....why didn't jews accept Christ as the messia?

[Zundrah]

Okay please tell me, why didn’t jews accept Christ as the messia?

Please remember when you are posting that I haven’t got a clue about any of this and that is why I am asking (so, no writing in jargon)!

 

[geometer]

Messiah is a title of Jewish kings. He did not reign as the annointed king of Israel. This is the main reason…

 

[Zundrah]

Messiah is a title of Jewish kings. He did not reign as the annointed king of Israel. This is the main reason…

What, I don’t understand? But didn’t Jesus fulfil the scriptures? So why didn’t they accept him?

 

[AmbroseSJ]

The common explanation is that the Jews were looking for a political savior to establish the greatness of the Jewish Kingdom as it existed in David’s or Solomon’s time. But that was not the kind of Messiah Jesus was, he said so to Pilate. That explanation is still true.

 

[DOShea]

Their understanding of what a Messiah was supposed to be, supposed to do, was different than what they got. Recall their history of kings began when they had God Himself riding off to battle with them and handing them victory over people they never should have been able to beat, but they demanded a King. You can read about this in the book of Samuel, about how King Saul came to be king.

The times of greatest freedom and prosperity for Jews was during the times when they had a king that was faithful to God. The history of the period of the Judges was a repeating cycle that went like this:

Everythings great - the people lose faith - they sin - they are judged - they suffer - they regain faith and repent - they are restored - repeat.

They have a promise of a Messiah who is to come, who will reign supreme, who will lift the Jewish people up, beyond anything the world can do to them. In their minds, especially at a time when they are under the oppression of Roman rule, they expected a Sampson kinda guy with the military prowess of King David and the wisdom of Moses. They were looking for a strongman, someone who was going to lead them in a sound defeat of the Roman Empire and drive anything non-Jewish out of their promised land and restore respect and prosperity forever.

They were only thinking in worldly terms, and lost sight of the fact that a king could come with a kingdom far off from Palestine and offer things they couldn’t get, couldn’t have where they were. So they saw Him, but they didn’t see Him.

Jesus speaks of this in the gospels many times, about eyes not seeing, hearts not being open, etc. St. Peter, on Pentecost, went out in the crowd and laid the entire case out for them, explaining how they had exactly what they sought but let their pride and misconceptions throw away real, living goodness in favor of imagined power.

 

[Zundrah]

The common explanation is that the Jews were looking for a political savior to establish the greatness of the Jewish Kingdom as it existed in David’s or Solomon’s time. But that was not the kind of Messiah Jesus was, he said so to Pilate. That explanation is still true.

Ah, I think I see now? Jesus came on a donkey, was humble ect …but the jews weren’t happy about this because they wanted him to appear to be strong? ,

 

[Crumpy]

There is a book called “Why the Jews Rejected Jesus” and I think it’s by a guy named David Klinghoffer. This book will tell you “from the horse’s mouth” why the Jews rejected Jesus.

There are so many arguments, many of which boil down to the idea that they don’t feel that Jesus fulfilled the scriptures, or, in other words, that he was not a messiah at all, certainly not “the” Messiah. He was not the messiah that they were looking for back then or even today.

To put it mildly, they feel that Jesus is in hell paying for what He did. That book comprises “talking points” for current day Jews.

Klinghoffer looks at the New Testament and fires the arrows of his criticism all over the place. He belittles the NT interpretation of the Hebrew scriptures, and he swipes at incidents like that in Acts, when the man and woman are struck dead for not contributing all the proceeds from their house. He says, how Christian is that?

It was too much of a mental burden for me to finish reading Klinghoffer’s book. Simply put, he doesn’t have faith in Jesus Christ. He says the reactions to Jesus of the Jews in Biblical times was appropriate and understandable – and, according to him, nothing has changed.

Klinghoffer is often citing arguments from the Jewish writings known as the Talmud, written centuries ago.

 

[cheeto1]

Matthew 28:13 ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him while we
were asleep’ … 15…This is the story that circulates among
the Jews to this day.

also:
There is a Jewish man from Israel on these forums named Ben Masada.
He thinks “Messiah” doesn’t mean a person, but it means Israel.

