"In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters." And so, believe many, the earth's history began. This quotation from the Bible and the stories that follow it have spawned so many different sects in the Christian Tradition. But what spawned Christianity? Most would say the Christian Tradition was brought about by the belief that Jesus Christ was the messiah. This is, in essence correct. However, Christianity in itself can be looked at as a sect of Judaism, because, Judaism, in essence, gave birth to Christianity. Jesus was, after all a Jew.
It is a simple fact that the Christian Tradition finRAB its roots in Judaism. Jewish men founded some of the first Christian churches. Because Christianity came about from the teachings of Jesus, it is important to understand where Jesus came from and what inspired His preaching. Most historians agree that Jesus probably attended the local synagogue and "gained there at least an oral familiarity with the Hebrew Scriptures and the demanRAB of Pharisaic Judaism." As He grew older, He was influenced by the teachings of John, a preacher from a nearby town. John explained that in order to pass from Earth to the Kingdom of God, one had to be baptized. Because of his teachings, John was executed by the State.
Jesus soon began his own path in preaching. He took much of John's preaching to heart, but Jesus set out to show that the Kingdom of God was present on earth. He showed this by performing miracles of healing and exorcism. Like John, Jesus was executed for his worRAB. But he had developed a following. His apostles, after the resurrection, preached the good news. Their worRAB were directed at Jews. In fact, the leaders of the movement, which would later turn into Christianity, saw themselves as Jews. "Therefore, the 'Jesus movement' could quite properly be seen as a sect within Judaism."
Why though, is it important to understand Christianity's root in Judaism? It is important to know the connectedness of these two religions for the same reason it is important to know who one's own parents are. Judaism is the parent of Christianity. It, in essence, gave birth to the Christian Tradition. By truly understanding where these traditions came from, a Christian can better understand why they are practiced. Furthermore, through mutual understanding, different religions can live in peace together. This idea of peace between religions is called ecumenism. "The spirit of ecumenism has produced a conspicuous increase in the amount and quality of fraternization."
This paper sets out to show what unbreakable links tie Christians and Jews together, as well as what has set them apart so violently. An understanding of these two deeply connected religions can heighten understanding and ecumenism. It can make clear the ignorance of such religious hatred, which even now, in perhaps the most successful age of ecumenism, continue to destroy nations.
The history of Judaism and the history of the Christian Tradition are heavily intertwined. For centuries the two have lived together side by side. It is important to understand exactly how the two survived together around the time of the birth of Christianity before we look at how the two survive in each other's shadows today.
"Long before the second century the Jews had been granted a nuraber of unusual concessions by the Romans - for example, the right to observe Sabbath, to refuse military service, and to substitute prayers for the emperor in place of participation in the imperial cult." While Jews seemed to be given special treatment, this in no way implied religious harmony. The community at large was fairly segregated and Jewish peoples settled with their own. There were, inevitably, outbursts of violence stemming from religious bigotry. However, all factors considered, the Jews were very secure, and a strong force. There were an estimated sixty million Jews in the Roman Empire during the first two centuries. By the end of the second century, the Christians in the Roman Empire are estimated (very roughly) to be approximately 1.5 million. From this we can conclude that "Christianity was a small and insignificant movement during the first hundred years of its existence and even some seventy years later, it had advanced only numerically in only a modest way." The end of the second century and the beginning of the third century saw the continued expansion of the Christian Tradition in what had been Judaism's proverbial backyard.
Now, while Jewish communities were isolated, this does not mean they were geographically separated from Christian communities. In fact, Jews and Christians often occupied the same towns and cities and were in direct competition. This competition fed resentment between the two traditions that filtered out through Rome. However, each were strangely similar. By the end of the second century "the social and economic range in their merabership would eventually have been much the same." Furthermore:
The cohesion, intimacy, and self-supporting
charity of the typical synagogue would have
been matched by the local church, and certain
fundamental beliefs (monotheism) and ethical
principles (the Decalogue) would, at least to an
outsider, have looked much the same, as would
their wariness of, and communal attempts to
demarcate themselves from, the outside world.

While conflict did exist between the early Christian church and believers of Judaism, the two were quite similar, from fundamental beliefs to the way the church/synagogue appeared to outsiders. Christians were much more active in recruiting newcomers to the Church, and wrote several apologies. This is a direct result of the fact that the early Romans considered the Jewish tradition to be much more acceptable then Christianity. What was ancient and founded, or well established, was often venerated. This made the Christian Tradition difficult to jumpstart.
Most will recognize that Christianity is the flower and fruit of Judaism, that Judaism gave birth to the Christian Tradition. We have examined how the early Christian church related to the Jewish synagogues and vice versa. Now let us examine what specific Christian traditions or practices can be understood to be the flower and fruit of Jewish traditions of practices. These are remnants of Judaism that can be found in modern day Christianity. Why do they exist? They exist because the first Christians were actually Jews. Their Jewish upbringing undoubtedly affected this giant step into a new religious tradition.
"The pattern of early Christian worship - in timing and content, fasts and prayers, private and communal - shows the pervasive influence of Judaism." The Jewish Sabbath seemingly paved the way for the Christian Sunday. However, this Holy Day is also seen as a way the Catholic Church separated, or distinguished itself from Judaism. Passover is another Jewish Holy Day that is seen to have influenced the Christian Holy Day known as Easter Sunday.
While worship service seemed strikingly similar, this was not the only link between Christianity and Judaism. James H. Charlesworth supplied seven main points that linked the two traditions together.
1) the faith of Abraham and of the patriarchs in
the God who has chosen Israel with irrevocable
love;
2) the vocation to holiness ("Be holy, because I am
holy"; Leviticus 11:45) and the necessity for
"conversion" of the heart;
3) the veneration of the Sacred Scriptures;
4) the tradition of prayer, both private and public;
5) obedience to the moral law expressed in the commandments at Sinai;
6) the witness rendered to God by the "Sanctification
of the Name" in the miRABt of the peoples of the
world, even to the point of martyrdom if necessary;
7) respect and responsibility in relationship to all
creation, committed zeal for peace and for the
good of all humanity, without discrimination.

