Was Jesus Asian? Who Are the True Jews? (Identity & Geography Explained)

In this wild episode of the Ask A Christian Podcast, host Nate tackles some of the internet’s most bizarre questions: Was Jesus Asian? Who are the “true Jews”? Was Jesus a Nazarene or a Nazirite? (Spoiler: there’s a difference, and it matters.)
We dive deep into biblical geography, exploring the difference between Near East, Middle East, and Far East—because apparently Jesus’ continental classification is now a theological battleground. Is Israel in Asia? Were the Israelites Middle Eastern or Asian? Why do British people call Pakistanis “Asian” while Americans reserve that term for East Asians? We sort through the confusion with help from some very patient explanations about etymology, geography, and why none of this affects the Gospel.
Then we examine the disturbing “progressive Christianity” on display at Lake Street Church of Evanston, where a nativity scene features zip-tied baby Jesus and Roman soldiers dressed as ICE agents (https://protestia.com/2025/12/01/church-nativity-scene-features-zip-tied-baby-jesus-roman-soliders-as-ice-agents/). Their church covenant mentions everything except Jesus—which is apparently fine when you worship “God, whoever she may be.” We read their covenant in the most Anglican voice possible, because if you’re going to critique heresy, you might as well have fun with it.
Finally, we defend Skillet’s heavy metal rendition of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” (https://protestia.com/2025/11/17/song-review-skillets-o-come-o-come-emmanuel/) against pearl-clutching critics who think electric guitars are demonic. The band has remained faithful while other Christian artists have apostatized, yet some believers are more concerned about musical style than theological substance. We watch the full music video and discuss why Christians should celebrate faithful artists—even if they use distortion pedals.
Also covered: spiritual Israel vs. ethnic Israel, whether Christians are “grafted in” Jews, why Jesus was called a Nazarene, the Church of the Nazarene (briefly), God’s chosen people, and why '90s Christian rock samplers were the peak of youth group culture.
📚 Resources & Links:
• Church Nativity Scene with Zip-Tied Jesus - https://protestia.com/2025/12/01/church-nativity-scene-features-zip-tied-baby-jesus-roman-soliders-as-ice-agents/
• Song Review: Skillet’s O Come, O Come Emmanuel - https://protestia.com/2025/11/17/song-review-skillets-o-come-o-come-emmanuel/
• Skillet - O Come, O Come Emmanuel (Official Music Video) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiErbpZHfbk
For more content, visit: https://www.askachristianpodcast.com
⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
02:00 - Was Jesus Asian? Geographic confusion begins
09:40 - Egypt and Rome: Why Jesus wasn’t an immigrant
15:30 - Near East vs Middle East vs Far East definitions
26:40 - Jesus’ ethnicity: Jewish, not Asian (final answer)
31:50 - Who are God’s chosen people?
34:50 - Spiritual Israel vs ethnic Israel debate
41:45 - Should Christians support Israel? (Political vs biblical reasons)
53:00 - Was Jesus a Nazarene or Nazirite? Etymology explained
1:01:45 - Church nativity scene: Zip-tied baby Jesus & ICE agents
1:08:30 - Lake Street Church’s heretical covenant (read aloud)
1:29:40 - Defending Skillet’s “O Come O Come Emmanuel”
1:38:05 - Watching Skillet’s music video (full playthrough)
1:42:30 - Final thoughts on Christian rock & worship wars
#️⃣ HASHTAGS
#AskAChristianPodcast #Christianity #Jesus #Bible #ChristianApologetics #BiblicalTruth #Israel #ChristianMusic #Skillet #ProgressiveChristianity #FaithQuestions #ChurchControversy #ChristianRock #BibleStudy #Theology