Why Do Jews Reject Jesus

Why didn’t the Jews in Christ’s time recognize him as the Messiah?

“Why didn’t the Jews in Christ’s time recognize him as the Messiah?” Ensign,Apr. 1991, 53–55 Richard Neitzel Holzapfel is the Director of the LDS Institute in Irvine, California. I think that their blindness was a result of several factors, including “looking beyond the mark” and not hearkening “to the voice of the Spirit.” Daniel 84:47; Jacob 4:14; D C 84:47.) Another important factor was that the Old Testament passages relating to Christ’s divinity were misinterpreted in a variety of ways by different groups.

Even Jesus’ own disciples struggled to understand his mission and divine origin.

Crucial teachings that could have cleared up this confusion appear to have been lost to the Jews of Christ’s time.

Although these teachings are discussed somewhat in the New Testament, only through reading the Book of Mormon and Latter-day scripture can we fully comprehend the nature and mission of the Messiah.

  1. 4:3), kings (see1 Sam.
  2. 19:16)—were anointed by having olive oil poured over them.
  3. Other specially anointed servants had been mortal men anointed to serve God.
  4. In fact, at times, different groups of Jews expected many different Messiahs: a Messiah ben Joseph, a descendant of Ephraim; a Messiah ben Levi, a descendant of Aaron; and a Messiah ben David, a descendant of Judah.
  5. 1 Also confusing for the Jews was the Messiah’s relationship to God.
  6. In ancient Israel, the idea of being God’s son often referred to the children of Israel and to the king metaphorically.
  7. And even these passages have been translated and interpreted in such a way as to make them unclear.

2:7.) Jewish commentary placed this statement in the context of the promise given to David that, after his death, Solomon would sit on his throne: “I will be his father,” says the Lord, “and he shall be my son.” (2 Sam.

2 Thus, many Jews anticipated a Davidic Messiah, a descendant of King David, whose sonship with God was not literal.

The first begins, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isa.

But a Jewish translation renders this passage, “Assuredly, my Lord will give you a sign of His own accord!

Let her name him Immanuel.” 3 (Italics added.) It is obvious thatIsa.

It is possible that the Jews simply “missed the mark” or refused to admit the alternate interpretation that would have prepared them to accept a child born of a virgin.

The King James Version reads, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isa.

W.

The Jews understood these passages to mean that the individual mentioned in each passage would have a metaphorical relationship with God—that he would be an anointed “servant-son.” For this reason, then, Jesus’ claim to be the literal son of God—an idea not extant in Jewish tradition—outraged them.

  1. For Jewish leaders, Jesus’ claim of literal sonship was blasphemous.
  2. Others had claimed messiahship before and had not been arrested and charged.
  3. That offense was the capital crime of blasphemy—in this case, claiming to be the Son of God.
  4. The Book of Mormon clarifies Jesus’ Messiahship in several ways.
  5. It may have been that Lehi, like his contemporaries, understood the mission of the Savior Messiah only in the context of traditional Jewish teachings.
  6. 1:19.) Nephi was moved by his father’s revelations and wanted to know more about the things his father had taught.
  7. But Nephi learns, perhaps for the first time, that the Savior Messiah would be the literal Son of God.

11:15–21.) Abinadi refers to the established tradition in carrying to King Noah a message similar to the prophetic teachings in the Old Testament.

However, when he announces that the Savior Messiah would be God’s literal son, he receives a death sentence.

(See1 Ne.

The New Testament disciple Stephen may have had this in mind when he said, “Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted?

The restoration of pre-New Testament teachings as found in the Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price, and the Joseph Smith Translation reveals the great knowledge that the biblical record once contained.

Assuming that the Savior Messiah would be no more than a mortal man “anointed” with God’s Spirit, they failed to recognize the incomparable blessing of having the divine Son of God in their midst.

What Do Jews Believe About Jesus?

Christian tradition holds that Jesus is the major character of the religion, and that he is also the messiah, the son of God, and the second member in the trinity. What, on the other hand, do Jews believe about Jesus?

