I am going to share a little bit of what it means to be involved with Jewish Evangelism, the stigma that comes when a Jewish person such as myself comes to faith in Israel's Messiah, who is Jesus the Nazarene, or as we say in Hebrew Yeshua ha Notzer, and about my trip to New York City, to join in with Chosen People Ministries, and their Shalom Brooklyn 2013 campaign.
Isaiah 53 for those who know, and love G-d's word is about Yeshua, and His sacrifice for Israel, and for the world. However ask a Jew what this chapter is about, and some will say to you that they've never even heard of this chapter, some will say it's to do with Israel, and very few will say that it is to do with Messiah.
Amongst my people, some of the earliest commentaries such as Targum Jonathan, hold this chapter to be Messianic, and specifically of a suffering Messiah, one who as the tenth verse states, will be an asham, that is to say a guilt offering for us. We progress a little further to the time of Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchak, commonly know as Rashi, who lived between 1040-1105, who spoke out against Jewish, and non Jewish believers and their view of a Messianic interpretation of this text. He did so because of the severe persecution of the Jewish community at the hands of the church, and wanted to bring hope to the community during this dark time in our common history. He asserted that we were suffering for our sins, that it was for our redemption, and future glory that we were suffering in such a way. This tends to be the prevalent view amongst the Jewish people today.
This chapter, if looked at plainly, cannot be about the Jewish people, as it talks about one who is completely innocent, being offered for a sacrifice. If one looks at Jewish history through the pages of Scripture, you will see rebellion, and sin, and thus we cannot suffer as an asham offering for ourselves, as we were never guiltless. Yes we have suffered for our sin via exiles, and famines, and other things, but that was a punishment for our sin, not a sacrifice for our sin. In the book of Isaiah we see Israel being called a servant, in a good way, as well as in a negative way. Those who follow Rashi's interpretation will claim that Israel is G-d's servant, however the text clearly says:
He was taken away because of oppression and judgment; and who considered His fate? For He was cut off from the land of the living; He was struck because of my people’s rebellion. They made His grave with the wicked and with a rich man at His death, although He had done no violence and had not spoken deceitfully. Yet the L-rd was pleased to crush Him severely. When You make Him a restitution offering, He will see His seed, He will prolong His days, and by His hand, the L-rd’s pleasure will be accomplished. He will see it out of His anguish, and He will be satisfied with His knowledge. My righteous Servant will justify many, and He will carry their iniquities.
In these verses it's pretty clear that this is about one, dying for many, not the collective dying. It was for our benefit that Messiah would die for us, and that not only would he redeem Israel, but also the nations. The language of Isaiah 52:15, which is part of the prophecy of this righteous servant, says "He will sprinkle many nations", this is reminiscent of what the liturgy for the day of atonement is in Lev. 16 in which we read that everything was sprinkled with blood, and is also a prophecy of the gentiles, being brought into the fold through the sacrifice of the L-rd Yeshua.
After the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, a reform was needed in the practices of Judaism. A decision was made in regards to the sacrificial system in light of the fact that we no longer had a Temple to offer the sacrifices that were required for sin, and other things. Our liturgies took the place of the daily offerings, and good works, and works of righteousness replaced the sacrifices. However this is not in line with what the word of G-d teaches us in Lev. 17:11 that blood atonement is necessary for sin. According to Prophecy, Messiah needed to come before the fall of the Temple, and it is evident in Isaiah 53, and Psalm 22 what one of His roles would be.
Now moving into the reasons why Jewish people have rejected in part the Messiah is very complexed, and why Jewish evangelism is difficult. Scripture says we would be blinded, and that we would be cut off for a time, but a time would come where G-d would reveal Himself to His people. There has always been a remnant that have believed, and Paul even stated that this would be the case in Romans 10. However the widespread rejection that has come into play has a two-fold reasoning. It is because of the partial hardening G-d placed on us for the sake of the salvation of the gentiles, but it is unfortunately also due to the Christian history of persecution towards the Jewish people.
