Why do the Jewish people have trouble accepting Jesus as the Messiah? There is no specific doctrinal view of Jesus in traditional Judaism. Monotheism, a belief in the ABSOLUTE UNITY AND SINGULARITY OF GOD (God is one not three in one), is central to Judaism, which regards THE WORSHIP OF A PERSON (Jesus Christ) AS A FORM OF IDOLATRY. Therefore, considering Jesus a deity would be FORBIDDEN ACCORDING TO JUDAISM. The Torah teaches that God is one, indivisible, all-powerful. It continues that God is incorporeal, that is, without a body and that He does not manifest Himself in the form of a human being. The Torah also teaches that mankind is born pure and without sin but that he has freewill to do good or evil. Even though the Bible says, “for ALL HAVE SINNED and fall short of the glory of God…” (Romans 3:23)
“I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago…all of them were baptized as followers of Moses. All of them ate the same spiritual food, and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and THAT ROCK WAS CHRIST.” (1 Corinthians 10:1-4) Jesus said to them (the two of them on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13)), “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter His glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said IN ALL THE SCRIPTURES CONCERNING HIMSELF.” (Luke 24:25-27)
“Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and will CALL HIM IMMANUEL.” (Isaiah 7:14) “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER, PRINCE OF PEACE. Of the greatness of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. THE ZEAL OF THE LORD ALMIGHTY WILL ACCOMPLISH THIS.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)
“He (Jesus) was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces He was despised, and we held Him in low esteem. Surely, He took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered Him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:3-5) “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD‘s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn…” (Isaiah 61:1-2)
“Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Whose hands have gathered up the wind? Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? WHAT IS HIS NAME? (God the Father) and what is THE NAME OF HIS SON? (Jesus) Surely you know!” (Proverbs 30:4)
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham