Many Jewish people reject Jesus as their Messiah because they don't take into
account ALL the Tanakh prophecies concerning the Messiah. Many Jews
believe that the Messiah will establish a physical kingdom on earth and that
Messiah will be simply a man and not God. We will prove with the Hebrew
Scriptures that Messiah is God also and that it was prophesied that Messiah
would die a violent death and would reconcile the people back to God.
It was prophesied that Messiah would make two appearances. First time-- to die
for the sins of the people and the second time, to establish a physical Kingdom
upon this earth in the future.
There are so MANY Old Testament Scriptures pertaining to the Messiah dying
for the sins of the people. It was prophesied in Daniel that, "Messiah would be
cut off" and "cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my
people was he stricken..." found in the Book of Isaiah, Chapter 53. The Fifty
Third chapter of Isaiah is banned from the reading in most synagogues.
Why? Why do they ban the fifty-third chapter? It is the Word of God!
Some even ban the Book of Daniel, why? Who is the authority on what should
be read and what should not be read? By whose authority do they ban God's
HOLY Scriptures? Ask yourself, should you not read ALL of God's Word?
God gave the prophecies to be read!
Did you know that it was prophesied in the Book of Daniel the EXACT time that
Messiah would come? Yes, it is in your bible.
Daniel 9:24-26 Seventy weeks (shevuim shivim) are determined upon thy
people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an
end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in
everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to
anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going
forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto
the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks:
the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And
after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself:
and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the
sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of
the war desolations are determined.
Messiah was prophesied to come to Israel, as her King, 483 years from the time
of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem along with its wall of
fortification.
Daniel predicted that Messiah's death had to happen BEFORE the
destruction of Israel's second temple (which was destroyed by Rome in
A.D. 70). Any person claiming to be the Messiah after Jerusalem's
destruction in 70 CE does not meet the BIBLICAL requirement.
After reading this article, hopefully those seeking their Messiah will better
understand why Christians believe in Jesus. True Christians do not blindly
follow Jesus for no reason. The proof of who Jesus is, is found in the Old
Testament and fulfilled in the New Testament. We, as Christians, have
received Him as our Savior because He is the Jewish Messiah prophesied in the
Tanakh. In Isaiah, it says specifically that a child will be born and shall be
called "the mighty God". READ ON...
Why did many of the Jewish leaders of Jesus' day reject Him? We must
remember that the Jews, in Jesus' day, wanted Jesus to deliver them from the
Romans. They wanted a physical deliverance from their enemies. Many Jewish
people, today, expect the very same thing-- a physical salvation from their
enemies- the Arabs, etc...
It was prophesied in Isaiah that the Messiah would be despised and rejected of
men.
Isaiah 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and
acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was
despised, and we esteemed him not.
What many of the Jewish leaders of Jesus' day forgot is that God is concerned
with man's sin-- first and foremost. God is always concerned with the spiritual
condition of man because sin cannot be allowed in God's presence. Though God
loves His creation, sinful man cannot approach a Holy God. Therefore it was
prophesied in the Hebrew Scriptures that Messiah would "bare the iniquities" of
man and reconcile him back to God.
Consider the following very carefully and for those of you who do not believe in
Jesus, pray, from the depths of your heart, to the God of Abraham that He
would reveal to you HIS TRUTH concerning the Messiah. Read the Holy
Scriptures and seek the truth-- for the Truth is found therein.
What many in Jesus' day did not realize is the fact that it was prophesied in the
Old Testament that their Messiah would be crucified for the sins of the
people. Messiah Jesus would first sacrifice His own life to save them from their
SINS. Later, at an appointed time, Messiah would return to rescue Israel from
her enemies, as prophesied in Zechariah 12 and in Isaiah 60) and Israel will
mourn and weep for Him...Why? Because they rejected Him for so many years.
READ ON...
In the book of Daniel and in Isaiah, it was prophesied that Messiah would
be "cut off"-- meaning to die a cruel and violent death.
