Why do Christians accept Jesus

[The_Truthinator]

That’s news to me. Especially the allegation that the Tanach was more complete prior to Jesus than after. Which books in particluar do you claim were part of the Tanach that are no longer. And what verses make the claim that Jesus was God or the Messiah.

You know of course that Isaiah is part of the Tanach as we know it today. As for “suffering servant”, there were a couple hundred thousand jews that were also crucified. We don’t call them all Messiah.

Hi. I’m not a Catholic, so I do not accept the Jewish/Catholic Apocrypha to be a part of the Word of God (although I do own a Catholic Bible in New Living Translation and enjoy the stories immensely, even if they ARE uninspired). Anyway, now that we see we are in agreement at least in part about the Jewish Canon, may I recommend you read Isaiah 53 again? Read with fresh eyes and an open heart. Once you have done that, pray. Pray without bias, presuppositions, or any such hindrances.

May I address a few issues the Jewish faith faces today that it did not in times past? I really only mean to help:

1. The Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. (Yeshua prophesied concerning this, also; Matt. 24:1-2) God requires blood for the appeasement of his wrath towards Sin. Why? “The penalty for sin is death.” Torah’s numerous purification rituals are enough to prove to anyone, observant or otherwise, that God takes very seriously these trangressions and will only be pleased by a perfect substitutionary sacrifice. Well, truthfully, all those sacrifices should have been our own blood … They were imperfect, yet God in his mercy “held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time.” For modern Jews though, there can be no forgiveness without those sacrifices. Why? Because God is a God of not only mercy, but justice, as well. To pardon Sin without atoning sacrifices, without blood, would contradict his just nature. To abolish these sacrifices without providing a means of reconciliation would contradict his merciful, ever-gracious nature. Yeshua Messiah’s sacrifice was the fullness of both grace and justice, for only one who was without sin could truly be the appeasing sacrifice (only God could do it), and only God himself would have been able to bear the full wrath of God. His sacrifice means God did not forget to provide his people with a means of life, but also that his plan was carried out while keeping the fulness of Divine justice in tact. Hosea 6:6, which you quote, doesn’t deny the necessity of sacrifices. Not at all. If it did, they would have ceased, yet they continued anyway. That interpretation you have taken on the passage is not the way in which it was received until long past the Temple’s destruction. The passage speaks of the futility of offerings given in the wrong spirit … The people of Israel had betrayed their God, preferring idols to him. He was saying in Hosea to his precious Bride, “Your sacrifices mean nothing unless they are offered in steadfast love, with true and genuine repentance!”
2. Isaiah 53 speaks of a Servant beaten, bruised, and killed for the people of Israel. It speaks of one who, even if death, would have many “descendants,” many children, because God would honor his selfless sacrifice. The modern Jewish community considers this a reference to Israel herself, yet this interpretation is opposed by many Talmudic writers and was not agreed upon until the Middle Ages. Beforehand, it was readily agreed on by the Jewish community that this passage was speaking about the Messiah (and indeed, it was, and to this very day still speaks whispers to those faithful few).
3. If the Lord Yahweh could, would he not endure precisely what Christ endured for the sake of his people Israel (and even for her neighbors)? Was his unfailing love not enough? Now I ask one final thing: Would the God of unfailing, unending love allow ANYTHING–sin, included–anything at all to come between him and his people? Is anything (even taking the very form of a man, as he did with Jacob) too hard for him?

No. Nothing at all is too hard for the Lord. And nothing shall hinder his feverent seeking of any of us. You will believe what you will believe, but don’t let yourself be deceived by your own heart.

“Today I have given you a choice between life and death…
Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants
might live!” --Deuteronomy 30:19

 

[Valke2]

Hi. I’m not a Catholic, so I do not accept the Jewish/Catholic Apocrypha to be a part of the Word of God (although I do own a Catholic Bible in New Living Translation and enjoy the stories immensely, even if they ARE uninspired). Anyway, now that we see we are in agreement at least in part about the Jewish Canon, may I recommend you read Isaiah 53 again? Read with fresh eyes and an open heart. Once you have done that, pray. Pray without bias, presuppositions, or any such hindrances.

I could read Isaiah 53 during open heart surgery and it is still not going to mean to me what it means to you.

May I address a few issues the Jewish faith faces today that it did not in times past? I really only mean to help:

1. The Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. (Yeshua prophesied concerning this, also; Matt. 24:1-2) God requires blood for the appeasement of his wrath towards Sin. Why? “The penalty for sin is death.” Torah’s numerous purification rituals are enough to prove to anyone, observant or otherwise, that God takes very seriously these trangressions and will only be pleased by a perfect substitutionary sacrifice.

