How do we love the Jewish people?

Many times in almost four decades of ministry Lori and I have been asked, “How can we reach the Jewish people (usually stated, “the Jews”) with the gospel?}

Recently – and the first time in memory – someone asked, “How do we love the Jewish people?” Related to that was the question, “Should we love Jews and Gentiles the same?”

Love is a wonderful prism through which Christians should view the subject of Jewish-Gentile relations. And of course we want our thinking to be informed by God’s Word.

To begin, I don’t think the spiritual needs of the Jewish people are greater than that of the Gentiles. “Both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin. There is none righteous, no not one” (Romans 3:9-10).

“For there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). All mankind is under God’s judgment. And the same solution to the sin which separates us from a holy God is available equally to both Jews and Gentiles: the atoning sacrifice of Yeshua (Jesus). “…being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Messiah Jesus (Romans 3:24).

I also see no evidence that heaven rejoices more over a Jewish soul saved than a Gentile one. Both are made in God’s image. In Romans 4 the Apostle Paul emphasizes the fact that Abraham was:

1)      justified by faith (vs. 9)

2)      before he was circumcised (vs. 10)

3)      so that he could be the father of faith to all who believe (vs. 11-12).

So, why do we make a distinction if circumcision (the sign of God’s covenant with Abraham’s descendants through Jacob) makes no difference? The best reason I can think of is because God does.

·         In the Old Covenant (Testament)

o   God divides the world’s peoples into two groups: the Nation (Israel) and the nations (everyone else). In Deuteronomy 7:6-9 God tells us why He selected Israel from all other nations: His purposeful love, and His promises to the patriarchs.

o   In Genesis 12:1-3 those promises include:

¨       the land (boundaries are delineated and the territory promised unconditionally in Genesis 15)

¨       a great nation (singular, though “peoples” also come through Hagar and Keturah, the line of promise was through Isaac, then Jacob/Israel)

¨       a blessing (both personal to Abraham – a great name), and global (all the families of the earth).

o   God associates His name with the Jewish people

¨       “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”

¨       “the God of Israel” appears 101 times in Scripture

o   God associates His name with His action in Jewish history: “I am the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt”

¨       God introduces Himself to the Hebrew people at Sinai with this description – Exodus 20:2

¨       The phrase is found repeatedly in the Torah (Leviticus 19:36; 25:38; 26:13; Numbers 15:41; Deuteronomy 5:6; 8:14; 13:5; 20:1).

o   God chose Israel

¨       “Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth” (Deuteronomy 7:6-8)

¨       To be His unique people [129 of the 130 times “ami“ (“My people”) is found in the Old Testament it refers to Jewish people/the nation of Israel)

o   The promises of Messiah were made to the Jewish people through the Jewish prophets throughout the Tenach (Hebrew Scriptures).

o   Those desiring to identify with the true God came to Israel (e.g., Egyptians who left with the Hebrews in the Exodus – the “mixed multitude”; Rahab, Ruth, Naaman the Syrian). Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem had a Court of the Gentiles for God-fearing non-Jews.

·         In the New Covenant

o   In the Gospels and Acts we are introduced to “Gentile God fearers” who attach themselves to Israel (e.g., the Ethiopian eunuch who travels to Jerusalem to worship, and reads Isaiah 53 on the journey home).

o   Yeshua initially presents Himself as Messiah exclusively to Israel (“His own” in John 1:11).

o   The disciples and early followers of Yeshua are Jewish; the 120 gathered in the Upper Room (Acts 2) were observing Shavuot – the Feast of Weeks.

o   It is a great surprise to the early believers when Gentiles are added to the faith (see Acts 15 for the first Church council’s ruling on the matter).