Isaiah 53:8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall
declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the
transgression of my people was he stricken.
Daniel 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off,
but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy
the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto
the end of the war desolations are determined.
Mathew 1:21: And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name
JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
John:18:14: Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it
was expedient that one man should die for the people.
Acts:3:18: But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of
all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
Luke:24:27: And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He [Jesus]
expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
A CHILD SHALL BE BORN AND CALLED "THE MIGHTY GOD"
Jesus is the Son of God. He is the Word (John 1:1) who became flesh and dwelt
among us. How can a human child be born and be called the Mighty God?
Let's look at the verse. The Bible says that a "CHILD is born" ... "a SON is
given." Whose son?
Isaiah 9:6: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the
government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Proverbs 30:4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath
gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who
hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his
son's name, if thou canst tell?
Psalm 2:6-7 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the
decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I
begotten thee.
Psalm 2:12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way,
when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their
trust in him.
BLESSED are they that put their trust in him? Our trust must always be in the
Lord...therefore this Scripture pertains to the Lord..."Kiss the Son..."
HOW CAN A CHILD BE CALLED THE EVERLASTING FATHER?
HOW CAN A CHILD BE CALLED THE MIGHTY GOD?
In Isaiah 9:6, this child's name shall be called, "Wonderful". The Hebrew word
literally means "miracle". A miracle is also prophesied in Isaiah 7:14:
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin
shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
A sign is given: "a virgin shall conceive..." A woman conceiving is no sign at all.
Women conceive everyday. But A VIRGIN shall conceive is a SIGN! The
Hebrew words are so much richer than the English translation. "Call his name"
could be translated "call his character" for "Immanuel" means "God is with us".
So this child will be born of a virgin, will be called the Everlasting Father, The
Mighty God and the Prince of Peace. Who is this child?
The Old Testament or Tanakh prophesied that the Messiah would be killed and
would rise again. The Hebrew Scriptures speak about a suffering Servant in
Isaiah 53, which many Jews omit out of their synagogue sermons. Why do
they omit this? It makes one wonder. If they were to read this, they would have
to come to a conclusion-- that this suffering servant makes atonement for the sins
of the people. Many Jews who do read this become believers in Messiah Yeshua
because it is an indisputable fact that this innocent person prophesied in Isaiah 53
is brutally killed for the sins of the people-- a crucifixion death which was not
even invented at the time of the prophecy. Who else but the Messiah could
the Bible be talking about? Who else but the Messiah could bear the
iniquities of the world? Jesus fulfilled these prophecies approximately 2000
years ago.
Psalm 22:16: For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have
enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
Isaiah 53:4-6 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet
we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he [was]
wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the
chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way;
and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:8: He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall
declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the
transgression of my people was he stricken.
Isaiah 53:9: And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his
death; because he had done no violence, neither [was any] deceit in his
mouth.
READ THIS VERSE THREE TIMES OVER:
Isaiah 53:10: Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put [him] to
grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see [his]
seed, he shall prolong [his] days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall
prosper in his hand.
Isaiah 53:11: He shall see of the travail of his soul, [and] shall be satisfied: by
his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their
iniquities.
Isai:53:12: Therefore will I divide him [a portion] with the great, and he shall
divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto
death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of
many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
The Bible tells us of a day coming when ALL of Israel will recognize Jesus as
their Messiah. They shall look at the scars from His pierced feet and hands and
realize that He is their Messiah for He shall rescue them from their enemies who
will try to destroy Jerusalem at the end of the age. The Lord will rescue Israel
from the antichrist and the armies of the world. Consider the words the Lord
speaks in Zechariah:
Zechariah 12:9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy
all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
Zechariah 12:10: And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the
inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they
shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him,
as one mourneth for [his] only [son], and shall be in bitterness for him, as
one that is in bitterness for [his] firstborn.
Who will Israel mourn for if not the One that they have
so rejected for 2000 years?
