G
Gary
Guest
Why don't more Jewish people accept Yeshua as the Messiah?
Question: It seems so obvious to me from the Messianic prophecies and their fulfillment in the New Testament, from the evidence for His resurrection, from 2,000 years of history, and from my own personal experience, that Yeshua is the Messiah. Why don't more Jewish people, His own people, who of all people should know Him best, accept Him?
Answer (by Rabbi Loren): There are a number of reasons:
(1) This is not a problem that is unique to the Jewish people. The Jewish people, like all peoples, are in a state of hostility toward God, and repulsed by the truth. The majority of humanity continues to suppress the truth (see Romans 1:18). The truth about the Messiah has been refused by the majority of the nations of the world, in spite of 2,000 years of efforts.
(2) Most Jewish people today aren't familiar with the Holy Scriptures, including the Messianic prophecies. The words of the prophet still apply: "My people perish for lack of knowledge." Sadly, very few study the Bible, or even read it on their own. We trust the leaders to tell us what is important; but when the blind follow a blind guide, both fall into a pit. Those who are more serious about scholarship study the Talmud, which is a mixture of truth and error, and neglect the study of the Bible. To counter this, you should challenge your Jewish friend to search the Scriptures for themselves, and read the Messianic prophecies like Isaiah 53, Isaiah 9:67, Micah 5:2, and then read the entire Bible, both the Tenach (Old Testament) and the New Testament, on their own. Challenge your Jewish friend to read the Bible, especially the New Testament, with an unprejudiced mind. Encourage him or her to pray to God, using their own words, to ask God to show them the truth! God's Word is so powerful and self-authenticating that if someone simply starts reading it with an open heart and mind, and prays to God to reveal the truth, they're 90% of the way there!
(3) Sadly, most Jewish people today don't even believe that the Tenach (Old Testament) is the divinely inspired Word of God. To nullify the authenticity and veracity of the prophets is to undermine the New Testament. Yeshua, our Supreme Rabbi, said that if we don't believe Moses, we wouldn't believe in Him (John 5:46-47). To counter this, recommend a good book on apologetics; one which shows the reliability of the Bible, like "More Than A Carpenter" or "Evidence That Demands a Verdict" by Josh McDowell, or "The Case For Christ" by Lee Strobel.
(4) The fact that the majority of the Jewish people don't believe in Yeshua is to be expected. Throughout our history, only a minority truly followed the Lord. The majority almost always went astray (see Romans 11:2-5). To counter this, point out that Moses and the prophets were also rejected by our people. Remind your Jewish friend that it's far better to be in the faithful minority than the faithless majority! It is better to be loved and accepted and welcomed by the God of Israel than it is to be a member in good standing of a people who have gone astray! Let him know that there was a substantial faithful minority of Messianic Jews in the first several centuries after Yeshua came. Acts 21 reports that there were tens of thousands of Messianic Jews who were zealous for the Torah. Yeshua's first disciples were Jewish people who continued to live very Jewish lives. Messianic communities continued to exist in that part of the Middle East for another 600 or 700 years. There is a growing Messianic Jewish movement today. Tell him that the fact that the majority of the Jewish people don't accept Yeshua is actually proof that Yeshua is the Messiah, since it was predicted by the prophets that the true Messiah would initially be rejected by the majority of the Jewish people (see Isaiah 53:1-4, Zechariah 12:10)!
(5) Our Adversary, Satan, the god of this world, is at work, blinding our eyes to the truth about the Messiah. There is a veil covering our eyes, so that we can't see the Savior (see 2 Corinthians 4:3-4). To counter this, we need both to pray for the Jewish people, and boldly and lovingly declare to them the truth. When a person turns to the Lord Yeshua, the veil is taken away.
(6) Our blindness to Yeshua is a mysterious part of God's plan. The Jewish people are in a state of disobedience so that the mercy shown to the Gentiles, which results in their salvation will, in turn, ultimately result in the salvation of the Jewish people. The Jewish people being shut up in a state of disobedience is part of God's plan, so that we will understand that we are not worthy of salvation, but that it only comes from His mercy and grace (see Romans 11:30-32). Since we don't know God's exact timing, and since every soul is precious, we need to actively declare the Good News to all Jewish people.
