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Jesus the Jewish Messiah

Rev Colin Chow
12-05-2018

All scripture is given by inspiration of God.

What if we embrace the rich Jewish heritage of Jesus in our study of the scriptures?

Jesus was born a Jew. He was circumcised on the eight day.

Luke 2:21 New King James Version (NKJV)
Circumcision of Jesus
21 And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child,[a] His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

His name was revealed to his father Joseph as Jesus.

Genesis 32:22-32 New King James Version (NKJV)
Wrestling with God
22 And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. 23 He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had. 24 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. 25 Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. 26 And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.”

But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!”

27 So He said to him, “What is your name?”

He said, “Jacob.”

28 And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel;[a] for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

29 Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.”

And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there.

30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel:[b] “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” 31 Just as he crossed over Penuel[c] the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the children of Israel do not eat the muscle that shrank, which is on the hip socket, because He touched the socket of Jacob’s hip in the muscle that shrank.

He was presented to the Lord at the temple.

Luke 2:22 New King James Version (NKJV)
Jesus Presented in the Temple
22 Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord

Cf  Exodus 13:2,12,15

Who is Jesus the man?

Jesus lived His entire life as a Torah observant Jew.

The writer of Hebrew wrote that the testimony is not in force until the one who made it dies. (Hebrews 9:16-17)

Essentially, the New Testament begins with the Book of Acts.

The remnant of believing Jews after the time of Jesus were forced to conform to the Greeco-Roman practices of the Gentile dominated church.

Jesus and His early followers were deeply rooted in the rich Hebraic soil of their ancestors. They thought, taught and lived out of this soil.

Jesus our Jewish Lord:

-Ministered as an itinerant rabbi to the poor and needy.

-Performed miracles plus other miracles other rabbis could not perform (Messianic miracles) eg. casting out the mute demon, raising the dead after four days (Lazarus).

-Presented Himself as a Jewish Messiah to the Jews.

-Presented Himself as the Lord and Saviour to the Gentiles.

-Was rejected as Messiah by a handful of powerful Sadducean priests.

Lived a Jew:

- Being faithful to the Torah, He wore His Tallit.

Matthew 9:20New King James Version (NKJV)
20 And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment.

Mark 5:25-29 New King James Version (NKJV)
25 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. 28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”

29 Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.

Numbers 15:37-38 New King James Version (NKJV)
Tassels on Garments
37 Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 38 “Speak to the children of Israel: Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners.

The word "corners" in Hebrew is "kanaf" which means "wings."

Psalm 91:1-4 New King James Version (NKJV)
Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God
91 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”

3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler[a]
And from the perilous pestilence.
4 He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

Malachi 4:2 New King James Version (NKJV)
2 But to you who fear My name
The Sun of Righteousness shall arise
With healing in His wings;
And you shall go out
And grow fat like stall-fed calves.

John 8:3-11 New King James Version (NKJV)
3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught[a] in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded[b] us that such should be stoned.[c] But what do You say?”[d] 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.[e]

7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up[f] and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience,[g] went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her,[h] “Woman, where are those accusers of yours?[i] Has no one condemned you?”

11 She said, “No one, Lord.”

And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and[j] sin no more.”

If Jesus said "Yes" he would be in violation of Roman law. If he said "No" he would be in violation of the Law of Moses.

What did He do?

Jesus stooped down to write on the ground.

Jesus simply said, "Cast the first stone if you are not a sinner." He didn't tell them to run off.

Why did they run off?

What did Jesus write on the ground?

The Jews were praying for physical rain and spiritual rain to come after the feast of tabernacles.

John 7:37-39 New King James Version (NKJV)
The Promise of the Holy Spirit
37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing[a] in Him would receive; for the Holy[b] Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Jesus gave His greatest Messianic proclamation on the last day of the feast of tabernacles that He was the Messiah. "I'm the living water of life."

The guards dared not arrest Him.

That was the day before the woman was arrested for adultery.

The answer:

Jeremiah 17:13 New King James Version (NKJV)
13 O Lord, the hope of Israel,
All who forsake You shall be ashamed.
“Those who depart from Me
Shall be written in the earth,
Because they have forsaken the Lord,
The fountain of living waters.”

They saw their own names on the ground and they were so scared.

The Old Testament gives us a foreshadowing of Jesus. He stands on the full revelation of Old Testament theology.

And this includes Israel. Because God the Father chose them.

When we honour Israel, we honour God.

We love Israel because God chose them.

They brought us the gospel through 4,000 years of suffering. Even today they are suffering.

It is spiritual. Only spiritual people can fight a spiritual war. Only we can, by prayer.

Where Jesus sat:

Luke 4:16-20 New King James Version (NKJV)
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,[a]
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”[b]

20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.

The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written.

It was Joseph's family turn to read the scroll.

It was the duty of the eldest son of the family to read it.

And Jesus read it:

-The Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Numbers)
-Haf Torah - The Prophets
-Dvar Torah - Commentary



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