Five Questions

Questions for Jewish people

Introduction

Shalom! My name is Jacov – Jacob, and someone directed you here because you are Jewish and they were interested in speaking to you about the relationship between Christianity and Judaism.

I know Jewish people are revolted by Jews who believe in Jesus, so you can rest assured my mother is a Gentile Roman Catholic. She doesn't believe what I believe, but I am not halachaly Jewish. My wife and children, however, are.

The final question

But I have a final question. I’m going to read from the Hebrew prophet Zechariah 12…

The burden of the word of the Lord concerning Israel. Thus declares the Lord who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him,

Anti-semitism

But I have another question: if “Yasha’yah Hanawbe” – Isaiah the prophet in chapter 11 said…

The nations will resort to the root of Jesse…

…the “sores Yisay”..
…the peoples…
…the “ammim”.

Worldwide peace

But there’s another question I’d like to ask you. That question is, “If Jesus was the Messiah, why didn’t He bring in worldwide peace?” Why was there a Holocaust? Why were there Inquisitions and pogroms? Why is there starvation in Africa? Why is the environment being destroyed?

Which rabbi

But I have another question, also from the Hebrew prophet Isaiah (“Yasha’yah Hanavi”), Isaiah 52 and 53. He said, “Kullanu k'tson tainu…” (Is. 53:6)

All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way;

Reject jesus

The first question I would like to ask you is this: There are two reasons most Jewish people I know – neighbors, friends, family – two reasons most I know reject any idea of Jesus being the Jewish Messiah. Those reasons are always “anti-Semitism” and “Why, if He was the Messiah, did He not bring in worldwide peace?” Therefore He could not be the Messiah. Let's begin with the most sensitive of issues, anti-Semitism.