There are many prophecies concerning the messiah, so many that there is no way to elaborate on all of them (ref Prophecies of the Messiah for a partial list of prophecies and when they were fulfilled).
When Yeshua was crucified all of His followers expectations came crashing down, even though Yeshua told them what was going to happen (
Luke 24:25 Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. (NKJV)
Luke 24:25-27
). His followers had to step back and re-examine the situation because they had no expectation of Him being crucified. It wasn’t until Yeshua was resurrected and had a conversation with a couple of the disciples where He laid out all of the prophecies that foretold everything that had to happen to the Messiah (
Luke 24:30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. (NKJV)
Luke 24:30,31
).Time, gross misunderstandings, and grudges have segregated us as Jews and gentiles. The problem is that isn’t what God’s plan is for mankind! God wants the world to be saved (
2 Pet 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (NKJV)
2 Peter 3:9
). He didn’t single out any group to be the exclusive means of salvation but rather the Messiah.Jews and “Christian’s” each have an exclusive two step connection to God but they differ:
Jews see the path to God as:
“Christians” see the path to God as:
God has a COMPLETELY different plan:
God’s original plan was to provide a savior for the world (
Gen 3:15 And I will put enmityBetween you and the woman,And between your seed and her Seed;He shall bruise your head,And you shall bruise His heel.” (NKJV)
Gen 3:15
), the perfect atonement for our sins (
Isa 53:4 Surely He has borne our griefsAnd carried our sorrows;Yet we esteemed Him stricken,Smitten by God, and afflicted.5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,He was bruised for our iniquities;The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,And by His stripes we are healed.6 All we like sheep have gone astray;We have turned, every one, to his own way;And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (NKJV)
Isa 53:4-6
,
Isa 53:11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,For He shall bear their iniquities.12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,Because He poured out His soul unto death,And He was numbered with the transgressors,And He bore the sin of many,And made intercession for the transgressors. (NKJV)
Isa 53:11,12
,
Heb 10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. (NKJV)
Heb 10:4
,
Heb 10:12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. (NKJV)
Heb 10:12-14
). God chose the Jews to be His chosen people; not as the way to God but rather an example to the world of what God would do for His people if they kept or disobeyed His laws. This is so awesome for you as a Jew; you have an honor that most of the people in the world will never have. Mankind is made up of everybody. There is no differentiation between race, ethnicity, gender and social class in Yeshua (
Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (NKJV)
Gal 3:28
). All of these characteristics are irrelevant when we become a follower of Yeshua because we are adopted into the family of God (
Gal 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (NKJV)
Gal 3:26
). The reality is that we are one family in the Savior. We are to love each other (
1 John 3:11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, (NKJV)
1 John 3:11
,
Rom 12:10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; (NKJV)
Rom 12:10
).In Yeshua we are all one and we need to act that way (
John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (NKJV)
John 13:34,35
). Where we’ve been hurt we need to forgive. You don’t forgive for the other person, you forgive for you; un-forgiveness is like a cancer eating away your joy and happiness (
Matt 5:23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. (NKJV)
Matt 5:23,24
,
Matt 6:14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (NKJV)
Matt 6:14,15
). Rabbi Paul, who was a devout Pharisee (
Philip 3:5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. (NKJV)
Philip 3:5,6
), attributed for writing 13 books of the New Testament, credited for being the greatest promoter of Christianity to the gentiles, was very clear that there are differences between the Jews and gentiles. He said that there was nothing wrong with Jews following the law, he followed the law himself (
Col 2:16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. (NKJV)
Col 2:16,17
,
Acts 18:21 but took leave of them, saying, “I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; but I will return again to you, God willing.” And he sailed from Ephesus. (NKJV)
Acts 18:21
,
Acts 24:14 But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets. (NKJV)
Acts 24:14
,
Acts 25:8 while he answered for himself, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in anything at all.” (NKJV)
Acts 25:8
), but this isn’t a means of salvation, it is an act of obedience. He also said that gentiles didn’t have to follow the parts of the law that were for the identity of being a Jew, so they didn’t have to follow dietary laws, festivals, etc.; because following the law isn’t what makes you right with God. There is nothing wrong with either group in God’s eyes.The Messiah, Yeshua, was the ultimate sacrifice for the world (
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (NKJV)
John 1:29
,
Rom 5:18 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (NKJV)
Rom 5:18-21
,
Heb 10:10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (NKJV)
Heb 10:10
). When Yeshua died on the cross the veil that separated the Holy of Holies was torn from top to bottom (
Matt 27:51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, (NKJV)
Matt 27:51
,
Mark 15:38 Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. (NKJV)
Mark 15:38
,
Luke 23:45 Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. (NKJV)
Luke 23:45
) as a symbol that the Holy of Holies is now open to all because of the sacrifice of Yeshua. 40 years later the temple would be destroyed by the Roman Empire effectively destroying the priestly (Sadducee) system (
Heb 10:1 For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. 3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. (NKJV)
Heb 10:1-4
). A Jewish friend of mine said that he is ok with Jesus being the savior but he can’t accept Him as God. I told him “that’s ok, that [believing He is God] isn’t a requirement for being a follower of Yeshua.” We are simple beings and God is well aware of that so He made salvation as simple as “… that whoever believes in Him [Yeshua] should not perish but have everlasting life” (
2 Pet 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (NKJV)
2 Peter 3:9
,
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (NKJV)
John 3:16,17
). What an awesome love God has for us (
1 John 4:19 We love Him because He first loved us. (NKJV)
1 John 4:19
)!To phrase our opening question so there won’t be any confusion, we should ask “can you be Jewish and a follower of Yeshua?” The answer is an emphatic “YES!!!” Rejoice that God has fulfilled His promise to send the savior of the world and everybody that is a follower of Yeshua is a brother and sister to who love is due (
John 13:35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (NKJV)
John 13:35
). Rejoice in being a Jew and more importantly, by God’s plan, rejoice that God fulfilled His promise to send a savior and the Holy Spirit has revealed this to you (
1 Cor 2:11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God... 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (NKJV)
1 Cor 2:11, 14
,
1 Cor 12:3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. (NKJV)
1 Cor 12:3
)!Click here for the gentile perspective…