This is one of the most sensitive issues of all between Jew and Christian. Satan, knowing that only Yeshua, the Son of God, can redeem the Jewish people, concentrated his efforts on making Yeshua a name that is an anathema to the Jewish people. How did he accomplish this?

While Yeshua was on earth, He was adored and worshipped by large crowds of Jewish people. The New Testament plainly says this. For instance, when Yeshua came into Jerusalem a week before His death, all of Jerusalem was stirred towards Him (Jn. 12:12-13).

But the religious leaders, jealous of His popularity and power and enraged because Yeshua was calling these self-righteous leaders to repentance, decided to kill Him.

But the chief priests took counsel that they might put Lazarus to death also; because on account of him many of the Jews were going away, and were believing in Yeshua (Jn. 12:10,11).

If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him... (Jn. 11:48).

The religious leaders were afraid to arrest Yeshua during Passover. Thousands of Jewish people who believed in--or at least were sympathetic to--Yeshua were gathered in Jerusalem. The leaders knew they must seize Him secretly.

But they were saying, "Not during the festival, lest a riot occur among the people" (Matt. 26:5).

And so they came by night, imprisoned Him and sentenced Him to death. The Jews condemned Him, the Gentiles crucified Him. So who should be blamed? To that, Yeshua gave the most incredible answer:

I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep...No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father (Jn. 10:11,18).

Why did He do it? We all know the answer to that:

But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities... (Isa. 53:5).

He didn't have to do it. He could have let us all die in our sins! But He chose to die for the sins of the world. He died for sinners. Each and every sinner was the cause of His death. That means me!

Yes, it is true that the Jewish people from whom Yeshua came were tested and found an evil and unregenerate people. What does that indicate about the rest of the world?

In a small poor mountain town in the southern part of the United States, the entire population became ill with a stomach disorder. State authorities came to investigate the cause. They took back with them a test tube full of the town's well water. In their laboratories, they found the water heavily polluted. Returning to the well, they discovered a sow and her baby pigs had drowned at the bottom.

The government authorities did not have to take all the water from the well to test for water pollution; they had only to take a sample. The Jewish people were the sample for God's test tube. Testing a small percentage of humanity, God found mankind utterly polluted. The Holy Spirit, through Paul, stated it thus:

Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those (the Jews) who are under the Law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world (all the Gentiles and Jews) may become accountable to God (Rom. 3:19).

Whatever guilt the Jewish leaders who condemned Him bore, Yeshua took care of it.

...Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do... (Lk. 23:34, KJV).

Does God, or does God not answer Yeshua's prayers?

Yeshua said if we do not forgive, God will not forgive us! We must forgive the Jews for initiating Yeshua's death--just as we must forgive the Gentiles for executing Him. If He had not died, we could not be saved!

For many hundreds of years, Satan has used so-called Christians to taunt and terrorize the Jews with, "You Christ killers! You are cursed because you killed Christ!"

Often this was a Jew's first introduction to Yeshua. Many times these insults have been thrown at Jewish children who did not even know the meaning of the venomous insult. The devil, knowing that Yeshua is the only Hope for the nation of Israel, was determined that His Name would be associated with horror and repugnance.

Yeshua came, not to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved (Jn. 3:17). The Spirit of Messiah will comfort the Jewish people. The spirit of the devil will crush.

For further information or to receive I Became as a Jew, you may call 1.800.856.7060. Or, email your request to maoz@onramp.net.

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