Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.—1 Peter 2:10
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— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 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, and might RECONCILE US BOTH TO GOD in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him WE BOTH HAVE ACCESS in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God bye the Spirit.—Ephesians 2:11-22
1st Century Jews rejected rejected their Messiah because they were looking towards worldly answers and worldly leaders. Freeing the Jewish people from the tyanny of Ceasar, rather than a spiritual personage, with True Salvation. They were looking for a monarch-savior versus the true Savior, that had a kingdom, not of this world.
Jesus, struck fear into the hearts of the Sadducees and Pharisees of the day, as he strikes fear into the heart of present day Jews. They would have accepted Him had he been a warrior on a horse, but he was a King of Peace, instead.
The Jewish leaders of the day were unworthy and in the abyss of spiritual darkness. Otherwise the life and miracles of Jesus would have convinced them that their Messiah had arrived. Eventually, the remnant of Israel will turn from their Sadducees and their hearts will cry, “Hossana to the son of David”...for the King of Kings came from the Jews.
Rather Christianity is a grafting onto the olive tree known as Israel.
Rather the Christian is GROWING in other parts of the world, in Africa and in Asia.
Interesting. You quote a parable of Jesus to justify the need to return to return to the Old Covenant.
Why was the curtain in the Jewish temple rent from top to bottom at the hour of Christ's death?
Let us pray likewise for the faithless Jews: that the Lord our God may remove from their hearts the veil of unbelief: and that they may come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord. Let us pray.
Almighty and eternal God, who drivest not away from Thy mercy even the faithless Jews: hear our prayers, which we offer for the blindness of that people: that acknowledging the light of Thy truth, which is Christ, they may be delivered from their darkness. Through the same Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God. world without end.
R. Amen.
Shortly put, the Talmud recounts that when the Temple stood in Jerusalem, the sins of the Jewish people were taken away each year on one day, Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year, when the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies with a sacrifice to atone for the sins of the people for the preceding year. Each year, a scarlet thread was affixed to the entry to the Holy of Holies, and miraculously, when the sacrifice within was accepted, the thread would turn white as a sign that the sins had been forgiven. Well, the Talmud recounts that, for no clearly identifiable reason, the miracle ceased to take place about 40 years before the destruction of the Temple. In other words, after about 30 A.D. the thread never again was turned white! We know, as Christians, that that was precisely when the Temple sacrifices lost their efficacy — at the moment of the Crucifixion, about 30 A.D., when as a sign of the fact the curtain in the Temple was rent in two (Matthew 27:51). Thus to Christian eyes it is evident that the Talmud itself attests to the truth of Christianity. Jewish scholars have an alternative, not very convincing, explanation of why the miracle ceased to occur — that God had stopped forgiving the Jews their sins because too many of them had committed the unforgivable sin of following Jesus !
I'm Roman Catholic. Your tag line caught my eye. John Paul II referred to the Jewish people as "Our Elder Brothers in the Faith" and I was raised being taught that the Jews are "G-d's Chosen People." Jesus to us is the fulfillment of the Covenant, and, as the Jews wait for the Messiah to come in glory, we wait and pray for His return. We share a great deal. My Mom and I used to celebrate a kind of Passover, or attend a Seder meal to celebrate what G-d did in our lives- we got passed over, although not in the same way, when my Mom was ill, was sent home to die, all 88 pounds of her! She lived into her 70's. Her Jewish doctor had come to check on her after Rosh Hashanah with yarmulke and all. He said he had prayed for her, and wished her a "Happy New Year"- words that gave my Mom hope- hope that there may be a life ahead for her after all, if there was a new year ahead for her. Then she could raise the toddler waiting at home. When I got older I would give her a card for the Holiday to commemorate that time.
We would get ourMenorah and read each night from one of the Books of Maccabees, part of our Canon, lighting the candles.
I've read "Excerpts From the Talmud," by H. Polano. I never appreciated the story of Noah as I did then, and enjoyed reading so much that followed Scripture in detail!
I guess you see Jesus the way Catholics see the Reformers: as those who followed one who broke away. Please remember something. Jew or Christian, we worship the G-d of Abraham and His Spirit. In times to come we will need to find that common love, because we have the same enemies and it frightens me. I, too, long for my Messiah to return in Glory as you do yours. As a Catholic, I believe they are the same. May we meet one day in eternity, in peace forever! I hope I have not offended you with how little I know. I would like to know more.
G-d bless you, and all those whom you love!