Was Jesus a Jew or a Christian?
Question 3068
This might seem like a strange question, but it is worth thinking through carefully. The answer tells us something important about who Jesus was and how we should understand the relationship between Judaism and Christianity. Put simply: Jesus was a Jew. He was not a Christian. And yet Christianity is rightly named after Him.
Jesus Was Thoroughly Jewish
Jesus was born a Jew, lived as a Jew, and died as a Jew. He was born to Jewish parents in Bethlehem of Judea, a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob through the line of David (Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38). He was circumcised on the eighth day according to the Law of Moses (Luke 2:21). He was presented at the Temple in Jerusalem as the Law required (Luke 2:22-24).
He grew up in Nazareth of Galilee, in a Jewish community, observing Jewish customs. Luke tells us that “his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover” (Luke 2:41). At twelve years old, Jesus was in the Temple, sitting among the teachers, listening and asking questions (Luke 2:46). He was trained in the Jewish Scriptures from childhood.
Throughout His ministry, Jesus observed the Jewish law. He attended synagogue “as was his custom” on the Sabbath (Luke 4:16). He celebrated the Jewish festivals in Jerusalem (John 2:13; 5:1; 7:2, 10; 10:22). He wore the traditional Jewish garments, including the fringes (τὰ κράσπεδα, ta kraspeda) that Jewish men wore in obedience to Numbers 15:38-39 (Matthew 9:20; 14:36). He ate kosher food and observed the purity laws of His day.
Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them” (Matthew 5:17). He honoured the Hebrew Scriptures as the Word of God. He debated with the Pharisees and Sadducees within the framework of Jewish theological discourse. His teaching method, using parables and probing questions, was thoroughly rabbinic.
Even His controversies with the religious leaders were Jewish controversies. He disagreed with them about the proper interpretation of the Law, about the relative importance of different commandments, about what God really required. But these were intra-Jewish debates. Jesus was not attacking Judaism from outside; He was calling Israel back to the true heart of their own faith.
Why Jesus Was Not a “Christian”
The word “Christian” (Χριστιανός, Christianos) was not coined until after Jesus’ ascension. Acts 11:26 tells us that “in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.” This was probably a term invented by outsiders, perhaps as a nickname or even a term of mockery. It meant “followers of Christ” or “Christ’s people.”
Jesus could not be a follower of Himself. He was not a Christian in the sense of being someone who put their faith in Christ. He was the Christ, the Messiah (Χριστός, Christos), the Anointed One of God. Christianity is faith in Him; it would be nonsensical to say He had faith in Himself.
During His earthly ministry, Jesus gathered Jewish disciples and called Israel to repentance. He said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24). His mission was primarily to His own people. The extension of the gospel to the Gentiles came after His resurrection, through the apostles and the early Church.
Jesus Transformed Judaism From Within
What Jesus did was fulfil Judaism. He was the one to whom all the Old Testament pointed. The sacrificial system, the priesthood, the Temple, the feasts, the prophecies of a coming deliverer, all found their meaning and completion in Him. He was the Passover Lamb, the great High Priest, the Temple of God, the Prophet greater than Moses, the King greater than David.
He said of the Scriptures, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me” (John 5:39). The whole Old Testament was about Him. Moses wrote about Him (John 5:46). Abraham rejoiced to see His day (John 8:56). Isaiah saw His glory (John 12:41).
After the resurrection, Jesus opened the minds of His disciples to understand this: “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:44). Christianity is not the rejection of Judaism but its fulfilment. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Hebrew Scriptures are our Old Testament. We worship the God of Israel.
The Parting of the Ways
In the years following Jesus’ resurrection, the relationship between the followers of Jesus and mainstream Judaism became increasingly strained. Initially, the first Christians were all Jews. They continued to worship in the Temple and observe the Law. But as the gospel spread to Gentiles, and as most Jews rejected the message, the two communities gradually separated.
By the end of the first century, Christians and Jews were largely distinct communities. The destruction of the Temple in AD 70 accelerated this process. Rabbinic Judaism emerged as the dominant form of Jewish faith, centred on Torah study and synagogue worship. Christianity spread across the Roman Empire, increasingly Gentile in composition.
This separation was tragic in many ways, and it led to centuries of Christian anti-Semitism that we must repent of. But the theological reality remains: Jesus was the Jewish Messiah, and true faith in the God of Israel means believing in the one He sent. As Jesus said, “If you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me” (John 5:46).
What This Means for Us
Understanding that Jesus was a Jew should deepen our appreciation for the Hebrew Scriptures. The Old Testament is not just background material; it is essential for understanding who Jesus is and what He came to do. We cannot understand the Gospel without understanding the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms.
It should also guard us against any form of anti-Semitism. Our Saviour was a Jew. Salvation is, as Jesus said, “from the Jews” (John 4:22). We are, as Paul put it, wild olive branches grafted into the rich root of Israel’s olive tree (Romans 11:17). We owe the Jewish people an incalculable debt.
And it should remind us that God is faithful to His promises. The same God who made promises to Abraham and David fulfilled them in Jesus. And the promises that remain, particularly regarding Israel’s future restoration (Romans 11:25-27), will be fulfilled just as surely. Our God keeps His word.
Conclusion
Jesus was a Jew, not a Christian. He was born into the Jewish people, lived according to the Jewish law, and ministered to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Yet He was not merely a Jew; He was the Jewish Messiah, the fulfilment of all that the Hebrew Scriptures promised. Christianity is not a rejection of Judaism but its completion. We worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and we find in Jesus the one to whom all their faith pointed. He is the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the living God.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them.” Matthew 5:17
