Word of Salvation - Vol.50 No.46 - December 2005

 

Why Has Jesus Become Non-Jewish, When He Was Born King of the Jews?

 

An Advent Sermon by Rev Martin Geluk on Matthew 2:2a

Scripture Readings:   Matthew 2:1-12

Suggested Hymns:  BoW: 292; 315; 68:1,2; 527

 

Congregation.

Don't you find it sad that Jesus and Jews now have so little to do with each other? Bethlehem is in Israel and everyone knows that it is the town where Jesus was born. But the people who come to Bethlehem to celebrate the birth of Jesus are mostly tourists from the western world. Most Jews living in Israel want nothing to do with celebrations and church services in Bethlehem in connection with Jesus' birth. Most Jews see Jesus and the worship of Him as something foreign to their culture. And that is quite remarkable seeing that Jesus was born a Jew and lived in Israel all His life.

For most Jews Christmas means very little. Typically, they see Jesus as the founder of someone else's religion. In most Jewish minds, Jesus is associated with Gentiles, not with Jews. Furthermore, why should Jews have anything to do with Jesus when Gentiles claiming to be Christian have persecuted them for hundreds of years, and very badly so during the last World War? Jews have often been attacked because they are seen as the people who killed Jesus. Of course, there have been many Gentile Christians who did not share in this persecution of Jews and offered them protection instead. But for most Jews, Christianity was often the religion behind the hate that they have experienced from Gentiles. So it's understandable that Jews see Jesus and the people that worship and follow Him as totally alien to their Jewish culture. So much so in fact, that for a Jew to become a Christian is seen as an insult to the Jewish faith.

Now that's all rather ironic seeing that Jesus was born King of the Jews. That Jesus has become non-Jewish is one of those strange misunderstandings that have taken place in history.

We're looking at this text from Matthew's gospel where it says that Jesus was born King of the Jews. And yet some 2000 years later Jesus has become a non-Jewish phenomenon. What light does the Bible throw on that? That's what we hope to find out.

1. The life and times of Jesus were all Jewish

The people that were associated with Jesus' birth and those that rejoiced in it were all Jewish. Jesus' mother, Mary, was a Jewish girl. Joseph, her husband, who became Jesus' adoptive father, was also Jewish. The shepherds in the fields of Ephratha, just outside Bethlehem, a Jewish town, who were told the exciting news by the angel that a Saviour had been born who is Christ the Lord, were all Jewish shepherds. Simeon who was serving the Lord in the temple and was so wonderfully moved by the Holy Spirit when the baby Jesus was brought there to be consecrated, was Jewish. And Anna, an elderly prophetess living in one of the buildings of the temple, who came up to Mary and Joseph to give thanks to God for the birth of Jesus, was also Jewish.

Not only were these people at Jesus' birth Jewish but they were Jews who sincerely believed in God. That did not make them unusual Jews. They were ordinary, normal Jews who belonged to Israel, the nation of Jews to whom God had promised the Messiah. The Holy Spirit made them see and believe that Jesus was that Messiah and they welcomed Jesus' birth with great rejoicing, believing Him to be the Saviour.

Moreover, their faith was based on the Old Testament whose human authors were all Jewish. And the commandments, teachings and prophecies of the Old Testament were all given to the Jews. Well-known people in Jewish history and frequently mentioned in the Old Testament, like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, were the ancestors of the Jews. And when Moses led the Jews out of Egypt at the time of the Exodus, then it was the beginning of the nation of Israel. They were the chosen people of God because from them would come the Messiah, the Saviour God had promised.

Furthermore, the God of Israel was not just a God for the Jews. The God the Jews believe in is the God who made the heavens and the earth. It's not a Jewish God but God in whom all Jews and all people should believe because this God is the only God. When Jews become Christian they do not have to change gods. They continue to believe in the one and only God they have always worshipped, but they have come to acknowledge that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, God incarnate.

The only non-Jewish happening at Jesus' birth was the visit of the Magi. They came from far away. They were non-Jews who were known as the Gentiles. They were directed by God to the land of Israel and they came as strangers to Jerusalem and they were led by the star to Bethlehem, to where the stable was and where Jesus was born. When God made them aware of the birth of Jesus, the Messiah, they were not directed to Egypt, or to Rome, or to other important cities of that time. God guided them to Bethlehem, a little town in Israel, to an animal shelter where they found an ordinary Jewish couple.

Joseph and Mary were left in no uncertainty that these Magi were foreigners, from a country far away. They came, not enquiring "where is Jesus, born king of the Persians?" Or king of the Egyptians. Or king of the Romans. But Jesus, born king of the Jews! So how is it possible that Jews today have come to regard Jesus and the importance of His birth as something less that He really is?

The Jewishness of Jesus continued on in His life as a child and youth. He was circumcised on the eighth day, a normal Jewish custom. He was raised in a Jewish home. He grew up in Nazareth, a Jewish town. He attended a Jewish synagogue. As a young boy He went to the temple in Jerusalem with His parents to celebrate the Passover, an important Jewish feast. There He asked questions from the Jewish elders and scribes who were serving at the temple. He participated as a youth in all the annual religious festivals that all the Jews celebrate.