·         In both Old and New Covenants we find a future for Israel. The Jewish people will be restored to the Land but more importantly to the Lord (His Law will be written on the hearts of His people – Jeremiah 31:33-34). Based on the clear teaching of Scripture, this restoration is not because Israel has earned or deserves it (see Ezekiel 20, e.g.). It has everything to do with God’s reputation [“for My name’s sake” and “in the sight of the nations” are key phrases] and His character [God’s enduring love and integrity in keeping His promises – His very motivation in choosing Israel in the first place (Deuteronomy 7:8)].

Does God love everyone? John 3:16 tells us He does.

“Does God love everyone equally?” is another question. [God’s “Jacob have I loved but Esau I have hated” statement is a challenge to our sense of fairness – especially when the choice was made while the twins were in utero (Romans 9:10-13). What about “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 21:20)?]

So, what does it mean to have God’s heart for the Jewish people? Foundationally, it is recognizing their unique role as His chosen people and loving them as He does. For a sampling, Israel is:

·         the “apple of God’s eye” (Zechariah 2:8)

·         His treasured possession (Exodus 19:5, Deuteronomy 14:2)

·         His inheritance (Deuteronomy 4:20)

·         His offspring/children (Deuteronomy 14:1)

·         His wife (Jeremiah 31:32).

The Jewish people are precious in God’s sight, honored and loved (Isaiah 43:4), and His witnesses and servant (43:10). He is Israel’s Redeemer, “the Holy One of Israel,” their Creator and King (43:14-15). He has engraved them on His palms (49:15-15).

The Scriptures are very clear: Israel mattered a great deal to God. And the prophetic words which accompany such expressions of love indicate this love is not merely past tense. [See Isaiah 43:5-7 as one example in context.]

What does love look like? Pastor Steve DeWitt (Bethel Church in Crown Point, IN) defines love as “Actively seeking the good and joy of others.” So how do we seek the good and joy of the Jewish people? Here are 10 suggestions:

  1.  Don’t ignore/overlook the Jewish people. Over the years we have noted with sadness how easy it is for the Jewish people to NOT be represented in missions conferences on college campuses and in churches. We often see “tracks” for reaching Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, animists, etc., but many times the Jewish people aren’t on the program.

Many evangelical churches work to diversify their missions giving, yet often no Jewish ministry is on the budget. The clear biblical priority of the Jewish people in God’s plan has dropped entirely off the radar for many. Our esteemed colleague Jhan Moskowitz (now with the Lord) said it well: “The greatest form of anti-Semitism is the withholding of the gospel from the Jewish people.”

Thankfully, there are wonderful exceptions. Our hearts soar when hear of messages preached in local churches which reflect God’s heart for the Jewish people.

  2.  Recognize Israel’s distinction from the Church. Supercessionism is reflected in a theology that reads the Church back into the Old Testament and considers Israel to be the Church in the New Testament. The failure to distinguish between God’s dealings with national Israel and His purpose for the global Church produces numerous errors.

As examples, God’s unconditional covenant regarding the Land promised to Abraham (Genesis 15) gets spiritualized or ignored. Specific commands to national Israel are confusing when applied to the Church. What is the New Covenant believer’s relationship to laws regarding observing the Sabbath, eating unclean foods, or mixing cotton and linen in clothing?

We are loving the Jewish people when we don’t spiritualize or misappropriate for ourselves the blessings of God to Israel. (“Every promise in the book is mine, every chapter every verse every line” is a catchy song reflecting a lousy hermeneutic, in my opinion.)

  3.  Remember God’s blueprint for the Church. In Ephesians 2 Paul details God’s design for the Bride of Messiah:

¹³ But now in Messiah Jesus you [Gentiles] who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Messiah. ¹⁴ For He Himself is our peace, who has made us both [Jews and Gentiles] one and has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility ¹⁵ by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that He might create in Himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, ¹⁶ and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.”

The result of Messiah’s cross-work, for both Jewish and non-Jewish believers in Him, includes:

·         peace (vs. 17)

·         access in one Spirit to the Father (18)

·         fellow citizenship, members of the same family (19)

·         built together to be God’s dwelling place (22).

