Before we look at Christianity, let's revisit what you learned about Abraham and the Jewish covenant.
God promised Abraham:
At Mount Sinai, God gave the Israelites the Law (the Torah) through Moses. This covenant was conditional: if the Israelites kept God's laws, they would be blessed; if they broke them, they would face punishment.
By Jesus's time, Jewish scholars asked:
Christianity didn't start as a separate religion. Jesus was Jewish, and his first followers were Jewish. They believed Jesus was the messiah promised to Abraham. However, Jesus taught something revolutionary: the old covenant wasn't enough.
Jesus didn't reject the Law. Instead, he said the Law was meant to point people toward one thing: loving God and loving neighbour. He taught that keeping the Law externally (the rituals and rules) wasn't enough. People needed to change their hearts.
"The greatest commandment is this: 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the prophets." (Matthew 22:37–40)
Just before his death, Jesus ate a final meal with his disciples. He broke bread and shared wine, saying:
"This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you." (Luke 22:19–20)
For the first Christians, this meal—now called the Eucharist or Communion—became the sign of a new relationship with God. Jesus's sacrifice (his death and resurrection) replaced the old animal sacrifices of the Temple.
What did Jesus mean by a "new covenant"?
Jesus meant a new agreement between God and humanity. Where the old covenant required people to follow the Law perfectly, the new covenant was based on faith in Jesus and his sacrifice. It was about transformation of the heart, not just obedience to rules.
The relationship between Judaism and Christianity can be understood as the difference between these two covenants. Let's explore the key contrasts:
For early Christians, the new covenant didn't erase the old. Rather, they saw Jesus as the fulfilment of the old covenant's promises. The Torah and prophets pointed toward Jesus. This is why the Christian Bible includes both the Old Testament (Hebrew scriptures) and the New Testament (writings about Jesus and the early church).
Why did early Christians keep some Jewish practices but not others?
Early Christians debated this intensely. Some believed Gentile (non-Jewish) converts needed to follow Jewish law completely. Others, like the apostle Paul, argued that faith in Jesus was enough. Eventually, the church decided that Gentile Christians didn't need to follow all Jewish laws, but they respected the Torah's spiritual meaning.
You've learned how Christianity grew from Judaism. But what made it a distinct religion? Here are key differences that emerged as Christianity developed:
While Jews believed in one God, Christians came to believe that Jesus was God's son—divine. This belief in the Trinity (God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit) set Christianity apart from Judaism.
Judaism focused on God's covenant with the people of Israel. Christianity proclaimed that God's salvation was available to everyone—Jews and Gentiles—through faith in Jesus.
The Jewish Temple was the centre of worship and sacrifice. Christianity taught that the Temple's function was replaced by Jesus's sacrifice. When the Roman Empire destroyed the Second Temple in 70 CE, Judaism adapted (Rabbinic Judaism developed in response). Christianity had already moved beyond Temple-based religion.
Judaism relied on Torah, Talmud, and rabbinic tradition. Christianity developed its own scriptures (the New Testament) alongside the Hebrew Bible, giving new authority to writings about Jesus.
This is a major historical question with two perspectives:
Christians argue that Jesus fulfilled the promises made to Abraham and the prophets. The new covenant isn't a rejection of the old—it's the completion of God's plan. Jesus himself claimed to come not to abolish the Law but to fulfil it (Matthew 5:17).
Historians note that early Christianity made revolutionary claims: that a Jewish man was God's son, that he had risen from the dead, and that his death replaced all Temple sacrifices. These ideas were shocking to most Jews and to the broader Roman Empire. In practice, Christianity became a very different religion from Judaism.
The truth is nuanced. Christianity began as a movement within Judaism but gradually separated. By the 2nd century, Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism were distinct religions with different practices, theologies, and communities.
What caused the separation between Judaism and Christianity?
Several factors: the Roman destruction of the Temple (70 CE) forced both religions to reimagine their identity; Christian claims about Jesus being divine conflicted with Jewish monotheism; and as Gentiles joined Christianity, it became less focused on Jewish law and practice. Political tensions, especially during the Roman Wars, accelerated the split.
You've now learned about Abraham's covenant, the Law covenant at Mount Sinai, and the new covenant through Jesus. Let's check what you know.
What did God promise Abraham?
Answer: B — A land (Canaan), many descendants, and a blessing to all people.
What was the main difference between the old covenant at Mount Sinai and Jesus's teaching about the new covenant?
Sample Answer:
The old covenant at Mount Sinai focused on obedience to God's laws and rituals. Jesus taught that the new covenant was about transformation of the heart and faith in him. Rather than external obedience to hundreds of rules, the new covenant emphasised loving God and one's neighbour. Jesus's death and resurrection replaced the Temple sacrifices and opened salvation to all people, not just the Jews.
Why is the Last Supper significant for understanding the new covenant?
Sample Answer:
The Last Supper was Jesus's final meal with his disciples before his crucifixion. When he broke bread and shared wine, he said, "This is my body" and "This cup is the new covenant in my blood." This act symbolised that Jesus's sacrifice was replacing the old Temple sacrifices. For Christians, the Eucharist (Communion) became the ritual that renewed their covenant with God. It showed that the new covenant was based on Jesus's death and resurrection, not on keeping the Law.