Posted on 03/21/2005 1:36:27 PM PST by 1 spark
ABOUT a month before Easter this year, I received a poignant letter from a prominent Seattle-area evangelical Christian businessman, a passionate activist for Israel. He wrote to invite me for a kosher meal at his home — and to discuss Jesus.
He did not, he promised, intend to evangelize me, a believing Jew. Rather, as a leader in the growing movement of Christians and Jews allying on behalf of the Jewish state, he was puzzled about what we Jews believe about the Christian savior. He was, he said, "ashamed that I never engaged my friends in what is the most important aspect of their lives, their faith, simply because some Christians — not Jews — told me to never ask these questions of my Jewish friends, or risk deeply offending them."
With the approach of the most holy day on the Christian liturgical calendar, his questions deserve answers. As citizens of a largely Christian society, most Americans see Easter through Christian eyes: as a commemoration of Christ's death and resurrection, which won salvation for all mankind. My Christian friend was asking why Jews don't see Easter as he does.
In wondering, he is far from alone. The new political alliance of conservative Jews and Christians has aroused curiosities. Jews like me who work with evangelicals and other Christian conservatives are often asked, by friends and colleagues mustering their courage, how nice people like us could possibly reject the risen Christ.
How, indeed. The best answer may be that what distinguishes the two religions above all is that Jews never saw a need for the sacrifice recalled at Easter.
The apostle Paul, who originated the most distinctive ideas in Christianity, taught that salvation is not something you buy with deeds — in particular, not with the Torah's system of 613 commandments, whose practice he explained could now be discarded. Rather, salvation is God's gift. God gave the ultimate gift in the form of Jesus' saving death.
Later Christian theologians boasted of God's unmerited "grace" as if it were a unique feature of their religion, while Jews were stuck with a discouraging faith where you try to earn your way to heaven by performing commandments. This represents a misunderstanding of Judaism.
As the Bible's book of Ecclesiastes, attributed to King Solomon, advises, "Go, eat your bread with joy and drink your wine with a glad heart, for God has already approved your deeds." At the same time, Solomon crystallized the heart of biblical religion: "Be in awe of God and keep his commandments, for that is man's whole duty." How were the two ideas reconcilable?
In the Jewish understanding, salvation came in the form of the covenant given to Moses on Mount Sinai — God's gift. The commandments a Jew performs do not "earn" salvation. They are merely the response that God asks to the fact that the Jew is already saved — "God has already approved your deeds." As a fundamental Jewish text, the Mishnah, puts it, "All of Israel has a share in the world to come." Non-Jewish peoples had their own covenant with God, received by Noah after the flood. It worked the same way.
What about the great Jerusalem temple, often depicted as a mechanism for "purchasing" forgiveness with sacrificed animals — before the building was destroyed 40 years after Jesus died? Surely, this made the need for Christ's sacrifice clear.
But Solomon also said that when the Jews were in exile, without a temple, they "should repent saying, 'We have sinned; we have been iniquitous; we have been wicked,' and they [will] return to you with all their heart and with all their soul — may you hear their prayer and their supplication from heaven and forgive your people who sinned against you."
In Judaism, repentance is always available to people, Jews and non-Jews, who wish to "get right" with God. The temple sacrifices were an aid to this, not a precondition. That was proved by the fall of Jerusalem in 587 BCE. The first temple lay in ruins for 70 years (before a new one was built). If God saw no need then for a sacrificial Christ, why would there ever be a need?
The offer of Christianity, for Jews, amounts to giving up the unique grammar of our relationship with God, the commandments, in return for a gift that we already had. This is why Easter is a day on which we should wish Christians all the blessings of their faith — a faith, however, that if we understand our own, we can never share.
Show me where in the Hebrew scriptures that a second coming of the messiah is prophecied.
Jeremiah 31: 10-12
Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.
Unfortunately, the context of the chapter makes clear that this is talking about something which is to be fulfilled within the time of the messiah's life on earth. Both verses 10 and 11 begin, "In that day...", meaning the time in which the messiah is born from the root of Jesse (verse 1) and accomplishes all the things prophecied in the rest of the chapter. The phrase "second time" refers NOT to a second coming of the messiah, but rather to God's gathering, for a second time, the remnant of Israel and Judah.
It looks as tho we will just have to agree to disagree on some scripture interpretations. I being led by the Holy Spirit, and you being led by self.
Oh, OF COURSE! [rolls eyes]
"My interpretation of this passage supports my preexisting beliefs, and therefore I am being led by the Holy Spirit. You disagree with me, and are therefore spiritually blind and incapable of properly interpreting scripture."
Give me a break.
Well, the evidence that I have given you from the Old Testament lined up and compared with the New Testament is undeniable. You, apparently selectively choose your scriptures to continue to deny the truth, or are blinded by satan. You probably wouldn't believe even if Jesus Christ came today and showed you the nail prints in His hands and feet, and raised the dead, because you have set your mind not to believe.
Obviously, it is eminently deniable.
You, apparently selectively choose your scriptures
I can make the same claim of you.
to continue to deny the truth, or are blinded by satan.
Right. I disagree with you, so I must be blinded by Satan. In the end, your true colors have shown. You cannot simply leave it as a matter of disagreement.
because you have set your mind not to believe.
Have you ever, seriously, considered the possibility that YOU might be wrong?
Then why is the lineage of Joseph given in Luke and Matthew?
The gospels and epistles of the Christian scriptures? I expect you'll disagree, but I don't think we can count on them to give a fair and accurate depiction of Judaism and Jewish reaction to the early Christian movement.
Have you ever, seriously, considered the possibility that YOU might be wrong?
I'm quite familiar with the Christian mistranslations and misinterpretations of Isaiah 53. Having had this debate innumerable times on FR, I have no burning interest in rehashing it again. There are plenty of Jewish sites you can go to if you are really interested in a Jewish understanding of the passage.
Show me where in the Hebrew scriptures that a second coming of the messiah is prophecied.
Have you ever considered that all the original 11 Jewish disciples must have all been totally insane because they all died horrible deaths from persecution for the truth aof Jesus Christ? Would you die for a lie the way they did?
You assume incorrectly. I am very familiar with both the Jewish bible and the Christian scriptures. Probably more so than the majority of Christians out there.
No
And this sort of faithfulness to your beliefs is a GOOD thing, whereas my faithfulness to my beliefs is a BAD thing?
You, on the other hand, have only looked at the Old Testament. That's like trying to do surgery before becoming a surgeon.
Again, wrong. You err greatly by making assumptions about things for which you have no basis for opinion.
You want to test my knowledge of the gospels and epistles? Or of Christian history? Go on, quiz me.
Yep, it is apparent that you aren't interested in anything which doesn't support your preexisting beliefs.
The problem is, you'll never learn anything that way.
How do you expect to engage Jews in conversation about religion when you have no idea how Jews read and understand the Hebrew scriptures?
You aren't looking for discussion; you are looking to give a sermon.
As someone seeking to proselytize Jews, that is YOUR problem. You are attempting to convince me of something which is, from my perspective, extra-scriptural. If LDS missionaries showed up at your door, would it be reasonable for them to expect you to accept evidence from the Book of Mormon?
Are you able to offer me any reliable evidence to support your claim that eleven of the apostles were martyred?
(BTW, it would be helpful to know your denominational affiliation).
You assume incorrectly. I am very familiar with both the Jewish bible and the Christian scriptures. Probably more so than the majority of Christians out there.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.