(7) One of the main objections used to argue that Jewish people shouldn't believe in Yeshua goes like this: "We were expecting a different kind of Messiah, a powerful leader who would defeat our enemies, bring peace to Israel and the nations, end war, poverty and injustice, regather the Jewish people to the Land of Israel, and rebuild the Temple. Since Yeshua has not done these things, He can't be the Messiah." To counter this, let them know that Yeshua came the first time as a lamb, not as a lion. He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, not with pomp and glory at the head of armies. He didn't promise political salvation, but spiritual salvation, by dying and rising again to atone for our sins. There are two sets of descriptions of the Messiah in the Hebrew Scriptures. One set of prophecies describe a suffering Messiah who will suffer and die to atone for our sins (see Isaiah 53, Zechariah 12:10, Daniel 9:24-27 Psalm 22, Zechariah 9:9). The other set of prophecies describe the victorious Messiah. The right way to deal with both descriptions of the Messiah is by realizing that Yeshua is the Messiah who came the first time, to suffer and die for the sins of the world. He will come again a second time to set up His Kingdom over the entire world. If Yeshua fulfilled the prophecies about the sufferings of the Messiah, rest assured that He will return to fulfill the prophecies about the victorious Messiah!
(8) The phenomenon of (so-called) "Christian" Anti-Semitism has muddied the waters, and made it harder for us to accept Yeshua. The argument goes like this: "Instead of loving us, befriending us, and challenging us in a good way by their zeal for God, and knowledge of His Word, many Christians have alienated us." To counter this, make a special effort to love and befriend the Jewish people, support Israel, and support Jewish ministries and Messianic congregations. Tell them Yeshua taught that people don't really love Him unless they do the things that He told them to do; that He never advocated violence or coercion, and that we could tell His true disciples by their love - even for their enemies. Let them know that there is a difference between Gentiles who are nominally Christian and true Christians. A good friend of ours observed, "Being born in a Christian home doesn't make you a Christian any more than being born in a bakery automatically makes you a bagel!" True Christians should love the Jewish people (see Romans 11:11). Point out that there have been many true Christians who have given their lives for the Jewish people.
(9) One of the biggest barriers preventing a Jewish person from believing in Yeshua is the mistaken assumption that if he believes in Yeshua, he will no longer be Jewish. To counter this, let him know that Messianic Jews are more Jewish than ever! Emphasize again and again that Yeshua is Jewish, the Apostles are Jewish, the New Testament is Jewish, and that believing in the Messiah, the King of the Jews, is the most Jewish thing a person could ever do! Yeshua is the most Jewish of Jews! He is a descendant of King David. He was circumcised on the eighth day, spoke our language, lived in our Land, attended synagogue regularly, observed our customs, celebrated our holidays and kept all the laws of our Torah. He is Israel's Messiah, our Chief Rabbi, our ultimate Prophet, High Priest and King! Let your friend know about the possibility of joining one of the many Messianic Synagogues which can be found in most major Jewish population centers, where he can join others in living and raising their families as Jews. Let him know that he not only doesn't have to give up his God-given Jewish identity by following Yeshua, but he will enhance it!
(10) We've become captive to 2,000 years of tradition and history. 2,000 years of rejection of Yeshua has worked its way into Jewish culture and theology, and that is not easy to overcome. We grow up immersed a culture that tells us that Yeshua isn't the Messiah, and that we should not believe in Him. Our leaders are particularly resistant to considering Yeshua's Messiahship with an open mind. To counter this, remind them that the fear of man brings a snare; don't simply go along with the majority, since it's too easy for all of us to be like a flock of sheep which goes astray! Be courageous! Count the cost for becoming a disciple, but know that the cost is well worth paying! It will take radical circumstances to overcome 2,000 years of error, but it will happen! All Israel will be saved (see Romans 11:25-26) - by trials of suffering and also by God's mercy and unmerited goodness.
Shalom!