There’s nothing in Judaism to suggest that.

There is nothing in Judaism that suggests only a perfect sacrifice or perfect anything can erase sin.

As to Isaiah 53, it is an old argument that I have engaged in several times here. No reason to do it again. The interpetation is opposed by many Talmudic writers? which ones? I’m sure you can find differing opinions somewhere, but that’s no surprise. Judaism, modern and traditional, never viewed Isaiah 53 as referring to anything other than Israel. You may be able to dig up a few lonely voices that differ. It is a gross exaggeration to say that the Jewish interpetation of Isaiah 53 is opposed by many Talmudic writers. ANd its outright myth to suggest, as others have, that it was only after Rashi that Isaiah 53 was seen as referring to Israel.

“Today I have given you a choice between life and death…
Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants
might live!” --Deuteronomy 30:19

Yes, a very good quote. Referring to choosing Torah. TOrah is life.

 

[JMJ_coder]

Hello,

Valke what would you look for in a messiah? How would you, or any other Jew, recognize him when he came? And where in the Scriptures, or Talmud, or anywhere else does it give those requirements?

 

[Valke2]

Hello,

Valke what would you look for in a messiah? How would you, or any other Jew, recognize him when he came? And where in the Scriptures, or Talmud, or anywhere else does it give those requirements?

Hi JMJ.

Essentially:

FIrst, it is considered one of the 13 principles of Jewish Faith that the Messiah will come, as set forth by Rambam. (“The Messiah will come”).

First, we believe he will be a great leader, descended from King David. (Jer. 23:5).

He’ll be an observant Jew. (Isaiah 11:25).

He’ll be a great military leader, win battles and inspire others to follow his example. Jer. 33:15.

He’ll bring all the Jews back to Israel, and usher in our spiritual (and political) redemption. (Isaiah 11:11-12; Jer. 23:8; 30:3; Hosea 3:4-5).

He’ll establish a government that will be the center for all world governments (Isaiah 2:2-4; 11:10; 42:1).

He’ll rebuild the Temple (Jer. 33:18).

He’ll restore the Sanhedrin (Jewish Court) and Jewish law shall be law of the land. (Jer. 33:15).

After he arrives, the world will co-exist in peace. (Isaiah 2:4)
No more hatred, intolerance or war.

The law of the Jubilee will be reinstated.

The entire world will recognize our God as the only God. (Isaiah 2:3; 11:10; Micha 4:2-3, Zech 14:19). Some believe the Jewish religion will be recognized as the only true religion.

There will be no murder, jealousy, robbery. (Zech 3:13).

As set forth in Judaism101.com, the following verse are what we rely upon in developing the messianic concept:

Isaiah 2, 11, 42; 59:20
Jeremiah 23, 30, 33; 48:47; 49:39
Ezekiel 38:16
Hosea 3:4-3:5
Micah 4
Zephaniah 3:9
Zechariah 14:9
Daniel 10:14

As for recognizing him, I believe it will be self evident without need of proof. The example I’ve used in the past is when I see a woman I know who is 8 months pregnant, I don’t need to ask her if she had the baby yet.

 

[Larry1700]

I have to split this up because of the length (sorry). Please understand that this explanation is “off the cuff.” Several years ago I did an intense, 3 year study of the Bible and Catholicism, using commentaries, etc. Since I’m 48 years old, much of the details of what I studied is now buried in the deep, dark, recesses of my memory. If you want more details, I’ll try to comply.

Martyrdom of the apostles
I find it very difficult to believe that the first followers of Jesus would go to their death for something they had made up, or that they weren’t convinced was true. I fully realize that Muslims have their martyrs, and Christians have had martyrs throughout our history, but someone who absolutely, positively knew beyond the shadow of a doubt (i.e., an eyewitness) would be hard-pressed to die for something that he didn’t really believe. Stephen and Peter died soon after Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead. If they knew that someone had stolen the body, do you really think they would have lied about it to the death? Not only that, but as Jews they would know that they were preaching heresy, and probably wouldn’t go to Heaven because of it.

