Grace Thompson
Catholics believe that Jesus was a Jew, born and raised as a Jew, and steeped in the Jewish Scriptures. However, they also believe that he came to complete the Jewish religion, creating a monotheistic faith community that would be open to people of all races. This new form of Judaism is known as Christianity, and its adherents are Christians or followers of Christ. While some Jews recognized Jesus as the Messiah and embraced this new, completed form of Judaism, others did not, leading to a split between those who followed Christ and those who practiced a partial, incomplete form of Judaism that lacked recognition of the Messiah.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Jesus' ethnicity | Jewish |
| Jesus' religion | Judaism |
| Jesus' role | Messiah/prophet |
| Catholic view of Jesus' religion | Catholicism is the fulfilment of Judaism |
| Jesus' view of Judaism | Wanted to complete it, not eradicate it |
| Jesus' followers | First called Christians in Antioch |
| Jesus' church | Small groups, not ornate buildings |
| Jesus' divinity | Disputed by some Jews |
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What You'll Learn
Jesus was a Jew, born and raised in the Jewish faith
Jesus saw himself as bringing Judaism to a new level. He began a protest movement within Judaism, creating a monotheistic faith community that would be open to people of all races. This is reflected in Matthew 5:17: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill”.
Jesus was accused of blasphemy by some Jews who rejected him outright. This was because he claimed divine prerogatives, such as when he forgave the paralytic's sins before curing him (Mark 2). However, Jesus did not come to eradicate the Jewish religion but to complete it. The Gospels record several incidents where Jesus is accused of blasphemy for directly or indirectly claiming divine status. For example, when Jesus cured the paralytic man lowered through the roof (Mark 2:1-12), he saw the man’s faith and said, “Child, your sins are forgiven” (v. 5). Similar passages occur in Matthew 9:1-8 and Luke 5:18-26.
Jesus' followers were first called Christians in Antioch (Acts 11:26)—only after his death and resurrection. The term "Catholic" was first used by Ignatius of Antioch in about 100 A.D. The term meant "universal", reflecting Jesus' message that salvation was meant for all.
Catholicism is the completion of the Jewish religion. The ancient Jews who followed Christ are regarded as Jews in their completion. Jews who don't follow Christ are rabbinic Jews.
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He founded a church, completing Judaism, which some Jews recognised
Catholicism is regarded as the completion of Judaism, and Jesus, a Jew himself, came to complete the Jewish religion by founding a church. This church, according to the Catholic faith, is the one that Jesus founded, and it serves as the fulfilment of Judaism and is open to people of all races, not just ethnic Jews.
Jesus was born, lived, and died a Jew, and was steeped in Jewish Scriptures, as evidenced by his quotes from the Old Testament during his temptations in the desert (Mt 4:1-11). However, some Jews accused him of blasphemy and rejected him because of his teachings about God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, which contradicted the monotheistic bedrock of Judaism.
Jesus' followers, who were also initially Jewish, asserted their monotheistic beliefs, clarifying that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were not three separate gods. These followers, or apostles, recognised Jesus as the Messiah and embraced the completed form of Judaism, which is now known as Christianity.
The completed form of Judaism, or Christianity, is open to all people, regardless of their ethnic background. As Paul states, Christians are those who are inwardly (religiously) Jewish, while non-Christian Jews are outwardly (ethnically) Jewish. Thus, one can be a Jew religiously by accepting Christianity, the completed form of Judaism, without being ethnically Jewish.
The term "Catholic" was first used by Ignatius of Antioch around 100 AD, and it means "universal". This term reflects Jesus' message that salvation is meant for all people, not just ethnic Jews. Therefore, Jesus founded a church that completed Judaism and was inclusive of all people, which some Jews recognised and embraced, becoming the first Christians.
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Many Jews rejected Jesus as the Messiah, creating a split
Jesus was a Jew, and his coming was prophesied in the Hebrew Scriptures. However, many Jews rejected Jesus as the Messiah, and this rejection created a split between those who followed Christ and those who did not. This divide led to the formation of the Catholic Church, which is considered the fulfilment of Judaism.
The Jewish people of Jesus' time were under Roman rule and expected the Messiah to deliver them from this bondage. When Jesus allowed himself to be arrested and crucified, they stopped believing he was the promised prophet. They rejected their Messiah, and the kingdom of heaven was postponed.