Eph. 3 unveils the mystery:  ⁶”This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Messiah Jesus through the gospel.” Hallelujah!

  4.  Have an attitude of humble gratitude. As Gentiles, our spiritual heritage was destitute: dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1-2). But that is true of Jewish people as well. In Paul’s words, ”For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God’” (Romans 3:9-11).

However, Scripture contrasts the spiritual legacy of the two groups:

a.       Jewish inheritance (Romans 9):  ⁴ They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple service, and the promises.  ⁵ The ancestors are theirs, and from them, by physical descent, came the Messiah, who is God over all, praised forever.

b.      Gentile position (Ephesians 2): “¹¹ Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— ¹² remember that you were at that time separated from Messiah, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.”

One could almost think Paul foresaw what could happen down the road as more Gentiles were added to the Body (and he saw the continuing resistance of his kinsmen to the gospel). Using an “olive tree” analogy, Paul writes to the non-Jewish “wild branches,” instructing “Do not be arrogant toward the (natural) branches” (see Romans 11:17-21).

Reading the words of the Church fathers regarding the Jewish people we get the sense that Paul’s injunction has been widely ignored. Even understanding the difficulties of discerning motivations and the forces shaping cultures far removed from ours, it is easy to see how Jewish people reading the patristic writings don’t come away feeling loved and valued.

After the Church was birthed (Acts 2), Gentiles heard the gospel of the Jewish Messiah from Jewish witnesses. Are we grateful?

  5.  Remind the Jewish people (and the Church) of God’s enduring covenant faithfulness. This can be done by preaching those passages that both teach and illustrate this truth. (Ezekiel 20 is my favorite, in part because it is unknown; I incorporate it when teaching Perspectives.)

But we also have “tangential” opportunities to reference God’s hesed (steadfast lovingkindnes). As one example, when citing A.W. Pink’s seven qualities of God, the first three qualities (uninfluenced, eternal, and sovereign) all are directly related to God’s love for the Jewish people. Surely His qualities of love extend to all people. But this would be a great place to remind the Church of God’s enduring love for the Jewish people, simply by noting the context of the quoted passages. YHVH’s covenant steadfastness to Israel bolsters our confidence He will not forsake us (2 Timothy 2:13 is a NT restatement of this wonderful truth).

  6.  Consider Israel’s national future. What are the implications of the biblical promises yet unfulfilled? Surely if everything culminated with the Church being gathered to her Bridegroom and the glorious Marriage Supper of the Lamb ushering in the eternal state, God could simply destroy Earth after uniting us to His Son. But Daniel’s 70^th week (Daniel 9) picks up where the 69^th leaves off – with Israel in primary focus.

And it is to the Jewish people Messiah reveals Himself when His feet touch down on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:3-5) after His wrath and judgments have been poured out on the nations who oppress the Jewish people during the Tribulation. In Zechariah 12 God says He will “make Jerusalem a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples” (vs. 2). “All the nations of the earth will gather against it” (vs. 3).

Verses 7-9 of Zechariah 14 detail the physical deliverance of the Jewish people. But it is the verses which follow that make our hearts thrill the more:

¹⁰ “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.”

Zechariah 13 tells of the fountain opened for cleansing from sin and Israel’s spiritual restoration. And then we have the reign of Yeshua (14:9ff), with Jerusalem the capitol. And the Jewish festival of Booths will be observed – by Gentiles, even (14:16-19).

The Church Age, a mystery in the OT, is an insertion amid God’s dealing with Israel. He promises to fulfill the final chapters when the “pause button” is released. [Who in our churches even knows about Israel’s prophetic future? Should they not, when Scripture reveals it?]

The Church and Israel are not identical people of God. Neither are they in competition. Right now, Jews and Gentiles are being united through faith into the Body of Messiah – the Church. And if we understand correctly, the saints will return to reign with Yeshua in His earthly reign when David’s greater Son takes His throne.

