The religious perspectives on Jesus vary among world religions.The Blackwell Companion to Jesus edited by Delbert Burkett 2010 page 1 Jesus' teachings and the retelling of his life story have significantly influenced the course of human history, and have directly or indirectly affected the lives of billions of people, including non-Christians.The Cambridge companion to Jesus edited by Markus N. A. Bockmuehl 2001 pages 156-157The historical Christ and the Jesus of faith by C. Stephen Evans 1996, Oxford University Press page v He is considered by many to be one of the most influential persons to have ever lived, finding a significant place in numerous cultural contexts.
In Christianity, Jesus is the Messiah (Christ) foretold in the Old Testament and the Son of God. Christians believe that through his death and resurrection, humans can be reconciled to God and thereby are offered salvation and the promise of eternal life.Oxford Companion to the Bible p.649 These beliefs emphasize that as the willing Lamb of God, Jesus chose to suffer in Calvary as a sign of his full obedience to the will of his Father, as an "agent and servant of God".The Christology of Anselm of Canterbury by Dániel Deme 2004 pages 199-200The Christology of the New Testament by Oscar Cullmann 1959 page 79 Christians view Jesus as a role model, whose God-focused life believers are encouraged to imitate.
In Islam, Jesus (commonly transliterated as Isa) is the Messiah and one of God's highest-ranked and most-beloved prophets. Islam considers Jesus to be neither the incarnation nor the Son of God. He is referred to as the son of Mary in the Qu’ran. Islamic texts emphasize a strict affirmation of monotheism (tawhid) and forbid the association of partners with God, which would be idolatry (shirk).
In the Druze faith, Jesus is considered one of God's important prophets and the Messiah.
The Baháʼí Faith considers Jesus to be one of many manifestations of God, who are a series of personages who reflect the attributes of the divine into the human world. Baháʼís reject the idea that divinity was contained with a single human body.
Apart from his own disciples and followers, the Jews of Jesus' day generally rejected him as the Messiah, as do the great majority of Jews today. Mainstream Jewish scholars argue that Jesus neither fulfilled the Messianic prophecies in the Tanakh nor embodied the personal qualifications of the Messiah.
Other world religions such as Buddhism have no particular view on Jesus, and have but a minor intersection with Christianity.
For non-religious perspectives on Jesus, see historical Jesus.
Christianity
Christian views of Jesus are based on the teachings and beliefs as outlined in the Canonical gospels, New Testament letters, the Christian creeds, as well as specific denominational teachings. These documents outline the key beliefs held by Christians about Jesus, including his divinity, humanity, and earthly life, and that he is the Christ and the Son of God.
Although Christian views of Jesus vary, it is possible to summarize the key beliefs shared among major denominations, as stated in their catechetical or confessional texts. Generally speaking, adhering to the Christian faith requires a belief that Jesus is the Son of God and the Messiah or Christ. Jesus refers to himself as the Son of God in the New Testament.One teacher: Jesus' teaching role in Matthew's gospel by John Yueh-Han Yieh 2004 pages 240-241
Christians consider Jesus to be the Messiah (Christ) and believe that through his death and resurrection, humans can be reconciled to God and thereby are offered salvation and the promise of eternal life. These teachings emphasize that as the willing Lamb of God, Jesus chose to suffer in Calvary as a sign of his full obedience to the will of his Father, as an "agent and servant of God". The choice Jesus made thus counter-positions him as a new man of morality and obedience, in contrast to Adam's disobedience.Systematic Theology, Volume 2 by Wolfhart Pannenberg 2004 0567084663 ISBN pages 297-303
The five major milestones in the gospel narrative of the life of Jesus are his Baptism, Transfiguration, Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension.Essays in New Testament interpretation by Charles Francis Digby Moule 1982 page 63The Melody of Faith: Theology in an Orthodox Key by Vigen Guroian 2010 page 28 These are usually bracketed by two other episodes: his Nativity at the beginning and the sending of the Paraclete at the end.Scripture in tradition by John Breck 2001 page 12 The gospel accounts of the teachings of Jesus are often presented in terms of specific categories involving his "works and words", e.g. his ministry, parables and miracles.The Bible Knowledge Commentary by John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck 1983 page 100The words and works of Jesus Christ by J. Dwight Pentecost 2000 page 212 The words of Jesus include several sermons, in addition to parables that appear throughout the narrative of the Synoptic Gospels (the gospel of John includes no parables).
Christians not only attach theological significance to the works of Jesus, but also to his name. Devotions to the Holy Name of Jesus go back to the earliest days of Christianity.Outlines of dogmatic theology, Volume 2 by Sylvester Hunter 2010 page 443Jesus: the complete guide by Leslie Houlden 2006 page 426 These devotions and feasts exist both in Eastern and Western Christianity.