God is Love, and Manifested that Love in the Ultimate Sacrifice
As a Christian, I believe God is complete perfection, in every aspect. Whatever good things are found in God’s creation are found in their completed perfection in God. Therefore, God’s love is far superior to man’s love. In human terms, an ideal leader is someone who comes out of the ivory tower and works on the same level as the “normal folks.” If that leader is called upon to die for his people, that is the ultimate sacrifice, the ultimate loving act. God loves us so much that He humbled himself, taking on a human nature, subjecting Himself to most humble beginning (as a baby born to a working-class family in a manger in a small village), and subjected Himself to ridicule, scorn, and ultimately a very cruel death. This, therefore, shows God’s love better than any other way could. God is the all-powerful the whole universe, yet he humbled Himself as a man, and sacrificed His life for us, who don’t deserve it.

Personal Testimony
I will not lie to you and say that I have personally experienced what some call an “outpouring of the Holy Spirit,” nor have I experienced the intense prayer experience several saints have written about. However, many people have experienced such things, which amazingly transformed their lives. I also have not experienced any apparitions, etc., but there are well-documented cases of more than one person seeing the apparition. Hundreds witnessed the Marian apparition at Fatima. My wife has experienced two that come to mind. Once, when she was praying the Rosary with her parents, they heard voices praying with them. Her mother recognized the voices as two aunts and an uncle that had passed away. At another time, when my wife was a young child walking with her cousin in Mexico, they became lost. A young girl appeared, and helped them find their way home. When they turned to thank her, she was no longer there.

 

[Larry1700]

Old Testament/T’N’K
When you read the Old Testament/T’N’K, in light of the New Testament, many, many scriptures foretell the birth, suffering and death of Jesus. I understand that the Jews have more experience with the T’N’K, and most of the Jews don’t believe that Jesus was the Messiah. However, though that does bother me a little, it is easy for me to dismiss because of the history of the Jews as told in the T’N’K. I remember reading the stories of the Exodus, where time and time again God would manifest His power to save the Jews, and time and time again the Jews would eventually complain that they wanted to return to Egypt where the food was better, etc., or began worshipping idols, etc. I remember wanting to wrap my hands around the shoulders of the Jews, shake them vigorously, and say “How can you not see that God is with you?!?!? Why would you want to do anything else than follow Him explicitly, after all He has done for you?!?!?” Later in Jewish history, they rejected prophet after prophet. I guess I can understand their problem, because if someone came down my street hollering “Repent! Repent!” I would think they were crazy. If someone knocked on my door proclaiming himself to be the son of God, I would probably politely ask him to leave.

Eucharistic Miracles
There have been several documented cases in which the transubstantiated bread and wine became physically changed into cardiac muscle and human type AB blood.

Shroud of Turin
Several teams of scientists have examined the shroud, and cannot prove it to be a forgery. The blood is real (type AB), there is pollen from the area of Jerusalem, the weave pattern is unique to first-century Jewish weaving, the image is only on the surface of the fibers, the wounds are consistent with the beatings, crown of thorns, and crucifixion described in the Bible, etc., etc., etc. The carbon dating which previously said the Shroud was from medieval times was recently disproven, because the sample was taken from a corner, which was often handled throughout the centuries (thus contaminating the sample).

When each of the above reasons are viewed by themselves, perhaps they could be easily dismissed. Marian apparitions, for instance, could be equated with supposed UFO sightings which many people claim to have seen. However, when all of the above are taken together, I think it makes a strong case for Jesus as Messiah.

 

[GregoryPalamas]

“thousands” is small potatoes. More than that follow the Church of scientology That don’t make Tom Cruise Messiah. And those that are referred to in Acts did so believing they would still be following the commandments of Torah, given that Jesus kept the commandments and was emphatic in stating that not one jot of Torah was to be changed and that the laws were still in place. That’s a bit of false advertising.

As for circumcision and other commandments, it was a huge factor. how many Gentiles do you think would have listened to Paul if he reuquired circumcision of them???

Heck, I’m circumcised. What’s the big deal?

CDL

 

[Larry1700]

Hi JMJ.

Essentially:

FIrst, it is considered one of the 13 principles of Jewish Faith that the Messiah will come, as set forth by Rambam. (“The Messiah will come”).

First, we believe he will be a great leader, descended from King David. (Jer. 23:5).

He is descended from King David. and He is a great leader, but not in human (military) terms.

He’ll be an observant Jew. (Isaiah 11:25).

It is our understanding that Jesus did observe the Jewish laws.

He’ll be a great military leader, win battles and inspire others to follow his example. Jer. 33:15.