WHY will they cry so bitterly? Because they will finally realize who their
Messiah is-- The Lord Jesus Christ-- Yeshua!
If you do not believe in Jesus/Yeshua, pray with all of your heart to the God of
Abraham to reveal Himself to you. Pray that the Lord will lead you into all
truth and search the Scriptures and pray for understanding. If you desire the
truth, you shall find it. Do not seek truth in Rabbinical books but seek the truth
found in the Scriptures. The Scriptures are God's Holy Word. They are infallible!
Read the Scriptures and seek truth with a sincere heart. It is your duty to seek
the truth for yourself. Do not expect someone else to do it for you. Don't let
someone else decide for you. Ask the L-rd, the God of Abraham, to show
you His truth.
Jesus said in John 5:39: "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have
eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."
ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS:
WHY HAS THERE BEEN NO TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM FOR OVER
1900 YEARS? (Jesus foretold that the Temple would be destroyed and it
was in 70A.D. Jesus told us that Jerusalem would be in the hands of the
Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled in the Last Days.)
Luke 21:24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led
away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the
Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
Luk 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the
stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and
the waves roaring;
Luk 21:26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those
things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be
shaken.
Luk 21:27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with
power and great glory.
WHY WOULD GOD ALLOW JESUS' PROPHECIES TO COME TRUE IF
HE WERE NOT THE MESSIAH? Jesus said that He was God's Only Begotten
Son. Jesus said that He was the only way to Heaven. Jesus taught the Scriptures
with authority. Jesus healed thousands and performed many miracles. Jesus
raised the dead back to life. The fame of Jesus went all over the world. God
would never allow Jesus to be born in Bethlehem, be of the lineage of David,
perform countless miracles, predict His own death and then die on Passover,
rise from the dead three days later (see facts below), fulfilling the Scriptures if He
were not the Messiah. God is not the author of confusion. The Lord wants us to
search the Scriptures for in them, we shall find the purpose of Messiah and why
He came and why He will come again.
WHY WOULD GOD COMMAND THE JEWS TO MAKE SACRIFICES
IN THE TEMPLE FOR THEIR SINS and yet after Jesus died upon the
cross, as prophesied in Isaiah 53, the Jews have no place to fulfill this
obligation-- no Temple for over 1900 years? How can sin be atoned for
today? Leviticus 17:11 says, "it is the blood that maketh an atonement for
the soul."
WHY IS IT THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO SACRIFICES MADE BY THE
JEWISH PEOPLE IN THE LAST 1800 YEARS?
Either God has abandoned the Jewish people-- which we know that He would
never do--or the Messiah, the Son of David, already came and died
in 30A.D. on Passover and His one time death fulfilled and replaced animal
sacrifices. The Bible says that God alone is Savior. The "LORD hath laid
on him [Jesus] the iniquity of us all". That is why there is no need for
animal sacrifices because Messiah has come.
Hos 3:4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king,
and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and
without an ephod, and without teraphim:
Hos 3:5 Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD
their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness
in the latter days.
WHERE IS JESUS TODAY?
Jesus, knowing that the time drew near when the people would crucify Him
did not hide Himself or run away. Instead, He was compelled to go to
Jerusalem to pay the price for our sins-- to make atonement for our sin.
For this reason He came into the world...He died for us. When He looked
upon Jerusalem, He said these words:
Luke 13:34-35 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and
stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy
children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye
would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say
unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say,
Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Jesus is now seated at the Right hand of God the Father:
Psalm 110:1 <A Psalm of David.> The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou
at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
1Cor 15:25-28 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things
under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that
he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be
subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put
all things under him, that God may be all in all.
Zechariah 12:8 In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of
Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and
the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.
Zechariah 12:9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to
destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
Zechariah 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the
inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall
look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as
one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one
that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him,
and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail
because of him. Even so, Amen.
Consider the Resurrection of Jesus
Psalm 16:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer
thine Holy One to see corruption.
