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Share the Good News
Strong Points of
Witness
(a) Messianic Prophecies
Top Israeli Damascus
watchers and security experts have warned that failure to resolve the deadlock
between Israel and Syria It is important to be familiar with the many Old
Testament prophecies which Jesus fulfilled and to be able to give an
explanation of the most important passages like Isaiah 53. There are many
Christian booklets on this subject and you are recommended to read through such
booklets to familiarise yourself with the relevant passages. It should be
realised however that the Rabbis have counter-arguments for most of these
passages which many Jewish people are aware of. For example they say that
Isaiah 53 is about Israel suffering on behalf of the Gentiles. If this is so
Isaiah must have been a Gentile, because he wrote, "For the sin of my people
was He stricken." Isaiah 53:8
(b) The need for a blood sacrifice
Every covenant
in the Old Testament was instituted by a blood sacrifice. God ordained the
sacrificial system as a means of atoning for sin. Under the Old Covenant the
way of redemption was through repentance and the sacrificing of an animal. The
sacrifice showed the person offering it that he deserved to die, but God in his
mercy was willing to accept the death of an innocent animal in his place.
Without the attitude of repentance and faith the act of sacrifice itself was
useless (Isaiah 1:11-20). However there is nothing in the Bible to suggest that
the sacrificial system itself was useless. Leviticus 17:11 says plainly that a
blood sacrifice is necessary for the atonement of the soul.
Recognising Jesus as the Messiah, John the Baptist called him, "The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." His sacrificial death at Calvary was the final blood sacrifice for sin. One reason for the destruction of the Tenmple some 40 years later was that the sacrifices offered there were no longer an expression of faith and obedience, but of rejection of the new covenant sealed in Messiah's blood. When the Temple was destroyed, no longer having a place for offering sacrifices, the Rabbis substituted fasting on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) for the blood sacrifice, although there is no scriptural warrant for believing that fasting can atone for sin.
The New Testament teaches that we are restored to fellowship with God through repentance and faith in Messiah's sacrificial death for our sins and the blood He shed as an atonement for us. This is a parallel to the Old Testament practice and a logical continuation of the process God set in motion at the beginning of time with Abel's sacrifice. On the other hand, Judaism has introduced something new and unscriptural as a way of atonement - fasting, prayers, good deeds (mitzvoth) to cover our sins.
(c) End time prophecies
This subject generally
raises interest with Jewish people and is one which can be used effectively to
open conversations. Christians may vary as to their interpretation of the
events of the last days, however it is clear that in the days before Jesus'
return:
(i) There will be a Jewish restoration to Israel which will provoke hostility world wide and lead to the final conflict (Ezekiel 36-39, Zechariah 12-14, Luke 21, Revelation 16-19).
(ii) There will be a falling away from true faith in God and righteous moral standards, resulting in world wide lawlessness, corruption and persecution. (Isaiah 60:1-2, Daniel 12:1-3, Matthew 24, 2 Timothy 3:1-9).
Many Jewish people are alarmed at the present trend in world events and helpful interpretations of Bible prophecy can create faith and hope in the midst of the present confusion and distress. Most Jews have vague and often contradictory ideas about the "last days" and a Christian witness on this subject should testify to a sure hope for the future through faith in Jesus as the Messiah who has come once to save us from our sins and who is soon returning to judge the world according to how we have responded to this offer of salvation (see Acts 17:30-31, Hebrews 9:24-28). The passages about the restoration of Israel referred to in the section on Zionists (Summer 1996 issue) are relevant here and often little known by Jewish people.
(to be continued)