The Jewish Identity of Jesus: Why It Matters Today

Jesus Christ: The Jewish Messiah

The New Testament begins with a remarkably specific statement about the identity of Jesus: “The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1). 

From the very first verse, there is no ambiguity about who Jesus is. He is the Messiah, the Son of David, from the tribe of Judah, and the Son of Abraham, the father of the Jewish people. 

The Apostle Paul makes the same point when he introduces the Gospel in his letter to the Romans. He describes God’s Son as one “who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh” (Romans 1:3). Before Paul speaks about taking the Gospel to the nations, he establishes the identity of the One at the centre of that Gospel. 

Jesus is the Jewish Messiah. This is important because God’s choice of Israel was a sovereign choice for a specific redemptive purpose. It was not based on favouritism or Jewish superiority. God has assignments for different peoples, and His choice of Israel demonstrates the specific nature of His calling. 

Why the Jewish Identity of Jesus Matters

There is a tendency within Christianity to spiritualize Jesus. Some would argue that because every promise and covenant finds its fulfilment in Christ, once we have Jesus, Israel and the Jewish people are no longer necessary. 

But this overlooks something fundamental about the Incarnation. Jesus did not become a generic human being. He became a specific human being. He had a family, ethnicity, nation, culture and language. He was born into the people of Israel, lived as a Jew and was identified at His crucifixion as “the King of the Jews”. 

The Christian faith declares that Jesus is fully divine and fully human. John warns us that every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God (1 John 4:2). Therefore, His humanity matters. And if His humanity matters, His Jewish identity matters. 

Removing the Jewish identity of Jesus creates a generic Messiah who can be reshaped according to our own preferences. Once Jesus is disconnected from His scripturally given human identity, He can easily be moulded into whatever kind of Jesus a particular culture or theology wants. 

The answer is to return to the Jesus revealed in Scripture. 

Jesus Remains the Lion of Judah

Jesus did not cease to be Jewish at the Resurrection. In Revelation 5, John sees a vision of heaven and hears Jesus described as “the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David”. Then, near the very end of the New Testament, Jesus Himself declares: “I am the root and the descendant of David” (Revelation 22:16). His identity remains. 

This also has profound implications for the Church. Christians are the Bride of Christ, waiting for the Bridegroom’s return. But imagine saying to your bridegroom: “I love you with all my heart, but please don’t invite your family to the wedding. I love you, but I don’t love them.” Humanly speaking, we understand the contradiction immediately.  

If we love our heavenly Bridegroom, we should also desire to see His earthly family saved. Loving Jesus and honouring His Jewish identity should produce love for the Jewish people and a longing for them to know their Messiah. 

Rediscovering Our Identity and Calling in Christ

This passage also offers a lesson for every believer. Jesus had a specific identity and a specific calling. The same principle applies to us. We each have a family, history, culture and people. These are not necessarily obstacles to our calling; they can be part of the context in which God has placed us to serve Him. 

Jesus was born among the Jewish people. He lived among them, called His disciples here, died and rose again in this land. He ascended from here, and Scripture promises that He will return. 

The Church needs to rediscover Jesus in the fullness of His identity – Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah, the Lion of the tribe of Judah and the descendant of David.