If he was not the messiah, then he didn't do anything for you.
We have a personal relationship, with a savior, who points to the Old and New Testament, that is undeniable in our own personal lives.
The only reason you even believe in J*sus is because you believe the "new testament" is inspired scripture. Naturally with this as your fundamental assumption you're going to see J*sus "pointing to" the "old and new testaments."
Messianic Jews learn from the Torah as well. Lots of people believe in the prophecies of the Torah.
I also believe in the prophecies of the Torah--the real ones, not the "new testament's" retrojected assumptions. The Torah prophecies that terrible punishments (including worldwide exile and cessation of the sacrifices) awaits Israel for abandoning the Torah (not a word about "rejecting the messiah"). Your assumption that the Torah is a temporary "preparation" for chrstianity is an assumption on your part, and a horribly distorted and incorrect one.
It might be your denominations’s understanding that the Torah is not prophecy- but that is not universal.
I don't have a "denomination." That's a chrstian thing. And as I said, I do believe the prophecies, but the Torah doesn't prophesy J*sus. The "new testament" claims that it does, and you accept this because you accept the "new testament" from the outset.
In fact Billions of people do not agree with you, throughout history.
What kind of argument is that? The opinions of "billions of people" who disagree with me disproves what I'm saying? Billions of people believe a lot of nonsense--idolatry, evolution, communism . . . you name it.
You don't believe in J*sus because the "old testament" prophesies him. You believe in him because your bible has a "new testament" in it.
I’m sorry to be the one to tell you that none of that is true at all. You may be missing a very rich and beautiful story- but it is your choice to listen.
I am an Old Testament, Torah girl, and the argument is that your statement is not universal finding that the Torah is not about prophecy. In fact, it is divided into sections to highlight the prophets.
The Old Testament is a beautiful love story about God’s love and the promise of Jesus.
I love every single word of the Old Testament, Torah. There is no way for me to read the book of Daniel, for starters, and not see it as a current day prophecy.
Even Leviticus points to prophecy and Jesus.
I love the New Testament as well, but I spend my time in the Old Testament, personally.
You do have a denomination. Christianity is Judaism. They are inseparable.
The reason I believe in Jesus is because I know He is alive. Just like the disciples who have actually died for their faith.
Jesus is alive to us and that takes pretty intense faith- and not at all based on a few words in a book.
That is illogical to believe people would die for a handful of verses.
We believe that Jesus is the Messiah because the New Testament books were the records of EYEWITNESSES to the events surrounding him. Most of the early Christians were Jewish and they were looking for the coming of the Messiah, much like devout Jews to this day STILL do. They knew the signs that would prove the Messiah was legitimate and I do not doubt for one moment that had Jesus failed to fulfill them, he would have been rejected by these very people.
John the Baptist's father was a priest of the Jewish temple, Zechariah. He had a visitation from an angel of the Lord:
Luke 1:5-25
In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.
Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.
Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”
Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.
When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”
Luke 1:57-66
When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.
On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.” They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”
Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.
That was the story of just one of the devout Jewish people who were looking for the coming of the Messiah. There was another man who was also very devout. His name was Simeon. Also, a woman, named Anna, a Prophetess. Here is their story:
Luke 2:22-40
When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”) and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”
The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.
Every person ever born must make a choice whether or not to believe that Jesus is the savior of the world - their OWN savior. Wise men STILL seek him. The criteria each needs to make that decision, is available to them if they diligently and sincerely seek to know it. Like the Lord God said in Deuteronomy 4:29 -"But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul." And to Jeremiah, the prophet in Jeremiah 29:13 -"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."
The Lord keeps ALL His promises.