Gospel

The most common objection I get, when sharing Messiah Yeshua (Jesus Christ) with my Jewish people, is this very simple one: you can’t be Jewish and believe in Jesus.  I have received this response from the religious and the unreligious; by the old and by the young.  And to each one I have a very simple question:  Why not?

The most typical answer I receive is that Jews don’t believe in Jesus, but that is clearly a faulty argument.   I grew up Jewish and I became a believer in Him.  Not only that, but I know of many Jews who have come to believe in Yeshua, and there are many, many more that I don’t know.  Some of them were very religious Orthodox Jews, some of them were observant Jews in the Conservative or Reform movements and some were completely secular: die-hard atheists or not so die-hard agnostics.  The one thing they have in common is that they are Jewish.

I use the present tense when I say we are Jewish because, as far as we are concerned, believing in Jesus is a very Jewish thing to do.  You see, I believe that this statement – you can’t be Jewish and believe in Jesus – really means – Jesus is not the Jewish Messiah, he is not Saviour and he is not Lord.

The problem is that the response is almost always based, not on what the objectors know, but only on what they’ve been told.  When I challenge Jewish people to tell me how they know Jesus is not the Messiah, they don’t really have a response.  Most Jewish people have not investigated the claims of Jesus as found both in the Tanakh (the Hebrew Scriptures) or the B’rit Hadashah (the New Testament).  Many have made half-hearted attempts to read some of the B’rit Hadashah (or, for that matter, the Tanakh), but not really done a critical and honest investigation.

Recently I spoke with a Haredi rabbi, and in the midst of our discussions I challenged him to do just that.  To look at the New Testament text, not in a cynical way, but in a critical way, honestly seeking to understand what it says.  He said he would, but a month or so later he had barely done any reading.  He said he was happy with the Judaism he had – but again, he has not honestly looked at the text that tells us about the Messianic claims of Yeshua. 

I came to believe in Yeshua because I recognized that the promise of Yeshua is in the Tanakh.  I have come to understand that there is a picture of a lowly Messiah in the Hebrew Scriptures (Psalm 22; Isaiah 53; Zechariah 12:10),  that this picture was recognized by the rabbis in his day (though they did not recognize him when he came), and is even recorded in the Talmud (b. Sanhedrin 98a; b. Sukkah 52a).  Over the years I am more and more amazed at the Jewish sensibilities in the B’rit Hadashah, and how consistent it is with the Tanakh.

And I know that everything that is written in the Tanakh is a preparation for the time of Yeshua’s coming – the promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the covenant at Sinai with its sacrificial system and its laws of sanctification; the promises to David and through the Prophets.  Ultimately the Hebrew Scriptures are about Messiah Yeshua.

But if you won’t read the book, you can’t know the truth.  The truth that I have found, that many Jewish people have found, is that the most Jewish thing you can do is to believe in the Messiah promised by Moses and the Prophets – and that Messiah is Yeshua.  For if he is not the Messiah to the Jews then he can be nobody’s Messiah.

Why not check out the truth for yourself.  Read the Hebrew Scriptures.  Read the New Testament as well.  If you need a copy we would be happy to provide you with one – just email us.  Then ask the Lord of all Creation to show you His truth.  Not my truth – and not the rabbis’ truth – but His truth.

“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. (Jeremiah 33:3)”

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8)”

If you want, give us a call and we’ll talk!  Call 647-439-2936 and ask for Daniel.  Or email us at info@newcovenantforum.org. 

Or check out our website at www.newcovenantforum.org.

You don’t have to agree with us.  But, at least, make your decision from an informed perspective.

I would love to receive your instructive and constructive response.

Given that our entire faith rests in the person of Yeshua (Jesus), that He was indeed the long-awaited Messiah of Israel and the Saviour of the world, it is critical that evidence be found for this claim in the Scriptures.
 
Following His death and resurrection, the New Covenant Scriptures (New Testament) record the following conversation that Yeshua had with His disciples.

“These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”
 
And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ [Messiah] to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:44-49 New King James Version [NKJV]).

Luke, one the twelve disciples of Yeshua, records Yeshua’s assertion that the Jewish Scriptures (i.e. Law of Moses, Prophets, Psalms) repeatedly spoke of the coming of Messiah in terms of His life, death, and resurrection. Not only do the Jewish Scriptures speak of this suffering Messiah, Yeshua further declared that “repentance and remission of sins” came through Him, and that this message was to be proclaimed throughout the entire world, beginning in Jerusalem.
 