Rabbi Loren
Source: http://www.shema.com/modules.php?name=N ... le&sid=250
Question: It seems so obvious to me from the Messianic prophecies and their fulfillment in the New Testament, from the evidence for His resurrection, from 2,000 years of history, and from my own personal experience, that Yeshua is the Messiah. Why don't more Jewish people, His own people, who of all people should know Him best, accept Him?
Answer (by Rabbi Loren): There are a number of reasons:
(1) This is not a problem that is unique to the Jewish people. The Jewish people, like all peoples, are in a state of hostility toward God, and repulsed by the truth. The majority of humanity continues to suppress the truth (see Romans 1:18). The truth about the Messiah has been refused by the majority of the nations of the world, in spite of 2,000 years of efforts.
(2) Most Jewish people today aren't familiar with the Holy Scriptures, including the Messianic prophecies. The words of the prophet still apply: "My people perish for lack of knowledge." Sadly, very few study the Bible, or even read it on their own. We trust the leaders to tell us what is important; but when the blind follow a blind guide, both fall into a pit. Those who are more serious about scholarship study the Talmud, which is a mixture of truth and error, and neglect the study of the Bible. To counter this, you should challenge your Jewish friend to search the Scriptures for themselves, and read the Messianic prophecies like Isaiah 53, Isaiah 9:67, Micah 5:2, and then read the entire Bible, both the Tenach (Old Testament) and the New Testament, on their own. Challenge your Jewish friend to read the Bible, especially the New Testament, with an unprejudiced mind. Encourage him or her to pray to God, using their own words, to ask God to show them the truth! God's Word is so powerful and self-authenticating that if someone simply starts reading it with an open heart and mind, and prays to God to reveal the truth, they're 90% of the way there!
(3) Sadly, most Jewish people today don't even believe that the Tenach (Old Testament) is the divinely inspired Word of God. To nullify the authenticity and veracity of the prophets is to undermine the New Testament. Yeshua, our Supreme Rabbi, said that if we don't believe Moses, we wouldn't believe in Him (John 5:46-47). To counter this, recommend a good book on apologetics; one which shows the reliability of the Bible, like "More Than A Carpenter" or "Evidence That Demands a Verdict" by Josh McDowell, or "The Case For Christ" by Lee Strobel.
(4) The fact that the majority of the Jewish people don't believe in Yeshua is to be expected. Throughout our history, only a minority truly followed the Lord. The majority almost always went astray (see Romans 11:2-5). To counter this, point out that Moses and the prophets were also rejected by our people. Remind your Jewish friend that it's far better to be in the faithful minority than the faithless majority! It is better to be loved and accepted and welcomed by the God of Israel than it is to be a member in good standing of a people who have gone astray! Let him know that there was a substantial faithful minority of Messianic Jews in the first several centuries after Yeshua came. Acts 21 reports that there were tens of thousands of Messianic Jews who were zealous for the Torah. Yeshua's first disciples were Jewish people who continued to live very Jewish lives. Messianic communities continued to exist in that part of the Middle East for another 600 or 700 years. There is a growing Messianic Jewish movement today. Tell him that the fact that the majority of the Jewish people don't accept Yeshua is actually proof that Yeshua is the Messiah, since it was predicted by the prophets that the true Messiah would initially be rejected by the majority of the Jewish people (see Isaiah 53:1-4, Zechariah 12:10)!
(5) Our Adversary, Satan, the god of this world, is at work, blinding our eyes to the truth about the Messiah. There is a veil covering our eyes, so that we can't see the Savior (see 2 Corinthians 4:3-4). To counter this, we need both to pray for the Jewish people, and boldly and lovingly declare to them the truth. When a person turns to the Lord Yeshua, the veil is taken away.
(6) Our blindness to Yeshua is a mysterious part of God's plan. The Jewish people are in a state of disobedience so that the mercy shown to the Gentiles, which results in their salvation will, in turn, ultimately result in the salvation of the Jewish people. The Jewish people being shut up in a state of disobedience is part of God's plan, so that we will understand that we are not worthy of salvation, but that it only comes from His mercy and grace (see Romans 11:30-32). Since we don't know God's exact timing, and since every soul is precious, we need to actively declare the Good News to all Jewish people.
