Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Jesus the Jew / Jesus in You

…that in everything he might be preeminent.
(Colossians 1:18 – ESV)

Christ is to be first and foremost, the scriptures plainly declare that truth. However, this can be subtle when we speak of Christ as preeminent; in what way did the Apostle Paul mean this? What about Him is preeminent, everything He is, or does that also include everything He did, or does it even include everything tangent to Him, such as the temporal circumstances of His life, where He lived, His job as a carpenter, and all that? Well, we know that we aren’t becoming more “Christlike” by becoming a carpenter, don’t we? So it isn’t everything about Him and His life, the question is valid. So what then?

What the bible is teaching us is that Christ is to be preeminent as to His person, who He is, and what He has done for us, not in the particulars of when and where He was. It is about Him, not His surroundings. To help get a grasp on this realize that any religion, movement or ministry whose primary focus is not on the person of Christ (His divinity and sinless humanity), His atoning work (and our justification by faith), our becoming like Him (in His character) is not of God. No matter how much “good” they are doing or how “right” it may seem, it is only a distraction, which leads to diversion, then deception, where we believe we are doing right when we are not.

Often we see believers discovering the Jewish roots of the faith. Getting excited about doing something “deeper” with God, and misunderstanding Christian maturity, many then want to add the feasts or ceremonial customs to their worship or personal devotions. Now as a matter of preference and conscience these things can be fine, but we cannot bind the consciences of other people with our preferences. Some go as far as to claim that doing these things makes one more spiritual or a better Christian. Instead of growing in grace they are trapped in world of thinking they have found the “key” to Christianity or Christian living.

It isn’t true. Including or insisting on these things does not constitute a superior brand of Christianity or a more spiritual strand of Christianity. They can be a sign of wanting to keep your pride AND Christianity. They can inform your faith, and give you an appreciation and understanding of the meaning of some of the types and shadows leading to Christ, but we shouldn’t attach a higher level of spirituality to them.

Some become confused and want to do what He has done in every way, thinking that THIS is what it means to be Christlike, to practice the culture and customs of the day. However, our sanctification is about focusing on Him, not using means to get closer to Him, which at best are not New Testament Christianity, are heretical at times, and can border on blasphemous as well.

Some movements have as their main focus keeping Christian things in a Jewish context. The focus may be on becoming like Christ, but becoming like Him in His Jewish-ness, more than His character or spirituality. They will say, “Jesus was a Jew”, to which I say, so what? Jesus was a man also. Are we all to become men? The Jews are special because God chose them as His vehicle, not because of something inherently good in them. Yes we are to honor God’s people, but God also chose Mary for special revelation as the “mother of God”. How many of these same believers would agree that it is okay to indulge in Mariolatry, as do some within the Catholic Church? Hopefully none. Again, the focus is wrong. Mary is to be honored because of her faithfulness, but not to be overdone so as to take the focus and glory from God.

We are to be conformed to the image of Christ not the lineage of Christ. The fruit the Holy Spirit produces is the timeless character of Jesus not the temporal culture of Jesus. We are to pursue spiritual holiness not cultural heritage. The Apostle Paul got it right, of course. He placed the emphasis on the divinity of Jesus not the nationality of Jesus. Paul doesn’t say Christ the Jew, the hope of Glory but Christ in you the hope of glory.

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©

22 comments:

donsands said...

Well spoken words. Thanks.

The Word and prayer. Breaking bread and fellowship. The four stables of believers in Christ.

Even So... said...

Thanks, Don...I guess this could be a controversial post, but that is why I made the one statement in larger type...I really have found this overemphasis to be a serious problem where we are here in Florida...

jazzycat said...

This message reminds me of one of my favorite hymns, "Keep your eyes upon Jesus."

Garry Weaver said...

I wish I could write smart stuff like you. Sigh...

Craver Vii said...

I agree with you, and still, I find myself going the other way. Not that we must add these things. But for those who have not experienced the feasts, it can be beneficial in the same way that visiting Israel adds to our understanding of Biblical narratives. The gentile Christian who experiences a Passover Seder gains a deeper understanding of the Last Supper, and so on.

But we must not be bound to practicing these things as a necessary component of the Christian experience.

Anonymous said...

The pious Jews of the Jerusalem church gave specific instruction to Gentiles on two separate occasions, to wit-


They wrote this letter by them: The apostles, the elders, and the brethren, To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.

Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, "You must be circumcised and keep the law"-to whom we gave no such commandment it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.
Acts 15: 23-29


Concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written and decided that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. Acts 21:25

Granted, in the context of this second passage, James & the elders seem to instruct Paul to keep a measure of Jewish traditions, but only because he was Jewish &, principally, to not cause an unnecessary offense. But they certainly never instruct Gentiles to go beyond the basic moral precepts of the Law.

Even So... said...

Good stuff guys...yeah Craver, I know what you mean, and I am sure it wouldn't trip you up, but my concern is when yuo go to a church and they blow the shofar, and do all the ritual and stuff, and their people think they are spiritual, but they live just as carnal as anyone else, or WORSE, they don't live carnally but morally and then they think that these things have purified them and their worship and though you don't see the outward filth, the elitist pride about it all is worse thsn just about anything I can imagine....

