Israel is a people, not a place.
Was Jesus Jewish? Christian educators tell us that Jesus was the son of a Jewish carpenter and that he came to bring "peace on Earth." The Bible however, tells a much different story.
First of all, we might want to clarify Jesus' lineage. It is thought that Jesus was Jewish because his father Joseph was Jewish, but the Bible tells us that Joseph had returned to his hometown of Bethlehem to be counted in the Roman census (Luke 2:1-4).
"And it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that
all the world should be taxed. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And
Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city
of David, which is called Bethlehem."
Luke 2:1-4 KJV
The Wisemen from the East informed King Herod that a king of the Jews had been born in the town of Bethlehem, so Herod decided to send his soldiers to Bethlehem to kill all the children 2 years of age and under to make sure he would not be threatened by this newborn king. Strangely, it is Rachel, not Leah, who weeps as the children are being killed, and Rachel's children were descended from the blessed tribe of Joseph, not Judah. The Bible therefore informs us that the children the troops were killing were not Jewish.
"In Ramah (Ramla) was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not."
Matt. 2:18 KJV
In the time of Jesus, the three tribes of Judah, Ephraim, and Benjamin, occupied the various towns surrounding Jerusalem, and the town of Bethlehem was occupied by the blessed tribe of Ephraim. God's blessing was passed down from father to son along the Hebrew bloodline from Abraham to Isaac, Isaac to Jacob, Jacob to Joseph, and finally from Joseph to Ephraim.
Secondly, Matthew lists Joseph's lineage from Abraham through Judah to Joseph (Matthew 1:1-16), but Luke also lists the lineage of Joseph, and Luke's list is different from Matthew's list (Luke 3:23-38). So who is correct? Maybe neither. And we can be certain that no member of the tribe of Judah would ever use the name of another tribe to name his son. It doesn't matter anyway, because Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus. The Bible tells us (Matt. 1:18) that Mary was already pregnant before she married Joseph. It also looks like Mary was a descendent of Joseph because her son Jesus traveled the world for many years working aboard the ships owned by Mary's great uncle, Joseph of Arimathea (a city in Ephraim), exploring many nations such as England (tin), India (textiles and jewelry), and many Mediterranean ports. This gave Jesus the opportunity to learn much about the world of his time. It is also recorded that he may have planted the seeds of Christianity in Glastonbury, England.
Some people think Jesus was Jewish because his parents circumcised him. But the fact is that all twelve tribes went to Synagogue and circumcised their children in the time of Jesus. Circumcision was in fact practiced by many Bedouins in the Middle East long before the Jews arrived.
And all this talk about Jesus coming to bring peace on Earth is in direct opposition to what Jesus himself told us in Luke 12:51-53, where he clearly states that he did not come to bring peace, but instead came to bring division. It appears that those who teach that Jesus came to bring "peace on Earth" may need to spend more time reading and studying their Bibles.
"Suppose ye that I came to bring peace on earth. I tell you NO, but division!
For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two,
and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son
against the father, the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against
the mother, the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in
law against her mother in law."
Luke 12:51-53 KJV
Jesus cursed the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem because they turned from the worship of God to the worship of wealth. He also said in a parable that those who killed the "son of the Lord of the vineyard" would have the Kingdom of God removed from them and given to a nation "bringing forth the fruits thereof." The sons of Judah suffered the fate of those in the parable of Matthew 12:9, and thus their vineyard was given to the nation of Ephraim (Ephraim means fruitful).
If you want to know the truth, you'll have to glean it directly from the Hebrew prophets, and not from church leaders who preach their personal views on the message of the Scriptures. It's unfortunate that although it's the most widely distributed book on the planet, the Bible is also the most read but least understood book as well. Most people rely on their religious leaders when it comes to understanding scripture, or they study Bible scriptures using other books written to influence their reading experience. The prophets represent the only reliable source of truth when it comes to understanding the Scriptures. So if you'd like to read the truth about Jesus for a change, and want to know when Jesus was actually born (it wasn't December 25th), just click one of the secure book links on this webpage to order your book by Edward Oliver, so you can help awaken others to the messages of the Scriptures for God's lost sheep.
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