Religious questions about Jesus, Christianity, Scriptures

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Well basically, I'm from Israel and I belong to Judaism. I'm not very religious but I'm also not Christian, but I'm interested in the concept of the messiah in Christianity. From a quick look at the New testament and a simple google search, I wasnt able to really find out a few things I wanted to know.

If there are any religious christians here, I was hoping if you can please answer a few questions I have. Thanks.

1) Where in the scriptures does it say Jesus is the messiah, or is it not explicitly stated, but is implied in different words? If so, where / what book in the scriptures, does it say so?

2) If Jesus was jewish, how come Christians arent considered jews?

3) If I go to a jewish Synagogue for praying, is it worth talking about Jesus or asking about him, or they would get angry at me?

4) Are the pics of what jesus looked like around the Internet are real, or nobody really knows what he looked like?

5) Is the Old Testament, the same one in Judaism, is identical to the one in Christianity, or what are the differences, if there are any?

6) Does all Christians believe Jesus is the messiah, or this isnt 100% widely accepted on among christians?

7) If jesus is the messiah, why do christians sometimes call him the Christ instead?

Yes those are good answers.

Also look at the verses in the old testament which predict Jesus coming.
Just search Google for 'messianic verses'

One thing I just noticed, in the Jewish psalms
David says that god will say to the Messiah 'I will put your enemies under your feet'

That suggests that the Messiah will have to be avenged, because his enemies killed him. So that is a bit of evidence.

A similar thing is in English: the word Maiden can mean young woman or unmarried woman.
Maiden can also mean virgin because the first voyage of a ship is called the maiden voyage.

In the days of Moses etc. a young woman was to ideally be kept as a virgin until marriage.
So the word virgin and young woman would be interchangable.


A slightly similar thing in English is if an otherwise intelligent person does something silly like crossing the road at the wrong time. Someone could call them an idiot with a smile, but we can't go off the literal meaning of everything so we know the person isn't really an idiot. So human language isn't precise and orderly like a computer language.

the actual quote from the old testament is:

In the Bible a sign is something that proves the event was caused by God.
Jesus does 'signs and wonders ' which made many believe. So in the context of the Bible a sign is significant.

Your citation seems to say that almah only means young woman but not virgin. My previous post covers the reasons for me thinking it would be interchangeable.

Here is a whole chapter of the old testament which basically describes Jesus very well:
Who has believed our message(A)
and to whom has the arm(B) of the Lord been revealed?(C)
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,(D)
and like a root(E) out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance(F) that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering,(G) and familiar with pain.(H)
Like one from whom people hide(I) their faces
he was despised,(J) and we held him in low esteem.

4 Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,(K)
yet we considered him punished by God,(L)
stricken by him, and afflicted.(M)
5 But he was pierced(N) for our transgressions,(O)
he was crushed(P) for our iniquities;
the punishment(Q) that brought us peace(R) was on him,
and by his wounds(S) we are healed.(T)
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,(U)
each of us has turned to our own way;(V)
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity(W) of us all.

7 He was oppressed(X) and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;(Y)
he was led like a lamb(Z) to the slaughter,(AA)
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression[a] and judgment(AB) he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;(AC)
for the transgression(AD) of my people he was punished.[b]
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,(AE)
and with the rich(AF) in his death,
though he had done no violence,(AG)
nor was any deceit in his mouth.(AH)

10 Yet it was the Lord’s will(AI) to crush(AJ) him and cause him to suffer,(AK)
and though the Lord makes[c] his life an offering for sin,(AL)
he will see his offspring(AM) and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper(AN) in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,(AO)
he will see the light(AP) of life[d] and be satisfied[e];
by his knowledge[f] my righteous servant(AQ) will justify(AR) many,
and he will bear their iniquities.(AS)
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,[g](AT)
and he will divide the spoils(AU) with the strong,[h]
because he poured out his life unto death,(AV)

^^ Please provide the Bible book and chapter. This account seems to be referring to an event that already happened, not a future one.

Once again, the writers who wrote the Gospel accounts could have adjusted Jesus’ story to make it seem to adhere to Bible prophecy. That’s quite doable, especially since most Bible scholars argue that the Gospels are not eyewitness accounts but were written much later by anonymous writers.

Perhaps this will help:

Greek: Christos
https://biblehub.com/greek/5547.htm

Hebrew: mashiach
https://biblehub.com/hebrew/4899.htm

An English word derived from the greek:

English: Chrism
https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=chrism

It may be useful to know that the most original copies of what Christians call the "New Testament" are written in Greek, while the most original copies of what Christians call the "Old Testament" are written in Hebrew.

Here’s a Jewish perspective of what is required for a person to be a real Messiah and why they don’t think Jesus fits. I’m not advocating this position since I don’t buy into any of it. I’m just demonstrating that knowledge of the scriptures does not make Jesus’ legitimacy that clearcut. (Something else to keep in mind is that messianic cults were not unheard of in Jesus’ day. Many people were hoping for a magical solution to their problems.)

Miracles are happening today. I am thinking of one where a gypsy family where a girl had one leg a few inches shorter than the other and one foot was 4 sizes smaller than the other, and they prayed and right in front of their eyes, the shorter leg and foot grew to match the other one which was great because they just could not afford to keep buying specialist shoes for her to be able to walk.

Many, many other miracles.
I have seen things in my life that are impossibilities without God. Seen visions months or years before they take place and when they take place every exact detail is how I saw it in the vision.
Many things from healings to impossible prophecies come true. There is no difference between God in the past and today.

There is a scripture that says "A form of godliness but they deny the power"... Basically many Churches dull down the Holy Spirit so God can't work in them. They dull the faith!
God does miracles to those who put their faith in Him! Impossible things become possible. Situations change that people said would never happen. God changes things! God changes people!

