What do we know about Jesus (Yeshua) when it comes to the question of keeping Torah? Was he observant like Orthodox Jews of today? Was he “the first Reform Jew,” as some have claimed?  And how religious do you have to be to follow him? The best way to find out is to look at what Jesus said and did about the Torah (also called “the Law”).

Jesus Was Raised to Follow Torah

From his birth, Jesus’ parents saw to it that everything Torah required was done with and for him. That included his b’rit milah (circumcision) on the eighth day1, and the pidyon ha’ben (redemption of the son) ceremony after 30 days.2 “And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth” (Luke 2:39).

Of course, Jesus had no say in any of that. So, what do we know about Jesus’ own attitude toward Torah as he was growing up?

Jesus and his family made the annual trip to Jerusalem for Passover. When he was 12, his parents accidentally left him behind, unaware that he was engaged in deep discussions in the Temple. His parents were frantic, but the Jewish teachers of Jesus’ day were amazed by the depth of his comments.3 He had developed expertise in Torah from a young age.

Jesus Upheld the Torah

Jesus’ most famous teaching is the “Sermon on the Mount,” (Matthew 5–7). Some have read this sermon as a refutation or rewriting of Torah. But what Jesus actually tells the assembled crowd is: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17).

So why have some viewed this sermon as a rewriting or undermining of Torah? Possibly they misinterpreted the memorable formula Jesus used to voice his commentary on the Torah. It went like this: “You have heard it said of old that __________, but I tell you __________.”4 Using that formula, Jesus takes topics that everyone knows from the Law and tells the people that the commandment goes deeper than they thought. For example, we have all heard the commandment, “do not to murder.” Jesus tells us that even verbal abuse breaks the commandment. 5

Far from overruling the Torah, Jesus was underscoring its deeper meaning. He takes us into the heart of Torah to point us to God’s standards.

At another time, when asked which is the greatest commandment of all, Jesus recites from the Shema: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Then he adds, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”6

Jesus knew that the Torah was not given to burden Israel, but to set us apart.

All of Jesus’ teaching on Torah steers us back to those two central ideas: love God and love your neighbors. He stressed this because the Torah’s ideal of love had often been obscured by certain interpretations. It was those interpretations that caused some of the leaders to accuse Jesus of breaking the law when they saw him healing people on Shabbat.

Jesus knew, however, that the Torah was not given to burden Israel, but to set us apart. It was written to teach us how to live in community with each other and in love and covenant with a holy and loving God. Within its statutes lie moral clarity, justice, protection for the vulnerable, and patterns of worship designed to draw us nearer to the Creator.

And within those parameters, Jesus knew it was permissible—and asserted his right—to do things that some of the religious leaders frowned upon, such as healing people on the Sabbath. Jesus pointed to the common understanding that the law of Moses allows us to show mercy and care for an animal on Shabbat;7 so it was certainly permissible to show mercy and care for a human being. Jesus’ interpretation of Shabbat is reminiscent of the Jewish principle of pikuach nefesh,8 the priority of saving a life (though that principle dealt with those who might lose their life if action was not taken).

Such teachings show not only Jesus’ passion for loving others, but also his love of justice and righteousness—and it is that love that lies at the heart of the Torah. The requirements of justice and righteousness do not stand in opposition to love and mercy but are fueled by them. Isn’t it righteous to care for the widowed and orphaned? Or just to help your neighbor in need or a friend going through a hard time? These are not only acts of love but acts of justice and righteousness, which are commanded in the Torah and lie at the core of Jesus’ character and teaching.

Answering the Question

So, was Jesus more observant or less observant than many of the religious leaders of his day? It depends on what is meant by observant.

Jesus was “less observant” in the sense that he felt it unnecessary to adhere to many of the interpretations and traditions that had sprung up around the law. He quoted the prophet Isaiah when he called out some of the religious leaders of his day:

This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;

in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.9

But you could also say he was “more observant” than some, in that he lived and taught the heart of the law, which is love for God and others.

The same applies to the question of whether Jesus’ teachings make his followers more religious or less religious. If “religious” refers to meeting a set number of specific requirements in order to find peace and joy with God, then following Jesus does not make us especially religious. But if  “religious” means a heartfelt love for God and others—a love that continually guides our choices and helps us set godly boundaries—then yes, following Jesus means embracing life in that way.

The fact is, most of us who follow Jesus don’t really think in terms of being religious or not. When we pray and worship God together and try to live life in line with his standards, it’s all about our relationship with God—and how that affects our relationships with one another.

Endnotes

1 Luke 2:21; see Genesis 17:10–14; Leviticus 12:3.

2 Luke 2:22–24; see Exodus 13:2; Leviticus 12:6–8. (Of course, first-century observances would have looked different from today’s.)

3 Luke 2:41–52.

4 Matthew 5:21–48. The fact that Jesus says “you have heard” rather than “it was written” suggests he’s referring to the common understanding of the commandments, not simply quoting Scripture.

5 Matthew 5:21–22.

6 Matthew 22:36–40; see Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18.

7 Matthew 12:11.

8 Pikuach Nefesh, Hebrew for “saving a soul” or “saving a life,” is recognized in Jewish law as a priority, even if it means overriding a commandment, such as not performing certain tasks on the Sabbath.

9 Mark 7:6–7; see Isaiah 29:13. See also Deuteronomy 4:2, 6:5, 12:32.