Sinless Jesus?
Why would the concept of a sinless Jesus be of interest to a Jewish person? In principle, it should not matter to a Jew, since Jesus is irrelevant to Judaism he is in the realm of Christianity. The notion of Jesus being without sin is tied to the claim that Jesus died as a sacrificial offering to atone for the sins of humanity. According to the laws of sacrifice in the Torah, a sacrificial offering had to be without blemish or defect. Christian apologists and missionaries make the claim that the sinless Jesus satisfied this requirement, and that his "shed blood" covered the sins of mankind just as the blood of animal sacrifices atoned for the sinners in Biblical times. This claim is a prominent component in the portfolio of Christian missions to the Jews.
This essay addresses the question: Was Jesus Sinless? Since the analysis compares accounts from the New Testament against specific commands in the Torah, it should be noted that the Scripture in force during the lifetime of Jesus, including the time of his death, was the Hebrew Bible.
For Christianity, the purpose of the Four Gospels is to testify that Jesus is the Christ (the messiah) and, as such, his sacred mission was to be the sacrificial offering that would make atonement for the sins of mankind. Consequently, each Gospel climaxes with a narrative that recounts the historical events surrounding this atoning sacrifice. According to Christianity, the central core of the Gospels creates the pivotal theme of the salvation brought by Jesus, mediated by the suffering and death of the sinless messiah. This concept is perhaps best summarized by the following verse from the New Testament:
John 3:16(KJV) - For God so loved the
world, that
he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should
not perish, but have everlasting life.
The giving here refers to the so-called sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross.
Christian theology holds that a sinless Jesus was part of the heavenly Father's plan from the outset, to redeem mankind. After all, the act of disobedience by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, the Fall of Man, placed the stain of sin on humanity, one that cannot be removed through a person's own actions. Jesus, the perfect sacrificial offering of the future, was born through the impregnation by the Holy Spirit of a virgin, Mary, who remained a virgin throughout the term of her pregnancy. Mary gave birth to a child that was not blemished by the stain of Original Sin, since he was conceived of G-d and not through the customary act of copulation by two sinful humans. Jesus allegedly remained without sin throughout his entire life, since he is said to have perfectly kept all the commandments and, therefore, fulfilled the entirety of the Torah's precepts:
Matthew 5:17-19(KJV) (17) Think not that I am
come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but
to fulfil.
(18) For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or
one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till
all be fulfilled. (19) Whosoever
therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so,
he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do
and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
With this passage as a backdrop, several accounts in the Gospel of Matthew are examined to test whether Jesus actually lived up to his proclamation.
Going on the premise that the historical Jesus existed, it should not come as a surprise that many statements attributed to him throughout the Four Gospels are consistent with Jewish teachings. After all, it is likely that Jesus, coming from a family of Pharisees and being exposed to this tradition, held to it and practiced Pharisaic (i.e., Rabbinic) Judaism. In fact, according to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus acknowledged the authority of Sages and Rabbinic Judaism of his day:
Matthew 23:1-3(KJV) (1) Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, (2) Saying The scribes and the Pharisees
sit in Moses' seat: (3) All
therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do
not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. [See also Mk 10:17-19, Lk 16:16-17, Jn 14:21.]
Although Jesus viewed them as hypocrites, he nevertheless acknowledged that the Biblical authority rests in the hands of the Rabbis who, in his day, were the Pharisees. The Four Gospels appear to indicate that Jesus instruct his followers to stop obeying the (written and oral) commandments. While he may have had some issues with various aspects of the Law (Torah), it is understood that Jesus did not advocate doing away with it. On the other hand, a close look at the Four Gospels reveals conduct and teachings ascribed to Jesus, which are at odds with Jewish Law.
III. Jesus and the Torah
The Written Torah (Mosaic Law)
contains 613 precepts[1]
(mitzvot), and no person can possibly
comply with the entire set[2]. This is because various commands pertain to
different groups of people. For example,
some of the precepts apply only to males (e.g., circumcision), others only to
females (e.g., feminine hygiene); some apply only to Aaronic Priests (e.g.,
allowed marriages), others to those who own land in
Bearing in mind the fact that anyone who transgresses even a single precept of Torah becomes a sinner, a sample of Torah commands are contrasted against the respective narrative found in the Gospel of Matthew to determine whether the conduct and teachings of Jesus were consistent with what the Torah requires.
