Chapter 3 – Background: Jewish Roots and Soil

I love this book. It is challenging. It reminds me that I am not dumb. I’ve learned some of this stuff before over the years. But it also stretches my mind and presents me with things I’ve never thought of before.

Our Christian creeds establish that first and foremost we believe in the Son of God. It never once alludes to the fact that we believe He was a Jewish boy, and later that He was a Jewish Rabbi/teacher. Imagine if the Jews, in vast numbers, had followed Him, how different Christianity would be …

The author speaks of the Gospel of Matthew’s opening lines where Jesus’ genealogy is presented. Jesus was the Son of David and the Son of Abraham. The Son of David phrase points to Jesus the Messiah and we gentiles have embraced that where the Jews did not. The Son of Abraham points to Jesus Jewishness which the Jews understand, but we Christians seem to ignore.

Jesus fit in with a small culture that maintained their identity within the Roman assimilation. The Romans brought peace and protection to the lands they conquered. They tolerated the cultures they devoured and even accepted some of the practices of the land. But Romans believed in the worship of many gods and those stubborn Jews held true to a One True God.

How ironic that during this time, their One True God walked among them and they missed Him.

Survival during Roman occupation produced several factions of Jews. The Essenes were like isolationist monks. The Zealots were the violent revolutionists. The Sanhedrin were the Roman’s Jewish Council with limited authority. The Sadducees were less recognizable as Jews and accepted the Greek style introduced by the Romans.

Then come the lovely Pharisees. The author identifies with them. He calls them “the popular party of the middle class”. I suppose I would identify with them as well. “The Pharisees picked their battles carefully, putting their lives on the line only when necessary.”

But Jesus didn’t attract any of these factions. He didn’t believe in separation or collaboration. He introduced something new. Forget about the kingdoms at war on this Earth. Look to the Kingdom of God.

These factions were looking to maintain their very identity, their Jewishness, and Jesus, a Son of Abraham as much as any of them, wasn’t there to save their culture. He was there to save the World.

And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
Luke 2:34-35 (ESV)