  • For some Jews, the name alone conjures up images of pogroms and crusades, accusations of deicide, and centuries of Christian anti-Semitism
  • For others, he has recently gained recognition as a Jewish teacher. The fact that they do not believe in his resurrection or that he was the messiah, as Christians do, does not imply that they support him.

While many people now consider Jesus to be the founder of Christianity, it is vital to remember that he did not plan to start a new religion, at least according to the earliest accounts, and he never used the name “Christian” himself. He was born and raised as a Jew, and his early disciples were also sprung from Jewish stock. After Jesus’ death, Christianity did not develop as a distinct religion until several decades later.

Who Was Jesus?

Most of what we know about the real Jesus comes from the four New Testament Gospels — Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John — which historians think were written many decades after Jesus’ death and are thus the most reliable sources. However, despite the lack of archaeological or other tangible proof for his existence, the majority of experts accept that Jesus did live and that he was born somewhere before the Common Era and crucified sometime between 26 and 36 CE, according to the most recent estimates (the years when the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, ruled Judea).

The period was also characterized by unrest, with some people expressing dissatisfaction with Roman policies as well as with theTemple’s high priests, while others hoped for a messianic redeemer who would drive out the foreign rulers and restore Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel.

(Taken from the novel “At Home,” written by Grace Stebbing and published by John F.

Was Jesus the Messiah?

The question of whether or not Jesus was the messiah. necessitates the consideration of the preceding question: “What is the definition of messiah?” They (the Prophets, or Nevi’im), who wrote hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth, saw the coming of the messianic age as a period of worldwide peace in which violence and famine would be banished and mankind would recognize God’s authority over all things. According to tradition, a global resurrection of the dead would take place during the messianic period, as well as a reunification of all Jews, including the ten lost tribes, in the land of Israel, as well as ultimate judgment and worldwide peace.

The Dead Sea Scrolls refer to two messiahs, one of whom is a military commander and the other of whom is a religious leader.

Stories in the Gospels about Jesus healing the sick, reviving the dead, and declaring the imminence of the kingdom of heaven imply that his disciples viewed him as the one who had been chosen by God to usher in the messianic period.

The sage Maimonides observed, “And it is well known that he is not the one who was promised by the Torah if he is unsuccessful in this endeavor or if he is dead.”

What About Jews for Jesus?

Jews for Jesus is an acronym that stands for Jews for Jesus. is a subset of a larger movement known as Messianic Jews, which includes a number of other groups. Members of this organization are not recognized as Jews by the larger Jewish community, despite the fact that some members may have been born Jewish and that their ritual life involves Jewish customs, among other factors. Individual Jews might embrace Jesus as the messiah and still be considered Jewish under the law — rejection of any essential Jewish belief or practice does not automatically exclude one from being considered Jewish — but the ideas of messianic Jews are theologically irreconcilable with Judaism.

Did the Jews Kill Jesus?

No. The Romans executed Jesus on the cross. Crucification was a Roman method of death rather than a Jewish one. For the majority of Christian history, Jews were deemed culpable for the murder of Jesus and were punished accordingly. Due to the fact that the New Testament places the responsibility particularly on the Temple leadership, as well as more broadly on the Jewish people, this is the case. A sequence from Mel Gibson’s controversial 2004 film “The Passion of the Christ” prominently depicted the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, who was reluctant to murder Jesus but was compelled to do so by bloodthirsty Jews, according to the Gospels.

These words, along with others, were used to legitimize centuries of Christian anti-Semitism against Jews.

In many ways, this document cleared the path for the first time in history for a historic reconciliation between Jews and Catholics.

The crucifixion of Jesus is shown on a mosaic at Jerusalem’s Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Ascension.

Why Was Jesus Killed?

Some have argued that Jesus was a political rebel who sought the restoration of Jewish sovereignty and was executed by the Romans for his actions — an argument advanced in two recent works: Reza Aslan’s Zealot and Shmuley Boteach’s Kosher Jesus — while others have argued that Jesus was a religious revolutionary. This concept, on the other hand, is not universally accepted by scholars of the New Testament. if Rome had recognized Jesus as the head of a revolutionary group, it would have apprehended and executed his disciples as well.

