Religion and Theology

Jesus relationship to Judaism was really complicated. Judaism perceived Jesus, a wandering teacher and prophet who was crucified by the Romans, as one of the false messiahs. Jews apparently believed in the prophecy from the Old Testament that God will send them a Saviour. They expected a political leader who will lead revolts against the Romans. They misinterpreted Gods promise. God promised a Saviour who through His death and sufferings will give them the opportunity to received eternal life. Jesus for them however can not be the Messiah. Jews holds that the coming of the Messiah will be associated with the occurrence of specific events or signs including  the return of Jews to their homeland, the rebuilding of the third temple after the destruction of the second temple and understanding during which the knowledge of God fills the earth  (Sanders 4). For the Jews, Jesus was a just a simple Jewish man who was executed by the Romans and later given the divine status by the Christian church. All throughout the years, Jews continually criticized Christians for following a false messiah and for corrupting the concept of One God.

Judaism apparently denied the meaning and deeper purpose of Jesus identity, birth, death and resurrection. If Christians believed that Jesus is the God incarnate, the only begotten son of God and the Saviour of the world, Jews believed that Jesus was just a simple Jew who falsely claimed himself to be the messiah. They denied that Jesus was born through the Virgin Mary but instead  claims that he was born in normal birth. They denied the resurrection and second coming of Jesus since they firmly believed that Jesus was a false prophet just like other false prophets all throughout history. They believed that Messiah will be born of human parents and thus possess human attributes like other people. He will not be a demi god that possesses supernatural powers. Jesus with his miracles then and resurrection were not accepted by the Jews because that were exactly not their idea of messiah. Apparently, even if Jesus was a Jew, he was not accepted in his own town. The messiah for the Jews has not come yet and so up to this time, they are still waiting for the Messiah.