Should the Name Jesus Provoke “Bitter Memories”?

NEARLY everyone has heard of Jesus of Nazareth. Hundreds of millions of persons consider him the most important man who ever walked on earth. Some, however, take a decidedly different view.

The body of Jewish religious writings known as the Babylonian Talmud,a for example, contains the following statement: “On the eve of the Passover Yeshu [Jesus] was hanged. For forty days before the execution took place, a herald went forth and cried, ‘He is going forth to be stoned because he has practised sorcery and enticed Israel to apostasy. Any one who can say anything in his favour, let him come forward and plead on his behalf.’ But since nothing was brought forward in his favour he was hanged on the eve of the Passover!”​—Tractate Sanhedrin, folio page 43a.

In his book The Jewish People and Jesus Christ, Jakob Jocz remarks: “The name of Jesus and the symbol of his suffering evoke bitter memories in the Jewish mind.” On occasion this bitterness has reached extremes. When reminded of Jesus, some sincere Jewish persons have uttered the phrase: “May his name and his memory be blotted out.”

While not all Jews feel bitterness toward Jesus, even in this twentieth century such feeling does exist. Let us consider several reasons.

Reasons for Bitterness

● For centuries Jews have suffered horrible persecution at the hands of Christendom. Some of the most heartrending pages of history tell of blood-spilling crusades, torturous “Inquisitions,” public humiliation, forced baptisms and systematic extermination of millions of persons whose only “crime” was their being Jewish.

● Hundreds of millions of Christendom’s church members worship Jesus as the second person of a mysterious “Trinity,” the full equal of Almighty God. However, the inspired Hebrew Scriptures declare: “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is One.” (Deut. 6:4, “Jewish Publication Society”) Jewish people have found unconvincing the arguments of Christendom’s theologians that God is both “one” and “three” at the same time.

● Many of Christendom’s churches contain images of Jesus before which worshipers bow in reverence. This is distasteful to persons who order their lives by what is stated in the second of the Ten Commandments: “Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor any manner of likeness, of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; thou shalt not bow down unto them, nor serve them.”​—Ex. 20:4, 5, “JP.”

● Jesus of Nazareth claimed to be the long-promised Messiah. Yet, according to Rabbi H. G. Enelow: “The ideas associated in the Jewish mind with the Messiah not only were left unrealized by Jesus, but have remained unfulfilled to this day.”

In view of the above, have you ever wondered why for seven years after Jesus began his public preaching and teaching activities all of his thousands of followers were natural Jews, or persons who had converted to Judaism? Why did they listen to Jesus?

“No Sensible Jew Can Be Indifferent”

Some may feel that the matter of Jesus of Nazareth and the Jews is a dead issue, unworthy of discussion. However, Rabbi Enelow raises an important point: “No sensible Jew can be indifferent to the fact that a Jew [here referring to Jesus] should have had such a tremendous part in the religious education and direction of the human race.” Another Jewish scholar, E. R. Trattner, remarks in As a Jew Sees Jesus:

“It is estimated that more than sixty thousand volumes have been written about him (Jesus). Eight hundred languages and dialects tell his story. To me​—because I am a Jew—​this is an amazing thing, for nothing quite like it has ever happened on so large a scale in the annals of man.”

“Two Distinct Themes”

Here it will be good to clear up some misunderstandings. Dr. Jocz points out: “The Christ of the Church . . . has nothing in common with the great Nazarene. The discussion concerning Christian doctrine and the discussion concerning Jesus of Nazareth are two distinct themes.” How is that so?

An examination of the Gospel accounts by the Jewish writers Matthew, Mark, Luke and John may prove surprising. You will find that nowhere does Jesus solicit worship from his disciples. Instead of claiming equality with God, Jesus said: “I do nothing of my own initiative; but just as the Father taught me I speak these things.” (John 8:28) Jesus also declared: “The Father [God] is greater than I am.” (John 14:28) And during a time of testing, he prayed to God: “Let, not my will, but yours take place.”​—Luke 22:42.

Unlike the churches of Christendom, neither Jesus nor any of the writers of the “New Testament” encouraged the use of images in worship. On the contrary, you will read: “Flee from idolatry.” “Guard yourselves from idols.” (1 Cor. 10:14; 1 John 5:21) And instead of urging mistreatment of fellow humans, Jesus taught in his Sermon on the Mount: “Continue to love your enemies and to pray for those persecuting you; that you may prove yourselves sons of your Father who is in the heavens, since he makes his sun rise upon wicked people and good and makes it rain upon righteous people and unrighteous.”​—Matt. 5:44, 45.

As to the content of Jesus’ teaching, The Jewish Encyclopedia comments: “In many ways his attitude was specifically Jewish, even in directions which are usually regarded as signs of Judaic narrowness. Jesus appears to have preached regularly in the synagogue, which would not have been possible if his doctrines had been recognized as being essentially different from the current Pharisaic beliefs.”

Thus, many of the obstacles that have embittered Jewish persons toward Jesus of Nazareth did not exist in the first century C.E. In fact, Jews back there showed willingness to listen to him. Why?

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