth and taught the religious leaders that they did not understand what the Old Testament said about the Messiah. They did not realize that Jesus was their Messiah. Some of the religious leaders did believe Jesus, but more did not.

Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue . . .  John 12:42 (NASB)

The New Testament is about the Messiah – the Christ.

Conclusion:

Jesus not only was born into this world to die for our sins so that He can forgive us, He came to correct the errors of the Jewish religious leaders. Jesus was both God and man. He was a Jew in outward appearance and God inwardly. Jesus was more interested in truth than in nationality or religious ideology. He was God! So Jesus condemned the religious leaders because they taught the people error.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life . . .” (NASB) John 14:6

Jesus, the Christ, came to fulfill the Old Testament Law and prophets. He spoke the truth because He is truth. Jesus came to this earth to save all men and women, both Jews and Gentiles, from the penalty of their sins . Jesus was a Jew by God’s divine plan.

 

References:

1. Rabbi Jeremy Rosen. “Faith Took Abraham Far — Love Took Him Even Farther”. My Jewish Learning. (www.myjewishlearning.com/article/abraham-faith-and-love/)

Suggested Links:

Was Noah Jewish?
What is the difference between a Catholic and a Jew?
Who is a Jew according to the Bible?