According to my Bible, this verse says “In those days, in that time, I will raise up for David a just shoot; he shall do what is right and just in the land.” Did you quote a wrong verse number? If not, how does this mean a military leader, etc.? Anyway, we believe this will happen at the final battle of Armaggedon, when He comes again.

He’ll bring all the Jews back to Israel, and usher in our spiritual (and political) redemption. (Isaiah 11:11-12; Jer. 23:8; 30:3; Hosea 3:4-5).

Sounds like the Second Coming.

He’ll establish a government that will be the center for all world governments (Isaiah 2:2-4; 11:10; 42:1).

Isn’t Jerusalem pretty much the center of attention for most world governments now?

He’ll rebuild the Temple (Jer. 33:18).

The “temple” is Himself, which He rebuilt in 3 days after the crucifixion.

He’ll restore the Sanhedrin (Jewish Court) and Jewish law shall be law of the land. (Jer. 33:15).

I have no answer for this one.

After he arrives, the world will co-exist in peace. (Isaiah 2:4)
No more hatred, intolerance or war.

Second coming.

The law of the Jubilee will be reinstated.

No answer.

The entire world will recognize our God as the only God. (Isaiah 2:3; 11:10; Micha 4:2-3, Zech 14:19). Some believe the Jewish religion will be recognized as the only true religion.

Second coming.

There will be no murder, jealousy, robbery. (Zech 3:13).

Second coming.

As set forth in Judaism101.com, the following verse are what we rely upon in developing the messianic concept:

Isaiah 2, 11, 42; 59:20
Jeremiah 23, 30, 33; 48:47; 49:39
Ezekiel 38:16
Hosea 3:4-3:5
Micah 4
Zephaniah 3:9
Zechariah 14:9
Daniel 10:14

As for recognizing him, I believe it will be self evident without need of proof. The example I’ve used in the past is when I see a woman I know who is 8 months pregnant, I don’t need to ask her if she had the baby yet.

 

[Kaninchen]

It is odd to me that Christians would accept Jesus.

I’d like to suggest a few things that might have been important at the time:

Christianity repeats themes that would have been familiar to pagans – dying and resurrecting gods (the trip to hell is a wonderful parallel to Inanna/Ishtar theology), mother goddesses, blood consumption ceremonies (Mithraism) and so on. It was territory that they already inhabited in lots of ways.

Christianity gives very clear rewards for good behavior/eternal punishments for bad behavior which is, I guess, rather satisfying to believers.

Rather than our rather fussy Jewish legalism, the story is all very emotionally involving, isn’t it? Noble young man says lots of nice things, gets tortured and killed but comes back from the dead and tells everybody that they’re all saved from Hell if they believe in him and do what they’re told. Bit like the Shia martyr Hussein brings an emotional quality to their worship that is missing from Sunni Islam.

As opposed to our “err, well, um” on questions about ‘the afterlife’ Christianity says, very clearly, very loudly, “there’s this really terrible eternal suffering to come when you die – the only way to escape it is to join us.” It’s like it discovered a symptomless illness, broadcast to everybody who might possibly hear that they were doomed and pronounced itself the only cure.

 

[Valke2]

Hello,

I always got the feeling that the parts of the Talmud that deal with Jesus were very deliberate. First, I don’t recall anywhere else in the Talmud that deals with other so-called false prophets or false messiahs in such depth or even by name. Second, it seems that the wording used was so derogatory and defamatory that it was meant to insult and discredit Christians.

The rest of the Talmud seems very good in its content, it is a shame that this section places a pall over the whole thing.

First, you are wrong when you assume that the Talmud does not deal with other false messiahs. Obviously, it would not have mentioned those who came to no account, as they would aslo have not even come to the rabbis’ attention. But, for example, Bar Kokhba is certainly mentioned in it.

I would say the wording was meant to discredit Jesus, but it was aimed at Jews, not Christians. Whether it was defamatory or not depends on whether you believe it was the truth.

 

[JMJ_coder]

Hello,

First, you are wrong when you assume that the Talmud does not deal with other false messiahs. Obviously, it would not have mentioned those who came to no account, as they would aslo have not even come to the rabbis’ attention. But, for example, Bar Kokhba is certainly mentioned in it.

Were they given their own sections, or just mentioned in passing?

I would say the wording was meant to discredit Jesus, but it was aimed at Jews, not Christians. Whether it was defamatory or not depends on whether you believe it was the truth.

I would say everything in the Talmud is aimed at Jews and not Christians.

 

[Joshua99]

It seems to me that this was all just a response to the gentile’s fear of circumcision. I just don’t get it.

