The first one is that He would come from one particular tribe of
Israel. He would be from the tribe of Judah, the fourth-born son
of Jacob. As Moses describes, “The scepter shall not depart from
Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes,
and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples” (Genesis 49:10).
Even the rabbis of old recognized that the name Shiloh
was a reference to the Messiah and redeemer promised to Israel
and the nations. These promises shaped the expectations of the
Jewish people so that when the Messiah came He would be
recognized by His people.
The qualifications for the Messiah continue as the Bible
tells us that He would also be a Son of David. This was promised
through the prophecy of Nathan to King David:
“When your days are complete and you lie down with
DECEMBER 2017 / THE CHOSEN PEOPLE - 3
your fathers, I will
raise up your descendant
after you,
who will come
forth from you,
and I will establish
his kingdom. He
shall build a house
for My name, and
I will establish the
throne of his kingdom
forever…
Your house and
your kingdom
shall endure before
Me forever; your
throne shall be
established forever” (2 Samuel 7:12-13, 16).
David thought he would build a house for God—the
Temple—but instead God created a house for the king
assuring him that one of his descendants would sit on his
throne forever.
The Savior would be a Jewish man, a true prophet (Deuteronomy
18:15) who dies for the sins of both Jews and Gentiles
(Isaiah 53, Psalm 22) and rises from the grave as the all-powerful
Son of God “…who was declared the Son of God with power
by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness,
Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 1:4).
Christmas is the drama of redemption fulfilled through
the Jewish Messiah, and the story does not begin in the
New Testament but is rooted and grounded in the Hebrew
Scriptures. This is why I believe Christmas is a Jewish holiday!
SALVATION IS OF THE JEWS
Jesus made a profound comment in the Gospel of John
when speaking to the well-known Samaritan woman: “You
worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for
salvation is from the Jews” (John 4:22).
What did He mean? The answer is simple. Jesus let the
Samaritan woman know that salvation has its origins in God’s
promises to the Jewish people, but the blessings that come
through the Jewish Messiah would extend to all who want to
have a personal relationship with the God of Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob. This salvation has “Jewish origins” but is available to
all who believe!
In a similar way, Hanukkah, the Jewish holiday celebrating
the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrian Greeks and their
wicked king, Antiochus Epiphanes, also points to this same
Savior. Did you know that the observance of Hanukkah is
mentioned in the Bible? In John 10, the Apostle writes,
At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place
at Jerusalem; it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the
temple in the portico of Solomon. The Jews then gathered
around Him, and were saying to Him, “How long will You
keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the
works that I do in
My Father’s name,
these testify of Me.
(John 10:22-25)
The Messiah took
this occasion to reveal
Himself to His people
and, in so doing, He
was telling the Jewish
hearers that there is
a salvation coming
that is far greater than
the one won by the
Maccabees on that
first Hanukkah. In
fact, the lights lit
for this holiday are
designed by our tradition to remind us of the miracle that kept
aflame the eternal light in the Temple. There was only enough
oil to last for a day, but it lasted for eight days. The story may or
may not be true, but when a Jewish person sees the glow of the
Hanukkah candles, they are reminded of His power to deliver
His chosen people from destruction!
As a Jewish follower of Jesus, when I see the beautifully lit
Hanukkah menorah, I am reminded of the One who claimed
to be the Light of the world (John 8:12) and through whom
we all have redemption from sin and the hope of everlasting life.
I hope you will enjoy the brief Bible studies on various
Messianic prophecies and that they will encourage your heart.
I also pray that you might share some of these prophecies with
your Jewish friends who look forward to the great deliverance
to come but who do not yet know that the Messiah, predicted
in the Hebrew Scriptures, has come and His name is Yeshua—
the Savior of the world.
Have a great holiday season and remember to pray for
Your Mission to the Jewish People as we reach His chosen
people in dozens of cities across the Americas and in seventeen
other countries around the globe! Thank you for your faithful
prayers and generous support.
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah,
Mitch