Why Is Jesus' Jewishness Significant?
- Emma Danzey Contributing Writer
- Updated Feb 04, 2022
Somehow in modern times, the world has identified Christianity as a “Western religion.” However, this is a terribly incorrect statement. Yes, many people follow Jesus in the Western hemisphere, however, the roots and the start of the movement of Christianity after Jesus began in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 26:15, & Acts 1:8) Within this unfolding plan of God’s, it was important that the Savior would come from a Jewish line. Today we are going to dive into why it was significant that Jesus was Jewish.
Why Was Jesus a Jew?
You may be wondering why Jesus' genealogy was important. It was vital that Jesus was a Jew because God said that the Messiah would come from a specific Jewish line.
Recently, I was asked about what it means when Christians use the word “covenant.” The young woman was confused by the term when she heard it in a church service. I used an example by explaining a covenant as an act involving God in something like a marriage where people enter into a covenant relationship with a spouse and the Lord. There is a promise, but more than just a commitment, there is a reverent and binding agreement between two people and the Lord blessing their marriage. This is only a small glimpse of covenant though. In fact, the Lord Himself was the one to create the idea by making the first covenant with Noah after the flood with a rainbow as the symbol and ultimately that New Covenant through Jesus.
Paul R. Williamson from The Gospel Coalition defines covenant as, “The biblical covenants form the unifying thread of God’s saving action through Scripture, beginning explicitly with Noah and reaching fulfillment in the new covenant ratified through the blood of Jesus Christ.” Williamson goes on to explain that although the first mention of the word covenant is in Genesis 6:18 with Noah, some believe that the concept is seen three times before this. They say it is seen within the Trinity, God, and Adam with work and creation, and after the fall when God makes a covenant to rescue humanity.
You might be thinking, how does this pertain to Jesus being a Jew? Scripture is one large book formed by many smaller ones. From the beginning, God the Trinity, had a plan to bring humanity back to Himself. He knew the moment when Jesus would come to earth and live and die on our behalf. He knew the appointed time. He knows what He is doing today, at this very moment. At the time when Adam and Eve were sent out of the garden, God knew that He would be sending Jesus many years later.
The Old Testament is all of the works of God pointing to Jesus’ coming to the world. The Bible is full of prophecies and promises made to the people who the Lord set apart as His special people. You might be thinking that this is exclusive, however, remember that God does not show favoritism. (Romans 2:11) It is true though the through the man who was dedicated to the Lord, Noah, and His family line would produce Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel) who would be the ones that God made a covenant with, not because of their perfection (they were far from it), but because it would be through their family line that the Messiah would come. Even though everyone deserved the penalty for sin, God who is rich in mercy sent Jesus to die for us. (Ephesians 2:4-10) So the Jews were not special because they were better than everyone else, they were special because the Jews followed the One True God and He chose to bless them and bring salvation through their family line.
You might remember that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. There is a genealogy of Jesus from His earthly adopted father Joseph (Not biological) and His biological mother accounted for in Matthew 1 and in Luke 3.
Dr. Michael Rydelnik from Today in the Word shares, shares a profound thought, “Hence, the Lord Jesus was the son of David by biological descent through Mary and the king of Israel by legal right through Joseph.” He continues by telling us that God said the Messiah would come through the line of David, however, God cursed the family line of David’s only descendent Solomon (Jeremiah 22:30). “Jesus had the legal right to be king through Joseph but, because He was virgin born, the curse on Coniah did not apply to Him. Instead, He was the son of David through His mother Mary. Both genealogies are significant in establishing the Lord Jesus as the true Davidic king.”
God’s Faithfulness Propels Eternal Confidence for Jews and Gentiles Alike
It is such a relief when someone makes a promise and follows through with it. We see God’s faithfulness revealed in the fact that Jesus was a Jew. He made the covenant years back and it was fulfilled through Christ. This strengthens our confidence in our great God. When He says that He is going to do something He does it. The Lord never sins, so He never lies or makes a covenant that He cannot keep. What is beautiful about this is that we can come to Him with full confidence in our salvation through Jesus. When He said it was accomplished, we can know that we have eternal life.
1 John 5:11-13 says, “And this is that testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
Maybe you have been wondering or even doubting the security of faith through Jesus? You might feel like you need to be “doing more” or “bettering yourself” to get to heaven one day. The Lord makes this clear that it is only by grace through faith in Jesus that we have eternal life. We bring nothing to the equation. It is all Jesus.
Even though Jesus was a Jew, He makes it 100% clear that God is grafting in people from every nation who believe in Him. (John 15:1-8, Romans 1:16, Romans 11:11-31) In fact, Jesus’ last command was to make disciples of all nations. (Matthew 28:19-20) As we look throughout Jesus’ genealogy there were people like Ruth and Rahab grafted in even though they were not by ethnicity Jews. The importance of Jesus being a Jew was not to exclude the rest of the world, but rather to highlight God’s redemptive and precise plan. This was unveiled to the original disciples in hopes that the whole world will hear the message of the gospel and becomes disciples of Christ.
Jesus’ Jewish heritage eliminates any belief that Christianity was started in the West, it highlights the faithful covenants that were always kept by God, and it gives eternal confidence to Jews and Gentiles alike. Today, may we remember that perfection of the Lord’s plans and His goodness in including us it. Galatians 3:28 says it best, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
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