Jewish Gospels – JS Articles https://jerusalemseminary.org/blogs Sun, 06 Sep 2020 05:10:21 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://jerusalemseminary.org/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/cropped-logo_only_512x512-32x32.png Jewish Gospels – JS Articles https://jerusalemseminary.org/blogs 32 32 Was God’s Judgement Final? https://jerusalemseminary.org/blogs/2020/05/04/was-gods-judgement-final/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=was-gods-judgement-final Mon, 04 May 2020 07:52:00 +0000 https://jerusalemseminary.org/blogs/?p=93

Was God's Judgement Final?

At the trial of Jesus, provoked by their leaders to do so, an angry mob called for Jesus’ death and cried out, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!” (Matt 27:25). These terrible words have fueled the belief that God rejected Israel and abandoned the Jewish people in judgment. Thankfully, this is not the case

Jesus’ remarks concerning the shedding of Zechariah’s innocent blood in Matthew 23, foreshadow the shedding of his own innocent blood which would pollute the Temple and bring about its ultimate destruction, as well as the Holy City of Jerusalem’s destruction. The rabbis also believed that the Temple and Jerusalem would be destroyed for the shedding of innocent blood. Because of the sin of bloodshed, the Tosefta reveals, “the Shekinah has departed and the Sanctuary is defiled” (t. Yoma 1:12b).

But did Jesus’ death signify that God abandoned Israel as so many insist? Absolutely not! While the Prophets did proclaim that God would punish Israel for its unbelief they also insisted that He would redeem, purify and restore Israel because of his covenant faithfulness. Matthew juxtaposes the people’s cry for Jesus’ death before his execution with the miraculous events that took place at the moment of his death. Evoking Ezekiel’s prophecy of the dry bones (ch. 37) that would come to life (symbolizing Israel’s spiritual renewal and physical restoration), Matthew reports that the tombs opened and many “holy ones” were raised and entered the still “Holy City” (Matt 27:50-53).

This miraculous event anticipates Israel’s future purification and restoration under the LORD’s Davidic Shepherd-King (Ezekiel 34: 23-31).

God, refused to grant the request of the angry mob. And He did not curse the Jewish people because of the death of Jesus. Jerusalem was destroyed in 70CE but that is not where the story ends!

]]> The Gentiles and the Restoration of Israel https://jerusalemseminary.org/blogs/2020/04/25/the-gentiles-and-the-restoration-of-israel/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-gentiles-and-the-restoration-of-israel https://jerusalemseminary.org/blogs/2020/04/25/the-gentiles-and-the-restoration-of-israel/#comments Sat, 25 Apr 2020 07:42:34 +0000 https://jerusalemseminary.org/blogs/?p=88

The Gentiles and the Restoration of Israel

In Matthew 8:11-12 we encounter one of Jesus’ most controversial statements. In reaction to the extraordinary faith of the Roman centurion Jesus declares,

“I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness.”

Jesus responds to the faith of the centurion with a prophecy that Jewish people will return from exile (those who “will come from east and west”) to the land of Israel and dine as guests at a banquet hosted by the Patriarchs. This future banquet is just one of the many ways that the Hebrew Bible spoke about the kingdom of God that is yet to come.

Why does Jesus link the faith of this Gentile with a prophecy concerning the return of the Jewish people to the land of Israel?

Many have mistakenly concluded that He is reapplying “those from east and west” to Gentile Christians and making a contrast between Gentile Christians and the nation of Israel. They believe the point of this passage is to teach that Gentile Christians have replaced Israel as God’s people.

Unfortunately, these individuals have missed the point of Jesus’ “Old” Testament imagery! The prophets did envision the restoration of Israel but they also envisioned the conversion of the Gentiles who would turn to God in faith as a result of Israel’s salvation. The restoration of Israel and the conversion of the Gentiles are inseparable events. The faith of the Roman centurion demonstrates that the kingdom of God has arrived. In fact, this statement of Jesus confirms, rather than denies, God’s covenant faithfulness to the Jewish people.

