Why Jews don't believe in Jesus?

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For 2,000 years, Jews have rejected the Christian idea of Jesus as messiah. Why?

It is important to understand why Jews don't believe in Jesus. The purpose is not to disparage other religions, but rather to clarify the Jewish position. The more data that's available, the better-informed choices people can make about their spiritual path.

Jews do not accept Jesus as the messiah because:

1) Jesus did not fulfill the messianic prophecies.

2) Jesus did not embody the personal qualifications of the Messiah.

3) Biblical verses "referring" to Jesus are mistranslations.

4) Jewish belief is based on national revelation.

At the end of this article, we will examine these additional topics:

5) Christianity contradicts Jewish theology

6) Jews and Gentiles

7) Bringing the Messiah

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1) JESUS DID NOT FULFILL THE MESSIANIC PROPHECIES

What is the Messiah supposed to accomplish? The Bible says that he will:

A. Build the Third Temple (Ezekiel 37:26-28).

B. Gather all Jews back to the Land of Israel (Isaiah 43:5-6).

C. Usher in an era of world peace, and end all hatred, oppression, suffering and disease. As it says: "Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall man learn war anymore." (Isaiah 2:4)

D. Spread universal knowledge of the God of Israel, which will unite humanity as one. As it says: "God will be King over all the world -- on that day, God will be One and His Name will be One" (Zechariah 14:9).

The historical fact is that Jesus fulfilled none of these messianic prophecies.

Christians counter that Jesus will fulfill these in the Second Coming, but Jewish sources show that the Messiah will fulfill the prophecies outright, and no concept of a second coming exists.

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2) JESUS DID NOT EMBODY THE PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS OF MESSIAH

A. MESSIAH AS PROPHET

Jesus was not a prophet. Prophecy can only exist in Israel when the land is inhabited by a majority of world Jewry. During the time of Ezra (circa 300 BCE), when the majority of Jews refused to move from Babylon to Israel, prophecy ended upon the death of the last prophets -- Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi.

Jesus appeared on the scene approximately 350 years after prophecy had ended.

B. DESCENDENT OF DAVID

The Messiah must be descended on his father's side from King David (see Genesis 49:10 and Isaiah 11:1). According to the Christian claim that Jesus was the product of a virgin birth, he had no father -- and thus could not have possibly fulfilled the messianic requirement of being descended on his father's side from King David!

C. TORAH OBSERVANCE

The Messiah will lead the Jewish people to full Torah observance. The Torah states that all mitzvot remain binding forever, and anyone coming to change the Torah is immediately identified as a false prophet. (Deut. 13:1-4)

Throughout the New Testament, Jesus contradicts the Torah and states that its commandments are no longer applicable. For example, John 9:14 records that Jesus made a paste in violation of Shabbat, which caused the Pharisees to say (verse 16), "He does not observe Shabbat!"

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3) MISTRANSLATED VERSES "REFERRING" TO JESUS

Biblical verses can only be understood by studying the original Hebrew text -- which reveals many discrepancies in the Christian translation.

A. VIRGIN BIRTH

The Christian idea of a virgin birth is derived from the verse in Isaiah 7:14 describing an "alma" as giving birth. The word "alma" has always meant a young woman, but Christian theologians came centuries later and translated it as "virgin." This accords Jesus' birth with the first century pagan idea of mortals being impregnated by gods.

B. CRUCIFIXION

The verse in Psalms 22:17 reads: "Like a lion, they are at my hands and feet." The Hebrew word ki-ari (like a lion) is grammatically similar to the word "gouged." Thus Christianity reads the verse as a reference to crucifixion: "They pierced my hands and feet."

C. SUFFERING SERVANT

Christianity claims that Isaiah chapter 53 refers to Jesus, as the "suffering servant."

In actuality, Isaiah 53 directly follows the theme of chapter 52, describing the exile and redemption of the Jewish people. The prophecies are written in the singular form because the Jews ("Israel") are regarded as one unit. The Torah is filled with examples of the Jewish nation referred to with a singular pronoun.

Ironically, Isaiah's prophecies of persecution refer in part to the 11th century when Jews were tortured and killed by Crusaders who acted in the name of Jesus.

From where did these mistranslations stem? St. Gregory, 4th century Bishop of Nanianzus, wrote: "A little jargon is all that is necessary to impose on the people. The less they comprehend, the more they admire."

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4) JEWISH BELIEF IS BASED SOLELY ON NATIONAL REVELATION

Of the 15,000 religions in human history, only Judaism bases its belief on national revelation -- i.e. God speaking to the entire nation. If God is going to start a religion, it makes sense He'll tell everyone, not just one person.

