By Abhilash Pulichanickal
THIS question must be approached with a lot of sensitivity because of the deep historical and theological connections between Judaism and Christianity. Christians and Jews for Jesus profess that Jesus Christ is the messiah that the Jews have been waiting for. However, the Jewish people have rejected this claim for over 2,000 years. Why? Let’s explore some reasons.
Difference in interpretation of the Messianic prophecies
Christians and Jews have different interpretations when it comes to the messianic prophecies. To start with, the way Judaism interprets the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament to the Christians) is starkly different from the way Christian groups interpret it. While Christians believe that Jesus has fulfilled many messianic prophecies, Jews interpret these passages differently. They believe their Messiah is yet to come.
Difference in their core beliefs
Although Christianity and Judaism have several things in common they also have distinct theological foundations. While Christianity teaches the belief in the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and the Holy Spirit) with Yahweh being God the Father and Jesus the Son of God and the Savior of the world, Judaism maintains a strict monotheistic belief. They do not accept Jesus as the Son of God.
Historical context
Even the Pharisees and Sadducees who lived in the time of Jesus had trouble believing and accepting the teachings of Jesus and His apostles. This is not to say all Pharisees and Sadducees shunned Jesus during His time. Paul who became an apostle was a Pharisee himself. So was Nicodemus who visited Jesus in the night to clear his doubts. Gamaliel, Paul’s teacher, was said to be sympathetic to the followers of Jesus. Joseph of Arimathea who gave up the grave he had reserved for himself to bury the body of Jesus was part of the council of Pharisees. By and large, Jews in the time of Jesus looked for a Messiah who would be a political leader. They expected the Messiah to deliver them from the tyrannic rule of the Romans.
Early Christian-Jewish relations
In the early centuries CE, Christianity and Judaism started to diverge, and as Christianity grew into a separate religion, tensions arose between the two communities. Much of the persecution of the early Christians came not from Romans but from the leaders and followers of Judaism.
Emergence of the Rabbinic tradition
After the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, Rabbinic Judaism emerged as the dominant form of Judaism. Rabbinic Judaism became what is known as Judaism today. Before the destruction of the second temple, there had been four major sects of Judaism. They were the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots. The biggest differences between these sects were their views on the afterlife, physical resurrection, and end times. The Rabbinic tradition focuses on the study and interpretation of the Torah, along with the oral teachings of the rabbis. They d not acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah.
The question of salvation
The Jews and Christians view the way to salvation differently. While Christianity emphasizes salvation through belief in Jesus as the Savior, Judaism focuses on following the commandments and living a righteous life as the means to attain closeness to God.