1. Marriage and Procreation (Having Children)
Y The first of the 613 precepts appears early in the Book of Genesis:
Genesis
Accordingly, human beings are commanded to marry and have children.
U The New Testament is silent on whether Jesus obeyed this command. There is no evidence in the New Testament that Jesus ever married and fathered any children. Christian theology completely rejects this notion.
Conclusion: Jesus did not fulfill the command to marry
and procreate.
Sidebar Note: Christian apologists and missionaries attempt to neutralize this issue by claiming that celibacy was an optional lifestyle in Biblical days and thereafter. To support this claim, they cite the example of the prophet Jeremiah as well as some Rabbinic literature. A detailed analysis of the relevant Rabbinic writings is beyond the scope of this essay. Though, in summary, it can be said that, when presented in their proper context, they no longer support the claim.
Concerning the Biblical example of Jeremiah, the following passage is invoked in support of the claim[3]:
Jeremiah 16:1-4(KJV) (1) The word of the LORD
came also unto me, saying, (2) Thou shalt not
take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or
daughters in this place. (3) For thus saith
the LORD concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this
place, and concerning their mothers that bare them, and concerning their
fathers that begat them in this land; (4) They shall die of grievous deaths;
they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as
dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and
by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the
fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.
The phrase " in this place " provides the clue for a correct reading of this passage. This order is tied to a particular geographical location for a specific reason, which is described earlier in the Book of Jeremiah:
Jeremiah 11:21-23(KJV) (21) Therefore
thus saith the LORD of the men of Anathoth,
that seek thy life, saying, Prophesy not in the name of the LORD, that
thou die not by our hand: (22) Therefore thus saith
the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will punish them: the young men shall die by the
sword; their sons and their daughters shall die by famine: (23) And there shall
be no remnant of them: for I will bring evil upon the men of Anathoth, even the year of their visitation.
Jeremiah, being a native and citizen of Anatot (Jer 1:1), is ordered not to marry in Anatot since the people who live there will be punished for being false prophets. This is not an absolute prohibition to not marry at all!
2. Honor and Respect of Parents
Y According to the Fifth Commandment in the Decalogue, children must honor their parents:
Exodus
The reward for keeping this commandment is long life this is the only Commandment in the Decalogue that mentions such a reward!
Y Not only honoring, but revering one's parents is required by the Torah:
Leviticus 19:3 Every man shall revere
his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths; I am the L-rd, your
G-d.
Y Still another precept in the Torah contains the following admonition:
Exodus 21:17 And
one
who curses his father and his mother, shall surely be put to death.
U The Gospel of Matthew contains the following account:
Matthew 12:46-50(KJV) (46) While he yet talked
to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to
speak with him. (47) Then one said unto
him, Behold,
thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. (48) But he answered and said unto him that
told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
(49) And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! (50) For whosoever shall do the will of my
Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. [See also Lk 2:42-50; Jn 2:3-4.]
Perhaps because Jesus did not honor his parents, he did not enjoy the reward of a long life on earth as promised in the Fifth Commandment!
U This is what Jesus taught concerning the place of one's parents:
Matthew 10:34-37(KJV) (34) Think not that I am
come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. (35) For I am come to set a man at
variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and
the daughter in law against her mother in law.
(36) And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. (37) He that loveth
father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. [See also Lk 14:26.]
This conduct of Jesus does not reflect that which is required by the Torah.
Conclusion: Jesus violated the commands to honor and
respect
parents!
3. Burying the Dead
Y The Jewish Law of Burial is based on commands in this passage:
Deuteronomy 21:23 His body shall not remain
all night upon the gallows, rather you shall surely bury him on that day, for
he who is hanged is accursed by G-d, and you shall not defile your land, which
the L-rd your G-d gives you for an inheritance.
Burial within 24 hours of death is commanded for an executed criminal. The Sages argued that, if this is to be done for an executed criminal, it certainly is the proper way to do it for an innocent person.
U The Gospel of Matthew describes the way Jesus tested one of his disciples:
Matthew 8:21-22(KJV) - And another of his disciples
said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. (22) But Jesus
said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead. [See also Lk 9:59-60.]
