Was Jesus a Palestinian?
Hamas may be an evil bunch, but they sure know how to play to Western sensibilities.
As a sly tactic to gain American and European sympathizers, some Hamas supporters post on their social media accounts “Jesus Was a Palestinian.”
No surprise when a catchy slogan like this is accompanied by an AI-generated picture showing a modern nativity scene – with an Arab-looking husband, wife, and infant boy hugging in fear, surrounded by bomb-destroyed buildings of Gaza.
No doubt, the strategy is to forge an emotional connection between the sufferings of the nativity family and those of the Palestinians. Their goal is to cultivate empathy for the Palestinian side of the conflict and hostility toward the Israeli “occupation.”
But if we are to be discerning in this tug-o’-war for our support, we must ensure our brains accompany our heart. We want the truth. With this goal, let’s address the following question: was Jesus really a Palestinian?
The Land: What Exactly is “Palestine”?
Before we can determine if Jesus was really a Palestinian, we should define what being “Palestinian” is.
Let’s begin with the name of the land at the center of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Following Joshua’s conquest of Canaan, the Promised Land[1] was essentially known as “Israel.” The term “Judea”[2] described the southern-most portion after the tax revolt in Rehoboam’s day split the nation. For centuries Israel was a Jewish land filled with synagogues with a Jewish temple in the Jewish capital city of Jerusalem. Despite this, efforts have been made by Israel’s enemies to deny the very existence of a Jewish temple.[3]
After the Romans crushed the Jewish fight for independence in the first century and then re-crushed them during the Bar Kokhba Revolt in 135AD, the Romans sent the Jewish people scattering around the globe. The virulent antisemitic Roman emperor, Hadrian, renamed Judea – the Jewish homeland – as Syria Palaestina to erase its Jewish identity and to spite the Jewish people.[4] Compounding his efforts, he renamed Jerusalem Aelia Capitolina,[5] forbidding Jewish people to live there – or even look upon the holy city.[6]
Thanks to the Romans – or maybe no thanks to them – for the last two thousand years and up until 1948, the ancient region of Israel was known by many as “Palestine” (or some slight variation due to linguistic differences).
Now we have established how and when the name “Palestine” became attached to the land. We know Jesus lived and ministered approximately 40 years before the Roman assault against Israel in 70AD. Given this, did Jesus ever live in a place called “Palestine?”
The Culture: What Exactly Does It Mean to Be “Palestinian”?
Again, before we can determine if Jesus was really a Palestinian, we should define what being “Palestinian” is. Did you know that “Palestinian” can relate to either ethnicity or nationality? Let’s first talk about being “Palestinian” in ethnicity.
Being ethnically Palestinian refers to a shared cultural heritage, language, history, and often, a common ancestry. In the case of Palestinians, it generally refers to people who trace their origins to the historic region which came to be known as “Palestine,” encompassing diverse backgrounds such as Arab, Bedouin, Circassian, and others who have lived in the area for generations.
“Palestinian” can also relate to nationality. In this case, being “Palestinian” in nationality relates to citizenship or belonging to a specific political entity or nation-state. In the context of Palestinians, nationality primarily denotes individuals who identify with or hold citizenship in the modern political entity that some call “Palestine” or consider themselves part of the national community, which seeks self-determination and statehood[7] in that region.
Does Jesus fit the description of “Palestinian” in His ethnicity or His nationality? And, again, did Jesus ever live in a land called “Palestine”?
Jesus Was Jewish, of the Nation of Israel
According to Jesus’ genealogy, He is a direct descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob/Israel. Jesus came from the tribe of Judah through the family line of King David, ancient Israel’s most famous king. Jesus’ mother, Miriam (Mary’s Hebrew name), was Jewish; his adoptive father, Yoseph (Joseph), was Jewish. In ancient times, Jesus could not have had more Jewish credentials than He did – a true Hebrew among Hebrews.
To be considered ethnically Jewish in modern times, Orthodox Jews require a person to be a flesh-and-bone descendant of Jacob (Israel) and have a Jewish mother (or be a sincere convert to the Jewish faith). Jesus’ mother, Miriam, was Jewish, so that means Jesus was 100% Jewish by both ancient (through His father) and modern standards (through His mother) – as Jewish as they come.
The Name of Jesus’ True Homeland Was Judea
Now let’s talk about Jesus’ homeland. What should we call the region of Planet Earth where Jesus was born? Jesus lived in Judea prior to its Roman-forced name change in 135AD. There is no reason to attach the term “Palestine” to the land of Jesus’ birth. Jesus was of the people and land of Israel, and he was born in Bethlehem of the region of Judea.8 Jesus was a Jew through and through, and nothing about His ethnicity or nationality could reasonably be considered “Palestinian.”
Has Jesus Changed His Ethnicity to “Palestinian” or Call the Land “Palestine”?
While it is absolutely and powerfully true that Jesus loves the people who claim Palestinian ethnicity and nationality, Jesus continues to honor (a) the land gift given by God to the Jewish people and (b) His own Jewish heritage. Let’s look at reasons why these things are true.
King of the Jews
Near the time of His birth, wise men from the East delivered gifts, saying: “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him” (Matthew 2:2). Jesus is God’s chosen King over the land and the people of Israel. He is a Jewish King.
