Why Jewish People Do Not Believe in Jesus (A History Of Anti-Semitism In The Church)
It is no secret that the Jews have been persecuted throughout history. However, what is less well-known is why Jewish people do not believe in Jesus, despite the fact that he was himself a Jew. In this blog post, we will take a look at some of the historical barriers that have prevented the Jewish people from believing in Jesus, largely due to anti-Semitism and persecution at the hands of Christians.
Yes, we said Christians. Painfully, members of the Christian faith have often persecuted Jews the most, even though Christianity has its roots in Judaism.
Now one caveat that needs to be made from the get-go is our acknowledgment that the historical behavior of Christians does not denote what a Biblical Christian faith actually teaches. Rather, this is a brief look at some of the reasons why Jewish people have come to view Jesus and Christianity with suspicion and skepticism. We know that throughout Jewish history, there have been followers of Jesus who have blessed and not persecuted the Jewish people, and we are grateful for their faithful witness.
And while there have been righteous Gentiles throughout history who have proactively sought to love and protect their Jewish neighbors, the fact remains that for centuries, the Christian church has been complicit in some of the worst atrocities against the Jewish people. And sometimes, that complicit behavior has come in the form of silence. Even today, some Christians deny the Holocaust ever happened, which furthers the wedge between our two communities. We know of pastors in church communities in Germany who confess, "The sin of our fathers was silence. When we should have cried out, we were silent. When we should have intervened, we looked away."
If we are to look honestly at the history between the Jewish people and the Christian church, there is a blood-stained record that cannot be ignored. Everything from early church fathers to the Crusades, Martin Luther, and the Holocaust have left their mark on the Jewish people's perception of Christianity.
The Early Church
The persecution of the Jewish people started early. In the 4th century, Emperor Constantine decreed that Christianity was the official religion of the Roman empire. This newfound status granted Christians a certain level of power and privilege, which they used to persecute those who did not share their faith. Jews were banned from holding public office, their synagogues were destroyed, and they were forced to convert to Christianity or face death.
Early church fathers such as Augustine and Chrysostom taught that the Jews were collectively responsible for the death of Jesus and that they would be punished eternally for their crimes. Augustine said that the Jews "should not expect mercy from us" and that their "slaughter of Christ… brands them with a mark of infamy." Chrysostom went so far as to call the Jews "the most worthless of men," "vipers," and "a brood of snakes."
What would cause this anti-Semitism? The Jews were accused of deicide, the murder of God. This was a direct result of Replacement Theology, the belief that when the Jews rejected Jesus as their Messiah, they forfeited their status as God's chosen people. The early church fathers used Replacement Theology to justify their mistreatment of the Jewish people, teaching that because the Jews had rejected Jesus, they were no longer God's people and that Christians were now the new Israel.
This would lay the groundwork for centuries of anti-Semitism. There is never an acknowledgment of the Romans' role in Jesus' crucifixion in these early texts - it is always the Jews who are to blame. But if the Romans were in any way complicit in the death of Jesus, then all Gentiles are culpable, not just the Jews. However, this nuance is lost in the doctrine of Replacement Theology, and it continues on to this day.
As Christianity became more entrenched as the official religion of the empire, the persecution of the Jews increased. In the year 415, a Christian mob in Alexandria, Egypt, burned down all the synagogues in the city and massacred the Jews. In the 5th century, Christian Emperor Theodosius II closed all the Jewish schools in Constantinople. In the 6th century, Pope Gregory I called for the forced baptism of all Jewish children.
As we have said before, when God chose the Jewish people, Satan said, "I choose them, too, and will persecute them." He has been doing so throughout history.
The Crusades
In 1095, Pope Urban II called for the first Crusade with the stated goal of recapturing Jerusalem from Muslim control. In reality, however, the Crusades were more about plunder and pillage than religious piety. Tens of thousands of Jews were killed or forced to convert to Christianity and accept Jesus during the Crusades, and their homes and synagogues were destroyed. During this time, many Jews came to see Christianity as a violent and intolerant religion.