A more plausible explanation is that the Romans considered Jesus as a threat to the peace and executed him because he was attracting followers who saw him as a messianic figure, according to this theory.

Did Jesus Reject Judaism?

Several passages in the Gospels have been read as rejections of Jewish religion and practice, according to some. Jesus is claimed to have declared banned foods “clean” in the Gospel of Mark, a statement that has come to be taken as a repudiation of traditional Jewish dietary regulations. However, this is Mark’s inference, not necessarily Jesus’ purpose. When Jesus and his early Jewish disciples returned to their homeland, they continued to obey Jewish law. Additionally, the New Testament has multiple lines that affirm Jesus as being equal to and divine with God, a concept that is difficult to reconcile with Judaism’s stress on God’s oneness.

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Others, such as the “Angel of the Lord,” who appears in Genesis 16, Genesis 22, Exodus 3 (in the burning bush), and other passages, could have seen Jesus as an angel, as did others before him.

Are There Jewish Texts that Reference Jesus?

Yes. Despite the fact that the Jewish historian Josephus mentions Jesus in hisAntiquities of the Jews, the principal reference in his work appears to have been modified and extended by Christian scribes in the first century. Many sources believe that the term “Yeshu” is a reference to Jesus in the Talmud, which has a few references to him. Yeshu the Nazarene was hanged on the eve of Passover, according to the Talmudic tractate Sanhedrin, for the offense of leading Jews astray, according to the original report.

The Toledot Yeshu, written during the medieval period, gave an alternate narrative of Jesus that was in opposition to traditional Christian beliefs.

In his Mishneh Torah, Maimonides sees Jesus as the failed messiah foretold by the prophet Daniel, and as such, he is condemned to death.

We would like to express our gratitude to Amy-Jill Levine, University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School and College of Arts and Sciences, for her support in the preparation of this piece.

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Why Jews Don’t Believe In Jesus, why Jews reject Jesus

Jews have been rejecting the Christian notion of Jesus as the promised Messiah for more than 2,000 years.

Why? “Why don’t Jews believe in Jesus?” is one of the most often asked questions we hear here at Aish.com. Let’s take a look at why – not to discredit other religions, but rather to clarify the Jewish viewpoint on the matter. Jews do not recognize Jesus as the messiah for the following reasons:

  1. Jesus did not bring about the fulfillment of the messianic prophesies
  2. In fact, Jesus did not possess the personal criteria for being the Messiah. Verse in the Bible that are “referring” to Jesus are mistranslations. Jewish religion is founded on the revelation of the nation

But first, some background information: What is the Messiah’s actual identity? Mashiach is a Hebrew term that literally translates as “anointed.” The word “Messiah” is an English translation of the Hebrew wordMashiach, which literally translates as “anointed.” It is most commonly used to refer to a person who has been anointed with oil and therefore introduced into God’s ministry. Exodus 29:7, 1 Kings 1:39, 2 Kings 9:3; 1 Kings 1:39; 2 Kings 9:3;

(1) Jesus Did Not Fulfill the Messianic Prophecies

What is it that the Messiah is expected to achieve? In biblical prophecy, one of the most important themes is the promise of a future period of perfection, marked by worldwide peace and the acceptance of God as Creator. (Isaiah 2:1-4, 32:15-18, 60:15-18; Zephaniah 3:9; Hosea 2:20-22; Amos 9:13-15; Micah 4:1-4; Zechariah 8:23, 14:9; Jeremiah 31:33-34) (Isaiah 2:1-4, 32:15-18, 60:15-18; Zephaniah 3:9; Hosea 2:20-22; Amos 9:13-15; Micah 4:1-4; Zechariah He will, according to the Bible, do the following:

  1. Build the Third Temple (Ezekiel 37:26-28)
  2. Bring all Jews back to the Land of Israel (Isaiah 43:5-6)
  3. And bring all nations back to the Land of Israel. Bring about a new period of world peace by putting an end to all forms of hatred, oppression, suffering, and sickness. “Country shall not pick up sword against nation, nor shall man study war any longer,” the Bible declares. (See Isaiah 2:4) Disseminate worldwide knowledge of the God of Israel, which will bring all of mankind together as an one family. According to Zechariah 14:9, “God will reign as King over all the earth — on that day, God will be One, and His Name will be One” (God will be One, and His Name will be One).

