what religion was jesus?

I think Jesus cut through all the laws and traditions to something authentic. Unconditional love is above everything including religion in my opinion. Jesus broke the sabbath to heal people for example. I think Jesus was more interested in creating a movement than a religion.

 

Jesus was interested in true worship, worshiping God in a way that God approved and was interested in teaching others how to worship God in spirit and truth.

As for the Sabbath, Jesus didn't break the Sabbath, even though many thought so. It's just that Jesus understood the Sabbath better than others. He knew the Sabbath was for man's benefit, not man for the Sabbath’s benefit.

 

I like that. So what if religion doesn't benefit man? I'm thinking of all the wars fought over it. I wonder what Jesus would think.

 

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I think "perfect" in that verse means that we should love unconditionally even our enemies the way the Father does. The bible also says that it's impossible to earn your way to heaven. Just a thought.

 

Hey Monkey Boy!
That is an interesting question...
I also find myself thinking of David (one of my favorite OT people, the other being Moses); David being a "man after the Lord's own heart".
David lived a very interesting life, a large part of it being a Serious Soldier for the Lord. It speaks of him slaying thousands (I believe) and the Lord was thrilled with David, he danced in the streets until his clothes all fell off. lol
must've been a Good Time... I digress.
Since Jesus entry into the equation really was/did supposed to change everything, and the sacrifice of Jesus represented all of the blood sacrifice He will ever want again...
Probably Jesus would be very, very unhappy with Any Religion, church, or leader that did not uplift God in all ways. War is (imo) out of the question.

 

he was his own

 

If a religion doesn't benefit mankind then that's the wrong religion. (Isaiah 48:17)

What would Jesus think? (Matthew 26:52)

 

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Nice info. This is exactly what bothers me. God in the old testament and Jesus seem like polar opposites. God in Exodus sits on top of the mountain and demands to be worshipped and threatens to kill everyone who doesn't. While jesus sits and talks with the worst of sinners and dies for them. Did God change or did our perspective of him change?

 

Yes, David was a mighty warrior, favored by God but not because of being a warrior.

He was favored by God because he was a faithful and humble servant of God.

Because he was a warrior and was blood guilty, he was not allowed the build the Temple, yet his son Solomon, a man of peace was allowed to build it.

 

OWB, you are totally right, and I really didn't mean to imply that David was favored Because of being a warrior. Just that being one didn't affect God's favor for him and that his warrior "ways" and deeds were in accordance with what God wanted.

 

God in the OT and Jesus do seem to be quite opposite.
I believe when God allowed a part of Himself to incarnate as Jesus (as He always knew He would) His perspective (of us humans) altered/changed, as did many rules such as ritual blood sacrifice, and eye for an eye, etc.
That is the way I understand it, anyway.

 

This is a common misconception that God has changed or is different but he has not. (Malachi 3:6) (James 1:17)

As for changing rules, the Law was a tutor leading to the Christ and was never meant to be permanent. (Galatians 3:24) Such as the blood sacrifices, they were to show what Jesus sacrifice was going to do, once Jesus made his sacrifice there was no need for further of the blood sacrifices of the Law. Looking at eye for eye, that’s exactly what Jesus did, he gave up his perfect human life to replace what Adam give up. one for one, an eye for an eye.

 

On the question "What religion was Jesus?"

he was born a Jew, so of course his religion would be Jewish/Judaism..he followed the laws of God and also the man made laws that had been created by man, which is what he tried to teach the Jews and Pharisees of that day and that ultimately led up to him being put to death.

 

I'm afraid you are all wrong. If any of you took the time to understand Gnosticism, and compared it with what he taught in His Parables you would see a correalation. Remember Jesus travelled to the East and not much is known of that journey, but I suspect he was introduced to Taoism. His teachings are clearly separate of those of traditional Judaism. I believe He was raised Gnostic, studied the Tao on His travels and incorporated both into his teachings.

 

Jesus' trip to the East is a story that has no credible support. There is also no credible evidence except Gnostic scritptures to suggest He was Gnostic. If you read Nasorean/Ebionite scriptures (which are also suspect), He was Jewish. His brother James, who became leader of the Church after Jesus' death, was a prominent nazirite practicing a kind of guerilla theater against the temple establishment by demonstrating his purer observance of Jewish laws and customs. His cousin, John the Baptist, was an even more outspoken opponent of the Herodeans. Both were steadfast observers of Jewish law, and James clashed with Paul over relaxing various aspects of Jewish law in order to attract Gentile converts. I realize there is an extensive New Age pseudo-Gnostic literature to the contrary, and I regard it as bunk. Jesus' teachings are very much in the Jewish tradition of the great prophets and the school of the Pharisee Hillel (opposed to the rival Pharisee school of Shammai. It is conceivable that he was exposed to Gnostic influences through the Essenes, but there is really not much evidence of this.

 

At least none that was preserved by the powers that be of the time. The lack of evedence available now is the result of those who tried to destroy it then. Has this occurred to you Okiefreak? Jesus said "Even the least amoung you can do all I can do, and more." Gnostics support this quote, yet those who would make Jesus there Lord and Savior don't seem to get it. What better way to control the masses then by putting Jesus on a pedastal and making what he did impossible for us mere mortals. I accept this quote from Jesus as God's Truth which means that everyone, even me, can do what he did. By making Jesus your Lord and Savior you put Him above you and make His own declarations unattainable. To gain the Kingdom you are to be as Jesus was. To put Him above you is to deny yourself the Kingdom. "To enter the Kingdom, the first come last and the last first." Jesus did not intend to be your Lord and Savior. If Jesus entered the Kingdom first, then clearly He put himself last.

 

What about everything else Jesus said or do you only pick and choose what you want to believe?