I thought the question of circumcision was the feeling by Jews [they were the first Christians] that accepted Jesus to have Gentiles circumcisied in order to be Christians.

 

[Valke2]

Hello,

Were they given their own sections, or just mentioned in passing?

I would say everything in the Talmud is aimed at Jews and not Christians.

Jesus was not given his own section. If you’d like, I’ll post what the Talmud had to say about Bar Kokhba and you can compare the length, etc.

 

[Valke2]

Antoher example: Menahem ben Judah, the son of Judas of Galilee and grandson of Hezekiah, the leader of the Zealots, who had troubled Herod, was a warrior. When the war broke out he attacked Masada with his band, armed his followers with the weapons stored there, and proceeded to Jerusalem where he captured the fortress Antonia, overpowering the troops of Agrippa II. Emboldened by his success, he behaved as a king, and claimed the leadership of all the troops. Thereby he aroused the enmity of Eleazar, another Zealot leader, and met death because of a conspiracy against him. He is probably identical with the Menahem ben Hezekiah mentioned in the Talmud (tractate Sanhedrin 98b) and called “the comforter that should relieve”., An opposing/minority opinion was that Israel would not see the Messiah since it had already happened with Menahem ben Judah (a/k/a Menahem ben Hezekiah).

 

[Larry1700]

Christianity gives very clear rewards for good behavior/eternal punishments for bad behavior which is, I guess, rather satisfying to believers.

I don’t know if “satisfying” is an appropriate term. It’s difficult trying to keep the commandments, especially in a society where doing so is laughed at, and millions of dollars are spent (via the media, the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, etc.) to try to make wrong things look right. It’s tough to keep your children on the path to righteousness.

Rather than our rather fussy Jewish legalism, the story is all very emotionally involving, isn’t it?

This is very funny! As a convert from Baptist to Catholic, I have a great desire to do what the Church teaches. However, it is often difficult/time consuming to figure out exactly what that teaching is. My daughter told me “the Catholic Church has too many rules.” My wife, a cradle Catholic, maintained that we’re not required to abstain from meat on Fridays any more. I looked it up in the Canon Law, and found that we did. When she was young, a priest had told her there was no longer an obligation. I posted a thread, and as it turns out, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote a statement in 1966 saying it was optional. Sometimes I feel like I’m trying to understand the U.S. Tax Code!

 

[Larry1700]

As opposed to our “err, well, um” on questions about ‘the afterlife’ Christianity says, very clearly, very loudly, “there’s this really terrible eternal suffering to come when you die – the only way to escape it is to join us.” It’s like it discovered a symptomless illness, broadcast to everybody who might possibly hear that they were doomed and pronounced itself the only cure.

Not quite. Here are some excerpts from The Catechism of the Catholic Church:

The Church and non-Christians

839 “Those who have not yet received the Gospel are related to the People of God in various ways.”

*The relationship of the Church with the Jewish People. *When she delves into her own mystery, the Church, the People of God in the New Covenant, discovers her link with the Jewish People, “the first to hear the Word of God.” The Jewish faith, unlike other non-Christian religions, is already a response to God’s revelation in the Old Covenant. To the Jews “belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ”; "for the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.”

"Outside the Church there is no salvation"

846 How are we to understand this affirmation, often repeated by the Church Fathers? Re-formulated positively, it means that all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body:

Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and Baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through Baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it.

**847 **This affirmation is not aimed at those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and his Church: Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience - those too may achieve eternal salvation.

848 " “Although in ways known to himself God can lead those who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel, to that faith without which it is impossible to please him, the Church still has the obligation and also the sacred right to evangelize all men.”

 

[Kaninchen]

I don’t know if “satisfying” is an appropriate term.

Oh, I’d suggest that there’s a lot of psychological immediacy in the ‘clarity’ - bad things happening to good people/good things happening to bad people is followed, however, by eternal revenge.

It’s tough to keep your children on the path to righteousness.

You’re talking to the mother in a Jewish family.

My comment was really about the repetitive “birth/life/passion/death” drama that surrounds Christianity. The Gospels (especially John) to this particular outsider do seem as if they should be performed than read.

 

[Kaninchen]

Not quite.

If you look, I was talking about the appeal of Christianity at the time of its birth rather than launching a discussion about “Section 11; Subsection 93; para 8.b.iii” of the Magisterium’s current regulations.