Judaism, unique among all of the world's major religions, does not rely on "claims of miracles" as the basis for its religion. In fact, the Bible says that God sometimes grants the power of "miracles" to charlatans, in order to test Jewish loyalty to the Torah (Deut. 13:4).

Maimonides states (Foundations of Torah, ch. :


The Jews did not believe in Moses, our teacher, because of the miracles he performed. Whenever anyone's belief is based on seeing miracles, he has lingering doubts, because it is possible the miracles were performed through magic or sorcery. All of the miracles performed by Moses in the desert were because they were necessary, and not as proof of his prophecy.

What then was the basis of [Jewish] belief? The Revelation at Mount Sinai, which we saw with our own eyes and heard with our own ears, not dependent on the testimony of others... as it says, "Face to face, God spoke with you..." The Torah also states: "God did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us -- who are all here alive today." (Deut. 5:3)


Judaism is not miracles. It is the personal eyewitness experience of every man, woman and child, standing at Mount Sinai 3,300 years ago.

See "Did God Speak at Mount Sinai" for further reading.

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5) CHRISTIANITY CONTRADICTS JEWISH THEOLOGY

The following theological points apply primarily to the Roman Catholic Church, the largest Christian denomination.

A. GOD AS THREE?

The Catholic idea of Trinity breaks God into three separate beings: The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:19).

Contrast this to the Shema, the basis of Jewish belief: "Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is ONE" (Deut. 6:4). Jews declare the Shema every day, while writing it on doorposts (Mezuzah), and binding it to the hand and head (Tefillin). This statement of God's One-ness is the first words a Jewish child is taught to say, and the last words uttered before a Jew dies.

In Jewish law, worship of a three-part god is considered idolatry -- one of the three cardinal sins that a Jew should rather give up his life than transgress. This explains why during the Inquisitions and throughout history, Jews gave up their lives rather than convert.

B. MAN AS GOD?

Roman Catholics believe that God came down to earth in human form, as Jesus said: "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30).

Maimonides devotes most of the "Guide for the Perplexed" to the fundamental idea that God is incorporeal, meaning that He assumes no physical form. God is Eternal, above time. He is Infinite, beyond space. He cannot be born, and cannot die. Saying that God assumes human form makes God small, diminishing both His unity and His divinity. As the Torah says: "God is not a mortal" (Numbers 23:19).

Judaism says that the Messiah will be born of human parents, and possess normal physical attributes like other people. He will not be a demi-god, and will not possess supernatural qualities. In fact, an individual is alive in every generation with the capacity to step into the role of the Messiah. (see Maimonides - Laws of Kings 11:3)

C. INTERMEDIARY FOR PRAYER?

The Catholic belief is that prayer must be directed through an intermediary -- i.e. confessing one's sins to a priest. Jesus himself is an intermediary, as Jesus said: "No man cometh unto the Father but by me."

In Judaism, prayer is a totally private matter, between each individual and God. As the Bible says: "God is near to all who call unto Him" (Psalms 145:18). Further, the Ten Commandments state: "You shall have no other gods BEFORE ME," meaning that it is forbidden to set up a mediator between God and man. (see Maimonides - Laws of Idolatry ch. 1)

D. INVOLVEMENT IN THE PHYSICAL WORLD

Catholic doctrine often treats the physical world as an evil to be avoided. Mary, the holiest woman, is portrayed as a virgin. Priests and nuns are celibate. And monasteries are in remote, secluded locations.

By contrast, Judaism believes that God created the physical world not to frustrate us, but for our pleasure. Jewish spirituality comes through grappling with the mundane world in a way that uplifts and elevates. Sex in the proper context is one of the holiest acts we can perform.

The Talmud says if a person has the opportunity to taste a new fruit and refuses to do so, he will have to account for that in the World to Come. Jewish rabbinical schools teach how to live amidst the bustle of commercial activity. Jews don't retreat from life, we elevate it.

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6) JEWS AND GENTILES

Judaism does not demand that everyone convert to the religion. The Torah of Moses is a truth for all humanity, whether Jewish or not. King Solomon asked God to heed the prayers of non-Jews who come to the Holy Temple (Kings I 8:41-43). The prophet Isaiah refers to the Temple as a "House for all nations."

The Temple service during Sukkot featured 70 bull offerings, corresponding to the 70 nations of the world. The Talmud says that if the Romans would have realized how much benefit they were getting from the Temple, they'd never have destroyed it.

Jews have never actively sought converts to Judaism because the Torah prescribes a righteous path for gentiles to follow, known as the "Seven Laws of Noah." Maimonides explains that any human being who faithfully observes these basic moral laws earns a proper place in heaven.