Psalm 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of
joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
Isaiah 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief:
when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he
shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
How can the Messiah die and yet afterward have his days prolonged? The
Messiah was raised from the dead. He did not see corruption.
Consider the facts: the disciples (all Jewish) were very afraid after Jesus was
crucified. They went into hiding. They were fearful that they would die next.
Their hearts were heavy. They believed in Jesus, that He was the Messiah, and
yet Jesus died. They forgot what Jesus had told them, "The Son of man must
suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and
scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day." (Luke 9:22) The disciples
also did not understand the purpose of Messiah. Once Jesus arose from the dead,
He explained the Scriptures to them. After the disciples received the Holy
Spirit, they were bold as lions. They did not care if they were tortured for the
Lord Jesus' sake or put to death. They knew that Jesus is the Messiah and that
He is alive. They beheld Him and ate with Him. They had seen Him being taken
up to Heaven. Jesus was seen by over 500 witnesses. People will not die a
torturous death for something they willingly know is a lie. Consider the
words of Peter (the one who denied Jesus out of fear being killed on the night of
Jesus' trial) now on the Feast of Pentecost gets up in front of a large crowd and
starts to boldly preach to them this message:
Act 2:29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David,
that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
Act 2:30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an
oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up
Christ to sit on his throne;
Act 2:31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul
was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
Act 2:32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
Act 2:33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received
of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye
now see and hear.
Act 2:34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The
LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
Act 2:35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
Act 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath
made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Consider the words of Stephen, a Jewish follower of the Lord Jesus, just
before his death:
Acts 7:55-60 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into
heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing
on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped
their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and
stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet,
whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying,
Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud
voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell
asleep.
The man, Saul, mentioned above was one who persecuted the Jewish Christians
relentlessly. Later, on mission to capture Christians in Damascus, Saul was
converted himself after seeing a light from Heaven and the Lord Jesus talked
with Him. Saul's name was changed to Paul and he was imprisoned many times
for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ. He, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote
much of the New Testament from a prison cell. (Read Acts, chapter 9)
God is concerned with the condition of man's heart.
Jeremiah 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a
new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
Jer 31:32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in
the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of
Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto
them, saith the LORD:
Jer 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel;
After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts,
and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my
people.
Can a Jewish person accept Jesus and still remain Jewish?
Yes, of course! Jesus, Himself, is Jewish. Jesus is the Jewish Messiah! Read
His genealogy in Matthew, Chapter 1 and in Luke, Chapter 3. All the Apostles
were Jewish. The early Christian Church was Jewish. The Gospel is to be
preached first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles. True Christians are NOT
anti-Semitic. True Christians love the Jewish people and pray for them. So-called
"professing Christians" who persecuted or still persecute the Jewish people are
not True Christians and they do not follow the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Paul, (the Jewish leader who first persecuted Christians, later
became a Christian himself after Jesus appeared to him,) wrote in Romans 1:16:
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God
unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the
Greek."
There are many Jews, today, who believe that Jesus is the Messiah. These
believers sometimes call themselves "Messianic Jews." No matter if one is Jew or
Gentile, that person becomes a Christian by believing that Jesus is the Jewish
Messiah-- Who fulfilled the Hebrew Scriptures.
Examine the Hebrew Scriptures for yourself and pray to the God of Abraham to
reveal His truth to you. Read also the New Testament, starting in the Book of
Matthew, and pray that the Lord would open your eyes to see what He wants
you to see.
You may also check out a couple of Messianic websites here and read their
testimonies of how they found Jesus as their Messiah and how their life has
changed since believing in Him:
Chosen People.com and Menorah Ministries
If you have a prayer request or a question, please feel free to write to us.
Copyright © 2005 Cobblestone Road Ministries
All Rights Reserved.
INTERESTING ARTICLES:
Why are the Jews called God's Chosen People?
Jesus died for us!
