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Christians believe Jesus was God; the Messiah. When they asked Jesus who was God, He said "Before Abraham was, I am". Jesus also said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by Me."
Tenant Story: Mark 12.1-12
Jesus relates that a man planted a vineyard, leased it to his tenants and moved away. When the harvest season arrived, the owner sent a slave to collect the owner’s share of the produce, but the tenants beat the slave and kicked him out. The owner sent many others who were also beaten, ejected or killed. Finally, the owner sent his “beloved Son” whom the tenants killed, thinking that he had come for their inheritance. Jesus asks, what will the “owner of the vineyard do?” The owner, Jesus says, “will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others” (Mk 12.9). “They” realize the story was told “against them” (vs. 12) and so want to arrest Jesus but are afraid of the crowd. (“They” apparently refers to the priests, scribes and elders at Mk 11.27.) The tenant story is based on Isa 5.1-7, but Isaiah knows nothing of slaves or a son being murdered.
In Mark, the tenants are the Jewish people, those sent to collect the owner’s share of the produce are the prophets of the Jewish Scriptures, and the son is Jesus. The meaning of the allegory is that the Jewish covenant is only temporary. It will be nullified by “the Jews” when they reject and kill God’s Son. They will then no longer be the people of God; the non-Jews will replace them and be given the vineyard, that is, the kingdom of God.
Criminal charges could have been brought by the Sanhedrin against Jesus since he attributed to himself divine characteristics by allowing himself to be called Lord and claiming the authority to forgive sins and regulate the Sabbath, etc. And, if Jesus claimed to be the “only” Son of God in a literal, not metaphorical sense, this would be un-Jewish, and perhaps a criminal offense.
At the trial, the high priest asks Jesus if he will defend himself, but he is “silent and not answer,” fulfilling Isa 53.7. The high priest then asks, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” But how does the high priest know that any of the titles, Messiah (Christ), Son of the Blessed, Son of Man, Son of God, apply to Jesus? Jesus is called the “Son of God” by demons, but they are silenced at his command, and none of the people even suspect that these titles apply to him; at most the people think Jesus is a prophet (Mk 8.28) or maybe one who cures illnesses or exorcises demons.
Asked if he is the Messiah, Jesus answers, “I am; and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven” (Mk 14.61-62), a union of Dan 7.13 and probably Ps 110.1. Hearing Jesus’ admission, the high priest tears his garments and judges that Jesus is guilty of blasphemy. The priest asks the Sanhedrin for its decision and “All of them him as deserving death” (Mk 14.64).
According to Jesus, the Jews were the chosen people of God but they will sever their covenant with God when they reject and kill God’s son. Thus, non-Jews will replace them as the people of God. Christians have so interpreted the gospels for nearly 2,000 years and today conservative Christians, still faithful to the gospels, preach this message of supersessionalism.
Like Christians, Muslims respect and revere Jesus. Islam teaches that Jesus is one of the greatest of God's prophets and messengers to humankind.
So you have Christians who believe Jesus was God (the Messiah) supporting Jews who believe Jesus was just a man guilty of blasphemy in defense against Muslims who believe Jesus was one of God's greatest prophets???
1) Why do Christians support Jews above other races?
2) And for that matter, why do Jews let them?
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