King on David’s Throne
Jesus is destined to return and establish the Kingdom of Israel in righteousness. Shortly after Jesus’ resurrection but just prior to His ascension into Heaven, the disciples asked Him, “‘Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’ And He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority’” (Acts 1:6–7).
The great Messianic prophecy of Isaiah chapter 9 declares of Messiah Jesus, “Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever” (Isaiah 9:7). Upon His return, Jesus will reign as the promised Messianic descendant of David on his throne and over the nation of Israel.
Jesus Will Reign in Jerusalem and Celebrate Jewish Customs
When Jesus returns and the resurrection of the just occurs (John 5:28–29), Jesus will put on a feast with the forefathers of the Jewish nation. Here are His words: “And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 8:11).
Even the Feast of Tabernacles will be celebrated upon Jesus’ future return – a tribute to Jewish biblical culture. We read “And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles” (Zechariah 14:16).
Jesus Will Physically Rescue the Jewish People from Death and Land Theft
What will be the impetus for Jesus’ second coming? It will, in fact, be to rescue the Jewish people and the Promised Land from those who seek to murder God’s chosen people and steal their God-given land. Here is a glimpse of the prophecy of this future event:
“Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it” (Zechariah 12:2–3).
Notice God calls the land “Judah” in light of this future event. The chapter continues:
“It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced” (Zechariah 12:9-10).
Revelation 1:7 makes a strong reference to Zechariah 12:10, identifying Jesus as “Me whom they pierced.” So, we see that even at a date future from today, Jesus will have concern over the people, the land, and the capital of Israel. It will be at this time that God will press the “go” button and send Messiah Jesus back to save His people and their gifted land from destruction.
Upon His return, the Jewish people will “look on Me whom they pierced” and will finally recognize the true identity of their precious Messiah. No doubt the God of Israel and His Messiah have not forgotten the divine covenant made with the people of Israel. Certainly, the Abrahamic Covenant is remembered, but it also seems the Mosaic Covenant is also remembered well into the future. This is evidenced by God’s heavenly response to the end times antisemitism going on on earth: “Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail” (Revelation 11:19). It seems God’s anger is roused as He sees His chosen ones being mistreated.
Jewish Culture Remembered on the New Cosmos and Earth
The world and this cosmos will not last forever (2 Peter 3:1–13), and when this world is over and those made righteous by Messiah’s atoning work on the cross arrive in their forever home, the eternal city of God will be called “The New Jerusalem” (Revelation 21:2). God names His eternal city a name that remembers the ancient and modern capital of the Jewish land of Israel. Speaking of this great city, John the disciple of Jesus reported the following:
“Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb” (Revelation 21:12–14).
Of this eternal city where the righteous will dwell forever with the King of Israel and the God of Israel, the names of the twelve tribes of Israel are imprinted on the twelve gates of the city, and the twelve foundation layers bear the names of Jesus’ twelve Jewish disciples. You can’t get more Jewish than this, and this overt identification with God’s chosen people extends even beyond the lifetime of this universe!
Conclusion
No language or concepts in all of Scripture justify the claim that “Jesus was a Palestinian.” Jesus doesn’t hate people of Palestinian ethnicity and nationality; rather, He loves them deeply and desires their salvation (John 3:16; 1 Timothy 2:4).
But there is no doubt that Jesus is Jewish. He is the King of Israel. He will one day reign from the capital of Israel in Jerusalem, and His identity is with His own people – the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Even Messiah’s eternal home will remember the Jewish names and culture that Hamas and Palestinian fighters seek to annihilate.
If we could wiretap heaven, God’s laughter might very well be heard as the nations rage and the peoples plot such a vain thing, as depicted in Psalm 2. Nobody will make God into a liar (Romans 3:4) or a covenant-breaker (Jeremiah 31:31ff). What He has promised, He will fulfill (2 Peter 3:9-11)!
Written by Beau, Life in Messiah’s Media Producer
Do you think that Jesus’ Jewishness is important to Him? What happens if we strip away that identity?
Would you join us in praying for both Israelis and Palestinians to come to saving faith in Jesus the Jewish Messiah?
What would it look like for you to gently and lovingly correct someone who claims Jesus is Palestinian while affirming His love for all people?
Endnotes:
[1] The boundaries of the land deeded to Abraham by God in an unconditional blood covenant are defined in Genesis 15:7-21.
[2] See 1 Kings 12. The 10 northern tribes continued to be known as Israel, the name God gave Jacob in Genesis 32. The two southern tribes, Benjamin and Judah, were known by the latter name.
[3] https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/temple-denial-unescos-pernicious-lie-and-the-wests-cave-in-to-multiculturalism-and-islam/.
[4] Many connect “Palestina” with “Philistia,” Israel’s ancient enemy. An alternate explanation is found here: https://library.biblicalarchaeology.org/article/when-palestine-meant-israel/. In any case, the name change was designed to sever identification with the Jewish homeland.
[5] Aelius was Hadrian’s clan name; the Capitoline deities were Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva. See https://www.britannica.com/place/Aelia-Capitolina.
[6] https://www.britannica.com/story/what-was-hadrians-relationship-with-his-jewish-subjects.
[7] Since the days of Roman conquest of Israel in 63 BC, no independent state existed. Palestine was always a province under foreign powers (Byzantines, Arab caliphs, Crusaders, Turks, and British) until May 14, 1948 when the modern State of Israel was declared.