Is the Trinity found in the Tanakh? - very interesting
Why Jesus is the Messiah -- 54 Bible Prophecies and Historical Facts
account ALL the Tanakh prophecies concerning the Messiah. Many Jews
believe that the Messiah will establish a physical kingdom on earth and that
Messiah will be simply a man and not God. We will prove with the Hebrew
Scriptures that Messiah is God also and that it was prophesied that Messiah
would die a violent death and would reconcile the people back to God.
It was prophesied that Messiah would make two appearances. First time-- to die
for the sins of the people and the second time, to establish a physical Kingdom
upon this earth in the future.
There are so MANY Old Testament Scriptures pertaining to the Messiah dying
for the sins of the people. It was prophesied in Daniel that, "Messiah would be
cut off" and "cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my
people was he stricken..." found in the Book of Isaiah, Chapter 53. The Fifty
Third chapter of Isaiah is banned from the reading in most synagogues.
Why? Why do they ban the fifty-third chapter? It is the Word of God!
Some even ban the Book of Daniel, why? Who is the authority on what should
be read and what should not be read? By whose authority do they ban God's
HOLY Scriptures? Ask yourself, should you not read ALL of God's Word?
God gave the prophecies to be read!
Did you know that it was prophesied in the Book of Daniel the EXACT time that
Messiah would come? Yes, it is in your bible.
Daniel 9:24-26 Seventy weeks (shevuim shivim) are determined upon thy
people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an
end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in
everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to
anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going
forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto
the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks:
the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And
after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself:
and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the
sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of
the war desolations are determined.
Messiah was prophesied to come to Israel, as her King, 483 years from the time
of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem along with its wall of
fortification.
Daniel predicted that Messiah's death had to happen BEFORE the
destruction of Israel's second temple (which was destroyed by Rome in
A.D. 70). Any person claiming to be the Messiah after Jerusalem's
destruction in 70 CE does not meet the BIBLICAL requirement.
After reading this article, hopefully those seeking their Messiah will better
understand why Christians believe in Jesus. True Christians do not blindly
follow Jesus for no reason. The proof of who Jesus is, is found in the Old
Testament and fulfilled in the New Testament. We, as Christians, have
received Him as our Savior because He is the Jewish Messiah prophesied in the
Tanakh. In Isaiah, it says specifically that a child will be born and shall be
called "the mighty God". READ ON...
Why did many of the Jewish leaders of Jesus' day reject Him? We must
remember that the Jews, in Jesus' day, wanted Jesus to deliver them from the
Romans. They wanted a physical deliverance from their enemies. Many Jewish
people, today, expect the very same thing-- a physical salvation from their
enemies- the Arabs, etc...
It was prophesied in Isaiah that the Messiah would be despised and rejected of
men.
Isaiah 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and
acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was
despised, and we esteemed him not.
What many of the Jewish leaders of Jesus' day forgot is that God is concerned
with man's sin-- first and foremost. God is always concerned with the spiritual
condition of man because sin cannot be allowed in God's presence. Though God
loves His creation, sinful man cannot approach a Holy God. Therefore it was
prophesied in the Hebrew Scriptures that Messiah would "bare the iniquities" of
man and reconcile him back to God.
Consider the following very carefully and for those of you who do not believe in
Jesus, pray, from the depths of your heart, to the God of Abraham that He
would reveal to you HIS TRUTH concerning the Messiah. Read the Holy
Scriptures and seek the truth-- for the Truth is found therein.
What many in Jesus' day did not realize is the fact that it was prophesied in the
Old Testament that their Messiah would be crucified for the sins of the
people. Messiah Jesus would first sacrifice His own life to save them from their
SINS. Later, at an appointed time, Messiah would return to rescue Israel from
her enemies, as prophesied in Zechariah 12 and in Isaiah 60) and Israel will
mourn and weep for Him...Why? Because they rejected Him for so many years.
READ ON...
In the book of Daniel and in Isaiah, it was prophesied that Messiah would
be "cut off"-- meaning to die a cruel and violent death.
Isaiah 53:8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall
declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the
transgression of my people was he stricken.