If a person does to meet any one of these requirements, he or she cannot be considered the Messiah. Because no one has ever come close to fulfilling the Bible’s depiction of this future King, Jews continue to look forward to the Messiah’s arrival. All previous Messianic claimants, including Jesus of Nazareth, Bar Cochba, and Shabbtai Tzvi, have been disqualified from the position of Messiah. Christians argue that Jesus will fulfill these prophecies at the Second Coming of Christ. According to Jewish sources, the Messiah will completely fulfill the predictions; the Bible does not mention a second coming of the Messiah at all.

(2) Jesus Did Not Embody the Personal Qualifications of Messiah

The Messiah will surpass Moses as the greatest prophet in history, and he will be the greatest prophet of all time. In accordance with Targum (Isaiah 11:2; Maimonides – Teshuva 9:2), Prophecy can only exist in Israel if the country is occupied by a majority of world Jewry, which has not been the case since 300 BCE, and it has not been since then. Prophecy came to an end during the reign of Ezra, when the bulk of Jews remained in Babylon, with the deaths of the last prophets — Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi – marking the end of the Old Testament.

B. Descendant of David

In a number of prophetic prophecies, it is said that a descendant of King David will rule Israel during the era of perfection. It is necessary for the Messiah to be descended on his father’s side from King David, as stated in the Scriptures (Isaiah 11:1-9; Jeremiah 23:5-6, 30:7-10, 33:14-16; Ezekiel 34:11-31, 37:21-28; Hosea 3:4-5). (see Genesis 49:10, Isaiah 11:1, Jeremiah 23:5, 33:17; Ezekiel 34:23-24). As a result of the Christian belief that Jesus was born of a virgin, he did not have a father — and so could not have conceivably met the messianic criteria of being descended on his father’s side from the patriarch David.

The Messiah will be born of human parents and have regular physical characteristics like the rest of us, according to Jewish tradition. He will not be a demi-god (2), nor will he have any superhuman abilities or characteristics.

C. Torah Observance

The Jewish people shall be led by the Messiah to complete Torah compliance in their lives. According to the Torah, all mitzvot are eternally binding, and anybody who seeks to modify the Torah is immediately labeled as a false prophet and excommunicated. (Deuteronomy 13:1-4) Throughout the Christian “New Testament,” Jesus declares that the Torah is no longer valid and that its prohibitions are no longer applicable to the Christian faith. To give an example, John 9:14 tells that Jesus prepared a paste in violation of Shabbat, prompting the Pharisees to declare (in verse 16), “He does not keep Shabbat!”

(3) Mistranslated Verses “Referring” to Jesus

It is only via close examination of the original Hebrew text that biblical texts can be understood – and this examination shows several inconsistencies in the Christian translation.

A. Virgin Birth

According to Christian tradition, the concept of virgin birth derives from the biblical passage Isaiah 7:14, which describes a “alma” giving birth. The word “alma” has traditionally been used to refer to a young lady, but Christian theologians came along centuries later and changed it to mean “virgin” instead. This is consistent with the pagan concept of people being pregnant by gods that was prevalent in the first century.

B. Suffering Servant

As the “suffering servant,” Christianity asserts that Isaiah chapter 53 alludes to Jesus as the “Savior.” In truth, the topic of Isaiah 52 is carried over into chapter 53, which describes the exile and redemption of the Jewish people in Babylon. Because the Jews (“Israel”) are viewed as a single entity, the predictions are written in the singular form of the Hebrew language. Throughout Jewish scripture, Israel is referred to as the “Servant of God” on a number of occasions, and in the singular (see Isaiah 43:8).

When properly interpreted, Isaiah 53 plainly alludes to the Jewish people as having been “bruised, crushed, and like sheep carried to slaughter” by the nations of the earth, as well as other things.

When the Jewish people are redeemed, according to Isaiah 53, the nations will acknowledge and bear responsibility for the excruciating sorrow and death that they have caused the Jews throughout history.