Luke’s assertion that Yeshua “opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures” is further indication of the disciple’s firm belief that Yeshua was the very Son of God, the Lamb of God who came to take away the sin of the world.
 
Another of Yeshua’s disciples, John, also recorded the life and ministry of the Messiah. He makes explicit statements regarding the person and character of Yeshua as he describes the ministry of John the Baptist, who came preaching a message of repentance, warning Israel to prepare for the coming of her Messiah.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man who comes into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
 
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’” And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. (John 1:1-18 NKJV).

There can be no doubt that John believed Yeshua was the Messiah, a belief which included his conviction that Yeshua was the incarnate God Himself. His commitment to Yeshua’s deity concurs with the prophet Isaiah who had prophesied the coming of Messiah some 700 years earlier.

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. (Isaiah 9:6-7 NKJV).

Early in Yeshua’s ministry, as recorded by John, we see evidence that others recognized the messianic credentials of Yeshua. Here’s how John records it:

…Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets wrote - Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
 
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
 
Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” [John 1:43-51 NKJV]

Numerous citations from the New Covenant Scriptures demonstrate both Yeshua’s claim and the disciples’ belief that he was indeed Israel’s long-awaited Messiah.

We welcome your comments and questions about our belief that Yeshua (Jesus) is Israel’s long-awaited Messiah, the Lamb of God who came to take away the sin of all who repent and trust in Him as Lord and Savior.

“Hello. Is this David Daniels?” the voice on the other end of the line asked.

“Yes, this is David Daniels,” I replied.

“Your organization left some literature in my mailbox today.  Are you Jewish?”

“No, Sir”, I said. “I’m not Jewish.”

“Oh”, he responded, and after a slight hesitation went on to say, “Well, your envelope says ‘A Gift For You,’ but it’s not a gift, it’s poison!” his voice rising in agitation. It was obvious my caller was unhappy with the material we left at his house.

“Sir, the gift we are offering is a Bible, and I don’t think you really believe the Bible is poison.”

“It is poison!” he retorted. “I don’t want you to leave anymore literature at my house. Give your ‘gift’ to the Muslims and Christians. They need it more than we do. Do you remember the 6,000,000 Jews who were annihilated at the hands of Christians?”

“Yes, Sir, I am aware of the holocaust, and it is a very tragic point in history. Our desire is to get the Word of God into people’s hands, but it is not our intention to irritate anyone. If you don’t want to receive anymore literature, just give me your name and address. We keep a list of those who do not want to receive our literature, and when our workers go through that neighbourhood in the future, they avoid leaving material at those homes.”

“I don’t want to give you my name and address.”

“Sir, unless I know your address, I can’t ensure that our staff won’t leave literature at your house in the future.”

“I live on ______ Ave.”

“Where on ______?” I asked.

“I don’t want to tell you. All of us on this street feel the same way.”

“Well, you are the only person who has phoned us from your street, so we would not deprive others of the opportunity to hear our message unless they personally requested it. So, without your address, sooner or later our workers will leave material at your home again.”

“Stay out of our neighborhood!” he warned, the agitation in his voice rising. “We don’t want your poison. If you come back, you’d better watch out.”

“Sir, that sounds like a threat,” I said. “We don’t respond to threats, and one day we will be back on your street. If you give me your house number, I’ll ensure that our people don’t leave anything there in the future.”

“I don’t want your poison,” he blurted, “and I am not going to give you my address.  Good-bye!” and he hung up the phone.

To my knowledge, no one at New Covenant House has ever met this man. We do not know his name or address, but we do know that he is Jewish, and that he lives in an area with many Orthodox families, many of whom attend a Chabad synagogue. Sooner or later, we will be on his street again, seeking a hearing for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Perhaps God will soften his heart to the call of Messiah Jesus.

Sharing the gospel with those who do not want it is never easy, but that is what we are called to do. Jesus told his followers to “make disciples of all the nations (peoples), baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…(Matthew 28:19-20). Our commission is not to stay among those who welcome our message, but to go throughout the entire world, calling upon all to repent of sin and to trust in Jesus alone for salvation. That includes taking the gospel to Jewish communities.