This culminating rule on earth will bring full circle God’s prophetic purpose for the physical descendants of Jacob, and will result in God’s greater glory among the nations – something repeatedly referenced in our Bibles. This matters to God – look how much of Holy Writ is devoted to it. Should it not matter to us?

  7.  Speak the truth in love. Scripture is clear: the Jewish people need the Savior. They (and the Church) need to be reminded of that. The Jewish people (like all others) are under God’s judgment – but it begins with them (Rom. 2:9-10).

When we speak of God’s wrath against Israel’s unbelief and disobedience, we should do so with the sorrow reflective of Jeremiah and Yeshua. The very tone of voice we use (warm and tender versus indifferent, dismissive, or derisive) when speaking of the Jewish people communicates much.

I once observed a believer who literally backed a stranger into a corner, wagged his finger under the poor trapped man’s nose and said angrily, ”You’re going to burn in hell if you don’t repent.”

The response came quickly: “And something tells me you’d be happy if I did (go to hell).” [OY!!]

  8.  Align with the biblical priority. Most Gentiles are fine with Paul’s statement that judgment is “to the Jew first” (Rom. 2:8-9) [Interestingly, “glory, honor, and peace” are also first to the Jewish people in vs. 10 – and verse 11 emphasizes God’s impartiality!]  

More often than not Romans 1:16 is quoted with the wrong punctuation: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” But God didn’t put a period there!

We know of a church that has in its bylaws that Jewish evangelism must be included in its missions giving based on Romans 1:16. And a former Life in Messiah board member is following the example of his father (a pastor) by contributing a check to LIFE each January 1 – his “firstfruits” giving to the Lord is “to the Jew first.”

  9.  Understand Jewish sensitivities and culture. Love pays attention to the wants and needs of others so that their good and joy is maximized. The deep wounds the Jewish people have suffered over centuries – too often at the hands of those identified as Christians – is a huge barrier for the gospel.

It seems a minor step, but interspersing vocabulary “friendly” to Jewish ears (e.g., Messiah, Yeshua, Jewish people, Hebrew Scriptures)  with their “gentile” counterparts (Christ, Jesus, Jews, Old Testament) helps them feel “at home.”

Jewish holidays provide a great opportunity for building bridges. As a side benefit, it helps Gentiles recognize the Jewish roots of our faith and gain insights into Scripture. “Messiah in the Passover” seders are one example, and we’re delighted when churches host these. A “Happy New Year to our Jewish friends” sign at Rosh Hashanah is a loving touch churches can employ. (For ideas, please see http://www.lifeinmessiah.org/calendarofjewishholidays)  

  10.  Get to know Jewish people. It’s impossible to love in a vacuum. The best love is what Yeshua modeled: incarnational and relational. Spending time with people, listening to their stories and sharing our own, is something most everyone can do.

As one idea of a conversation starter, think about watching our video letter (http://www.lifeinmessiah.org/whatsnew/) with a Jewish friend. Asking their opinion of the message would help you gain their perspectives of Christians/Christianity, and perhaps spark opportunities for dialogue. How wonderful it would be to counter misperceptions by contrasting the hateful actions of some with the clear teachings of Yeshua (we are to love even our enemies, e.g.) and with acts of lovingkindness toward our Jewish neighbors.

Another option for interchange with Jewish people on spiritual matters is “In Search of Shalom.” This website, developed by Life in Messiah in cooperation with other partner ministries, provides on-line training in sharing your faith. It also allows you to chat with seekers using your own computer or mobile device. www.insearchofshalom.org is the place to start.

As always, more could be said, but I’ll hit “pause” here. May God help us – His Church – to reflect His love for His chosen nation. Together we are going to reign with our Redeemer, Israel’s Messiah and Savior of mankind – to the praise of His glorious Name.