And look at Jesus' ministry. He began to teach the nature of the kingdom of God in the villages and towns of Israel. He used parables that depicted Jewish life and customs. The people called Jesus, Rabbi, a popular name for a Jewish teacher of the Law of Moses. The twelve disciples Jesus called and taught to become His helpers were all Jewish. And when they were made apostles at Jesus' ascension, they had to teach everything that Jesus had commanded them, and they began to do so to their fellow Jews.

Prior to His ascension, Jesus suffered in Israel and He died on Golgotha, just outside Jerusalem. There were many Jews present at His death. Among them were Pharisees, scribes and elders of the law, all Jewish, who witnessed many of Jesus' miracles. And contrary to accusations sometimes levelled at the Jews, it was not only Jews who called for His death. Pilate the Roman governor passed the death sentence. Roman soldiers crucified Him and made sure that the cross killed Him. And if people still blame only Jews for Jesus' death, then they need reminding of New Testament teaching that the sins of all of God's people made Jesus' death necessary.

When Jesus arose from the dead then it was Jewish women who saw Him and spoke with Him. The ruling Jewish council, the Sanhedrin, became aware of His resurrection and debated what to do.

In other words, Jesus' whole life was Jewish through and through. And those of us, who are non-Jewish but believe in Jesus, have had to become familiar with the Jewishness of Jesus' background. In fact, we would have expected more Jews than Gentiles to believe in Jesus. But ironically it is the other way round. Many Gentiles believe in Jesus as the Saviour and only a few Jews.

2. Jesus, King of the Jews, did not live and die as a king

This is perhaps the biggest reason why so few Jews believe in Jesus as their King and Saviour. Jesus did not live and die as a king. In fact, this is probably a major reason why many non-Jews also do not believe in Jesus as Saviour and King. And why many adherents of other religions, like Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism, cannot accept Jesus as the only Saviour and King.

How do we explain this? Well, you see, ancient kings were extremely powerful. They had authority to have you live or die. We, who are familiar with the Old Testament, do not always realise this. For us today in the western world a monarch is someone who is little more than a high official with special duties and some privileges. We see kings and queens as ordinary people. We criticise them and some say crude things about them, even make them objects of ridicule. And we get away with it. Try that with an ancient king and you would have been put to death very quickly.

And because we, in our part of the world, are not used to kings having absolute power, many in the western world, have no respect for God either. If we are used to people in power having no direct say as to whether you live or die, and if God also seems to fit into that category, then there is no reason to fear Him either. Jesus may be called a king but it doesn't stop many people from ridiculing Him and making jokes about Him that make those of us who are Christians cringe. We cringe because we know that God is the most powerful Ruler and will bring them to account.

But think of the kings of the Assyria and Babylon. In their courts even high officials lost their lives if they displeased such kings when they could not interpret their dreams. Esther knew very well that entering king Xerxes' presence unannounced could cost her life. In the Roman Empire emperors had assumed god-like status. Slaves and Christians thrown in the arena lived or died by the mere upward or downward movement of Caesar's thumb.

Also in Israel good kings like David and Solomon were not just seen as good men but also as kings who had considerable power and authority, given to them by God. They had to represent God the supreme sovereign. But all Israel's kings were sinners. Some kings were just terrible. So promises of the Messiah, the coming King, of which there are many in the Old Testament, raised expectations of Him being like a powerful ancient king.

Even the New Testament, when it makes mention of a king, like Jesus often did in His own parables, pictures the king as very powerful. And the New Testament teaching about Jesus, especially the book of Revelation, shows Him as the perfect Ruler reigning over all things and all people from His throne in heaven.

It was, therefore, difficult for the Jewish people to see Jesus as the Messiah King when He was born in such humble circumstances as the animal shed in Bethlehem, born of an ordinary Jewish girl. They simply did not expect it to happen like this. Jesus the King, lived as a servant and died like a criminal. Yes, He taught with authority and they were many times, like when He did a mighty miracle, that the majesty and authority of heaven was all about Him. But most of the time He associated with the lowly. He came to the homes of tax collectors and allowed prostitutes to speak to Him and He forgave them their sins. Men and women whom Jewish society had cast out were comforted by Him. Jesus went to lepers and they came to Him and He healed them. His disciples were unschooled fishermen. He had no place of His own. Some women, like disciples' wives, provided food and shelter. His whole life and ministry was so unlike that of a powerful king.

When the time came for Him to die, Jesus the King, entered Jerusalem not on a mighty white stallion but on a donkey, a beast of burden. Judas betrayed Him, but we can understand how Judas could have come to that. He was totally disillusioned with Jesus' behaviour as the Messiah King. It was all so different to what he had expected.

