Was Jesus A Christian?

Was Jesus a Christian? This is a question that I used to hear from theology professors. At the time, I thought it was a trick question, something like, “Is the Pope Catholic?” After all, if Christians are followers of Jesus and his teachings, wouldn’t they be pretty much equivalent?

In another sense, the question is anachronistic. The term “Christian” was unknown in Jesus’ day. It occurs only three times in the New Testament. The first reference to it seems to be in Antioch. This is what the believers were called, whether by their opponents or by their friends is unknown. (Acts 11:26)
Another usage is in the mouth of King Agrippa at the trial of Paul. After Paul’s testimony about his experience, Agrippa comments about Paul trying to persuade him to become a Christian. (Acts 26:28) Paul seems to avoid the term in his reply, saying that he wished Agrippa could become like him. The third and final use of the term is in I Peter 4:16 where Peter talks about suffering as a Christian.

Even though the term was not used during the lifetime of Jesus, I’ve become convinced that the question, “Was Jesus a Christian?” is crucial for understanding Jesus’ life and ministry. We can define “Christian” in a couple of ways. We can define it as a follower of Jesus. By this definition, Jesus would certainly identify with it.

Another definition, however, may accord more closely with how we actually use the term. A Christian is an adherent of the religious system that has come to be known as Christianity. Ever since the second or third century, Christianity has been used to draw a contrast with Judaism. If a person follows Christianity, he does not follow Judaism, and vice versa.

I have become convinced that Jesus, as well as all of his immediate followers, would have described their faith as Judaism, the faith and practice that God established for his people in the Hebrew scriptures. There was no intention to start a new religion.

The issue rarely comes up in the life of Jesus because it was inconceivable. But the one time that people seem to be asking if he’s teaching something new, in Luke 5:33-39, he emphatically denies it, saying, “You don’t fix an old coat with a new patch.”

Jesus was announced at his birth, and presented himself throughout his life, as the “king of the Jews”. He saw himself as the culmination of the prophecies and promises of the Hebrew scriptures, as the ultimate king who would reign over Israel from Jerusalem. He even went so far as to express continuity with the teachings of the Pharisees when he told the crowds that “the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat, so you must obey them”. (Matt. 23:2-3) (He then goes on to criticize them for not following their own teachings.)

Jesus’ claim to the kingship of Israel was not accepted by the authorities, and they killed him for it. But after his resurrection, that was still clearly the plan. When Jesus’ disciples asked if he was now going to establish his kingdom, his reply was essentially, “Later”. (Acts 1:6-7)

Jesus may have been the reason for the origin of Christianity, but he unequivocally affirmed the tenets of Judaism, God’s Law (Matt. 5:17-18), his scriptures (Matt. 22:29), his people (John 4:22), and his Messiah (John 4:26). Jesus never criticized Judaism, but the wrong understandings of its practitioners. His death inaugurated the new covenant, which was to be made with Israel. (Jer. 31:31) In the way that we most commonly think of Christianity today, Jesus was not a Christian.