Daniel 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off,
but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy
the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto
the end of the war desolations are determined.
Mathew 1:21: And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name
JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
John:18:14: Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it
was expedient that one man should die for the people.
Acts:3:18: But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of
all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
Luke:24:27: And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He [Jesus]
expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
A CHILD SHALL BE BORN AND CALLED "THE MIGHTY GOD"
Jesus is the Son of God. He is the Word (John 1:1) who became flesh and dwelt
among us. How can a human child be born and be called the Mighty God?
Let's look at the verse. The Bible says that a "CHILD is born" ... "a SON is
given." Whose son?
Isaiah 9:6: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the
government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Proverbs 30:4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath
gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who
hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his
son's name, if thou canst tell?
Psalm 2:6-7 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the
decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I
begotten thee.
Psalm 2:12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way,
when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their
trust in him.
BLESSED are they that put their trust in him? Our trust must always be in the
Lord...therefore this Scripture pertains to the Lord..."Kiss the Son..."
HOW CAN A CHILD BE CALLED THE EVERLASTING FATHER?
HOW CAN A CHILD BE CALLED THE MIGHTY GOD?
In Isaiah 9:6, this child's name shall be called, "Wonderful". The Hebrew word
literally means "miracle". A miracle is also prophesied in Isaiah 7:14:
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin
shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
A sign is given: "a virgin shall conceive..." A woman conceiving is no sign at all.
Women conceive everyday. But A VIRGIN shall conceive is a SIGN! The
Hebrew words are so much richer than the English translation. "Call his name"
could be translated "call his character" for "Immanuel" means "God is with us".
So this child will be born of a virgin, will be called the Everlasting Father, The
Mighty God and the Prince of Peace. Who is this child?
The Old Testament or Tanakh prophesied that the Messiah would be killed and
would rise again. The Hebrew Scriptures speak about a suffering Servant in
Isaiah 53, which many Jews omit out of their synagogue sermons. Why do
they omit this? It makes one wonder. If they were to read this, they would have
to come to a conclusion-- that this suffering servant makes atonement for the sins
of the people. Many Jews who do read this become believers in Messiah Yeshua
because it is an indisputable fact that this innocent person prophesied in Isaiah 53
is brutally killed for the sins of the people-- a crucifixion death which was not
even invented at the time of the prophecy. Who else but the Messiah could
the Bible be talking about? Who else but the Messiah could bear the
iniquities of the world? Jesus fulfilled these prophecies approximately 2000
years ago.
Psalm 22:16: For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have
enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
Isaiah 53:4-6 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet
we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he [was]
wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the
chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way;
and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:8: He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall
declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the
transgression of my people was he stricken.
Isaiah 53:9: And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his
death; because he had done no violence, neither [was any] deceit in his
mouth.
READ THIS VERSE THREE TIMES OVER:
Isaiah 53:10: Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put [him] to
grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see [his]
seed, he shall prolong [his] days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall
prosper in his hand.
Isaiah 53:11: He shall see of the travail of his soul, [and] shall be satisfied: by
his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their
iniquities.
Isai:53:12: Therefore will I divide him [a portion] with the great, and he shall
divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto
death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of
many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
The Bible tells us of a day coming when ALL of Israel will recognize Jesus as
their Messiah. They shall look at the scars from His pierced feet and hands and
realize that He is their Messiah for He shall rescue them from their enemies who
will try to destroy Jerusalem at the end of the age. The Lord will rescue Israel
from the antichrist and the armies of the world. Consider the words the Lord
speaks in Zechariah:
Zechariah 12:9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy
all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
Zechariah 12:10: And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the
inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they
shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him,
as one mourneth for [his] only [son], and shall be in bitterness for him, as
one that is in bitterness for [his] firstborn.
Who will Israel mourn for if not the One that they have
so rejected for 2000 years?
WHY will they cry so bitterly? Because they will finally realize who their
Messiah is-- The Lord Jesus Christ-- Yeshua!