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7) BRINGING THE MESSIAH

Maimonides states that the popularity of Christianity (and Islam) is part of God's plan to spread the ideals of Torah throughout the world. This moves society closer to a perfected state of morality and toward a greater understanding of God. All this is in preparation for the Messianic age.

Indeed, the world is in desperate need of Messianic redemption. War and pollution threaten our planet; ego and confusion erode family life. To the extent we are aware of the problems of society, is the extent we will yearn for redemption. As the Talmud says, one of the first questions a Jew is asked on Judgment Day is: "Did you yearn for the arrival of the Messiah?"

How can we hasten the coming of the Messiah? The best way is to love all humanity generously, to keep the mitzvot of the Torah (as best we can), and to encourage others to do so as well.

Despite the gloom, the world does seem headed toward redemption. One apparent sign is that the Jewish people have returned to the Land of Israel and made it bloom again. Additionally, a major movement is afoot of young Jews returning to Torah tradition.

The Messiah can come at any moment, and it all depends on our actions. God is ready when we are. For as King David says: "Redemption will come today -- if you hearken to His voice."

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For further study, read:

"The Real Messiah," by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan
"The Path of the Righteous Gentile," by Chaim Clorfene and Yakov Rogalsky
"The Seven Colors of the Rainbow," by Rabbi Yirmeyahu Bindman

I always thought that the Jewish concept of God was that he was the "ineffable" one. You seem to know every hair on his head, since you know exactly what his rules and limitations are and why he can't be something other than esxactly what you conceive of. It's enough to turn this Christian into an atheist.

I'll have to do more research on this (I have my notes from religion class somewhere...) and get back to you on this, but I will. I'll reply as soon as I have time to organize my thoughts into a logical and constructive manner.

Thank you for clarifying this (although it is all pretty familiar to me, as I almost converted to Judaism).

Thanks Sephardic-male for a much needed post.

Unfortunately, you forgot one that I'd rather forget myself.
Many orthodoxy rabbies teach that only Jews have souls.
I'd like to think that this is due to a history of being treated poorly by non Jews.
I wonder if they would think that non-jews have souls in a world absent of violent anti-semitism.

This is the same as anyone else's fundamentalism. It's just like saying that only members of your particular church will go to heaven.

One of the aspects of organized religion that the poet William Blake rebelled against during the Enlightenment was that after the Prostetant Churches broke away from Catholicism, usually in response to some corruption or another, they became polarized from each other and started to say that only members of their little sect would go to heaven.

I am always troubled by this exclusive, these are the rules of my religion which make it right and yours wrong, attitude.

That is what troubles me about the OP here. Even though he said that he wasn't trying to criticize anyone else's beliefs, what possible other effect could his posting have?

I don't pretend to understand God well enough so as to say that he is mine, but that he can't shoot hoops on anyone else's playground.

If you were implying, by the way, that my response was somehow anti-semitic, I really resent it. What I said is absolutely true. Jews consider God to be "ineffable." He can not be named because to name something is to have dominion over it. Moses must address a buring bush that identifies itself only as Yahweh, a pronoun, not a name. God is referred to as Adonai, or Lord. But not names. In Jewish tradition, God is beyond understanding.

So, to pick through scripture and traditional writing and say that this proves that God is this and that violates what, to my goyish little understanding, is the Jewish concept of God. The rabbinical tradition is an ongoing history of dialog about these things, not a resolved issue. Anyone who tries to read them as settled questions fails to understand that.

I have great respect for Judaism, and for all religions, even my own.

I wasn't implying any such thing.
I think if I was, then you should resent it, and I would support you in airing it.

I agree with much of your second posting.
I too think exclusivity is wrong in general.
However, there are those who would disagree with our belief, some of whom post here regularly.

Now that's B.S. , but I wil address it, because I think a lot of gentiles think this sort of thing. Fact of the matter is, Jews even believe that a righteous gentile will have a reward in the world to come regardless of the fact that he is a non-Jew. They say that it is preferable to be a righteous gentile than a non-observant Jew. And this, by the way, is not the liberal Reform line, either...because orthodox Judaism is what I was considering conversion to.



Which is what I LOVE about Judaism. They don't preach the "our way is the ONLY way" line as other religions do. I don't know if the post was made in response to another topic, but to me it just seemed informative and interesting, not superior.

Well you may be right Chamoisee, and I hope you are.
But for now, I will have to rely on my empiricle evidence.
Thankfully alot of Jews do not feel that gentiles do not have souls.
These same Jews often tend to look at the ultra orthodox with grave concern.
A nice thing about being Jewish is knowing that you can hold one of many diverse views on any subject and always find someone willing to debate with you.