The concept of the Messiah in Judaism is different from the Christian interpretation. Jews expected a military leader who would overthrow the rule of Rome, but Jesus came with a message of mercy, not judgment. He proclaimed that his kingdom would belong to the meek, not the strong. This discrepancy in expectations led to the Jewish rejection of Jesus as the Messiah.
Furthermore, the religious leaders at the time of Jesus were corrupt, and the people's hearts were hardened to the truth. They were not interested in the truth of God, and their lack of interest is illustrated in the New Testament through the story of Lazarus. Jesus summed up the state of the people: "Seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand" (Matthew 13:13).
Today, many Jews identify as secular and have no understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures or Judaism's "13 Principles of Faith". Most Jews perceive the last 2,000 years of historical persecution as being at the hands of "Christians". They believe they are being held responsible for the death of Jesus and are being persecuted for that reason, which further contributes to the rejection of Jesus by Jews today.
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Jesus' followers were first called Christians in Antioch
Catholics believe that Jesus was a Jew, and that he founded the Catholic Church as the completion of the Jewish faith. This is supported by the fact that the Old Testament is a part of the Jewish religion, and Jesus gave the New Testament, thus completing the religion.
The Church of Antioch was the first of the five major churches that later became the pentarchy in Christianity. The church was established by Barnabas and Paul the Apostle, who preached in Antioch for a year, converting many people to the belief in Jesus as the Messiah. The followers of Jesus as the Messiah trace the origin of the term "Christian" to this church.
The ancient Jews who followed Christ are still regarded as Jews, but they are seen as Jews in their completion. On the other hand, Jews today who do not follow Christ are considered rabbinic Jews.
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Catholics are followers of the church Jesus founded
Catholicism is regarded as the fulfillment of Judaism. Jesus was a Jew, and his teachings completed the Jewish religion. He founded a church that would serve as its fulfillment and be open to people of all races, not just ethnic Jews.
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions and has played a prominent role in the history and development of Western civilization. The Church consists of 24 autonomous churches, including the Latin Church and 23 Eastern Catholic Churches, which comprise almost 3,500 dioceses and eparchies around the world, each overseen by one or more bishops.
The core beliefs of Catholicism are found in the Nicene Creed. The Catholic Church teaches that it is the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church founded by Jesus Christ in his Great Commission. Its bishops are the successors of Christ's apostles, and the pope is the successor of Saint Peter, upon whom primacy was conferred by Jesus Christ. The New Testament records several events considered integral to the establishment of the Catholic Church, including Jesus' activities and teachings and his appointment of the apostles as witnesses to his ministry, suffering, and resurrection. The Great Commission, after his resurrection, instructed the apostles to continue his work.
The Catholic Church holds that there is one eternal God, who exists as a perichoresis ("mutual indwelling") of three hypostases, or "persons": God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (also called the Holy Ghost), which together are called the "Holy Trinity". Catholics believe that Jesus Christ is the "Second Person" of the Trinity, God the Son. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God became united with human nature through the conception of Christ in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Christ, therefore, is understood as being both fully divine and fully human, including possessing a human soul. It is taught that Christ's mission on earth included giving people his teachings and providing his example for them to follow as recorded in the four Gospels.
The Catholic Church is further described in the Nicene Creed as the "one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church". These are collectively known as the Four Marks of the Church. The church teaches that its founder is Jesus Christ. The coming of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, in an event known as Pentecost, is seen as the beginning of the public ministry of the Catholic Church. The church teaches that all duly consecrated bishops have a lineal succession from the apostles of Christ, known as apostolic succession.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Jesus was a Jew. He was born and raised as a Jew, and was well-versed in Jewish Scriptures.
Jesus came to complete the Jewish religion by creating a Church that would be open to people of all races, not just ethnic Jews. This Church was later called Catholic, which means "universal".
Jesus was accused of blasphemy by the Jews for claiming divine prerogatives. For example, when Jesus cured a paralytic, he said, "Child, your sins are forgiven", implying that he was God.
No, Jesus was not a Catholic. The term "Catholic" was first used by Ignatius of Antioch in about 100 A.D., years after Jesus's death.
Catholicism is considered the completion of Judaism. The ancient Jews who followed Christ are regarded as Jews in their completion. Jews today who do not follow Christ are rabbinic Jews, practising an incomplete form of Judaism.
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