 

[Zundrah]

Matthew 28:13 ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him while we
were asleep’ … 15…This is the story that circulates among
the Jews to this day.

also:
There is a Jewish man from Israel on these forums named Ben Masada.
He thinks “Messiah” doesn’t mean a person, but it means Israel.

Hmm, I just read that scripture and that is just no good excuse for them! They might as well try to prove that God doesn’t exist, because that is exactly what they are doing.

There is a book called “Why the Jews Rejected Jesus” and I think it’s by a guy named David Klinghoffer. This book will tell you “from the horse’s mouth” why the Jews rejected Jesus.

There are so many arguments, many of which boil down to the idea that they don’t feel that Jesus fulfilled the scriptures, or, in other words, that he was not a messiah at all, certainly not “the” Messiah. He was not the messiah that they were looking for back then or even today.

To put it mildly, they feel that Jesus is in hell paying for what He did. That book comprises “talking points” for current day Jews.

Klinghoffer looks at the New Testament and fires the arrows of his criticism all over the place. He belittles the NT interpretation of the Hebrew scriptures, and he swipes at incidents like that in Acts, when the man and woman are struck dead for not contributing all the proceeds from their house. He says, how Christian is that?

It was too much of a mental burden for me to finish reading Klinghoffer’s book. Simply put, he doesn’t have faith in Jesus Christ. He says the reactions to Jesus of the Jews in Biblical times was appropriate and understandable – and, according to him,** nothing has changed.**
Klinghoffer is often citing arguments from the Jewish writings known as the Talmud, written centuries ago.

Nothing changed!? Well, if you are not a christian and obviously do not know christ then you will of course feel that nothing has changed!

BTW, so they think that Christ is in hell!? If they believe that then they must also believe that we are worshiping a false prophet (Jesus)? No wonder they think we are going to hell.

 

[ncgolf]

Okay please tell me, why didn’t jews accept Christ as the messia?

Please remember when you are posting that I haven’t got a clue about any of this and that is why I am asking (so, no writing in jargon)!

I listened to a lecture by a man named Roy Schoeman, a Jewish convert to Catholicism. He wrote a book “Salvation is from the Jews” and he has a website salvationisfromthejews.com/

Remember not all the Jews rejected Christ, the first Christians were Jewish and I believe thought themselves Jewish. Anyway Mr. Schoemann postulates that for the Church to make it’s break from Judaism a hardening had to come over most of the Jewish people. The “deep sleep” and “eyes that should not hear” are part of the plan of salvation … until the full number of Gentiles comes in. I am not doing his explanation justice but I think it is worth listening to both a Jewish/Catholic perspective on this … and how he reconciles both his Judaism with his Catholicism.

You can see this at work in these Romans 10 passages.

He references Romans 10

7 What then? What Israel was seeking it did not attain, but the elect attained it; the rest were hardened, 8 as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of deep sleep, eyes that should not see and ears that should not hear, down to this very day.” 9 And David says: “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; 10 let their eyes grow dim so that they may not see, and keep their backs bent forever.” 11 2 Hence I ask, did they stumble so as to fall? Of course not! But through their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make them jealous. 12 Now if their transgression is enrichment for the world, and if their diminished number is enrichment for the Gentiles, how much more their full number. 13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I glory in my ministry 14 in order to make my race jealous and thus save some of them. 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 3 If the firstfruits are holy, so is the whole batch of dough; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in their place and have come to share in the rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. If you do boast, consider that you do not support the root; the root supports you. 19 Indeed you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is so. They were broken off because of unbelief, but you are there because of faith. So do not become haughty, but stand in awe. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, (perhaps) he will not spare you either. 22 See, then, the kindness and severity of God: severity toward those who fell, but God’s kindness to you, provided you remain in his kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not remain in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated one, how much more will they who belong to it by nature be grafted back into their own olive tree. 25 I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not become wise (in) your own estimation: a hardening has come upon Israel in part, until the full number of the Gentiles comes in, 26 and thus all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The deliverer will come out of Zion, he will turn away godlessness from Jacob; 27 and this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”

 

[Foreigner]

Okay please tell me, why didn’t jews accept Christ as the messia?

