What happens when a Jewish person comes to faith in Jesus as Messiah? The exact same thing that happens to a Gentile person!

When Jesus walked planet earth, the majority of those who came to faith were Jews! Yes, Jewish Christians!!!

In fact, one of the most impacting sites in Israel is Caesarea, where, as Acts 10 records, the Good News (the Gospel) went out to the Gentiles! (That is a fascinating chapter, and I encourage you to read it!) Interestingly, Peter was the first to deliver that message, but God’s call upon him was to spread the gospel to the Jews. Meanwhile, Paul, a “Hebrew of Hebrews” (Philippians 3:5), was widely rejected by the Jews, and thus became a missionary to the Gentile world!

So, Jews were coming to faith in Messiah and so were Gentiles. But arguments began to arise as to whether or not Gentiles must be circumcised and follow Jewish law. Long story short, those debates soon separated Jewish and Gentile believers and a mighty rift continued throughout the centuries. Today, even in Christian circles, there are those who believe and teach that, because the Jews largely rejected Jesus, and Gentiles began to embrace Him, that God’s promises to the Jewish people were somehow transferred to the church, making the church the “new Israel.”

That is just not so! Those who teach that obviously do not read, heed and understand God’s Word! (Romans 11, for example) Those early disputes ultimately culminated in bad blood between Jews and Gentile Christians and culminated in horrendous Antisemitic events such as the Spanish Inquisition, the Crusades, the Holocaust and many more atrocities foisted upon the Jewish people in the name of Christianity. It is no wonder it took very deliberate, concerted effort to re-build bridges!

The Bible clearly teaches that both Jews and Gentiles are one in Messiah! In Christ, there is no distinction between us! We are one body with many members, both Jew and Greek (Gentile). (1 Corinthians 12:12-14)

Take a moment or two to meditate on that fact, then pray for our Jewish brothers and sisters in Messiah!