(4) Jewish Belief is Based Solely on National Revelation

A person’s endeavor to convince others that he or she is the authentic prophet of God has resulted in the founding of hundreds of religious organizations throughout history. Personal revelation, on the other hand, is a shaky foundation for a religion because it is impossible to know whether or not it is accurate. Because no one else was there when God spoke to this individual, they must take his word for what he said. A person claiming personal revelation may accomplish miracles, but this does not always establish him or her as a legitimate prophet.

  1. It has absolutely nothing to do with his prophetic claims.
  2. 13:4).
  3. If God is going to create a religion, it only seems reasonable that He will notify everyone about it, rather than just a few select individuals.
  4. All of Moses’ miracles in the wilderness were accomplished because they were required, rather than as confirmation of his prophesy as some have claimed.
  5. The Revelation on Mount Sinai, which we witnessed with our own eyes and heard with our own ears, rather than relying on the testimony of others, was a powerful experience.
  6. The Torah also teaches that “God did not establish this covenant with our forebears, but with us — who are all still living today” (God did not create this agreement with our forefathers).

(Deuteronomy 5:3) Judaism does not believe in miracles. Everyone who stood on Mount Sinai 3,300 years ago had a firsthand eyewitness account of what they were witnessing. Read on for more information: “Did God Speak at Mount Sinai?”

Waiting for the Messiah

Messianic redemption is desperately needed across the world. Our need for redemption will be heightened to the extent that we are conscious of the difficulties that face our society. According to the Talmud, one of the first questions asked of a Jew on Judgment Day is: “Did you long for the coming of the Messiah?” What steps might we take to speed the arrival of the Messiah? The most effective method is to love all of mankind unconditionally, to observe the commandments of the Torah (to the best of our ability), and to urge others to do so as well.

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One visible proof is that the Jewish people have returned to the Land of Israel and have re-established its agricultural production.

The Messiah might appear at any time, and everything is dependent on our deeds.

Because, as King David proclaims, “Redemption will come today – if you would just heed to His voice.” For more research:

  • “Jews for Judaism” is an acronym that stands for Jews for Judaism “”The Real Messiah” by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan
  • “Let’s Get Biblical! ” by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan
  • “Let’s Get Biblical! What is it about the Christian Messiah that Judaism does not accept?” by Rabbi Tovia Singer
  • “Path of the Righteous Gentile” by Chaim Clorfene and Yakov Rogalsky
  • And “Path of the Righteous Jew” by Chaim Clorfene and Yakov Rogalsky

FOOTNOTES

(1) In response, it is asserted that Joseph adopted Jesus and via adoption passed on his ancestry to his children. However, there are two issues with this claim: a) There is no scriptural foundation for the concept of a father handing along his tribe line through adoption. A priest who adopts a son from another tribe does not have the authority to elevate him to the position of priest. b) Joseph would never be able to give on via adoption what he does not already possess. Because Joseph was descended from Jeconiah (Matthew 1:11), he was subjected to the curse of that monarch, which decreed that none of his descendants would ever sit on the throne of David (Matthew 1:12).

  1. In spite of the fact that Jeconiah repented, as recounted in Talmud Sanhedrin 37a and elsewhere, it is not apparent from the early sources whether or not his repentance was accepted to the extent that the royal line persisted through him.
  2. In this case, there are four major issues with the claim: The existence of Mary as a descendant of David has not been established.
  3. b) Even if Mary can trace her ancestors back to David, this is of little use to Jesus, because tribal identity is only established through the father, not the mother.
  4. Mary did not come from a legitimate messianic family, even if the familial line could be traced down to her mother.
  5. The third chapter of Luke is irrelevant to this issue since it covers the ancestry of David’s son Nathan, not Solomon, and hence is not relevant to this discussion.
  6. In addition, these two individuals are mentioned in Matthew 1:12 as descendants of the doomed Jeconiah.
  7. In his “Guide for the Perplexed,” Maimonides spends a significant portion of his writings to the fundamental premise that God is incorporeal, which means that He takes on no bodily form.
  8. He is limitless and exists beyond of time and space.