Fathers were killed in front of their children, and women and children were raped and slaughtered without mercy. In one particularly gruesome incident in Mainz, Germany, the Jewish community was given the choice of baptism or death. When they chose death, they were herded into their synagogue and burned alive. This event would come to be known as the Rhineland Massacres. The Rhineland Massacres were just one example of the widespread violence and persecution that Jews faced during the Crusades.
The Crusades would sow the seeds of mistrust and suspicion between Christians and Jews that would last for centuries. The image of the Jew as Christ-killer was further reinforced, and many Jews came to see Christianity as a violent and intolerant religion.
The Crusades left such a deep mark on the Jewish people that, to this day, some Orthodox Jews will not set foot in the Holy Land out of fear that they will be forced to convert. And though there are great Christian outreaches, you could never convince a Jew to attend Greg Laurie's Harvest Crusade. When we have this context in mind, we can see why the Crusades are still a major reason why Jewish people do not believe in Jesus.
It is also the reason that the cross still today is a symbol of hate for many Jewish people. It was the symbol that was carried by the Crusaders as they plundered and murdered their way across Europe and the Holy Land. You can imagine why a Christian wearing a cross necklace approaching a Jewish person with the Gospel of Jesus would not be received well.
Martin Luther
Unfortunately, Martin Luther deserves a chapter of his own in Jewish history. This renowned theologian responsible for the great Reformation of the 16th century was also an avowed anti-Semite. In 1543, Luther published "On the Jews and Their Lies," in which he called for the persecution of Jews. He argued that their synagogues should be burned down, their homes destroyed, and they should be banned from public office. One quote from this book says:
"We are at fault in not slaying them...I would not hesitate to exterminate them like mad dogs, for I am certain that they cannot be otherwise than damned. They are devils, damnable, and the Synagogue of Satan."
Another part of his book says:
"If they could kill us all, they would gladly do so...Let me give you my advice: First set fire to their synagogues or schools and banish them from the country...Their possessions and money must be taken from them. And if this does not help, we must drive them out like mad dogs."
Luther's words would go on to inspire centuries of anti-Semitism. This virulent anti-Semitism would go on to inspire some of the worst atrocities against Jewish people, including the Holocaust. Luther's words would have a lasting impact on the way that Jews were treated in Europe. In the centuries that followed, they would be forced to live in ghettos, banned from owning land or holding public office, and subjected to regular pogroms.
Though these writings came toward the end of Luther's life and he later regretted them, they nonetheless helped to legitimize anti-Semitism in Europe. It's a lot like what we have told our children when they have said something damaging to their sibling or to a friend. Once that nailed has been struck into the wood, you can take the nail out but the hole will remain.
Despite the good that came from the Reformation, such as the emphasis on personal faith and Bible study, it also unleashed a dark side of Christian hatred that would have devastating consequences for the Jewish people. Luther's words carried much weight with his followers, and they further alienated and isolated the Jewish community.
The Pogroms
Many have not even heard the word "pogrom," but this was a regular occurrence in Europe for centuries. A pogrom is a government-sanctioned massacre or persecution of a particular ethnic or religious group. At the turn of the 20th century, there were dozens of pogroms against Jewish people across Russia, Poland, and Romania.
The most famous of these was the Kishinev Pogrom, which took place in 1903 in the town of Kishinev in Russia. This was a particularly brutal pogrom in which 49 Jews were killed, hundreds were wounded, and 90 percent of the town's Jewish businesses were destroyed. This pogrom was carried out in broad daylight with the support of the local authorities.
These pogroms were carried out with the acquiescence of the government, and they served to further delegitimize and demonize the Jewish community. They also served to further isolate and alienate the Jewish people from the rest of society.
The quote, "All that is needed for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing," is often attributed to Edmund Burke, but it could just as easily be applied to the pogroms. The silence of the Christian church in the face of these atrocities was deafening. We think, "How could this happen?" But today, with the pandemic, it has become easier to see how control, power, and fear can lead good people to do terrible things - or nothing. And it becomes easy to see how a government could almost overnight change the landscape of society and create an environment in which such atrocities could take place.
The Holocaust
The Nazi regime's systematic murder of six million Jews during World War II was the final straw for many Jews who had already been living in fear and insecurity for centuries. The Holocaust proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Christians were capable of breathtakingly evil acts against Jews simply because of their religious beliefs. In the aftermath of such a travesty, it is not surprising that many Jews have rejected Christianity outright.