Actually there is no firm Jewish teaching about the afterlife. Some jews believe in a place of reward similar to the Christian heaven. Others belileve in reincarnation. Others believe that the soul "sleeps" until the end of the world and the coming of the Messiah.

Some believe that wicked souls are tormented by demons. Others believe that wicked souls are simply destroyed.

You are correct in that the vast majority of Jews, if they believe in an Olam-Ha-Ba (generally a reference to the Messianic Age), believe that all righteous souls will enter it.

The afterlife, however, is not the center of Jewish life. Jewish laws and customs center on how one lives, not where one goes when one dies. There is far more agreement about how one is supposed to follow God's law and live one's life than on what happens when that life ends.

In regard to being a righteous Gentile, I once lived in a predominately Jewish neighborhood. The family next door to me was very observant. The fellow across the street could tell you where to get the best Moo Shoo Portk.

I was very friendly with both.

The non-observant neighbor once pointed out to me that I was closer to the other fellow than he was. He said that that was because I was not Jewish, and, therefore, did not disgrace myself by not following Jewish traditions. They were courteous and civil to each other, but the traditional observer was far more friendly with me.

I've decided to speak up since I am half-Jewish. I went to a Jewish Sunday school when I was a little kid, even though I am not Jewish, but my dad is.

That is true. Christians tend to focus more on what happens after they die, where Jews tend to focus on how they live their lives. In Judaism life is more important than death. If anyone wants more information on the topic, this site (link) explains it quite well.

As for the reasons Judaism does not accept Jesus as the messiah, the first post explained it well.



I think you've misunderstood why Jewish people call him Adonai. It's not because God is beyond understanding. It is about respect. They believe name of God is so holy that it should not be uttered by human tongues. That is also the same reason that when Jews write the word 'God' they write it like this 'G-d'. Jews don't believe God is distant or beyond understanding, but rather He is perfect and holy and must be shown submission and respect.

If I am incorrect, I apologise. That is just what they taught us in Sunday school.

Absolutely correct. I pointed out above that to know someone's name is to have dominion over him. That is why God identifies himself to Moses as Yahweh (really a pronoun, I am who am). It is also reflected in Adam being given the job of naming the animals, thus having dominion over the.

I used to engineer a radio program of Jewish culture. I know that that means many different things and people can see it quite differently, but the producer, a pretty traditional guy, explained this to me on the second night of Seder. God is "the ineffable."

Kether/Keter (Einsoph; Yahweh) (masculine & feminine): the Unity of Masculine & Feminine; Boundlessness & Formlessness; the Unknown Mystery

If the divine is to be anything, it is to be infinite.
We human beings have only a finite sense of things.
I would posit that it is impossible for us to view infinitely.
However, we can approach inifiniteness through minute concrete steps, through huge leaps and bounds that never quite get us there, or through a multitude of other methods that make us ponder what's next.
So, we can not know G-d, we can only know what G-d isn't.

Agreed. Whether or not it is impossible for us to view infinitely I am not certain. We can certainly ponder what it means.

Hey, one might call that religion.

One might call that theology!
Religion is a social construct around one or more theological beliefs.
So, it is religion in only a very indirect way.
Especially since serious theological debate seems to play a very small part in most religious groups.

Some Jews believe that Jesus was God, and these people are commonly referred to as Messianic Jews. There are a lot of similarities between Christianity and Judaism because the early apostles were Jewish.

I'm a Christian and here's how they taught it to us:

The Bible is divided up into two sections: the Old Testament (or Old Covenant) and the New Testament (or Covenant). A covenant is a promise. One of the big promises in the Old Covenant would be that God would eventually send someone to deliver his people from their sin and being in slavery. Christians believe that this promise was fulfilled when Jesus came. However, in the time that Jesus lived, the Jews had been living under the control of the Romans for several years and were looking for someone (a military leader) to deliver them from the hands of the Romans in a physical sense.

The Old Covenant was built on the foundation that people could not talk directly to God, unless it was the High Priest. In the Old Covenant, there is a gap between God and us, and no way for us to talk to him. Through Jesus, this gap was bridged when he died on the cross. This is what Christians believe. Now, we don't have to follow all of the legalistic rules set out in Leviticus.

In Acts chapter 10, Peter (one of the 12 disciples who is also Jewish) is visiting a Roman soldier. While he's asleep, he has a dream that he is offered all types of animals and a voice tells him to "Kill and eat". Peter refuses because many of the animals are unclean according to the Jewish law, but the voice replies "When God says that something can be used for food, don't say it isn't fit to eat". Since Jesus fulfilled the Old Covenant and we now live in the New Covenant, we do not have to worry about these kinds of rules anymore.

This is not to say that all Jews believe that Christ was the messiah. There are some who believe this, but not all.