Today some of the common reasons for a Jew not to believe is "If Jesus was the Messiah, why have our people suffered under his followers?" This is a valid point that Jewish people have suffered the banner of those claiming Christ. My family suffered through the crusades, and the Spanish Inquisition, so what must be countered to this is to acknowledge that the Church failed, and that it cannot change history, but it can only move from hate, to love as it has done. Last Friday while I was ministering in Brighton Beach, with an Egyptian Jewish believer from London, we were approached by a very antagonistic woman, who hated the fact that we were proclaiming the truth of the Gospel, and that it is the power of salvation to the Jew first, and also the gentile (Romans 1:16). She raised this point of Christian Persecution, Fiona responded to this woman, and recounted her families history in regards to the crusades, and the Holocaust, and that it is a tragedy what the church did, but that those people were acting out of a non Christian attitude, and out of ignorance. Fiona also shared that there were Christians who had no part in the persecutions, but in fact had a love for the Jewish people. I told her my history, and how it included part of my family being helped by a Dutch Christian woman, Cory Ten Boom, and her family. This woman had no idea of who Cory, or her family were, and when she heard that because of her family hiding Jews during the war, Cory lost most of her family in the Holocaust, including her father who stated that he would rather die than to tell where he was hiding the Jews. Upon hearing this, she had a change of heart, and eventually she warmed up to us, and we parted company in good spirits.
While I was in New York, the primary mission was focussed on Street Evangelism via book tables, taking survey's on people's spiritual background, a medical outreach on August 11, and handing out tracts. On Friday's we handed out loaves of Challah, which is the traditional bread eaten on the Sabbath, which almost landed four of us men being arrested on August 9 because we were "harassing" people. This was not the case, it was simply the orthodox taking offence with us, and our message. We made over 200 contacts, and 60 people came to faith, with 27 of them being Jewish. While I was doing street evangelism, I found myself doing even more ministry outside of our daytime work. I was able to connect up with a few friends from Yeshivah, and we went for dinner or for coffee. I was able to share with them my faith, and some were receptive, and some not, but would still consider me a friend. On such occasion on the 15. I was meeting up with a friend for supper, and we ended up going to a kosher place for supper. I was able to share with him in depth why I came to believe in Yeshua, and was able to pull up some commentaries on my phone, and iPad, as well as pull up the Hebrew text of Isaiah 53. As I was walking through with Him how I came to the conclusion, I could not help but notice the gentleman at the next table eavesdropping, and trying not to be noticed. Upon getting up to pay my cheque, the older gentleman, who is orthodox, ran from his table, to where I was, and grabbed my bill, and proceeded to pay for it. He then asked if I would come and sit with him, and discuss Messiah with him. At the end of our talk, he took every piece of literature I had in my backpack, including the Isaiah 53 Explained book, by Chosen People Ministries president, Mitch Glaser. I had many such meetings like this during my free times in the evenings.
During the course of our outreach we had Jewish people hurl insults at us with words like "traitor", refuah shlymah, which is a Hebrew wish for a speedy recovery to one who is sick, self hating, "your not Jewish". One comment that really got to me was hearing a woman the same age as my grandmother tell me that I was scum, a self hating Jew, who seeks the destruction of the Jewish people. This is how Jewish Christians, also known as Messianic Jews, are thought of in the Jewish community, not by all Jews, but by a lot of Jews, and these sentiments arise because of the fact that the history of the church, and it's relationship with the Jewish people is checkered. A Jew can go to whatever religion he, or she wants, but as soon as they come to Messiah, they're no longer considered Jewish. In more traditional households, our families sit the seven day mourning period for us known as shiva, as was the case for my family, it hurts, but I am thankful to G-d for not only His undying love, but for the family He has given me because of my decision for Messiah. Church in the Hills is an amazing group of people, and so are the other solid Christian brother's and sisters I have as well, including many Messianic Jews I met this past trip, including one known as Uncle Izzy, Israel Cohen is a US Navy vet who came to faith 51 years ago, and has been serving the L-RD in full time ministry since the 70's, first with Jews for Jesus, and now with Chosen People Ministries.
These past two weeks were so amazing, G-d placed so many confirmations in my life, that have absolutely floored me. I am preparing to go to school in January to take a course in Home Healthcare aid, and from their go to Summit Pacific College for my Bachelor's degree, and then get my masters in Messianic Ministry at the Charles Feinberg Messianic centre in the heart of Brooklyn's Orthodox Jewish community. I have had many people from Chosen People Ministries approach me and confirm what I already had a pulling to, and that is to enter into Messianic ministry, proclaiming the Gospel to the Jew first, and also to the non Jew. This Labour day weekend, I will begin volunteering with In Search Of Shalom, a ministry that serves as an evangelistic, and disciplship ministry for primarily the orthodox population, but also to other Jews as well.