]]> https://jerusalemseminary.org/blogs/2020/04/25/the-gentiles-and-the-restoration-of-israel/feed/ 1 The Branch of David https://jerusalemseminary.org/blogs/2020/04/07/the-branch-of-david/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-branch-of-david https://jerusalemseminary.org/blogs/2020/04/07/the-branch-of-david/#comments Tue, 07 Apr 2020 07:35:00 +0000 https://jerusalemseminary.org/blogs/?p=83

The Branch of David

In Matthew 2:23 we learn that Jesus’ family settled in the small town of Nazareth “in order that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, that he should be called a Nazarene.” This prophecy, however, appears nowhere in the Hebrew Bible. 

Is Matthew guilty of inventing a messianic text? Absolutely not – he is simply employing a Jewish hermeneutical technique called “midrash.” The key to interpreting this statement lies in recognizing a wordplay between “Nazareth” Ναζαρέτ (Nazaret) and “Nazarene” Ναζωραῖος (Nazoraios). 

The wordplay is based on Isaiah 11:1 and the Hebrew word נצר (netzer) meaning, “branch” or “shoot.” The word occurs only here but its messianic significance is well attested to in the Dead Sea Scrolls. In 4Q161, the pesher commentary on Isaiah 11: 1-5 we encounter a reference to the Davidic branch whom God will raise up in the last days to deliver the faithful and rule over the nations: “[Interpreted, this concerns the Branch] of David who shall arise at the end [of days] …” 

But what does “Nazareth” or “Nazarene” have to do with נצר (netzer)?  Although the name seems so familiar to us, “Nazareth” should actually be spelled “Natzeret.” The English spelling is a transliteration of the Greek word Ναζαρέτ (Nazaret), which is itself a transliteration of the Hebrew word נצרת (Natzeret). The Greek alphabet does not have a letter which corresponds to the Hebrew צ (Tzade) and uses the Greek letter ζ (Zeta) or “z,” instead.

This small detail has resulted in centuries of confusion about the town’s name as well as Matthew’s prophecy!

After the exile, descendants from the House of David established the town and named it Natzeret to assert that God had preserved the royal line of Messiah – “The Branch.” Matthew picks up on this fact and confirms that Jesus is the Netzer of Isaiah 11:1, the Messianic Branch of David.

]]> https://jerusalemseminary.org/blogs/2020/04/07/the-branch-of-david/feed/ 1 Passover and the End Times https://jerusalemseminary.org/blogs/2020/04/05/passover-and-the-end-times/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=passover-and-the-end-times Sun, 05 Apr 2020 07:21:26 +0000 https://jerusalemseminary.org/blogs/?p=78

Passover and the End Times

Biblical scholars are well aware of the fact that Jesus celebrated the Passover and that this event must shape our understanding of the Lord’s Supper. But while these scholars stress the salvific significance of Passover they virtually ignore its important eschatological background. (For the uninitiated, eschatology refers to what will happen at the end of history.) So, what does Passover have to do with eschatology in Matthew 26:26-29?

Passover evokes the story of the Exodus and God’s delivery of the Jewish people from slavery. Passover also evokes the story of Mt. Sinai and the ratification of mosaic covenant that formally established Israel as a nation.  Jesus’ declaration that “this is my blood of the covenant” clearly echoes the words of Exodus 24:8: “This is the blood of the covenant.”

But the Passover celebration of Jesus’ day was more than just a memorial of Israel’s past redemption; it was also a celebration of Israel’s future restoration. The celebration of Passover evoked the theme of the eschatological New Exodus.  Biblical passages like Isaiah 11:15-16 and Ezekiel 20:33-38 reveal that Israel’s prophets appropriated the language of the exodus to describe Israel’s return from exile and inauguration the messianic era.

Similarly, in the rabbinic material, the Exodus is understood as a paradigm of Israel’s future redemption. Many of these texts express the belief that the Messiah would appear during the night of the Passover.  For example, in Mekhilta Exodus 12:42, we read, “In that night were they redeemed and in that night will they be redeemed in the future.” 

According to the New Testament, Jesus does inaugurate the New Covenant of Jeremiah 31, which brings about the forgiveness of sin.  It is this event that sets in motion God’s plan to redeem Israel! The Last Supper weaves together the Passover, the New Exodus, and the New Covenant to reveal Gods’ amazing plan to redeem his chosen people and to bring great blessing to the world-at-large.

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