Messianic Jewish View of Jesus' Jewishness and Essence
The Jewishness of Jesus is a foundational aspect of Christian theology, rooted in his historical identity and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. Jesus was born a Jew, lived as a Jew, and his ministry was initially directed toward the Jewish people [10]. His lineage traces back to Abraham, and he was born under the Mosaic Law [1].
The New Testament consistently presents Jesus as the Jewish Messiah, the Christ, who came to fulfill the promises made to Israel. For instance, the Gospel of John records Jesus affirming that "salvation comes through the Jews," highlighting God's special relationship with the Jewish people and the Messiah's Jewish identity [10]. This perspective is also echoed in Romans 9:4-5, which speaks of the Israelites "to whom pertain the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen" [10].
However, the understanding of Jesus' Jewishness and its implications has been a point of theological discussion and, at times, divergence. Early Jewish Christians, for example, sometimes struggled to fully emancipate themselves from their former opinions and prejudices, expecting a Messiah who would be a national leader like David or Solomon, rather than a "man of sorrows" [6]. This expectation contributed to the rejection of Jesus by many Jews who did not understand a Messiah who planned to die [9].
The essence of Jesus, according to Christian doctrine, is his dual nature as both fully human and fully divine. This concept is central to understanding his identity beyond his Jewish heritage. The Council of Chalcedon (451 CE) formally articulated this doctrine, stating that Jesus is "one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation" [source not provided, but this is a common historical point].
From a scholastic perspective, Thomas Aquinas discusses the beatific knowledge of Christ's soul, asserting that Christ's soul sees the Divine Essence more clearly than any other creature. This is because Christ's soul is united to the Word (the Divine Essence) in person, making it more closely joined to the Word of God than any other created being [2]. This union allows Christ to partake more fully in the divine light, which is the fountain of wisdom [2].
The divine nature of Jesus is also emphasized in the concept of the Logos. Charles Hodge, in his Systematic Theology, discusses the self-conscious will of the Logos as the source through which all divine powers were called into action in Christ [4]. While acknowledging Jesus' human development, Hodge maintains that the consciousness of Jesus was not merely that of the eternal Logos but a truly human self-consciousness that developed over time [4]. This perspective highlights the complexity of understanding how the divine and human natures coexisted in Jesus.
The Eastern Orthodox tradition, as articulated by John of Damascus, affirms that because Christ has two natures, he also possesses two natural wills and two natural energies [8]. However, it is one and the same person who wills and energizes in both natures, acting without separation and as a united whole [8]. This means that Christ wills and energizes in both his divine and human forms in close communion [8].
The significance of Jesus' Jewishness extends to the understanding of the Law. The Law of Moses, while foundational, is understood in relation to the Abrahamic covenant, which predates it [1]. The Apostle Paul, in Galatians 3:17-24, explains that the Law was added because of transgressions until the Seed (Christ) should come, to whom the promise was made [1]. This suggests that the Law served a preparatory role, pointing towards Christ.
The coming of Christ brought about a new covenant, which superseded certain aspects of the Mosaic Law. John Calvin, in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, speaks of Christ's body as "bread" for the spiritual life of the soul, given for salvation and made partakers by faith [7]. This emphasizes a shift from reliance on external rites and the merit of works, which were sometimes associated with a misinterpretation of Judaism, to faith in Christ [3].
The early church grappled with the relationship between Jewish traditions and the new Christian faith. Some Jewish Christians found it difficult to abandon their former opinions and prejudices, leading to the spread of certain "Judaic" doctrines within Christianity, such as the merit of works, the necessity of external rites, and a focus on a visible, worldly kingdom of Christ [3, 6]. However, the apostles uniformly acted on the principle that in Christ, there is no difference between Jew and Gentile, but all are one in Christ Jesus [5]. This doctrine precludes any preeminence assigned to Jews based on national or social distinctions, emphasizing individual character and devotion [5].
The Messianic period, inaugurated by Christ, is characterized by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which was secured by Christ's ascension [11]. His exaltation to heaven allows him to gather his people from all nations and during all ages, carrying on the work of saving men through the merits of his death [11]. This universal scope of salvation, extending beyond national boundaries, is a key aspect of the Christian understanding of the Messiah's work.
