Why don’t Jewish people believe in Jesus?

From the earliest days of what was known as the Nazarene sect of Jewish believers through the later centuries of Christianity, the majority of Jewish people have denied the claims of the New Testament. While theological and cultural differences have contributed to a hardening of positions on both sides, it may also be said that the forces of history have helped to drive a wedge between mainstream Judaism and Christianity that has made the distance even harder to bridge. One of the saddest things is that it happened so quickly. But how did it come about?

Written by Dr. Michael Brown

Whether you are a religious Jewish person or not, it is clear that all modern forms of Judaism, from Orthodox to Reform, are based upon the idea that two Torahs were given on Mount Sinai-one written and the other oral. Eventually, the oral Torah was written down, codified, commented upon and passed along to future generations of Jewish people and became known as the Talmud-the judgments and interpretations of our Sages.

All Jewish people today – whether religious or not – generally participate in Jewish religious life by engaging both biblical truth and the traditions passed along by our rabbis. It is impossible to practice normative Judaism without relating to Jewish tradition. But we should ask the question, “Does Jewish tradition carry the same weight and religious authority as the Bible?”

Anyone who has ever traveled knows how confusing it can be to get around. It’s not enough to say, “I want to get from point A to point B.” You’ll need directions, landmarks, warnings about treacherous terrain. And you’ll want to know the rules of the road, so that you’ll be able to avoid those costly traffic tickets.

In fact, a travel guide is what you’re looking for-a compilation of everything you’ll need to get where you’re going. According to traditional Judaism, the Oral Law and its later written form, known as the Talmud, does precisely this. It is Judaism’s travel guide through life-a roadmap for righteousness designed to show the observant Jewish person how to follow the written Torah (Law) and the Hebrew Bible.

Forgiveness. What more comforting word could there be, especially when we know how much we are in need of it? Forgiveness is at the heart of the Gospel message. The sinful woman who bathed Jesus’ feet with the tears accumulated over the course of a lifetime understood. And her love for Him overflowed to such an extent that He declared, “Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little” (Luke 7:47).

Written by Alan Shore

Judaism does not have a single, unified theory about the origin of good and evil. The Kabbalists (Jewish mystics) understood the brokenness of the universe to be the result of shattered vessels that had proven too weak to hold the primordial light present in the act of creation, and believe that evil developed from the resulting imbalance in the cosmos. Although Judaism in general rejects the Christian concept of “original sin,” something very close to this idea is found in kabbalistic thinking, which posits that all created souls have been affected by Adam’s failure to complete the assigned task of gathering the final, stray sparks of the shattered vessels that would have set the universe right.

Written by Alan Shore

Cultures all over the world keep track of time – from seconds to millennia. The New Year is often seen as a time to mark the turning of a new leaf, and in this respect Judaism is no different. For Judaism, however, the New Year is also accompanied by deep reflection about one’s relationship with God and other people.

Along with prayer and works of mercy, repentance (teshuvah) is one of the three pillars that form a base for the rich heritage of Judaism. The Hebrew Scriptures are replete with exhortations such as that of the prophet Joel: “Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful…” (Joel 2:13) that indicate the willingness of the Lord to forgive and restore the truly repentant sinner.