Posted on 04/29/2002 10:44:32 AM PDT by JediGirl
IN BRITAIN today there are various groups energetically targeting Jews. They especially look for those who feel a lack of fulfilment in their lives. They assert that the answer to all problems is belief in Jesus, something which they claim makes you a better Jew! What's so terrible? They seem happy enough. I am not going to stop any of the Jewish things I was doing before, I may even keep a few more! Even if I end up believing in a false Messiah I will still be Jewish.
At the time Jesus lived, prior to the destruction of the second Temple, there were various sects within Judaism. Some say that there could have been as many as several dozen. One of these was a sect led by Jesus.
He was rejected by the Jews of his time, a generation which included some of our greatest Rabbis. The Christian response to the rejection of Jesus by his own people has been nearly two thousand years of efforts to convert Jews to their beliefs. When a Jew accepts Jesus he not only rejects the history of his people but, by adopting Christian faith he places himself outside the Jewish religion.
Christians believe in the Trinity, that G-d consists of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. They say that this three-part G-d is the same as the G-d worshipped by the Jews.
The Torah says, "Hear O Israel, the L-rd is our G-d the L-rd is One." This we say in the Shema, we have it on our doors in the mezuzah and on our hearts and minds in the tefilin.
Christians believe that one cannot approach G-d except through Jesus. All prayers must therefore, be in his name. This is called Mediation.
The Torah starts the Ten Commandments with, "I am the L-rd your G-d, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me". Simply G-d does not want us to have any other deities even if we still believe in Him. Limiting an all knowing G-d by claiming He needs a mediator is a violation of this commandment.
Christians say that Jesus was a Prophet who came to change the way it used to be. The Torah warns us about this, "If there arise among you a prophet or a dreamer and he gives you a sign or a miracle. And the sign or miracle comes to pass and he calls you saying 'Let us go after other gods, whom you have not known and let us worship them.' You shall not listen to that prophet or dreamer. For G-d is testing you, to see whether you love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul." (Deut. 13:2)
So are you a better Jew, a fulfilled Jew by accepting Jesus? No. By accepting a Christian god you commit a cardinal sin. You become a traitor to your people and cannot be counted a Jew.
The Torah teaches, "It is enough that you carefully observe everything that I am prescribing to you. Do not add to it and do not subtract from it."
Exactly. It is the Muslims who claim that Jesus was a prophet. This Rabbi had better re-check his notes...
And you are quoting me on this why? It is the essay that says this, not I.
I'm areligious for the time being. I'm trying to figure out what it is I believe. But since I've always found Messianic Judaism interesting, I thought I'd post this article. Don't be so hostile.
Mourning for the Pierced One
Zechariah 12-10 "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.
amd read Romans 11
John 19:33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 19:34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 19:35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. 19:36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, "Not one of His bones shall be broken." 19:37 And again another Scripture says, "They shall look on Him whom they pierced."
That time is approaching....
I agree with you. I think Jews "explain" this by saying that the plural is used to show the magnitude of God.
I find it preoposterous that you would put Judaism together with Islam in your "hint" about religions.
It appears that it is you who is filled with hate, and try to persuade others to join you in your hate --- no matter what logic-defying garbage you use.
Meanwhile, a moment's thought dismisses the article as nonsense. The first Christians were Jews. QED.
To say nothing of the fact that the OT makes clear that the Messiah is God incarnate.
Dan
Which to me, begs the question: Why don't Jews see that the Old Testament prophecies are fulfilled in Jesus?
in:
Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (Whole Chapter: Genesis 1 In context: Genesis 1:25-27)
I'm told by Hebrew scholars that the Hebrew is very clear about the plural form there. Jewish Scribes have faithfully copied it lo these many centuries. There's the contention that God dictated it letter by letter to Moses.
You have in your Scriptures the Messiah coming BOTH as a suffering servant AND as a conquering King. How do YOU explain that?
How do YOU explain the very precise prophecies about Christ's life and death in the Psalms, Isaiah etc.
It won't wash that Christ manipulated His life to match the prophecies--with some of them--it would not have been possible without His being God.
NOT ONLY SO . . . THERE'S THE "slight" evidence of the last 2,000 years . . .
by James A. Francis
However, God in His mercy will prove to all His chosen people WHO HAVE A HEART SERIOUSLY INTERESTED IN SERVING GOD AT ALL--WHO THEIR MESSIAH IS. On the other hand, none of us have the promise of living tomorrow. It's wise to choose His Way while today is still today. As He said in His Word, TODAY is the day of Salvation.
No really, it's that that begs, or misstates, the question.
It's as if you asked, "Why don't Gentiles walk with Jesus?," because you don't. A more accurate question (in both cases) would be, "Why don't some Jews/Gentiles...?" After all (in the first case) essentially all the first believers in Jesus to a man, to a woman were Jews.
A more interesting question, to me, is "Why have so many Jews through the ages embraced the Messiahship of Jesus in spite of the intense family pressure put on many of them not to do so?"
Dan
RAbbi answer to you will be...G-d was probably drunk that day,,,,he meant to say me and I. ...
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