Please remember when you are posting that I haven’t got a clue about any of this and that is why I am asking (so, no writing in jargon)!

The Jewish leadership rejected him and we are told in the Bible they conspired against him out of jealousy. It is quite simple if you think about it. There were Jewish leaders who liked their position of power and authority and making sure every Jew followed Judasim and the Law as the leadership saw fit. Then along comes Jesus and everyone starts following him, listening to him, and he does all kinds of miraculous things. Jesus threatens their authority and leadership. And indeed, if Jesus is made King and if Jesus’ way prevails over their way, their positions of leadership in Israel are completely doomed. IN other words, they felt threatened they would lose their comfortable positions of leadership and were therefore jealous of this man who the people might accept as their King. The common people will tend to follow their old leaders who they understand rather than some newcomer with seemingly radical ideas.

But some did follow Jesus. And out of this small flock came thousands upon thousands of Christians in the decades which followed.

 

[Zundrah]

The Jewish leadership rejected him and we are told in the Bible they conspired against him out of jealousy. It is quite simple if you think about it. There were Jewish leaders who liked their position of power and authority and making sure every Jew followed Judasim and the Law as the leadership saw fit. Then along comes Jesus and everyone starts following him, listening to him, and he does all kinds of miraculous things. Jesus threatens their authority and leadership. And indeed, if Jesus is made King and if Jesus’ way prevails over their way, their positions of leadership in Israel are completely doomed. IN other words, they felt threatened they would lose their comfortable positions of leadership and were therefore jealous of this man who the people might accept as their King. The common people will tend to follow their old leaders who they understand rather than some newcomer with seemingly radical ideas.

But some did follow Jesus. And out of this small flock came thousands upon thousands of Christians in the decades which followed.

LOL - Isn’t it amazing how just a small amount of people came to be a world wide religion!
Well, we did have the HS on our side, so it’s no surprise that we came this far.

 

[jimcintosh]

Okay please tell me, why didn’t jews accept Christ as the messia?

Please remember when you are posting that I haven’t got a clue about any of this and that is why I am asking (so, no writing in jargon)!

Why are you not a Mormon? Why are you not a Moonie? Why are you not a Scientoligist?

Few people convert from the religion in which they were raised. Most find it comfortable to stay with the religion they know.

I have no doubt that if I were alive then, I would have remained a faithful Jew.

 

[Zundrah]

Why are you not a Mormon? Why are you not a Moonie? Why are you not a Scientoligist?

Few people convert from the religion in which they were raised. Most find it comfortable to stay with the religion they know.

I have no doubt that if I were alive then, I would have remained a faithful Jew.

…I was raised an athiest… until 22 September 2007.

 

[chosen_people]

Okay please tell me, why didn’t jews accept Christ as the messia?

Please remember when you are posting that I haven’t got a clue about any of this and that is why I am asking (so, no writing in jargon)!

This should answer your question:

youtube.com/watch?v=PdmGv8XtBjg

 

[Eucharisted]

Many Jews did not accept Jesus Christ because He claimed to be God and because they sought a social messiah and did not believe His works or words.

 

[Zundrah]

Many Jews did not accept Jesus Christ because He claimed to be God and because they sought a social messiah and did not believe His works or words.

LOL - They don’t know what they’re missing.

 

[Mailman]

Okay please tell me, why didn’t jews accept Christ as the messia?

Please remember when you are posting that I haven’t got a clue about any of this and that is why I am asking (so, no writing in jargon)!

Because the Jews did not understand the prophecies concerning the [first] coming of the Messiah.

But why didn’t the Jews understand those prophecies? The answer will surprise many.

The Eternal revealed His great Plan of salvation to His Church in the wilderness. To keep that Church in the knowledge of the Plan, the Eternal ordained seven annual festivals. These Festivals picture the seven steps in carrying out God’s Plan.