I never forget to this day of one lady who is a little younger that me. She came to work for a while on the railway though lost her job due to her own fault as she wasn't pulling her weight but lets not dwell on that. Lets dwell on something else. She did not have any time for anything "Religious". I hardly said anything to her, but as she was one day swearing away in the staff room, one of the train drivers told her not to and said that I was a Christian. I did not mind too much that she was swearing to be honest as that is between her and God, but I said to her (As the focus came onto me) "Why not go to church?"
I said it half jokingly and I had probably stopped going to church by then partly due to railway shifts but partly because God called me out of church, but I said it a bit to wind her up just out of my humour in the unusual situation, and she said "You wouldn't see me dead in a church".
Now she lost her job as she did not pass her probationary period which the managers had extended in kindness but she had not showed any signs of improvement, so they had to let her go. (None of us hold that against her, as it is just how it is as the railways need prompt time keeping and people to carry out all the small details that their jobs require them to do and some are not suited and others are. Just how it is).
Now the next time I saw her I was really gobsmacked! I could not believe my eyes!
My Dad had become a Christian who is another person whom even his friends from long ago when he was a teenager could not believe, and my Dad wanted to go to church, so though I wasn't going myself, to help my Dad I went, and when I went in there was that young lady who had become a Christian after miriacles that only God can do had taken place in her life. I remember her last words in the past and smiled! Haha! God had other plans!

The thing to remember here is that I (And I speak for others I know) am not a Christian because I have done anything but because God called me and I responded. All I did was to open the door to Jesus when he knocked. Prior to this, I had a roughly speaking "Christian" upbringing, but there had been nothing there. What I mean by this is that it was just "Religious" and I avoided it. I hate "Religion". If my Christianity was based on following a set of rules then forget it! I WANT GOD for REAL! Not following something that enslaves me to be a follower of a religious system.

When one begins to read the New Testament early church when the miracles that Jesus did were being done also amongst the early Christians... That is what church should be like today. NOT just a load of words or sermons or songs but the living power of God moving amongst HIS followers!

Some of you may not believe. Fair enough. You don't have to. Not forcing you to believe as that would be silly! Wasting my time more than wasting yours!
But to those who want to know Christ, and really want God to move in your life, I want to tell you something.
Ask and you will recieve. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened. (Using the scriptures here as it is very word for word what I am trying to say!)

The Bible meant nothing to me apart from knowing it was a "Special book" but when I read it it did not mean anything.
BUT THEN, one day something happened... I went with a few others out of boredom to Cristian Union meetings in school because one person who somehow a few of us "Loners" would gather with at break and lunchtimes went to these meetings. (He was a mature kid for his age (My age) and somehow he attracted three of us. I was in his class. The other two were younger loners like me. We went to these meetings to mess around as we were kids who were there to have fun as without this kid we were lonely and did not really connect without him).
One day this man came to take the meeting and the words he was speaking were spoken directly from God to me. I don't know who he was. Do not remember his name. He said "Anyone who wants to recieve Jesus Christ into your heart put your hand up".
I was far too timid and shy though I knew I should, but I didn't.
He said "I know there is someone here" (The Holy Spirit was working through him so he knew!), so he said "Ok. Whoever you are do this. When you get home, find somewhere quiet where you can be alone and pray this prayer. "Lord Jesus. Please come into my heart and I repent if my sin. Amen" ." Which is what I did.
Then the miracles started happening!
When I opened up the Bible, it became alive! It had never done that before. It was a boring book that if it was not for Religious Education (Christian) school lessons I would not have bothered to read it. But now, the words became alive in front of me! I really don't know how to describe it except that it was like in the past trying to read as a toddler before one could read, and as if a switch had been switched and suddenly one could read and made sense of what one was reading. It was like that but I was around 13.
I was the first in my immediate family to become a Christian. My parents thought I had become mad and were wondering at times if I was mentally sane as there was such a change in me that they couldn't explain it.
Then years later another miracle took place, and oh, that was such a miracle. My Mum became a Christian for real. In the past she thought she was. But this one day she was walking down the mountain on the 2 mile walk to pick up my little brother from primary school, and she was kinda mocking God. She said "If I was the last person on earth, would You (Meaning Jesus) die for me?"
With that, every telegraph post on the way down to the school she saw a clear vision of Jesus crucified, and she was on her knees repenting!
That was a good ten years after I became a Christian so no one could say that I became a Christian because of my family. It did not work like that for me! It is why if you knew my character, you would know that I am not religious at all. I either want God for real, or I am not interested. Is why other religions I am not interested in as I do not see God in them (No offense to all the ones who follow those religions and I want the best for them, but sorry. Personally I have not found the same in other religions. Only religious bondage, and no way do I want any of that as I want God!)

But anyway. I will leave it like that. Do not let anyone else pressure you to make decisions, not even me. YOU know within your heart the battle you are facing now, and all I can say is "Come to Jesus. His arms are open for you!"

What real evidence is there that miracles actually happen? I want to see some empirical evidence that has been confirmed by legitimate scientists. From what I’ve observed, “evidence” for miracles generally comes down to confirmation bias.

I’m not saying that people shouldn’t have faith, but denying reality can cause all sorts of problems.

I also want to state that Christianity is not superior to Judaism. I just feel like it needs to be said.

Witnesses are usually accepted as evidence.

You need much more than witnesses to prove something like this. “Miracles” have never been proven by science. Scientists have even disproven some miracles, such as the occurrence of a worldwide flood.

People shouldn’t believe everything they are told or even, sometimes, what their own sense of perception tells them.