Why do christians say to imitate Jesus when Jesus was born a Jew and died a Jew?

Question

It seems like an oxi moron to call yourself a christian and imitate Jesus. If you have an angry response to this question please save it, im only curious about the christian belief system.

Answer 1

They mean to imitate what Jesus advocated; not the Jewish religion.

Answer 2

You say Jesus was only sent to the lost sheep of Israel. Have you considered Jesus' words? John 10:16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. Paul was not the first to claim Jesus was God. Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Immanuel means, "God with us"). Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Jeremiah 23:5-6 "The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. (6) In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness. A main difference between us is that I believe the Bible and you do not. You believe the Quran, and I do not. Logically, one or both are incorrect since the Bible and the Quran disagree with each other on this and other topics. It's interesting to me that Muslims will use the Bible to talk to Christians as evidence about Jesus' humanity. Christians believe Jesus humbled himself and became human, so it's nothing new to us. It's even more interesting that Muslims KNOW Christians believe the whole Bible, but insist we ignore large portions of it. You aren't going to get very far this way. Christians believe that more than just the words of Jesus are inspired of God. The Bible is clear that Jesus is divine. So, the question is, "How do you discern if a book is inspired by God?" I suggest one way to tell is by fulfilled prophesies, because only God can know the future all of the time. Deuteronomy 18:22 If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.

Answer 3

Because they know Jesus and know what he told them to do.
The first Christians were also Jewish and the word "Christian" was a derogatory word used "against" the Jewish followers of Jesus... Kind of like, if you defended a politician that no one else liked, they might tag you a Clinton-ite or a Bushite, depending on which politician you were defending...

Not until the Jewish pharisee, Saul of Tarsus, became a follower of Jesus, did Gentiles get included in God's plan of salvation. Even this was prophesied of in Isaiah, that the Messiah would be rejected by many of his own people, then become a light to the Gentiles and provoke the Jews, God's people, to jealousy... Gentiles, at that time, were people who worshipped pagan gods....

Soooo, I'm not entirely sure what your question has to do with your explanation of your question... unless, perhaps, you were not aware of the origin of the word Christian...

Answer 4

He was not just God/man to Jews but to all people. Did Jesus preach, teach, preform miracles and ultimately die for the forgiveness of just for a select people or for ALL people? He did this for ALL people. All people, every race, color ,creed for all time. Jesus had to be born at some place in time and as some race right? He was born about 2000 years ago and Jewish. If He were born in England (white) 450 years ago, would it be any different? Would some still balk? Yes So the time and race isn't the big question. It's for whom, why, what did it accomplish, that counts.

Answer 5

Christianity wasnt meant to be "another " religion. The christians were initially viewed as a sect of judaism that allowed non jews into the fold as well. Eventually the jews would'nt tolerate the christian teachings and had them barred from the sabbath worship. thats when christianity became a separate religion but even so pope john paul II once said "spiritually we are all semites". we acknowledge that jesus was the messiah prophesied about in the torah and that god welcomes all people to be a part of his family. the jews were supposed to be bringing people to god and teaching them about his ways according to the christian understanding of the messiah, many of them were doing this then and continue today, but Jesus was at pains to show people that some jews were being hypocrites and his teachings apply to christian hypocrites as well.

Christians and jews, those who follow god's prescriptions, are one.

Answer 6

The reason we call ourselves christian, is because we believe in Christ. I know Christ was a Jew, but the word Christian, evolved after. We associate Christians with the belief in Christ, not with which religion he was.
I hope that makes sense.
First there was the old testament, which is what the Jews follow. After Christ was born and died, the new testament came about depicting the life of Christ, hence the birth of Christianity.

Answer 7

"It seems like an oxi moron to call yourself a christian and imitate Jesus."

Ummmm..... no it's not. The word "Christian" LITERALLY means "like Christ".

Modern Christians are to modern Jews as chimps are to gorillas. They originated from a common ancestor, one branched away, and evolved into a new "species". To be Christian is to be Jewish, even though being Jewish doesn't necessarily mean being Christian. See what I'm talking about?

A square is a rectangle, but a rectangle isn't a square.

Answer 8

Jesus's teachings are not the Jewish teachings. For one thing even Jewish teachings were a lot different then than they are now.

Also, Jews do not believe that Jesus was the Son of God so people who believe that He was can't very well call themselves Jews can they?

Answer 9

How do you imitate Christ? By learning the whole point of salvation! So you can follow His type of love. Check this: God at the
beginning of time sets up laws, scientific laws, gravity,
etc. He also sets up a basic law of obedience: love God and
love your neighbor. Man broke these two laws (the core of
the Ten Commandments). All of us break these laws. God has
already said if you don't follow these laws you will be put
to death. But since He loves His creation, He doesn't want
to destroy them. He wants a way to save them. But how?
Sacrifice. Executing the consequence but on someone else.
But who could be worthy enough to be sacrified for billions
of people since the beginning of time? God. So He went to
earth, and died for the sins of man.

All He asks now is for you to accept that. That is
salvation. He doesn't want you to pull up a list of things
so you can be 'Christian'. He just wants you to accept that
He died for you and that your sins are forgiven when you ask
of it to be.

Now how about attitudes and following laws and
regulations and all this jazz. You have to see God as a
friend rather than a cop. Just for an example, if you
hang out with friends that smoke all the time, you are
influenced to do so yourself and might take up smoking.
In the same way, if you hang out with God and people that
believe in Him, you will be influenced to live that kind of
life. The change is progressive, and to some people
instant. But it all starts out with befriending God.

Answer 10

We follow the resurrected Christ the source of the Christian name. When Paul went in the desert of Asia in Galatians 1:17-20 and received instruction from the resurrected Christ three years just as the other Apostles had walked with Jesus while He was on the earth in the form of a man.

Galatians 1:15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, 16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: 17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. 19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother. 20 Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not. 21 Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia; 22 And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ: 23 But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. 24 And they glorified God in me.

Listen for Gods still small voice and His rushing mighty wind.

1 Kings 19:12 - And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

Acts 2:2 - And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.