One reason early Christians began to separate from Judaism was

• A. The observance of Sabbath on Saturday
• B. The Christian belief that Jesus was the messiah
• C. The practice of temple sacrifices
• D. Rejection of dietary laws

Answer: (B)

The key idea is how early Christians began to see themselves in relation to Judaism: they claimed that Jesus is the Messiah and thus inaugurates a new path to God. This belief isn’t just about recognizing Jesus as special; it reinterprets what God is doing in history, who the Messiah is, and how people are saved. If Jesus is the Messiah, then the plan and authority behind salvation shift from strictly following Torah and temple-centered worship to trusting in him and embracing his teachings. That theological shift marks a fundamental break with the older Jewish framework, helping to establish a distinct Christian identity.

The other options touch on practices that differentiate Judaism and Christianity, but they don’t capture the transformative claim about Jesus that most clearly triggered the split.