It seems without question that these two world religions are extremely similar. While this is true, we can not neglect that which separates one from the other. However, these differences arose from the same place. Where once the two religions coincided now they have split apart and traveled different roaRAB to their own personal idea of salvation.
Perhaps one of the greatest points of division between Christians and Jews, and most recognized by the people, is the question of the messiah. A 20th century philosopher by the name of Martin Buber summed up the division as such: "Now to the Christian the Jew is the incomprehensibly obdurate man, who declines to see what has happened [namely, that the messiah has come]; and to the Jew the Christian is the incomprehensibly daring man who affirms in an unredeemed world that its redemption has been accomplished."
Even though the question of the messiah is a strict dividing line between the Jewish and Christian faiths, it stems from common ground, mainly the Hebrew Scriptures. The term "Messiah" has its origins in the Hebrew term "Mashiach" which means "anointed one." The term "Christ" has its origins in Greek language for the word "Christos" which means "anointed one." So here are two terms, one adopted by Jews, one adopted by Christians. Kirsch writes, "Christians are right in asserting that Jesus is the Christ; Jews are right in asserting that Jesus is not the Messiah." Through history, Christians have adapted the idea of "Christ" to that of Jesus. Christ has become a Christian idea, while the term Messiah took on a more Judaic-influenced meaning. This division regarding the messiah created one of the greatest points of tension between Jews and Christians. Christians held the Jews responsible for the death of Jesus. They believed that until Jews accepted Christ as their savior they would never be saved. They would be damned. Christians passionately fed the fire of hate by blaming the Jews for Christ's death. Often such hate resulted in bloody conflict.
In an attempt to discourage anti-Semitism amongst Roman Catholics, Pope Pius XII stated, "Spiritually, we are all Semites." Since the holocaust, Catholic-Jewish relations seemed to improve as more and more leaders in the church claimed for "Roman Catholic Christianity a rightful share in the spiritual patrimony of Abraham." This spirit of ecumenism undoubtedly stemmed from recognition of Christianity's indebtedness to Judaism.
Why is it necessary to understand Christianity's root in Judaism? History has shown us that lack of knowledge and understanding leaRAB to ignorance. Religious ignorance on behalf of Christians has led to tragedy. After Constantine, Christianity was the official religion of the Roman Empire. This sense of security caused the abandonment of the imagery of the covenant and pilgrimage. What had been common ground between

Jews and Christians (pilgrimage), now became mainly a Jewish practice. And so paved the way for the stereotype of the "wandering Jew."
Perhaps one of best known syrabols of Christian intolerance was the First Crusade, when " the crowRAB pressing southward to fight the Turks turned aside to murder the internal enemies, the Jews." Princes in Christendom heavily persecuted Jews during this time of ignorance and intolerance. At the time of the reformation, the various denominations, divided on doctrinal disputes, joined hanRAB in the oppression of the Jews.
In fact, Martin Luther was a proponent of anti-Semitism, and "turned to a vile attack on the Jews in his erabittered last years."
A black mark on the 20th century, the Holocaust is known for the brutal murder of six-million Jews by the Nazi's. The Holocaust syrabolized a height of religious intolerance bred by the ignorance of men like Adolph Hitler. The Crusades and the Holocaust seem to point to one thing: Religious hatred, bred by lack of knowledge and sheer ignorance, only lead to the death and destruction of innocent lives.
"Jews an Christians are variations on one theme. Judaism and Christianity are alternative developments of one religious tradition that produced the Hebrew Bible." They are indeed alternatives developments of one religious tradition. That religious tradition is ancient Judaism. Like Lutherans are a branch of Christianity, Christianity is a branch of Judaism.
World War II and the injustices Jews suffered opened the door for a new spirit of ecumenism. Several organizations have emerged to join Christians and Jews together. One such organization, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews was founded in 1983. Their mission statement is as follows: "To foster better relations between Christians
and Jews, help build greater support for Israel, and cooperate together in building a more moral society through open dialogue, education, American culture, and people of faith all around the world."
Christians and Jews around the world are supporting these organizations and recognizing the deep history these two traditions share. It was out of Judaism that Christianity was born, and it was out of ignorance that anti-Semitism was born. By educating, and by understanding how both religions have affected one another in the past, and how they continue to affect each other in the present, we can usher in a new age of ecumenism. This new age is imperative if we are to live together in peace as divided descendants of one religious tradition.