 

[The_Truthinator]

I could read Isaiah 53 during open heart surgery and it is still not going to mean to me what it means to you.

One cannot see with his heart until God so enables him, yet you yourself, like all of us here right now in this Communion (though petty squabbles are everywhere), are in the same position we ourselves began in. You have no means of atonement other than the Grace of God found in Yeshua … You don’t have to agree, nor do you have to accept it. But you must recognize that your fellow Israeli for your sake was smitten, cut off from life (53:8), and bore what was undeserved on his part for you. My friends, Israel received her just punishments. Yet Yeshua, the Messiah, the Holy One of Israel, was broken like matzah for you, and likewise he rose again.

There’s nothing in Judaism to suggest that.

There is nothing in Judaism that suggests only a perfect sacrifice or perfect anything can erase sin.

It doesn’t erase sin. It pays the penalty for sin. And yes, Torah admits in so many instances the price (the wages really–that which is earned by each and every one of us) of disobedience is death: Genesis 2:16-17. Leviticus 1:4 reads in the NLT, “Lay your hand on the animal’s head, and the LORD will accept its death in your place to purify you, making you right with him.” The JPS agrees that the process of making atonement is substitutionary, translating “in your place” as “in his behalf.” Throughout the regulations found in Torah, and in Leviticus in particular, it should become so clear and apparent that these sacrifices’ purpose was to (a) remind the people that sin was serious in God’s eyes and for atonement, there had to be blood, and (b) to cleanse the one offering the sacrifice from his transgressions, restoring him to a place of right standing with God. Yet the sacrificial system was imperfect in that it had to be performed day after day and year after year, in that it was done in animals’ blood when the transgressors were men! For the time, it would suffice. And indeed the Law was good and wholesome, but man is not. He cannot follow its rigorous requirements, and thus the Law serves only to bring condemnation.

Yes, a very good quote. Referring to choosing Torah. TOrah is life.

Torah is the very Word of God, more specifically, those stipulations and regulations which formerly would have produced life; yet failure to uphold its commandments can bring only death, and no mere man can uphold the Law in its entirety. Therefore, for the sinner, Torah spelled death … Evil manipulated good for its own twisted purposes, and though the righteous regulations of God can never be perverted, man can be. Sin used the Law to empower the inclinations of man. Just as not one of the universe’s natural laws are to be broken (without Divine intervention, that is) in order to maintain balance and harmony, so God’s laws, every last one, must be upheld in order to result in life. We, however, are not capable of this feat. God, knowing this, makes a New Covenant with us:

“’This is the new covenant I will make
with the people of Israel on that day,’ says the LORD:
‘I will put my laws in their minds,
and I will write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people…
And I will forgive their wickedness,
and I will never again remember their sins.’”

Yeshua Messiah, God himself, is the Word. And he has finally finished the battle with Sin. Since the beginning, this is order in which things work: God creates for good, Samael perverts this for his own end, God restores, and Samael is overcome. While it may sound fairy-tale-ish, that is the case we see through the Scriptures. And the giving of the Law and Torah are no different. That is the whole part “for good” that is later twisted by the Enemy, and the end to the tale comes when Yeshua Messiah perfects the work which God has begun. Now I can read Torah will a heart rejoicing in God my Savior, knowing that by his mighty hand salvation was brought and so for me, once more Torah can spell life (not by following her rigorous regulations, necessarily, for I have already died once and am free from her stipulations now) because at Torah’s heart is a love that moved my God to action. And throughout it I see a foreshadowing of the truly great things to come. Therein is the life which God spoke of… In Deuteronomy God said to his people that he was offering them a simple choice: Life or death, following him, or following themselves. Of course over time Israel wandered, for it is the nature of all men, yet God was merciful and sought her out until that Day when atonement was made. To this day his Spirit pursues us; we too are offered an oh-so similar choice between life and death, between living in the Spirit and dying in our sins.

 

[Valke2]

One cannot see with his heart until God so enables him, yet you yourself, like all of us here right now in this Communion (though petty squabbles are everywhere), are in the same position we ourselves began in. You have no means of atonement other than the Grace of God found in Yeshua … You don’t have to agree, nor do you have to accept it. But you must recognize that your fellow Israeli for your sake was smitten, cut off from life (53:8), and bore what was undeserved on his part for you. My friends, Israel received her just punishments. Yet Yeshua, the Messiah, the Holy One of Israel, was broken like matzah for you, and likewise he rose again.

Is this a joke? Btw, matzah doesn’t rise once, let alone twice.