Jews do not believe Jesus is the Messiah primarily because he did not fulfill the messianic prophecies expected according to Jewish tradition. These include ushering in an era of universal peace, rebuilding the Third Temple, gathering all Jews back to the Land of Israel, and being a direct descendant of King David who reigns as king. Additionally, Jewish theology rejects the Christian claims of Jesus' divinity, including the idea of the Trinity, as incompatible with monotheism and considers worship of any person a form of idolatry. Key reasons Jews reject Jesus as the Messiah include:
- Jesus did not complete the tasks predicted for the Messiah, such as bringing world peace and restoring the Jewish kingdom.
- The Messiah must be a natural-born descendant of King David through his son Solomon; Jesus' genealogy is seen as insufficiently documented or inconsistent with this.
- Jewish belief relies on national revelation and scriptural fulfillment rather than miracles or signs alone.
- Christianity’s concept of Jesus as divine conflicts with Jewish monotheistic principles.
- Jewish scriptures traditionally interpreted as messianic prophecies have not been fulfilled by Jesus as per Jewish interpretation.
Thus, rejecting Jesus as the Messiah is deeply rooted in Jewish scriptural expectations and theological principles, not a denial of his historical existence.
