Easter Sunday - "It's Not What You Think"

So, it's Easter Sunday: He is Risen!

I just want to take this opportunity to give honor to Jesus Christ who is the head of my life, who died that I might live. He is hardcore and I love Him!

Anyway...

I've been hinting at Jew 2.0 for a while now, so I think it's time to get something on the page; however, I think it might take a few Sundays to get it all down.

What is Jew 2.0? Jew 2.0 is what I call modern day Christians/followers of Christ. This term was created in response to a very good question:

"If Jesus was a Jew, and if Judaism and Christianity are focused on the same God, then why aren't Christians called Jews?"

I went online and found a similar question:

"Jesus Christ himself was a Jew. If Christians wanted to follow their God, why do they not follow Judaism?"

Disclaimer: this blog post only concerns being a Jew from a religious standpoint (i.e. Judaism). From an ethnic standpoint, there is no such thing as Jew 2.0. Nothing that I say here changes genealogy. This almost seems like common sense, but common sense has been getting pretty rare (zing!).

Disclaimer 2: I use sarcasm even when talking about God. I'm no heretic, so if you get a little shocked by some of the phrasing, think: sarcasm.

Jew 2.0 Part One

I don't have a hard and fast answer to the italicized question(s), because there are a couple of different ways to look at it. As such, I'm going to start out VERY general, before we get to my personal take on it (which could be weeks from now). I welcome comments, questions, corrections, and/or ridicule. So let's start with what I think is the main opposing view:

1. Christians are not called Jews because they are two totally different religions

A. Judaism, by definition, is a religion focused on and towards the Jews ONLY. Even the word "Jew" is derived from the name of Jacob's fourth son "Judah." The Torah, the foundational text for Judaism, is focused on the relationship between God and His "Chosen People." Judaism is centralized around the Law of Moses, the promise made to Abraham and his seed (the Israelites), and other rabbinical teachings. There is no salvation available for any other group of people.

B. Christianity, by definition, is a religion focused on the idea that ALL may come to God. Christianity is centralized around the life, teachings, and assumed divinity of a man named Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the "star" of the New Testament, the foundational text for Christianity. This is also the part of the Bible that begins where the Torah ends. Hence where the Judaism (Law of Moses) ends and the Christianity (Jesus as the fulfillment of the Law) begins.

Compelling. Based on the aforementioned, for some, this is the end of the discussion. However, the God that is mentioned in point "A" is the same God from point "B." We are all serving the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

So where do we diverge? Well, one...non-Jews shouldn't even be in the picture. Even Jesus acknowledges this when He was speaking with the Samaritan woman at the well:

"Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews." --John 4:22

What? Jesus? Et tu Brute? Then fall Christians.

But then again...in the promise God made to Abraham, Christians are alluded to:

1Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: ²And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: ³ And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.--Genesis 12:1-3

Whoa! What's that? Did I just use a New Testament scripture to support that salvation is ONLY of the Jews, and a Torah scripture to prove out that the self-same salvation was always meant to extend beyond the Jews to ALL? Heavy...this is why "all scripture is given"...but I digress.

You know what? I might have made a mistake introducing that "Jesus" character. Who cares who salvation is meant for?! He's the real sticking point, isn't he?

And this is where Part One is going to come to a close, with an Easter-relevant message about Jesus and just one of the many reasons why He is such a sticking point:
Time frame: It's Resurrection Sunday. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Joanna have just told a group of men the good news about Jesus being raised from the dead after discovering His sepulchre empty and conversing with angels.

Location: The road to Jerusalem

Players: Two men (followers of Christ who were in the group informed by the ladies) and Jesus (the risen Christ)

Our Scriptures: Luke 24:13 - 27 (give or take a few skips)

^...13And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. ¹⁴And they talked together of all these things which had happened.

So these two guys are talking about Jesus. While they are chatting, Jesus kind of sneaks up on them, and walks with them; however they don't recognize Him.

^...17And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? ¹⁸And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?

<sup>Translation: "Where have you been dude?! You must be new in town, because you can't be from Jerusalem and NOT know what's been going down."

19</sup>And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: ²⁰And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.²¹But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.

STOP. Peep my underline. "But we trusted that it had been he..." Preconceived notions, coupled with dashed hopes, and a lack of faith can leave you missing the big picture. These two men had just been told that Christ had risen, but where is their rejoicing? They were so caught up in the circumstance...a Messiah who had died? Must not have been the Messiah at all. Despite the fact that they were just informed that He WAS NOT IN THE TOMB, they have sad faces and their sentences began with "But we trusted that it had been he."

^...25Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: ²⁶Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? ²⁷And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

These were followers of Christ, and He had to clear some things up for them. Imagine what other Jews may have thought. These two Jewish men, and Jews of that time in general, had a preconceived notion about who the Messiah was (a political savior), what He would do, and how He would do it. But guess what? Sometimes...it's not what you think.

To be continued...