In today's world, where Christianity is seen as distinct from Judaism, it's easy to overlook the profound Jewish roots of the New Testament. Yet, understanding the Gospels through a Jewish lens can transform our evangelism when speaking to Jewish people.
The Jewish identity of Jesus and His message
One of the most common objections to Jesus being the Messiah is that His message doesn’t seem Jewish. But Yeshua (Jesus) isn’t just Jewish; He is the Jewish King. The gospel is a message for all people but especially for Jewish people, as they were the recipients of God's promises. This good news remains as relevant for Jewish people today as it was in the first century, when 3,000 Jewish men received the Holy Spirit during the Jewish festival of Pentecost. Understanding that the gospel is rooted in Jewish culture will help you approach your Jewish friends with confidence, knowing that Jesus' message speaks directly to what it truly means to be Jewish.
The New Testament shows that Jesus' disciples were not Englishmen, but Judeans with distinctly Jewish names: Mattiyahoo (Matthew), Jaacov (James), and Jochanan (John). Their geography was not places like London, Oxford, or Manchester, but Jerusalem, Galilee, Caesarea, and Cana. These weren’t just names and places; they were part of a living Jewish story.
Jewish people still come to Jesus
There is something undeniably powerful about a personal testimony. It’s real, it’s living, and it carries the undeniable mark of …