My caller may have labeled our literature poison, but in reality is was the gospel contained in the Word of God – the only antidote to the true poison of thinking one can achieve right standing with God apart from faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

We do not enjoy rejection, and we often find ourselves discouraged with the seemingly meager response to our evangelistic work. But our hope rests in the God who declares that there is a “remnant according to the election of grace” (Romans 11:5) within the Jewish community. As God’s people stand with us in prayer and financial support, we will continue to proclaim Jesus as Messiah and Saviour to all who will believe.

As I stepped out of my car one morning, upon arriving at work, I heard a voice calling to me. I turned to see a young Jewish man (a Lubavitcher as I learned later) approaching me.

“What kind of a place is this? It looks like a synagogue, but any knowledgeable Jew would know that a synagogue would not have the words “New Covenant” in their name, unless they attended a synagogue like _______ (he named a large reform synagogue). But then, those are probably the Jews you are targeting.”

“Oh, targeting Jews,” I responded. “Well, if you know anything at all about evangelical Christians, you will know that we ‘target’ the whole world. We are interested in talking about Jesus with anyone who is open to speaking with us.” I then went on to explain that many evangelical ministries focus on specific people groups, and that the ministry I represented was committed to sharing the gospel with anyone, giving a particular focus to the Jewish community.

We often face objections from both Jews and non-Jews about our desire to explain the gospel to Jewish people. But we are convinced that Christians have a responsibility to share their faith with everyone, including the Jewish community.

The New Testament Scriptures are clear, all people should hear the gospel. It was Jesus himself who commissioned his followers to “go and make disciples of all nations” [Matthew 28:19 NIV*] The Apostle Paul (the former Rabbi Shaul before coming to believe in Jesus as Messiah and Savior) wrote:

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (gentile).” [Romans 1:16 NIV]

There was no question in Paul’s mind but that the gospel message - salvation, the forgiveness of sins - is a message that must be shared with all, beginning with the Jewish community. How tragic it would be if we failed to share the message of Messiah Jesus with those who have been “entrusted with the very words of God” [Romans 3:2 NIV].

While we ”target” Jews no more than any other people group - we speak with far more Gentiles than Jews - we make no apology for seeking to “Encourage Conversation about Jesus” with the Jewish people we meet.

Without reservation we believe Jesus is our only hope of salvation. It was the Apostle Peter (a Jewish believer in Jesus) who declared to the Jewish religious leaders of his day:

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” [Acts 4:12 NIV].

As long as God gives us the ability, we will share this wonderful news of salvation in Yeshua (Jesus) with everyone who is willing to listen, including Jewish people.

We’d love to talk about this with you.

____________________

NIV = The Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.

New Covenant Forum encourages conversation about Jesus. We believe that humankind’s only hope of salvation, forgiveness of sins and right standing with God, is found only through faith in Jesus.

We believe that Yeshua (Jesus) is the Messiah of Israel - the one of whom the ancient Hebrew prophets spoke. The Apostle Peter, a first century (CE) Jewish fisherman who became a Jesus follower spoke of this in his first epistle. In an extended discussion about the living hope Jesus followers have, he says:

Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them it was reavealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven - things which angels desire to look into. [1 Peter 1:10-12 New King James Version]

We believe the New Testament scriptures when they record that Jesus voluntarily laid down his life as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of all who will believe in Him. We also believe that it is our responsibility to take this good news - salvation and freedom from the guilt of sin is available in Yeshua - to the entire world.

We also believe that this message is critically important for the worldwide Jewish community. Jesus was born a Jew, lived a Jewish life, and included Jewish people in his atoning sacrifice on that cursed tree. This gospel that has been embraced by millions the world over is a good news message for Jewish people too.

The Apostle Paul emphasizes the importance of keeping the Jewish community in mind when declaring the gospel message of salvation in Jesus. In his letter to the believers in Rome, he writes:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek (gentile). For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith’. [Romans 1:16-17 New King James Version - emphasis mine]

Generally speaking, Jewish people are conditioned to reject the messiahship of Jesus, to view Him simply as the gentile god. But that is not how the first century Jewish followers of Jesus saw things. It is certainly not how the Bible (e.g. New Testament) speaks. The gospel message must go to the entire world - the Jewish community included.

Because there is so much misconception about Jesus among contemporary Jews, we are committed to encouraging conversation about Jesus. As far as is humanly possible, we want Jewish people to respond to Jesus out of a clear understanding of who He is, why He came, and what He did on our behalf.

We welcome your comments.