Jesus insisted that, rather than properly bury his own father, a person should follow him. This behavior also falls into the previous category concerning the honoring and respecting of parents.
Conclusion: Jesus violated the Jewish Law of Burial.
4. Observance of Passover
According to Christian tradition,
and supported by the accounts recorded in the Synoptic Gospel (Matthew,
Mark, and Luke), the Last Supper was the traditional festive Passover
eve ritual, the Seder.
When the Gospel accounts of the Last Supper are contrasted
against the Torah laws that deal with the celebration of Passover [
(pessah)], it becomes evident that
Jesus and his disciples violated them.
Y
Jews are obligated to remove all leavened
product [
(hametz)] from their possession prior
to the Passover:
Exodus 12:15 - Seven days you shall eat
unleavened bread, but on the first day you shall clear away leaven from
your houses; for whoever eats leavened bread, from the first day until
the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
Y
Unleavened bread [
(matzot)] must be eaten for the duration of
Passover:
Exodus
Y
Jews are prohibited from having leavened
product [ (hametz)] in their possession throughout
Passover:
Exodus 12:19 For seven days leaven
shall not be found in your houses; for whoever eats leaven, that soul
shall be cut off from the community of Israel, among the stranger and among the
native born of the land.
Y
Jews may not eat food that
contains leavened product [ (hametz)] during Passover:
Exodus
Y
Jews may not eat leavened
product [ (hametz)] during Passover:
Exodus 13:3 - And
Moses said to the people, "Remember this day on which you went out of
U The account recorded in the Gospel of Matthew indicates that, at the Last Supper, Jesus and his disciples were eating ordinary bread, thereby violating the precepts listed above:
Matthew 26:26(KJV) - And as they were eating,
Jesus took bread [αρτος (artos)], and blessed it, and brake
it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. [See also Mk 14:22; Lk 24:30.]
Note the use of αρτος (artos) in the Greek source, which is the Greek word for ordinary leavened bread (or cake). Christian apologists and missionaries may argue that the authors of the New Testament, in writing their accounts, implied that Jesus and his disciples ate unleavened bread. However, the Greek word for unleavened bread in the Greek source is αζυμως (azumos; see, e.g., Mt 26:17; Mk 14:1,12; Lk 22:1,7).
Y
In addition to the precepts
concerning the eating of unleavened bread, (matzot),
there is another precept of interest:
Exodus 12:8 - And
they shall eat the meat in that night, roasted over fire, and [with] unleavened
bread; with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
U The accounts of the Last Supper, as recorded in the Four Gospels are silent about eating the flesh of the Paschal lamb and the bitter herbs by Jesus and his disciples at any time during the meal.
Christian apologists and missionaries argue that Jesus himself served as the Paschal lamb. This, however, conflicts with the requirements in the Torah[4].
Y The following instructions are spelled out regarding what had to be done with the meat of the Paschal lamb:
Exodus 12:9-10 (9) You
shall not eat from it raw, nor boiled in water; but roasted over fire, its head
with its legs, and with its inner parts.
(10) And you shall not leave any of it until morning; and that which
left over until the morning you shall burn in the fire.
U Jesus was referred to as the Paschal lamb in the New Testament. However, there is no record this was actually done with him.
Conclusion: Jesus violated the commands that relate to Passover!
5. Love and Brotherhood of People
a. Attitude toward Gentiles
Y The Torah requires Jews to not wrong a Gentile in speech, and love the Gentile:
Exodus 22:20 - You shall not mistreat
a stranger, nor shall you oppress him; for you were strangers in the
Deuteronomy
U The Gospel of Matthew contains the following account:
Matthew 15:22-27(KJV) (22) And, behold, a
woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him,
saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously
vexed with a devil. (23) But
he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth
after us. (24) But he answered and
said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of
This Gentile woman came to Jesus for help, and he called her a dog!
Conclusion: Jesus violated commands concerning the
treatment of
Gentiles!
b. Attitude toward Jews
Y There are precepts in the Torah concerning the behavior toward fellow Jews:
Leviticus 19:17-18 (17) You shall not hate your brother in your heart; you shall surely reprove your friend, and you shall not bear sin on his account. (18)