If you do not believe in Jesus/Yeshua, pray with all of your heart to the God of
Abraham to reveal Himself to you. Pray that the Lord will lead you into all
truth and search the Scriptures and pray for understanding. If you desire the
truth, you shall find it. Do not seek truth in Rabbinical books but seek the truth
found in the Scriptures. The Scriptures are God's Holy Word. They are infallible!
Read the Scriptures and seek truth with a sincere heart. It is your duty to seek
the truth for yourself. Do not expect someone else to do it for you. Don't let
someone else decide for you. Ask the L-rd, the God of Abraham, to show
you His truth.
Jesus said in John 5:39: "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have
eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."
ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS:
WHY HAS THERE BEEN NO TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM FOR OVER
1900 YEARS? (Jesus foretold that the Temple would be destroyed and it
was in 70A.D. Jesus told us that Jerusalem would be in the hands of the
Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled in the Last Days.)
Luke 21:24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led
away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the
Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
Luk 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the
stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and
the waves roaring;
Luk 21:26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those
things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be
shaken.
Luk 21:27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with
power and great glory.
WHY WOULD GOD ALLOW JESUS' PROPHECIES TO COME TRUE IF
HE WERE NOT THE MESSIAH? Jesus said that He was God's Only Begotten
Son. Jesus said that He was the only way to Heaven. Jesus taught the Scriptures
with authority. Jesus healed thousands and performed many miracles. Jesus
raised the dead back to life. The fame of Jesus went all over the world. God
would never allow Jesus to be born in Bethlehem, be of the lineage of David,
perform countless miracles, predict His own death and then die on Passover,
rise from the dead three days later (see facts below), fulfilling the Scriptures if He
were not the Messiah. God is not the author of confusion. The Lord wants us to
search the Scriptures for in them, we shall find the purpose of Messiah and why
He came and why He will come again.
WHY WOULD GOD COMMAND THE JEWS TO MAKE SACRIFICES
IN THE TEMPLE FOR THEIR SINS and yet after Jesus died upon the
cross, as prophesied in Isaiah 53, the Jews have no place to fulfill this
obligation-- no Temple for over 1900 years? How can sin be atoned for
today? Leviticus 17:11 says, "it is the blood that maketh an atonement for
the soul."
WHY IS IT THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO SACRIFICES MADE BY THE
JEWISH PEOPLE IN THE LAST 1800 YEARS?
Either God has abandoned the Jewish people-- which we know that He would
never do--or the Messiah, the Son of David, already came and died
in 30A.D. on Passover and His one time death fulfilled and replaced animal
sacrifices. The Bible says that God alone is Savior. The "LORD hath laid
on him [Jesus] the iniquity of us all". That is why there is no need for
animal sacrifices because Messiah has come.
Hos 3:4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king,
and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and
without an ephod, and without teraphim:
Hos 3:5 Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD
their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness
in the latter days.
WHERE IS JESUS TODAY?
Jesus, knowing that the time drew near when the people would crucify Him
did not hide Himself or run away. Instead, He was compelled to go to
Jerusalem to pay the price for our sins-- to make atonement for our sin.
For this reason He came into the world...He died for us. When He looked
upon Jerusalem, He said these words:
Luke 13:34-35 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and
stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy
children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye
would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say
unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say,
Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Jesus is now seated at the Right hand of God the Father:
Psalm 110:1 <A Psalm of David.> The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou
at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
1Cor 15:25-28 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things
under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that
he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be
subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put
all things under him, that God may be all in all.
Zechariah 12:8 In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of
Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and
the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.
Zechariah 12:9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to
destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
Zechariah 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the
inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall
look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as
one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one
that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him,
and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail
because of him. Even so, Amen.
Consider the Resurrection of Jesus
Psalm 16:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer
thine Holy One to see corruption.
Psalm 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of
joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
Isaiah 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief:
when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he
shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
How can the Messiah die and yet afterward have his days prolonged? The
Messiah was raised from the dead. He did not see corruption.
