Was Jesus a Jew? Why aren’t we Jewish?
Here's the answer:
Yes, Jesus was a Jew. But even though Judaism can be a religion, being a Jew usually means that you are an Israelite—someone from Israel. That is why we aren’t all Jews.
Long ago, Jesus chose the Israelites—the Jews—as His special people. God had promised a man named Abraham way back in the first book of the Bible, that if Abraham obeyed Him, he would have many descendants (children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc.). Those descendants would become the nation of Israel. God wanted the Israelites to be holy, which meant that they were to be different than all the people around them. They were to show everyone else what it meant to follow God. They didn’t always do that very well, and sometimes they even followed false gods. But they were always God’s special people, and they still are today.
Jesus was born to a Jewish mother, who came from Abraham’s family, which meant that Jesus was Jewish too (see Matthew 1:1). He did the things Jewish people would do, like dressing in Jewish clothes, studying the Bible with other Jewish boys when He was young, worshipping God in the temple, celebrating Jewish holidays, and more. But not just anyone can be a real Jew, because you have to be born into a Jewish family.
Even though Jews are still God’s people, when Jesus died and rose again He made a way for everyone else to be His people. All those who believe in Him and choose to follow Him become a Christian and a part of Jesus’ family forever. We can become one of God’s special people too!
Bible Truth
"Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish feasts" (John 5:1).
"Each day Jesus taught at the temple" (Luke 21:37a).
"Some people did accept him and did believe in his name. He gave them the right to become children of God" (John 1:12).
