Since deciding to convert, one question I’ve gotten asked a lot is “why don’t Jews believe in Jesus?” I have given the explanation dozens of times now, so I’d decided to write this short piece with some examples of why. If you’re a Christian, this article isn’t meant to show disrespect, nor offend you, but instead inform the multitudes who don’t quite understand why we don’t believe in Jesus as the messiah.
Simply put, Jesus has not fulfilled any of the messianic prophecies from the Torah, which Hashem itself said would clue us in on who the Mashiach/messiah is. Let’s firstly look at some problematic reasons why Jesus is not the Jewish Mashiach…The Mashiach will be a great political leader descended by a pure male line from King David (Jeremiah 23,5). The Mashiach is often referred to as “Mashiach ben David” (The Mashiach, son of David). He will be observant of its commandments (Isaiah 11,2-5). Mashiach will be a charismatic leader, and he will be a great military figure who will win battles for Israel, freeing the Jews and establishing a Torah-based kingdom in Israel. Mashiach will be a great judge, who makes righteous decisions (Jeremiah 33,15). Finally, he will be a fully normal human being, not a god, demi-god, or another supernatural being.
Before the time of the Mashiach, there will be war and suffering (Ezekiel 38,16). Then the Mashiach will bring about the political and spiritual redemption of the Jewish people by bringing all Jews outside Israel back to Israel (Over half of all Jews are in America still), and restoring Jerusalem (Isaiah 11,11-12; Jeremiah 23,8; 30,3; Hosea 3,4-5). He will establish a Torah government in Israel that will be the center of all world government, both for Jews and Gentiles (Isaiah 2,2-4; 11,10; 42,1). He will rebuild the Temple and re-establish its worship (Jeremiah 33,18). He will restore the religious court system of Israel, if it had not already been reestablished before him, and establish the Torah as the law of the land (Jeremiah 33,15).
The messianic age will be characterized by the peaceful co-existence of all people (Isaiah 2,4). Hatred, intolerance, and war will cease to exist. Some authorities suggest that the laws of nature will change so that predatory beasts will no longer seek prey and agriculture will bring forth supernatural abundance (Isaiah 11,6-9); Maimonides, however, said that these statements are merely an allegory for peace and prosperity. What is agreed on by all is a very optimistic picture of what real people can be like in this real world, the like of which has never been seen before.
All of the Jewish people will return from their exile among the nations to their home in Israel (Isaiah 11,11-12; Jeremiah 23,8; 30,3; Hosea 3,4-5), and the law of the Jubilee, as well as the rest of the special agricultural laws in the Torah, will be reinstated. In the messianic age, the whole world will recognize YHWH, the LORD G-d of Israel, as the only true G-d, and the Torah will be seen as the only true religion (Isaiah 2,3; 11,10; Micah 4,2-3; Zechariah 14,9). There will be no more murder, robbery, competition, or jealousy.
Jesus did not fulfill these prophecies, lions and lambs do not lay down together, no one has beaten their swords into plowshares; the entire world knows little of Judaism or Hashem from a Jewish perspective, hate and bigotry, racism and violence are in fact, on the rise. Jesus didn’t meet the qualifications of the Mashiach either, being partly divine, nor was he of King David’s line, and he did not win wars as a military genius. Moreso, Torah portions are mistranslations or taken out of context of the portions surrounding them, to justify that Jesus was the Mashiach, this can be easily proven in ten minutes of study.
So, did Jesus;
- Build the Third Temple (Ezekiel 37:26-28).
- Are all of the Jews back to the Land of Israel (Isaiah 43:5-6).
- Are we in an era of world peace, without hatred, oppression, suffering, and disease? As it says: “Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall man learn war anymore.” (Isaiah 2:4)
- Does the world in its entirety hold knowledge of the God of Israel, which will unite humanity as one? As it says: “God will be King over all the world – on that day, God will be One and His Name will be One” (Zechariah 14:9).
Hashem set these guidelines and if even one is not fulfilled, the individual cannot be considered the Mashiach… period. Jesus appeared 350 years after the prophecy had ended, thereby he couldn’t be a prophet as well.
From Aish.com;
“Many prophetic passages speak of a descendant of King David who will rule Israel during the age of perfection. (Isaiah 11:1-9; Jeremiah 23:5-6, 30:7-10, 33:14-16; Ezekiel 34:11-31, 37:21-28; Hosea 3:4-5)
The Messiah must be descended on his father’s side from King David (see Genesis 49:10, Isaiah 11:1, Jeremiah 23:5, 33:17; Ezekiel 34:23-24). According to the Christian claim that Jesus was the product of a virgin birth, he had no father – and thus could not have possibly fulfilled the messianic requirement of being descended on his father’s side from King David. (1)
According to Jewish sources, the Messiah will be born of human parents and possess normal physical attributes like other people. He will not be a demi-god, (2) nor will he possess supernatural qualities.”
The Mashiach will lead the world to full Torah observance and from Hashem, the Mitzvot are binding eternally (Deut. 13:1-4). Yet Jesus contradicts the Mitzvot in the John 9:14 records claiming that Jesus made a paste in violation of Shabbat, which caused the Pharisees to say (verse 16), “He does not observe Shabbat!” and numerous occasions in the “New Testament,” Jesus and the authors proclaim the Mitzvot are no longer applicable… even though G-d said they are eternal.
The Jews cannot accept Jesus as the Mashiach without throwing away the whole of the Torah, G-d’s own words, much of their beliefs, culture, and practices to do so, therefore Jews do not accept Jesus as the Messiah.