The Chosen People | FEBRUARY 2020 5
Without the gospel, there is no Jewish evangelism, but,
brothers and sisters, without Jewish evangelism, there is no
gospel; there is no authentic gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Promise of Jewish Evangelism
First, there is the foundation of Jewish evangelism, and
in the ingathering of the Jews. Look at Acts 2:37. What was
the response? “When they heard this, they were pierced to the
heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brethren,
what shall we do?’ Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and each of you
be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of
your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For
the promise is for you and your children and for all who are
In verse 47, we have this wonderful note of triumph: “And
the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who
were being saved.” The gospel was preached to the Jewish
people, and what was the response? On the day of Pentecost
and on the days thereafter, there was response to the gospel!
I want to tell you, I believe there has been a misreading of
Christian history that has been foisted upon most evangelical
Christians, and that is that Jewish evangelism died in the
Book of Acts. That is a slander against the Church. God has
always had a remnant, and that remnant has been growing,
and that remnant has been faithful, even when that remnant
has been persecuted. That remnant exists not to its own
glory but to God’s own glory as His chosen and purchased
possession. The promise of Jewish evangelism is that Jewish
people now, as then, respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Opposition to Jewish Evangelism
Not only is there a foundation to Jewish evangelism, and not
only is there great promise of Jewish evangelism, there is
opposition to Jewish evangelism, and about this we ought to
be honest. We live in a day when it is politically incorrect to say
that anyone is rightly destined for hell in the judgment of God
but for salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. This is a day
when politeness and postmodern relativism have combined
in such a way that it just isn’t polite, isn’t neighborly, isn’t
tolerant and, we are told of all things, with this perversion
of the word love in our modern culture, that it is not loving
to tell persons that but for the grace of God through Jesus
Christ our Lord, but for the gospel of Jesus Christ who shed
His blood as our substitute and was raised by God on the
third day. Without the gospel fact that He was truly God
and truly man, and the true unity of the incarnation, that
persons are going to hell; and that they deserve to go to hell,
because it would be the righteous verdict of God; that, these
days, is simply out of bounds of polite discourse. It is just not
accepted. It is rude. But, brothers and sisters, it is the gospel
and it is the only gospel we have and, even more importantly,
it is the only gospel that saves.
The true act of love is sharing the good news of the
gospel.
Brothers and sisters, the stakes are high. There is Jewish
opposition now, and there was Jewish opposition then—
the claim of imperialism, intolerance, and aggression—but
evangelistic witness is the most consummate act of love we
can practice, demonstrate, and share. The requirement of
love is also the evidence of love. We love the Jews enough
to tell them about Jesus the Christ, about Jesus the Savior,
and to declare that salvation has come to the house of David,
the sons and daughters of Abraham, the House of Israel. The
claim is made that Jews who accept Jesus the Messiah are no
longer Jews. The claim that Jesus is the Messiah is a stone
as the Consolation of Israel, and Christians are said to be
imperialists who will not leave Israel alone—but we cannot
remain Christians and allow Israel to be without a witness.
The Priority of Jewish Evangelism
There is a foundation for Jewish evangelism. Thanks be
to God, there is the promise of Jewish evangelism. We
acknowledge there is opposition to Jewish evangelism,
but we also need to see that there is the priority of Jewish
evangelism. Now, you wouldn’t know the priority of Jewish
evangelism from watching Christianity. You could never
discern it by tracing the history of the Christian Church. That
is judgment upon us, but it is clear in Scripture.
That wasn’t just a statement, I believe, of sequential
historical progression. I believe it was a statement
We need to recognize there is such a reversal in our modern
scandal. In the early Church, of course, the question was
not should the gospel be preached to the Jews, but the great
question was whether or not the gospel could be preached to the
Gentiles. In the early Church there was no elaborate theological
explanation for why the gospel should be preached to the Jews;
it was understood that this was an essential component of
the gospel. The controversial issue was God’s saving purpose
beyond the Jews. Then came the understanding that Jesus is
the Savior of all who believe in His name. And, indeed, through
Jesus, Israel has blessed all the peoples of the earth.
Will you pray with me? “Our Father, what a humbling
honor it is to preach Your gospel and how inadequate is any
human preacher, and yet Lord, you wield us by Your Spirit.
Father, I pray that it is with boldness and clarity that I have
declared the gospel. But in spite of the limitations of our
that here tonight, the Holy Spirit is at work within hearts,
sovereignly calling sinners unto a Savior.”
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