9. What do Jewish people believe about Jesus? 

Who do they think He was?  Without hesitation, they accept Him as an historical figure.  They will say something like this, “Jesus was a good teacher, a prophet and a good man, but he was not God.”  They don’t deny that He existed, however, they do deny that Jesus was Deity; God in the flesh.  This was recently illustrated again as I (Marty) had the opportunity to visit with a Rabbi.  For about the first ten minutes of the conversation, he sought to build a case by explaining that nowhere in Judaism, does it teach that the Messiah is going to be divine.  He believed that Paul deviated from his Judaism and invented this teaching about the necessity of the divinity of Messiah.  After listening to him give reason after reason, I asked if I might interject something.  I explained that Paul did not invent the concept of the divinity of the Messiah, but  stated that this teaching is taught throughout the Old Testament.  I asked him if he would get a copy of the Holy Scriptures, (the Jewish publication of the Old Testament) look up Isaiah 9:6, and please read it.  He did and here is what he read.

Isa. 9:6 “For a child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”

After reading it in English, the Rabbi got down his Hebrew Bible and read the words “El Gibbor.”  Which when translated, mean, “Mighty God.”  He didn’t like what he saw, but it can’t be denied, it was prophesied that the Messiah was to be divine.

GOD

Is. 41:4 “Who has performed and accomplished Calling forth the generations from the beginning? ‘I, the Lord, am the first, and with the last. I am He.’”

Is. 48:12 “Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last.

Is. 45:22 “Turn to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other.

Is. 45:23 “I have sworn by Myself, The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear

Is. 45:24 “They will say of Me, ‘Only in the Lord are righteousness and strength.’ Men will come to Him, And all who were angry at Him shall be put to shame.

Is. 43:3 “For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I have given Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in your place.

JESUS

Rev. 1:17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as a dead man. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last,

Rev. 1:18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.

Rev. 2:8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says

Phil. 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth,

Phil. 2:11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Matt. 1:21 “And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins.”

These verses clearly illustrate that Jesus is the Jehovah of the Old Testament.  He is not simply a good man, a teacher, or a Rabbi, but He is divine, truly God in the flesh.  Was this necessary?  Yes it was.  It’s clearly taught in the Word of God that the Messiah was to be divine and the Lord Jesus fulfills this.  Denying the divinity of Jesus is not unique to Judaism,  all of the cults and other false religions also deny this vital truth.  It’s true that Jesus was also 100% human, but that does not hinder His being divine.