You and I look at the evil of the Nazis and think there is no way that they were true Christians. But the sad reality is that they saw themselves as doing God's work. They were following in the footsteps of Martin Luther and other Christian leaders who had called for the extermination of Jews. The Nazis simply took those words and put them into action.
More importantly, to the Jewish people, even today, the Nazis were those who would attend church on Sunday morning and then go to the concentration camps to kill the Jews on Monday. This is not conjectured on my part. This is what survivors of the Holocaust have said over and over again.
In the minds of many Jews, Christianity = Nazis.
In the aftermath of the Holocaust, many Jewish people have come to see Christianity as a dangerous and hateful religion. To the Jewish mindset, you are never safe. After the Holocaust and the subsequent emergence of the nation of Israel, we saw a mass exodus of Jews from Europe to the Holy Land. Israel would be the only place where they would ever feel truly safe.
The Holocaust is a reminder that words matter. When we use our words to demonize and dehumanize others, we create an environment where violence and hatred can flourish.
The New Anti-Semitism
If only this were a historical issue. We need only look at the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe and America today to see that it is very much alive and well. The recent massacre of 11 Jewish people at a synagogue in Pittsburgh is a case in point. This act of violence was carried out by a man who held virulent anti-Semitic beliefs.
In his manifesto, the shooter echoed many of the same themes that we see in Martin Luther's writing. He blamed the Jews for all of the world's problems and saw them as an evil force that needed to be destroyed. This is the same rhetoric that has been used against Jews for centuries.
Sadly, this rhetoric is becoming more and more common in our society. We see it in the form of conspiracy theories about Jewish control of the world or the claim that Jews are responsible for all the problems in the Middle East. This anti-Semitism is often disguised as criticism of Israel, but make no mistake, it is rooted in hate.
We have failed to learn the lessons of history, and we are now seeing the consequences of that failure. Unless the Christian church of today takes a stand against anti-Semitism, we are in danger of repeating the mistakes of our past.
What Can Christians Do Today To Repair This Rupture?
The barriers preventing many Jewish people from believing in Jesus are numerous and deeply entrenched. However, there are things that Christians can do to overcome them. And if we are going to be Biblical, there is a mandate to reach out to the Jewish people today. God is clear in His Word that the Jewish people are His chosen people and that we as Christians are to be a light to them (Isaiah 49:6). God is also not done with His people. They are still the apple of His eye. The church has not replaced Israel, and we must not forget that. And it is for that reason that Paul makes it clear in Romans that our salvation is "to the Jew first" (Romans 1:16).
This does not mean that we should try to force our beliefs on them or be insincere in our efforts. What it means is that we need to reach out to them with compassion and love, being mindful of the hurt and pain they have experienced at the hands of Christians throughout history. We also need to be respectful of their beliefs and where they are currently spiritually.
Here are four movements toward repairing this relationship:
First and foremost, we must reject any form of anti-Semitism within our own ranks. Acknowledging the hurt that has been inflicted is the first step, but we must also make it clear that such attitudes and actions are not acceptable.
Second, we must work hard to build relationships of trust and respect with our Jewish friends and neighbors. This will not happen overnight, but it is essential if we are to have any hope of sharing the gospel with them.
Make an effort to restore the Jewishness of the Gospel and the Jewishness of Jesus, not just for the Jewish people themselves, but for the enrichment of your faith. Be equipped to share the Gospel through the Hebrew Bible, sharing Messianic prophecies from the rulers and prophets like King David, Ezekiel, and Isaiah.
Finally, we must be ready to talk about the difficult issues raised by the Holocaust and other dark episodes in Christian history as they relate to Jewish history. When we can express genuine sorrow for the pain that has been inflicted and offer a message of hope and forgiveness, we open the door for reconciliation. The relationship between Christians and Jews is a complicated one, but it is one that we must work to repair. By showing compassion and respect, being honest about our history, and sharing the gospel in love, we can
By taking these steps, we can start to rebuild bridges between our two communities and create a path whereby Jewish people can once again come to know and follow Jesus as their Jewish Messiah.
