Judaism is the faith of the Jewish people, built on the belief in one God who made a covenant with Abraham and gave his law to Israel through Moses. Christianity grew directly out of Judaism, and the two faiths share the Hebrew Scriptures, the same Creator and many of the same hopes. The main difference is Jesus. Christians believe he is the promised Messiah, while most Jewish people are still waiting for the Messiah to come.
The Shema at the Heart of Judaism
The most important statement of Jewish faith is the Shema, named after its first Hebrew word, “hear.” Faithful Jews have prayed it every morning and evening for thousands of years.
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Jewish life centers on the Torah (the first five books of the Bible), the wider Hebrew Bible (called the Tanakh) and centuries of rabbinic teaching collected in the Talmud. Practices like keeping the Sabbath, celebrating festivals like Passover and Yom Kippur, and gathering in the synagogue shape the rhythm of life. Today Judaism includes several branches, from Orthodox to Conservative to Reform, which differ in how strictly they keep the law.
Christianity’s Jewish Roots
Christians can’t understand their own faith without Judaism. Jesus was Jewish. So were his disciples, the apostle Paul and nearly every author of the Bible. When Jesus was asked to name the greatest commandment, he quoted the Shema (Mark 12:29-30). Paul described the incredible privileges God gave to Israel.
Romans 9:4-5 Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.
Jesus himself said, “salvation is from the Jews” (John 4:22). That’s why Christians should never tolerate antisemitism. We worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and our Savior was born a son of Israel.
The Big Difference: Jesus the Messiah
The Hebrew prophets promised that God would send the Messiah, an anointed king from David’s line. Most Jewish teaching expects the Messiah to be a human leader who will restore Israel and bring peace to the world. Since the temple was destroyed in AD 70, Judaism has emphasized repentance, prayer and good deeds as the way to be right with God.
Christians believe Jesus fulfilled the messianic promises, including the ones about a Messiah who would suffer for the sins of his people.
Isaiah 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
The first Christians were Jews who became convinced that Jesus was the Messiah after he rose from the dead. The book of Hebrews explains that his death was the final sacrifice that the temple sacrifices pointed toward.
Love Your Jewish Neighbors
Paul never stopped loving his own people. He wrote, “my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved” (Romans 10:1). Christians can follow his example by honoring Jewish friends, learning about their traditions, asking good questions and gently sharing why we believe Jesus is the Messiah the Scriptures promised.
The Takeaway
Judaism worships the one God of Abraham and treasures the Hebrew Scriptures, which Christians share. The key difference is Jesus, whom Christians believe is the promised Messiah who died and rose again for Jews and Gentiles alike.
