Although Christian and Islamic views of Jesus are set in religious doctrine, there are a diversity of Jewish views of Jesus. Some Jews doubt the historical existence of Jesus. Other Jews, following the lead of many modern historians, believe that Jesus was a preacher with an apocalyptic message, that Jesus never claimed to be God or part of a trinity, and that he was a liberal reformer, in many ways more similar to the Pharisees than to Jews of the other movements at the time. According to this view, Christianity in its current form has nothing to do with Jesus' actual teachings, but rather was the outgrowth of the beliefs of Jesus' later non-Jewish converts, and the doctrines of Paul of Tarsus and especially of the Nicene Council.

To most Jews, Jesus is simply irrelevant, a non-important figure in a different religion (much as Muhammad might seem to many Christians), known due to their being immersed in a Christian-oriented society rather than through religious significance.

Not a Prophet

Main articles: Prophet and False prophet

According to Jewish tradition, Malachi was the last prophet who lived centuries before Jesus. Jesus did not fulfill the requirement set by the Bible to prove the he was

Not the Messiah

Main articles: Messiah and Jewish Messiah

(Note that the Jewish and Christian concepts of "Messiah" differ substantially; readers who have not understood the Jewish concept often assume it to signify meanings which were in fact not a part of nor present within the Jewish understanding)

According to mainstream Jewish beliefs, Jesus did not fit the requirements of the Jewish Messiah. The Jewish Messiah, according to the Prophets will be paternal descendent from King David () via King Solomon () but if Jesus was the son of God, he was not. The Jewish Messiah is expected to return the Jews to their homeland and rebuild the Temple, but Jesus lived while the Temple was standing and before the Jews went into exile. Jesus was crucified as a common criminal and never reigned as king. There was no era of peace brought by Jesus (). There was no period of great knowledge during or after to time of Jesus, where "the knowledge of God" filled the earth (Isaiah 11:9) nor did the nations "end up recognizing the wrongs they did Israel" (). The Jews were not redeemed () by Jesus, in fact they were exiled only a few years later. Furthermore, Jesus was rejected as the Messiah by the rabbis of his time who saw him, and there is no reason to doubt their assessment.

Not God or Son of God

Most Jews believe Jesus never claimed to be the son of God. The phrase "my Father in Heaven" is a common poetic Jewish expression, that may have been misinterpreted literally. Nevertheless, Judaism teaches that it is heretical for any man to claim to be God, part of God, or the son

Did not die for sins

Jews do not believe anyone can "die" as a "repentance" for anyone else (Deuteronomy 24:16) but is instead focus on personal repentance (,, ). As a religion, Judaism is far more focused on the practicalities of understanding how one may live a sacred life in this world according to God's will, rather than hope of spiritual salvation in a future one. Jews view their divine purpose as being ideally a "role model to the nations" and a "holy people" (ie, a people who live their lives fully in accordance with Divine will), rather than "the one path to God".

Possibly a Part of God's Plan

Maimonides (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon) writes why Jews believe that Jesus was wrong to create Christianity (and why they believe that Muhammad was wrong to create Islam;) he laments the pains that Jews felt as a result of these new faiths that attempted to supplant Judaism. However, Maimonides then goes on to say that both faiths help God redeem the world:

Jesus was instrumental in changing the Torah and causing the world to err and serve another beside God. But it is beyond the human mind to fathom the designs of our Creator, for our ways are not God's ways, neither are our thoughts His. All these matters relating to Jesus of Nazareth, and the Ishmaelite (Muhammad) who came after him, only served to clear the way for the King Moshiach to prepare the whole world to worship God with one accord, as it is written 'For then will I turn to the peoples a pure language, that they all call upon the name of the Lord to serve Him with one consent.' (Zephaniah 3:9). Thus the messianic hope, and the Torah, and the commandments have become familiar topics of conversation among those even on far isles, and among many people, uncircumcised of flesh and heart. (Mishneh Torah, Maimonides, XI.4. This paragraph used to be censored from many printed versions of the Mishneh Torah because it contained verses explicitly critical of Jesus)

Other views

Jews who converted to Christianity obviously have the same view of Jesus as the religion they converted to.

Some Jews have converted to Christianity in order to avoid discrimination or persecution. Many still practiced Judaism in secret, but had trouble passing on Jewish traditions to later generations. It is not known what these individuals actually believed regarding Jesus.

A recent development is Messianic Judaism, which includes many Jews who believe Jesus to be the messiah but who follow Messianic religious practices similar to traditional Judaism. However, this movement is controversial among Jews and non-Jews, especially because a large portion of its membership do not come from a Jewish background.

References

• Most Jewish views on Jesus and Christianity was stated by Nahmanides in his dispute with Pablo Christaini in 1254. Vikuach HaRamban found in Otzar Havikuchim by J. D. Eisenstein, Hebrew Publishing Society, 1915 and Kitvey HaRamban by Rabbi Charles D. Chavel, Mosad Horav Kook 1963.

See also

• Jewish Messiah significance of "messiah" to Jews
• messiah significance of "messiah" to Christians
• Cultural and historical background of Jesus overview of Jewish and secular culture and recent

history and politics, at the time of Jesus

• Comparing and contrasting Judaism and Christianity
• Christian-Jewish reconciliation
• Jews as a chosen people