Even So... said...

I guess the real question is,

Are these things a more pure form of worship?

I know what my answer to that is...I'd like to hear from evryone else...

Craver Vii said...

A more pure form of worship? Certainly not. Especially since the practise of religious ceremonies and extra things led the Pharisees to fall hard in pride.

I compare it to using a tool like an atlas to study the Bible. The purest study is using the Bible exclusively. Nothing else can take it's place, but I would not tell a brother to discard his atlas, because it is extrabiblical.

"He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8

Even So... said...

Good stuff, Craver...it does come down to motivation as to why we would want to do these things...as I said in the post, they can be of benefit to our understanding, but when we think they are "means of grace" like some new sort of sacrament, well, then...and unfortuantely this is what I have seen over and over again with groups who cling to these things...

Anonymous said...

"Are these things a more pure form of worship?"

"For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."

Which is greater- the feasts or "Jesus Christ and Him crucified?"

Which is greater- the Law or "Jesus Christ and Him crucified?"

Which is greater- tradition (Jewish, Roman) or "Jesus Christ and Him crucified?"


Limit worship to the Greater only & thereby accord it
(Him & His Work) its due glory.

Anonymous said...

That being said, Jewish tradition can be used as a teaching tool, mainly to non Messianic Judaism, again to exemplify "Jesus Christ and Him crucified."

Craver Vii said...

Maybe I'm not understanding you Steve, but are you saying that we cannot do any of these other things?

If so, how do we put this into practice... limiting worship to the Greater only?

Cut hymns? Cut collection of tithes and offerings? Those are elements of worship, but they are not Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

But if you are talking about priority, and not putting anything above Christ and Him crucified, I can see that.

The extreme exclusion of things strikes me as monasticism and can be just as much a source of pride as adding all the extra bells and whistles.

Craver Vii said...

I jumped the gun, Steve. Your second comment spells it out quite clearly. Thanks, Friend.

Anonymous said...

Craver,

I'm not overly concerned with the mature, such as yourself, adding to (therein watering down) the centrality of “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” with other “things.” (Or other persons- as was the cause of Paul to make this statement in 1 Cor.)

I speak as strongly as I do out of concern for the babes & immature in Christ:

For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God." So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way. I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. Romans 15


You have freedom to worship as you see fit, just be careful your worship never becomes a stumbling block for the less mature. May they never consider their acceptance by God to be based on anything other than Christ crucified.

May God's Spirit help us all to remember the physicians creed in everything we do: "First, do no harm."

Anonymous said...

"I'm not overly concerned with the mature, such as yourself, adding to (therein watering down) the centrality of “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” with other “things.”

Craver, I didn't mean to say that you or others are "adding to or watering down" the Gospel by observing traditional things.

I'm not overly concerned with the possibility that the mature would do these things.

Sorry for any offense.

Craver Vii said...

Your passion for holiness and for the Lord is not an offense, but a blessing! Shalom.

Even So... said...

Well done, friends...

Galatians 6:14-18

Ray said...

Coming from a Messianic Jewish background, I agree with Craver and stevehall -- I use the Passover Seder as a 'tool' for teaching about Christ and him crucified (to use stevehalls context)

I was involved for a bit in the whole MJ movement, and found that the movement was going in the wrong direction, erecting a wall AGAIN between those who 'get it' in their eyes, and those who don't!

I have since distanced myself from many of the groups. What is really tragic is that many in the more extreme movements are not even ethnically Jewish, but Gentiles who basically think that dressing up and observing the Feasts places them in an elite group of folks 'in the know'.

They ofttimes end up worshipping the outward ceremonial laws, much like the religious leaders of Jesus' day, searching the Scriptures, finding lots of justification for their actions, but failing to focus on the One to whom the Feasts, and the entire Ceremonial Law point to!

Sorry for the length of this post, but as a Jew, I am heartbroken to see the beauty of the Feasts and their picture of the Messiah being used as a dividing wall again!

Blessings...

Even So... said...

Hallelujah!

This was worth waiting for!

Ray, your comment was the EXACT answer to my prayers for this post...it was that YOU personally would come over and agree and validate this with your witness...

In all honesty (you could ask Margie, and God is my witness), I had not put this post up in the order it was meant to be (you can see that easily by looking at the last few posts, as we are doing Romans and Colossians in order, some holes but mostly chronologically) because I was praying fervently about it, that it would not be misunderstood, but that it would minister as it was intended to, and I was very careful about it, because I did not want to offend Ray...

Brother, I am sorry if this seems like I am patronizing you, but it is the absolute truth...I will not back down from biblical truth, but I also want to give my hope with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15)...

Your response has made more than my day, it has made my point, to His glory...

Even So... said...

I'm telling you folks, I am having a "moment" ...I'm gonna have to step away from the computer for a little while and praise the Lord!

Ray said...

:-)

Wow! I didn't realize that my response would evoke anything... Just felt led to add my .02....

Well brother, I think we are in sync, and there does not seem to be a 'middle wall' between us! :-)