Much has been said about Jesus in today’s world. Some see him as a lunatic, some a liar and some say he is the Messiah. Here in this very problem lies the main difference between the Jews and Christians.
In Judaism Jesus is first and foremost, not the messiah, just a man who claimed to be something more. He does not fulfill messianic prophecy that regards his heritage and pedigree. The virgin birth that is widely known as a cause for celebration through the Christian world is rejected as blasphemous. How can God impregnate a mortal human? The Torah speaks of a man descended from David on is father’s side. If God were the reason for Jesus’ existence, this would not fulfill the prophecy completely and thus not be the correct messiah.
When speaking with Christians on the other hand, one finds a different light of Jesus. To them Jesus is one with God, a savior and one who was willing to die to save the people he loved. They view his crucifixion as something horrible and tragic, yet something beautiful, redeeming and necessary to save the human soul. Jesus is the greatest of the prophets as well as the greatest fulfiller of Old Testament prophecies.
The biggest difference between Jewish tradition and Christian tradition is the impact and meaning of Jesus’ existence. To the Jewish he was a false prophet, to the Christian, he is the greatest savior the world has ever seen.
Bibliography
Smith, Huston. The Illustrated World 's Religions. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, 1994.
*Sandy, I apologize in advance for this draft, it is not my best work and I did not manage my time well this last week,
Bibliography: Smith, Huston. The Illustrated World 's Religions. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, 1994. *Sandy, I apologize in advance for this draft, it is not my best work and I did not manage my time well this last week,
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