(7) One of the main objections used to argue that Jewish people shouldn't believe in Yeshua goes like this: "We were expecting a different kind of Messiah, a powerful leader who would defeat our enemies, bring peace to Israel and the nations, end war, poverty and injustice, regather the Jewish people to the Land of Israel, and rebuild the Temple. Since Yeshua has not done these things, He can't be the Messiah." To counter this, let them know that Yeshua came the first time as a lamb, not as a lion. He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, not with pomp and glory at the head of armies. He didn't promise political salvation, but spiritual salvation, by dying and rising again to atone for our sins. There are two sets of descriptions of the Messiah in the Hebrew Scriptures. One set of prophecies describe a suffering Messiah who will suffer and die to atone for our sins (see Isaiah 53, Zechariah 12:10, Daniel 9:24-27 Psalm 22, Zechariah 9:9). The other set of prophecies describe the victorious Messiah. The right way to deal with both descriptions of the Messiah is by realizing that Yeshua is the Messiah who came the first time, to suffer and die for the sins of the world. He will come again a second time to set up His Kingdom over the entire world. If Yeshua fulfilled the prophecies about the sufferings of the Messiah, rest assured that He will return to fulfill the prophecies about the victorious Messiah!
(8) The phenomenon of (so-called) "Christian" Anti-Semitism has muddied the waters, and made it harder for us to accept Yeshua. The argument goes like this: "Instead of loving us, befriending us, and challenging us in a good way by their zeal for God, and knowledge of His Word, many Christians have alienated us." To counter this, make a special effort to love and befriend the Jewish people, support Israel, and support Jewish ministries and Messianic congregations. Tell them Yeshua taught that people don't really love Him unless they do the things that He told them to do; that He never advocated violence or coercion, and that we could tell His true disciples by their love - even for their enemies. Let them know that there is a difference between Gentiles who are nominally Christian and true Christians. A good friend of ours observed, "Being born in a Christian home doesn't make you a Christian any more than being born in a bakery automatically makes you a bagel!" True Christians should love the Jewish people (see Romans 11:11). Point out that there have been many true Christians who have given their lives for the Jewish people.
(9) One of the biggest barriers preventing a Jewish person from believing in Yeshua is the mistaken assumption that if he believes in Yeshua, he will no longer be Jewish. To counter this, let him know that Messianic Jews are more Jewish than ever! Emphasize again and again that Yeshua is Jewish, the Apostles are Jewish, the New Testament is Jewish, and that believing in the Messiah, the King of the Jews, is the most Jewish thing a person could ever do! Yeshua is the most Jewish of Jews! He is a descendant of King David. He was circumcised on the eighth day, spoke our language, lived in our Land, attended synagogue regularly, observed our customs, celebrated our holidays and kept all the laws of our Torah. He is Israel's Messiah, our Chief Rabbi, our ultimate Prophet, High Priest and King! Let your friend know about the possibility of joining one of the many Messianic Synagogues which can be found in most major Jewish population centers, where he can join others in living and raising their families as Jews. Let him know that he not only doesn't have to give up his God-given Jewish identity by following Yeshua, but he will enhance it!
(10) We've become captive to 2,000 years of tradition and history. 2,000 years of rejection of Yeshua has worked its way into Jewish culture and theology, and that is not easy to overcome. We grow up immersed a culture that tells us that Yeshua isn't the Messiah, and that we should not believe in Him. Our leaders are particularly resistant to considering Yeshua's Messiahship with an open mind. To counter this, remind them that the fear of man brings a snare; don't simply go along with the majority, since it's too easy for all of us to be like a flock of sheep which goes astray! Be courageous! Count the cost for becoming a disciple, but know that the cost is well worth paying! It will take radical circumstances to overcome 2,000 years of error, but it will happen! All Israel will be saved (see Romans 11:25-26) - by trials of suffering and also by God's mercy and unmerited goodness.
Shalom!
Rabbi Loren
Source: http://www.shema.com/modules.php?name=N ... le&sid=250
