I believe Jesus was a vegetarian

Answer:

There are several flaws in your argument. You basically claim that Israelites were vegetarians because of a command given to mankind thousands of years before the Mosaical Law was established. If you would turn your Bible just a few chapters further you will read: "So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand.Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs"" (Genesis 9:1-3). Hence, faithful Jews knew that God gave mankind animal life as food just as He gave plant life as food at the beginning.

A casual reading of the Old Testament shows that the people of Israel did eat meat. For example, the Passover meal, observed once a year by all Jews, included the killing, roasting, and eating of a lamb. "Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: 'On the tenth day of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man's need you shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire-its head with its legs and its entrails. You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD'S Passover" (Exodus 12:3-11). All Israelites were required to keep the Passover (Exodus 12:47).

Then we could go through the dietary laws that specified what kinds of animals an Israelite was allowed to eat, but I'll save that for another time.

Now you claim that Jesus did not eat meat. The claim is not based on what the Bible said, but what you conclude from what is not said. To show the flaw in your reasoning, let me reverse the argument for a moment. Nowhere does the Bible mention that Jesus ate vegetables. It says he gave people bread, but it doesn't say that he himself ate the bread. Therefore, Jesus ate only meat.

A fairly silly argument, isn't it?

Jesus was an Israelite. As one, he was required to keep the Passover, which the New Testament records that he did. "Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed. And He sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat"" (Luke 22:7-8). Here Jesus commands that an animal be killed, just as the Old Law required. He states that the purpose was so that they may eat. The use of the word "we" necessarily includes the speaker, who was Jesus. "Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God" (Luke 22:15-16). Notice carefully what it said: Jesus ate the Passover with his disciples. The main feature of the Passover was roasted lamb, which the entire congregation was required to partake. There is no reason to conclude that Jesus did not eat portions of the lamb just as every other Jew did; instead, there is every reason to conclude that he did eat of the lamb.

We also find that Jesus ate fish. "Then Jesus said to them, "Children, have you any food?" They answered Him, "No." And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish" (John 12:5-6). Notice once again, Jesus asked if the disciples had food. When they answered "no" he had them cast out their nets and gather fish. The obvious conclusion is that fish was food in Jesus' mind. Then as the disciples were dragging in their catch we read: "Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish which you have just caught." Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. Jesus said to them, "Come and eat breakfast." Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, "Who are You?" --knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish" (John 21:9-13). Hence, we learn that Jesus had no problem with cooking fish and serving it up for breakfast. The strong implication is that Jesus joined them in eating that breakfast.

However, the strongest evidence that Jesus ate meat is found in Luke: "But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, "Have you any food here?" So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. And He took it and ate in their presence" (Luke 24:41-43). So despite your assertion, the Bible clearly states that Jesus ate fish and honeycomb.

You boldly stated that to say Jesus ate meat would be an insult. Why do you insult the Lord by contradicting His Word? "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer" (I Timothy 4:1-5).

Being a vegetarian is a personal choice, but it is not a religious command. A vegetarian is no more righteous than one who chooses to eat meat. "For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand" (Romans 14:2-4).