Sources
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Law Of Moses — It will be the object of this article to give a brief analysis of the substance of this law, to point out its main principles, and to explain the position which it occupies in the progress of divine revelation. In order to do this the more clearly, it seems best to speak of the law, 1st. In relation to the past; 2d. In its own intrinsic character. + (a) In reference to the past, it is all-important, for the proper understanding of the law, to remember its entire dependence on the Abrahamic covenant. See (Galatians 3:17-24) That covenant had a twofold ch”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Third Part (Tertia Pars), Of the Beatific Knowledge of Christ's Soul, Art. 4: Article: Whether the soul of Christ sees the Word or the Divine Essence more clearly than does any other creature? I answer that, The vision of the Divine Essence is granted to all the blessed by a partaking of the Divine light which is shed upon them from the fountain of the Word of God, according to Ecclus. 1:5: "The Word of God on high is the fountain of Wisdom." Now the soul of Christ, since it is united to the Word in person, is more closely joined to the Word of God than any other cre”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 78: from the Gospel, and substituting Judaism, somewhat spiritualized, but still essentially Judaic. It is notorious that the Jewish doctrines of the merit of works; of the necessity and saving efficacy of external rites; of a visible kingdom of Christ of splendour and worldly grandeur; of an external church out of whose pale there is no salvation; of the priestly character of the ministry; and of a church hierarchy, soon began to spread among Christians, and at last became ascendant. This being the case it would be strange if the Jewish doct”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 85: his eternal holiness, his omniscience, his omnipresence, and all his really divine attributes were gone; it being the self-conscious will of the Logos through which all the divine powers abiding in Him had been called into action. They were gone, i.e ., suspended, — existing still, but only potentially. Further, a man when he awakes from sleep is at once in full possession of all his powers and faculties; but when consciousness burst upon Jesus it was not that of the eternal Logos, but a really human self-consciousness, which develops by ”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 88: that if there be any difference between them, it is not in virtue of national or social distinctions, but solely of individual character and devotion. That we are all one in Christ Jesus, is a doctrine 811 which precludes the possibility of the preeminence assigned to the Jews in the theory of which their restoration to their own land, and their national individuality are constituent elements. 5. The Apostles uniformly acted on this principle. They recognize no future for the Jews in which the Gentile Christians are not to participate. As”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 81: Church on this, as on other subjects, arose either from Judaism or from heathen philosophy. The Jews who professed themselves Christians, were not able, in many instances, as we learn from the New Testament itself, to emancipate themselves from their former opinions and prejudices. They had by the misinterpretation of their Scriptures been led to expect a Messiah who was to be the head of their nation as David and Solomon had been. They, therefore, as a body, rejected Christ, who came as a man of sorrows, not having anywhere to lay his he”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 99: the efficacy and fruit of his nativity, death, and resurrection, eternal. All this Christ has elegantly expressed in these words, “The bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” ( John 6:51 ); doubtless intimating, that his body will be as bread in regard to the spiritual life of the soul, because it was to be delivered to death for our salvation, and that he extends it to us for food when he makes us partakers of it by faith. Wherefore he once gave himself that he might become bread, when he g”
- CCEL (Eastern Orthodox) “John of Damascus, An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, section 60: Chapter XIV .— Concerning the volitions and free-will of our Lord Jesus Christ. Since, then, Christ has two natures, we hold that He has also two natural wills and two natural energies. But since His two natures have one subsistence, we hold that it is one and the same person who wills and energises naturally in both natures, of which, and in which, and also which is Christ our Lord: and moreover that He wills and energises without separation but as a united whole. For He wills and energises in either form in close commun”
- John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on John 12:34: 12:34 Popular Judaism believed that the Messiah would live forever and triumph over his foes. Jesus’ point of view seemed incomprehensible. • who is this Son of Man, anyway? The Jews did not understand what sort of Messiah planned to die.”
- John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on John 4:21: 4:21-22 Jesus affirmed that the Jews had preserved the right understanding of the one you worship. • salvation comes through the Jews: God gave the Jews a special relationship with him, and the Messiah was to be a Jew (see also Rom 9:4-5).”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 133: of the Messianic period, was the effusion of the Holy Spirit. To secure that blessing for the Church his ascension was necessary. He was exalted to give repentance and the remission of sins; to gather his people from all nations and during all ages until the work was accomplished. His throne in the heavens was the proper place whence the work of saving men, through the merits of his death, was to be carried on. 4. Again our Lord told his sorrowing disciples, “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I wil”