Saying that God takes on human form reduces God to a little and insignificant figure, undermining both His oneness and divinity. As the Torah states, “God is not mortal” (God is not mortal) (Numbers 23:19). Thank you to Rabbi Michael Skobac of Jews for Judaism for his assistance.

BBC – The Passion – Articles

Ed Kessler contributed to this article. That Jesus was a Jew is one of the few things that can be said with certainty about him. He was born into a Jewish family, raised in a Jewish household, and brought up in the traditions of the Jewish people. Throughout his life, Jesus was surrounded by Jews, and many of his disciples were also Jews. There has never been any Jew in history who has come close to Jesus in terms of the enormity of his influence. Many millions of men and women have been and continue to be inspired by the teachings and acts of Jesus the Jew, who lived and died almost 2,000 years ago.

  1. Although this is accurate, it is so because the Christian followers of Jesus came to have ideas about his life that no Jew could share.
  2. It is a sad truth of history that the disciples of this great Jew have inflicted tremendous sorrow onto the Jewish people, to the point where it has been extremely difficult for any Jew for generations to even think about Jesus without trouble for decades.
  3. Now, we are experiencing a sea change, and while Jewish indifference to Jesus has by no means evaporated, the indicators are positive for the future.
  4. However, while the Gospels record disagreements regarding Jesus’ interpretation of a handful of these, the concept of a Christian Jesus, who did not live by Torah or simply by its ethical precepts, does not correspond to historical fact in any way.
  5. Those who follow Jesus believe that he is the Lord Christ, God Incarnate, and the only begotten Son of the Father – a claim that Jews find incredible and reject out of hand.
  6. Jews believe that all humans share the divine spirit and are marked with the divine image, and that no one – not even the best of all people – can achieve the perfection of God in their own lives.
  7. Jesus did not spend his life as a Christian, but rather as a Jew who was faithful to the Torah (with just a few deviations).

Judaism, like Islam after it, is deeply anchored in religious law; Christianity, on the other hand, has lost this ground.

The Christian faith became to appear less and less like a genuine, though quirky, variant of Judaism, and increasingly like a wholly new religion, as the centuries progressed.

Were people allowed to either accept or resist Roman occupation under the rules of their religious faith?

Clearly, these must have been common discussions, as evidenced by the stories in the gospels of Jesus’ disagreements with religious leaders of the day.

He does not appear to be concerned with the specifics of what the dietary regulations mandate Jews to eat and drink, as reported in Mark’s gospel, and his attitude toward them reflects this.

A further point to note is that while Jesus’ teaching of the kingdom of God was plainly in line with mainstream Jewish tradition, the Christological allusions to him and the significance of his message are not.

However, this is not the case with the assumption that Jesus claimed to be the Messiah.

Simon Bar Kochba, who lived in 132 CE, and Shabbetai Zvi, who lived in 1665 CE, are only a few of instances.

The situation is the same even inside the New Testament, and by the time of the full-blown Trinitarianism of the 4th century creeds, the chasm had become unbridgeable.

Jesus made it obvious to Peter (Mark 8:29) that he considered himself as the Messiah, just as he did to the High Priest (Matthew 23:23).

Some Jews saw Jesus as the Messiah, thinking that he would save them from the terrible burden of Roman rule and usher in the messianic period on earth.

Other Jews were not convinced by the allegation.

Because Jesus repudiated his Jewishness, abandoned the Scriptures, or disowned his people, he was killed, not because of these things.

Whether or not proclaiming oneself to be the Messiah constituted an offense against Judaism at all, it was definitely not an offense against Jewish law for which Jesus might have been put to death, as the Gospels suggest.

Jesus didn’t do anything like that.

Although some Jews believe that Jesus was following in the footsteps of the historical prophets, others believe that he was not (cf.

“Can you tell me which commandment is the first of all?” He was approached and questioned.

The second is: Hear, O Israel, the Lord is One.

The second is this: You shall love your neighbour as yourself.

Every Jew will recognise in Jesus’ answer the Shema, a Jewish declaration of faith, which is recited at every Jewish service, day and night.

19:18 is also a fundamental precept of Judaism.

In their teaching, the rabbis would state, “thus says the Torah.” Jesus showed independence by standing above the Torah and speaking as one “having authority”.