Consider the facts: the disciples (all Jewish) were very afraid after Jesus was
crucified. They went into hiding. They were fearful that they would die next.
Their hearts were heavy. They believed in Jesus, that He was the Messiah, and
yet Jesus died. They forgot what Jesus had told them, "The Son of man must
suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and
scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day." (Luke 9:22) The disciples
also did not understand the purpose of Messiah. Once Jesus arose from the dead,
He explained the Scriptures to them. After the disciples received the Holy
Spirit, they were bold as lions. They did not care if they were tortured for the
Lord Jesus' sake or put to death. They knew that Jesus is the Messiah and that
He is alive. They beheld Him and ate with Him. They had seen Him being taken
up to Heaven. Jesus was seen by over 500 witnesses. People will not die a
torturous death for something they willingly know is a lie. Consider the
words of Peter (the one who denied Jesus out of fear being killed on the night of
Jesus' trial) now on the Feast of Pentecost gets up in front of a large crowd and
starts to boldly preach to them this message:
Act 2:29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David,
that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
Act 2:30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an
oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up
Christ to sit on his throne;
Act 2:31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul
was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
Act 2:32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
Act 2:33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received
of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye
now see and hear.
Act 2:34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The
LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
Act 2:35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
Act 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath
made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Consider the words of Stephen, a Jewish follower of the Lord Jesus, just
before his death:
Acts 7:55-60 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into
heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing
on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped
their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and
stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet,
whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying,
Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud
voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell
asleep.
The man, Saul, mentioned above was one who persecuted the Jewish Christians
relentlessly. Later, on mission to capture Christians in Damascus, Saul was
converted himself after seeing a light from Heaven and the Lord Jesus talked
with Him. Saul's name was changed to Paul and he was imprisoned many times
for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ. He, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote
much of the New Testament from a prison cell. (Read Acts, chapter 9)
God is concerned with the condition of man's heart.
Jeremiah 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a
new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
Jer 31:32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in
the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of
Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto
them, saith the LORD:
Jer 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel;
After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts,
and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my
people.
Can a Jewish person accept Jesus and still remain Jewish?
Yes, of course! Jesus, Himself, is Jewish. Jesus is the Jewish Messiah! Read
His genealogy in Matthew, Chapter 1 and in Luke, Chapter 3. All the Apostles
were Jewish. The early Christian Church was Jewish. The Gospel is to be
preached first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles. True Christians are NOT
anti-Semitic. True Christians love the Jewish people and pray for them. So-called
"professing Christians" who persecuted or still persecute the Jewish people are
not True Christians and they do not follow the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Paul, (the Jewish leader who first persecuted Christians, later
became a Christian himself after Jesus appeared to him,) wrote in Romans 1:16:
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God
unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the
Greek."
There are many Jews, today, who believe that Jesus is the Messiah. These
believers sometimes call themselves "Messianic Jews." No matter if one is Jew or
Gentile, that person becomes a Christian by believing that Jesus is the Jewish
Messiah-- Who fulfilled the Hebrew Scriptures.
Examine the Hebrew Scriptures for yourself and pray to the God of Abraham to
reveal His truth to you. Read also the New Testament, starting in the Book of
Matthew, and pray that the Lord would open your eyes to see what He wants
you to see.
You may also check out a couple of Messianic websites here and read their
testimonies of how they found Jesus as their Messiah and how their life has
changed since believing in Him:
Chosen People.com and Menorah Ministries
If you have a prayer request or a question, please feel free to write to us.
Copyright © 2005 Cobblestone Road Ministries
All Rights Reserved.
INTERESTING ARTICLES:
Why are the Jews called God's Chosen People?
Jesus died for us!
Is the Trinity found in the Tanakh? - very interesting
Why Jesus is the Messiah -- 54 Bible Prophecies and Historical Facts
| Proof That Jesus Is The Jewish Messiah |