Incarnation
Most Christians believe that Jesus was both human and the Son of God. While there has been theological debate over the nature of Jesus, trinitarian Christians generally believe that Jesus is God incarnate, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit, thus "true God and true man," i.e. fully divine and fully human. Jesus, having become fully human in all respects, suffered the pains and temptations of a mortal man, yet He did not sin. As fully God, He defeated death and rose to life again. According to the New Testament, God the Father raised Him from the dead., , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , He ascended to heaven, to be seated at the "right hand of God,", , , , , , , , , , , , and he will return again for the Last Judgment and the establishment of the Kingdom of God.cf. , , ,
Islam
In Islam, Jesus (Isa) is considered to be a messenger of God (Allah) and the Messiah (al-Masih) who was sent to guide the Descendants of Israel (Bani Isra'il) with a new scripture, the Gospel (Injil).
The Quran mentions Jesus by name 25 times—more often than Muhammad—and emphasises that Jesus was a mortal human who, like all other prophets, had been divinely chosen to spread God's message. Unlike Christian writings, the Quran does not describe Jesus as the son of God, but as one of four major human messengers (out of many prophets) sent by God throughout history to guide mankind. Jesus is said to have lived a life of piety and generosity, and abstained from eating flesh of swine.
Muslims also believe that Jesus received a Gospel from God, called the Injil. However, Muslims hold that Jesus' original message was lost or altered and that the Christian New Testament does not accurately represent God's original message to mankind.
Despite major differences, the Quran and New Testament overlap in other aspects of Jesus' life; both Muslims and Christians believe that Jesus was miraculously born without a human biological father by the will of God, and that his mother, Mary (Maryam in Arabic), is among the most saintly, pious, chaste and virtuous women ever.Esposito, John. What Everyone Needs to Know About Islam. New York: University Press, 2002. P31. The Quran also specifies that Jesus was able to perform miracles—though only by the will of God—including being able to raise the dead, restore sight to the blind and cure lepers. One miracle attributed to Jesus in the Quran, but not in the New Testament, is his being able to speak at only a few days old, to defend his mother from accusations of adultery. It also says that Jesus was a 'word' from God, since he was predicted to come in the Old Testament.
Most Muslims believe that he was neither killed nor crucified, but that God made it appear so to his enemies. With the noteworthy exception of Ahmadi Muslims who believe that Jesus was indeed put on the cross, survived the crucifixion and was not lifted bodily to the heaven, the majority of Muslims believe that Jesus ascended bodily to heaven and is alive. Some Muslim scholars maintain that Jesus was indeed put up on the cross, but did not die on it; rather, he revived and then ascended bodily to heaven. Others say that it was actually Judas Iscariot who was mistakenly crucified by the Romans. Regardless, Muslims believe that Jesus is alive in heaven and will return to the world in the flesh to defeat the Antichrist, once the world has become filled with sin, deception and injustice, and then live out the rest of his natural life.
Islam rejects the Trinitarian Christian view that Jesus was God incarnate or the son of God, that he was ever crucified or resurrected or that he ever atoned for the sins of mankind. The Quran says that Jesus himself, when asked by God if he said that people shall regard him and Mary as gods, will deny this.
Judaism
Judaism rejects the idea of Jesus being God, or a person of a Trinity, or a mediator to God. Judaism also holds that Jesus is not the Messiah, arguing that he had not fulfilled the Messianic prophecies in the Tanakh nor embodied the personal qualifications of the Messiah. According to Jewish tradition, there were no more prophets after Malachi, who lived centuries before Jesus and delivered his prophesies about 420 BC.Simmons, Shraga, "Why Jews Do not Believe in Jesus", Retrieved April 15, 2007; "Why Jews Do not Believe in Jesus", Ohr Samayach — Ask the Rabbi, Retrieved April 15, 2007; "Why do not Jews believe that Jesus was the Messiah? ", AskMoses.com, Retrieved April 15, 2007
According to Conservative Judaism, Jews who believe Jesus is the Messiah have "crossed the line out of the Jewish community". Reform Judaism, the modern progressive movement, states "For us in the Jewish community anyone who claims that Jesus is their savior is no longer a Jew and is an apostate".Contemporary American Reform Responsa, #68, "Question 18.3.4: Reform's Position On...What is unacceptable practice?", faqs.org. Retrieved April 15, 2007.
Jesus in Jewish writings
The Babylonian Talmud includes stories of Yeshu ; the vast majority of contemporary historians disregard these as sources about the historical Jesus.Theissen, Gerd and Annette Merz. The historical Jesus: a comprehensive guide. Fortress Press. 1998. translated from German (1996 edition) Contemporary Talmud scholars hold similar views, as well as considering the stories to be commentary about the relationship between Judaism and Christians or other sectarians.Daniel Boyarin, Dying for God: Martyrdom and the Making of Christianity and Judaism Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1999Jeffrey Rubenstein Rabbinic Stories (The Classics of Western Spirituality) New York: The Paulist Press, 2002
The Mishneh Torah, a 12th century authoritative work of Jewish law, states in Hilkhot Melakhim 11:10–11 that Jesus misled most of the world to worship other gods but that his ultimate purpose is to "prepare the entire world to serve God together".
Samaritanism