It is highly improbable that Jesus told his followers to ignore the Torah; rather, he emphasized that “the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21) i.e., follow the deepest instinct for truth and love in your heart for therein, not through Torah, lies salvation.

Geza Vermes and Ed Sanders are two scholars who in recent years have drawn wide attention among Christians to Jesus’ Jewish origins, though Christians earlier in the 20th century (R.

Herford, George Foot Moore) had also explored this trend, which has now become widespread and crucial within Jesus studies.

Many betrayed an instinctive antisemitism.

This position was based on the conviction that post-exilic Judaism had ossified and betrayed the prophetic faith of Israel.

Jesus was a Jew, not an alien intruder in 1st-century Palestine.

For Jews, the significance of Jesus must be in his life rather than his death, a life of faith in God. For Jews, not Jesus but God alone is Lord. Yet an increasing number of Jews are proud that Jesus was born, lived and died a Jew.

Why Do Judaism and Christianity Differ on Beliefs about the Messiah?

Jews and Christians both share the same Old Testament, albeit we refer to it by various titles, and Judaism contains extra works that Christians do not have. What distinguishes Christians from Jews is their acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah and their personal Saviour, whereas Jews reject Jesus as Messiah and personal Saviour. Because we believe God established a new covenant via Jesus, Christians believe this to be the case. The New Testament, which we believe to be God’s Word, reveals the unfolding of this new covenant, which we believe to be the culmination of the covenant portrayed in the Old Testament.

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Judaism rejects all of this and continues to wait for the coming of the Messiah.

Here are a few illustrations.

Jews believe the Messiah will be a political leader who expels their enemies from their land

They believe that the Messiah will re-establish the Jewish country and restore peace and prosperity to God’s chosen people in the world today. Those who adhere to Judaism do not think that the prophesied Messiah will come and die in order to free humanity from the consequences of sin. Christians, on the other hand, believe that Jesus’ mission on earth was to bring about personal harmony between humans and God. Even more stunning to Jews is the belief among Christians that peace is extended to Gentiles in the same way that it is extended to Jews.

As soon as they saw that Jesus was not going to comply, they turned against Him, accusing Him of being a blasphemer for claiming to be one with God and demanding that He be nailed on a cross.

The Jews reject Jesus as Messiah because it is inconceivable to them that God came down as a man and dwelt among them

According to them, it is impossible for God to exist in a corporeal form, and it is heresy for any man to say that he is God. Many Jews now accept that Jesus was a brilliant teacher, and some even believe that he was a prophet. They, on the other hand, maintain that Jesus was merely a man and not God.

Another stumbling block for Jews is Jesus’ teaching itself

Jesus taught that He has the ability to forgive sins. According to Jewish belief, forgiveness of sins is a considerably more extensive procedure than simply accepting a man’s word for it. Others feel that if misdeeds are forgiven readily, it would just encourage people to commit more sin. Jesus also taught us to love our adversaries and to pray for them, which is a commandment from the Bible. The long-suffering Jews, who have been oppressed so severely by so many people, would find this unfathomable.

The Jews were under the impression that He had come to reestablish national policy. Jesus taught that we should treat others with love and mercy in our personal interactions.

Jews also do not accept Jesus’ teaching that He is the only way to God (John 14:6)

Because Jews follow a religious system based on restitution and real repentance, they do not require the assistance of a middleman in order to contact God. They also have a misunderstanding of what forgiveness and salvation are all about. Their belief in the absence of a sin nature means that they do not believe that any rational, attentive individual can transgress to the point that they will be unable to achieve forgiveness via their own efforts and diligent following of the laws.

Finally, the Jews reject Jesus because God has blinded them to who He is and so the Gospel could go to the Gentiles

From the time of their liberation from Babylon, the Jews have been devout worshippers of the Almighty. They are aware of the law and adhere to it. They are looking forward to the arrival of God’s Messiah, a military commander who would usher in a new period of prosperity. Their enthusiasm for the law causes them to lose sight of the One who is the law-Giver. “Because they do not comprehend God’s method of reconciling people to himself,” says Romans 10:3, They refuse to accept God’s way of doing things, and so they cling to their own method of becoming right with God by attempting to follow the law.” Throughout Romans 9:30–32, Paul asks, “What does all this mean?

