not see Me until you say, “Blessed is He who comes in
the name of the Lord!” (Matthew 23:37-39)
Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus took every
opportunity to turn the hearts of His Jewish people to
Himself, but His efforts were thwarted by the Jewish leaders
who rejected His person and message. Finally, the Savior was
heartbroken by experiencing the rejection of His own people
(Isaiah 53:3, John 1:11). Matthew 23 should be viewed as a
lament, reflecting the love of the Messiah for His people. He
portrays Himself as a hen wanting to gather her chicks under
her wings, which is a very moving image of the Savior’s love
for His chosen people.
Yet, He was unwilling to reject the Jewish people
because they rejected Him. On the contrary, He added a
promise: The Jewish people will not see Jesus again until they
believe He is the promised Messiah and cry out, “Blessed is
He who comes in the name of the Lord”
(Psalm 118:26).
Some suggest that this declaration
is reminiscent of the statement made
by rabbis at weddings when the groom
approaches his wedding canopy to
receive his bride. Therefore, by saying,
“Baruch haba bashem Adonai,” Israel,
the bride, is portrayed as recognizing
Jesus as her true bridegroom, linking
the repentance of the Jewish people
with the second coming of Jesus.
Another Old Testament passage which teaches this idea
is Zechariah 12:10. In this passage, we learn that one day
the Jewish people will look to the One who was pierced and
then mourn for Him like one mourns for an only son.
NOVEMBER 2017 / THE CHOSEN PEOPLE - 3
ROMANS 11:11–29
Another important passage is found in Romans 11,
where the Apostle Paul argues that God has not cast off His
people, Israel, despite their national rejection of Jesus as their
Messiah. Paul argues that God is not finished with Israel
because one day “all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:25–27).
He writes in Romans 11:15, “For if their being cast away
is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but
life from the dead?” The Lord will not reject His people because
He is always faithful to His promises (Romans 11:29).
In fact, the very existence of the Jewish people today is a
powerful argument for the truth of the Bible and evidence
for the existence and power of the God of Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob.
The great day of salvation for the Jewish people will
bring about the return of the Lord and God’s blessing upon
the world because, in that day, Jesus will sit on the promised
throne of David, as predicted in Isaiah 9:6-7 and 11:9-10.
The Bible teaches that the Jewish people will turn
to Jesus in the last days and only then will the Lord
return. This is why reaching Jewish people with the Gospel
must become a priority for all Christians. The salvation of
the future remnant of Israel, as described by Paul, is one
of the final events preceding Jesus’ second coming and
the culmination of the Abrahamic blessings which were
promised to the world in Genesis 12:1-3.
There is a remnant of Messianic Jews in the world today,
and I am so glad to be included among them; however, a
great movement of Jewish people who will believe in Jesus is
coming, and this is the hope that really motivates us!
WHAT IS OUR ROLE TODAY?
The Apostle Paul reminds us that we are God’s instruments
in preparing the hearts of those who will come to
faith today, and even instruments to those who will be a
part of the future remnant. He writes, “I say then, they did
not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by
their transgression salvation has
come to the Gentiles, to make them
jealous” (Romans 11:11).
The salvation of the Jewish
people will come about because of
the power of God, but He wants to
use us—especially non-Jews—to
share the Good News with the Jewish
people. Through your prayers, giving,
and witnessing to your Jewish friends
and family, the plan of God will go
forth in power!
I pray the Lord will burden all of us to reach Jewish
people for Jesus. Remember, it all begins with our
thankfulness to God for all He has done through the Jewish
people and through the greatest Jew who ever walked the
earth—Jesus the Messiah!
Our best estimate is that fewer than one percent of
the worldwide Jewish community believe that Jesus is the
Messiah. This gives us plenty of opportunity to preach the
Gospel to the remnant today and prepare for the great
outpouring of His Spirit upon the Jewish people tomorrow.
I hope you will enjoy the rest of the newsletter, especially
learning more about our ministries in the Holy Land. Please
pray for our staff in Israel and around the world.
Please consider a generous Thanksgiving gift today
to help us continue our ministries. We cannot do all of
what God has called us to do without your partnership.
Have a blessed and joy-filled Thanksgiving!
Your brother in the Messiah,
Mitch
P.S. We had a great conference in Texas last month! The
messages and videos are available on our website:
thegospelandthemiddleeast.com. I know you will
enjoy these great Bible studies and sermons!