But the OT Church departed from celebrating these festivals, so they lost knowledge of God’s Plan. That is exactly what happened to the Jews in NT times. The Jews did not understand the prophecies of the first coming of Christ because they were not keeping the one festival [Passover] which pictured that Christ was coming FIRST as the paschal lamb – to bear the sins of the world.

Hence they were unable to recognize the true gospel when it came to them through Jesus Christ. They were not expecting Christ, the Messiah, to come as a man to bear the sins of the world. They were expecting only a conquering king. Had they been celebrating the true Passover on its right day, instead of confusing it with the Feast night of the days of Unleavened Bread, they would have known that their Messiah would first come as a man to bear the sins of the world.

Jesus and the Galileans observed Passover on Nisan 14, the correct day. The Jews in Judaea celebrated it one day late, on the night of the Feast, the 15th of Nisan or Abib. Today the Jews do not really keep any passover. They observe only the Feast. This is the real reason why the Jews as a nation forgot their God.

Matthew records the conversation of the Jews’ plot to kill Jesus. They said: “Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people.” (Mat. 26:5). This text shows Jesus was killed on the 14th as our Passover Lamb – on the very day the Passover Lamb was always slain – as the Jews purposely avoided killing Jesus on the Feast [the 15th].

Now, John 18:28. On the morning of the 14th of Nisan the Jews refused to enter the judgment hall of the Roman governor, Pilate. Why? “Lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the passover."

Here we see that the Jews from Judaea had not eaten THEIR passover yet. They were not observing it at the same time the Galileans ate it. They kept THEIR passover one day later than did Jesus, His disciples and the Galileans in general.

But why did they do so? Where did the custom originate? Why were the Jews in Judaea observing their passover on a different day of the month than were the Jews living in Galilee?

The custom started when the Persian rule over Palestine ceased and the Greeks came into the picture. New ideas began to be introduced. Judaism that was a mixture of the Law of Moses and “Hellenism” developed. The eleventh chapter of Daniel tells us of the history of the Jews in Palestine for the next three centuries. First, Palestine was to be under the control of the King of the South. The King of the South was the Ptolemaic line of Greek rulers in Egypt.

The Egyptians – under the rule of a Greek dynasty – began to force their particular brand of Hellenism upon the Jews in Palestine. The Jews were forced to take up the ways of the heathen – and that included CHANGING THE TIME WHEN THE DAY BEGINS. (Any encyclopedia will reveal that the Egyptians began their days with SUNRISE, not sunset.) They therefore commenced each day about 12 hours later than the time God appoints. In doing so, they changed the time for celebrating the Passover, observing it one day late.

Although at the time of the crucifixion the Jews had restored the beginning of a day to its proper point, the Judaeans refused to change the hour for celebrating their passover. The traditions of the elders were too strong. The Judaeans decided to kill the passover lambs and to eat them at the same time of day they had been doing under Gentile Egyptian rule. That is how the Jews in Judaea began to celebrate their passover at the end of the 14th and the beginning of the 15th day of Nisan. And that is why we see in John 18:28 that the Jews had not eaten their Passover yet on the morning of the 14th.

 

[chosen_people]

I posted a link to a five minute youtube video by a Rabbi where he explains in simple understandable terms the Jewish perspective on this question If someone is truly interested in an answer to the query of this thread I believe this would be the proper place to start.

 

[AmbroseSJ]

I posted a link to a five minute youtube video by a Rabbi where he explains in simple understandable terms the Jewish perspective on this question If someone is truly interested in an answer to the query of this thread I believe this would be the proper place to start.

I watched the video. I don’t think the op was asking why Jews today don’t accept Jesus, but rather why Jews contemporary with Jesus did not accept Him. But this is rather a loaded question in itself, as it is quite obvious that Christianity was brought to us by the Jews (after the Ascension of Jesus.) Therefore Jews (and many Jews, including even Jewish Rabbis, leaders and priests) DID accept Jesus as the Messiah. So the real question seems to be why didn’t ALL JEWS accept Jesus as the Messiah, for which we already have numerous answers in this thread.