And it was only through faith that this was accomplished.

What’s the harm in trying?

This caused them to trip over a large boulder on their route.

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Why do most Jews reject Jesus as the Messiah?

QuestionAnswer As a result of His failure, the Jews rejected Jesus because, in their minds, He had not accomplished what they anticipated their Messiah to accomplish: eradicate evil and all of their adversaries, and build an eternal kingdom with Israel as its greatest country on the face of the earth. The prophesies in Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 speak of a suffering Messiah who would be persecuted and slain, but the Jews preferred to focus on those predictions that speak of His triumphant victories rather than His death, which they believed would be more important.

  1. Because Christians utilized these prophesies to support their claims about Christ, Jews asserted that they were referring to Israel or another person rather than to the Messiah.
  2. In their belief, Messiah, the messiah whom Moses prophesied of, would come and free them from Roman servitude while also establishing a kingdom in which they would be the rulers.
  3. The inhabitants of Jerusalem were under the impression that He would deliver them as well.
  4. They regarded Him as though He were a triumphant king in their eyes.
  5. They turned their backs on their Messiah (Matthew 27:22).
  6. It has been thousands of years since Israel has been the only country that has looked to God, whilst the Gentile countries have typically turned their backs on the light and chosen to remain in spiritual darkness.
  7. But Israel rejected her predicted Messiah, and the promises of the kingdom of heaven were put on hold until a new Messiah could be found.

This hardening on the part of Israel, according to Paul, resulted in the blessing of the Gentiles who would come to trust in Jesus and receive Him as their Lord and Savior.

Many Jews nowadays (some estimate that at least half of all living Jews do so) identify as Jewish yet desire to maintain their “secular” identity.

Today’s generation of Jews is unfamiliar with the notion of Messiah as it is articulated in the Hebrew Scriptures or Judaism’s “13 Principles of Faith.” A single notion, on the other hand, is universally accepted: Jews must have nothing to do with Jesus!

As a result, they are rejecting Him now.

The God of Israel has always been faithful to maintain a “remnant” of believing Jews as a part of His covenant with them.

According to some estimates, there are more than 100,000 Jewish believers in Jesus in the United States alone, and the number is rising all the time, especially in urban areas. Return to the Jewish Questions page. What is it in Jesus that causes the majority of Jews to reject him as the Messiah?

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Why the Jews Rejected Jesus: The Turning Point in Western History: Klinghoffer, David: 9780385510226: Amazon.com: Books

The debate was never confined to a purely scholarly realm. The response would determine the legal position and security of Jews, and in certain cases, their very lives. Throughout his book, WHY THE JEWS REJECTED JESUS, David Klinghoffer demonstrates that Jews have acknowledged not only the historical presence of Jesus, but also the role played by specific Jews in orchestrating his torture and death since the beginning of time. His argument, on the other hand, is that they had every cause to be dubious of his claims to be God.

Nor was his following the largest of its kind.

Over and above all, the Jews regarded their biblically mandated way of life, from which Jesus’ disciples intended to “free” them, as something priceless, unchangeable, and everlasting, as opposed to everything else.

However, Jesus was a very unknown person on the periphery of Jewish culture during his life and death.

The man they truly despised, and frequently violently, was Paul, who persuaded the Jerusalem church, led by Jesus’ brother, to abandon the adherence of Jewish law and adopt a more liberal approach.

If it hadn’t been for him, Christianity would almost certainly have remained a Jewish movement, and the path of history would almost certainly have been different.

WHAT CAUSED THE JEWS TO REJECT It is in JESUS that we learn the narrative of this protracted, contentious, often fatal conflict between Christians and Jews.

However, despite the fact that it is written from a Jewish point of view, it is also deeply respectful of Christian sensitivities.

This scholarly and fascinating book, published at a time when Christians and Jews are, in some ways, moving closer together than they have ever been, is a sincere effort to bridge the old breach that exists between these two major spiritual traditions.

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