Whilst still in the Praetorium, the Romans soldiers had mockingly called Jesus, "Hail, King of the Jews" (Mk 15:18). They must have earlier heard Pilate ask Jesus, "Are you the King of the Jews", and Jesus had answered, "Yes, it is as you say" (Mk 15:2). The soldiers thought this was a huge joke because Jesus didn't look anything like a king.

Later at the crucifixion the soldiers put a sign on the cross above His head that said: "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews" (Mt 27:37). They did not mean it, of course. It was meant as ridicule. And Jewish chief priests did not think Jesus was King either, for they protested to Pilate and wanted the sign changed to read, "This man claimed to be King of the Jews" (Lk 19:21).

If both the Romans and the Jews had expected Jesus to be anything like a powerful ancient king, then what they saw was the total opposite. The reason why Jesus didn't look like a King was because His kingdom was not like an earthly kingdom. The kingdom of heaven is completely different. So many of Jesus' teachings and parables pointed that out but only those to whom God had revealed the mystery of the heavenly kingdom could see it. One has to be born again, one has to have a spiritual birth from God, before he can enter the kingdom of God. That is what Jesus told Nicodemus (Jn 3).

And only when the Spirit of God gives you spiritual eyes to see it, will you understand why Jesus the King was a humble servant during His life on earth. He came to serve, not to be served. Jesus came to serve His heavenly Father who sent His Son to save sinners. Jesus the King was put under the law, like all other people, in order to save others who faced death by that law. All sinners deserve death under the just punishment required by God's law. But Jesus the King came to die in the place of the guilty, in order to save his people from the penalty of the law. And so He died as the guilty One.

3. Jesus is King over all

The Jews realise that, historically speaking, Jesus was one of them. But they must have their hearts and minds opened, so that they can accept and believe that Jesus is the Messiah whom the Old Testament promised. This was Paul's message wherever he met Jews. He would go to their synagogues and remind them of the teaching in the Old Testament about God promising Christ, the Saviour. And then Paul would tell them about Jesus and prove to them that He is the Christ. Many Jews believed and began to worship Jesus as their eternal King and became citizens of the kingdom of God. Their being Jewish didn't matter so much anymore. But many Jews stumbled over this message about Jesus. Yet it is still the message that the Jewish people must hear and believe. There is no other way to being God's chosen people, except by faith in Jesus as the Saviour King.

And not only is it necessary for Jews to believe this gospel, it is also necessary for Muslims and adherents of every other faith to believe this gospel. Muslims acknowledge that Jesus was a prophet, but that will not make anyone right with God. For as long as Islam has been around, it remains very difficult for Muslims to see that Jesus is God. Yes, Islam confesses there is only one God. It is a monotheistic religion. But only those who believe that Jesus is God will enter the kingdom of heaven. And so the gospel that Jews must hear and believe is the same gospel that Muslims must hear and believe. And that goes for all people.

Westerners must stop identifying Jesus with European culture. Jesus has come out of Jewish history. Historically speaking, salvation has come from the Jews (Jn 4:22). Many in the world today must stop thinking that Allah is for the Muslims, the Hindu gods for the Hindus, Buddha for the Buddhists, and Jesus for the western world. And one makes a big mistake thinking that salvation can come by any of these religions. It is also a mistake to think that people with their different religions must be tolerant about Jesus. That's a kind of tolerance that Jesus the King has never wanted. He has never said: "you can either have Me or some other Saviour." There is only one Saviour by which all men can be saved and it is Jesus Christ, the King (Acts 4:12). That's the message of the gospel, and all missionaries true to God's Word have sought to spread that message throughout the world.

Jews especially should not think the gospel about Jesus is something foreign. This gospel did not begin in Luther's Germany or Calvin's Geneva or in Washington or New York or London. It began in Bethlehem, in Israel. From Israel it spread throughout the Roman Empire and to every corner of the world. The New Testament says the message about Jesus the Christ must go first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles. That's what Jesus and the apostles did. It's what Paul did.

Jews are part of the natural olive tree. That olive tree is Jewish. When Jews do not believe that Jesus is God, then they are like branches that are broken off. Gentiles believers are branches that are grafted in. They were not of the original tree but are added. And Jews who become Christian are grafted back in again (Rom 9-11).

It is wonderful when Jews become Christians, but it has nothing to do with being western. But it is very sad that when Jews become Christians, they will be denounced by their fellow Jews as those who have rejected their Jewishness. But believing Jews have not rejected their Jewishness. If anything they have accepted their Jewishness. They have accepted Jesus who was born King of the Jews.

Yes, all people must worship Jesus the King and not merely tolerate Him. Jesus is even mightier than those ancient kings. Therefore all the rulers in this world should come to Him like the Magi did and bow before Him. All people should lay treasures at Jesus' feet. All people must see that Jesus first had to hang on a cross before He could sit on a throne; that He was a servant of all before He became Lord of all.

With Jesus the King it is bowing down to Him or perishing, it is receiving life for all eternity or being condemned for all eternity.

Amen.