Yes, Jesus was a Jew of Judaism's Essene sect. See Philo for a description of the Essenes and also
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essenes
..... A Christian has been defined as a person who follows a Christ and his lifestyle. Jesus never did that, therefore he never was a Christian. But he invented his brand of Christianity which includes (I'm quoting from memory):
1) Per Acts 2:44-47 and Acts 4:32-37 there was an actual umbrella community (a collection of all the "churches") called "The Kingdom of God", places where God was their king (maybe not obeying the Jewish leadership nor the Romans? Separatists? Compare with the Qumran sect. Voices in the Wilderness?), all, yes all, of whose members did what God wanted them to do, and never did what God did NOT wanted them to do; they had promised, or vowed, to sin no more (to obey God) as part of the pre-admission requirements. Compare with current requirements of pre-admission vows of obedience, poverty and chastity of religious groups. Also see, plus links indicated in them,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_Obedience
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_Poverty
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmony_Society
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Rapp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commune_(intentional_community)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hutterite
2)The churches were artificial "families", with all members being good friends of one-another (per Leviticus 19:18).
3) As individuals, members of the churches had no money - they didn't need any, and therefore outsiders called them "The poor". Compare with when we all used to be young; our needs were met by our parents, and we didn't have to pay for anything; we had no money then. See also, for examples,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebionites
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazarene_(sect)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voluntary_poverty
..... It was as impossible for a person to get to be a member without being poor, as it was for a camel to pass through a small hole.
4) The thought was that all members had given up, and wanted to leave, the outside community (even their families; see Mark 3:32-35 ), called "the world" as in worldly, they were all SAVED from the many worries and troubles and problems of trying to "make ends meet". However the churches of the Kingdom of God had probably severe logistical problems with how to get enough income from charity sources to feed and otherwise look after the members. Those members who could had to work (hard?) to try to meet most of the community's needs, but it probably wasn't enough, they probably were not self-sufficient. The churches of the current so-called "Christianities" do collect a lot of money, but they no longer provide their members with everything for free, including every member's food, shelter and clothing. I am reminded that Paul apparently defined a different Christ, not Jesus: His Christ was the total community of members, with the individual members being important "building blocks", compared with a human body's organs all being required to do whatever is necessary for the health and well-being of the whole body.
5) The apostles were "ambassadors" of the Kingdom of God. Compare with the ambassadors of the Vatican, the Nuncios. See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuncio
.... Jesus and the apostles apparently moved around looking for suitable people (mainly Jews?) who would be willing to leave the world, apply and if accepted join instead one of the churches of the Kingdom of God. Probably most of the applicants were losers who had all sorts of troubles, including people who were despised such as tax collectors, while most rich persons were unwilling to have to give up their wealth to the community as a whole and get to be "born again" and poor.
6) Apparently it was difficult to get to be a member of a church; many had been called and then applied to get to be a member, but only few were chosen. Probably Peter was responsible for the acceptance/rejection of applicants; the health of the Kingdom depended on his decisions. Unfortunately probably some of the rejects got to be bitter enemies who tried everything possible to destroy Jesus and the Kingdom; it proved Peter right to have rejected such people.
7) Regeneration (a new birth) of applicants apparently included a change of personality and indoctrination (for a new life?), at the end of which the applicant was a GOOD person despite their unfortunate history, like a "born again" child (sheep-like with Jesus as the shepherd?) suitable to probably first get baptized (or was regeneration the result of baptism?) and then joining one of the churches of the Kingdom of God. Baptism was apparently a washing away of all of the past sins, God (not only clergy) having forgiven them, and after baptism all were sinless. When Jesus talked about children he probably meant sinless adult members of the Kingdom of God, not young people. See also
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regeneration_(theology)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Born_again_(Christianity)
..... All members had to be "born again" before they were admitted into one of the churches of The Kingdom of God.
8) etc.
..... That is what I remember as the essential parts of the Christianity as defined by Jesus, who continued to be a Jew and a social reformer who helped (SAVED) many people. As I keep repeating, ignore all the many so-called "Christianities" that had been invented after Jesus was crucified. Only those are/were Christians, by definition, who follow(ed) Jesus and his lifestyle.