Jews and Gentiles

Jesus Christ was (and is) a Jew. The first apostles were Jews. All the events in gospels took place in the Jewish land of Israel. The outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost happened in Jerusalem and this was where the Church of Jesus Christ began. Some Jews accepted the gospel, recognising that Jesus was their Messiah sent from God in fulfilment of ancient promises. Others, the majority, did not. By the end of the first century the Church was predominantly Gentile (non-Jewish) and had spread into Asia and Europe. In later centuries the Church has spread all over the globe.

In our world today there is both Judaism and the Church, two separate faiths following the same God of Abraham. Jews have likewise spread all over the world, adapting their faith to an era without a Jerusalem temple, maintaining their identity and very often facing persecution and discrimination. At the same time, they have made huge contributions to the cultural and scientific progress of mankind. In modern times, since the second world war, many Jews have returned to their ancient homeland and their accommodation has provoked what we know as the problem of the Middle East.

This is an astonishing and surprising story. How could this have happened and is that what God intended and planned? Has God given up on his ancient people? Does God intend there to be two separate groups - Israel and the Church?

The New Testament has much to say on these questions and part of the Christian hope is that there will be a coming together as the Jewish people come to recognise their Messiah and turn to follow their God through His son. There is enough in this theme to fill many books, so here we will simply consider the Christian hope for the future, looking forwards and not backwards.

Firstly, Jesus saw his own earthly ministry as limited to the people of Israel. But he was prepared to make an exception for the Syrophoenician woman who showed exceptional humility and faith.

'And a Canaanite woman from that region came to Him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is miserably possessed by a demon." But Jesus did not answer a word. So, his disciples came and urged Him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us." He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." The woman came and knelt before Him. "Lord, help me!" she said. But Jesus replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs." "Yes, Lord," she said, "even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table." "O woman," Jesus answered, "your faith is great! Let it be done for you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.'

Matthew 15:22-28

This was a signal of God's love for non-Jews which was released after the resurrection when Jesus specifically commissioned his disciples to go into all the world. 

'And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.' Matthew 24:14

'Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." '

Matthew 28:18-20

John also recorded some words of Jesus in his gospel where he spoke of non Jews as 'other sheep' and indicated that there would be a time when the two pens would come together into one flock with one shepherd.

'I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.' 

John 10:16

But Jesus, although He spoke of God's intention and plan, did not give details of when and how this would happen.

Secondly, turning to the apostle Paul and his ministry. On his preaching tours, Paul always went to the Jews first and then, as a result of being rejected, he preached to the Gentiles.

'For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.'

Romans 1:16

In his letters on two occasions, Paul had a great deal to say about the coming together of Jews and Gentiles.

In his letter to the Ephesians, he wrote of God's wonderful plan in Jesus Christ to break down the barrier between Jews and Gentiles.

'Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God?s people and also members of his household.'

Ephesians 2:12-19

In his letter to the Romans, Paul considered the problem of the rejection of the gospel by the Jewish people. He faced the question - has God abandoned the Jews in favour of the gentile Church? The answer that he gives is an emphatic 'no'. In three chapters of careful and dense reasoning he makes several points:

• His personal sorrow and unceasing anguish for His people. 
• God's word has not failed. 
• Being truly Jewish is not simply a matter of being descended from Abraham. 
• God is sovereign and is free to choose whom He wants. 
• There is, within Israel, a faithful and righteous remnant. 
• Righteousness that is acceptable to God is that which comes by faith through Christ and not established by rule-keeping, something a lot of Jews misunderstood. 
• God's way to be made righteous is equally available to Jews and Gentiles, without distinction. 
• Faith comes by believing the preached word of Christ.
• The elect (chosen) Jews received the gospel, but the rest were hardened. 
• Jewish rejection of the gospel provided the stimulus for preaching it to the Gentiles worldwide, something the prophet Isaiah had spoken about. 
• Gentiles (by nature a wild olive tree) who accepted the gospel by faith are grafted into the cultivated olive tree which is Israel. 
• So true Israel consists of the believing remnant of Jews descended from Abraham, plus Gentiles who accepted the gospel. 
• Natural branches will be grafted back into their own olive tree. 
• This will happen after the full number of the Gentiles has come and the partial hardening has been removed. This implies a wonderful end-time revival of Jews recognising Jesus as their Messiah - King. 
• Thus, all Israel comprising both cultivated olives - the physical descendants of Abraham, and ingrafted wild olives - Gentile believers - will be saved.

So, we see that Paul refines the definition of Israel to include believing Jews plus believing Gentiles and implies that there will be an end-time Jewish revival. This Jewish revival has not yet happened, but there are, in our own time, not a few who have turned to Christ, whilst still retaining their Jewish identity.

Many Christians see the Jewish Aliyah (the return to the land of Israel) as something that sets the stage for such a revival. At present, there are 7 million Jews in Israel and over 8 million in the rest of the world. Of the 8 million outside Israel, 6 million live in the USA.

In relation to the promise of land given to Abraham and his descendants, this is not taken up in the New Testament and indeed does not really fit with Paul's new way of defining Israel to include Gentile believers in Jesus. Some Christians believe there will be a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem at some stage in the future. But the era of a physical temple has been superseded. Since the death of Jesus, things have moved on. He was the one perfect sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, Jews, and Gentiles alike. The book of Hebrews and the Book of Revelation have much to say about this and the culmination of Biblical prophecy is that of heaven coming to earth so that the whole earth becomes God's dwelling place; His temple a fulfilment of God's purposes described at the beginning of the book of Genesis. There is a land for God's united people. It is bigger - the whole earth!

If we reflect on the sufferings of the Jewish people over the last two millennia, and especially the holocaust during World War Two and the antisemitism past and present promulgated by Christians ignorant of God's heart and purposes, the hope of a coming together of Jews and Gentiles is a wonderful thing to contemplate. Jesus has made it possible. The barrier has been destroyed. In God's good time it will become a worldwide reality. But it does not have to be only in the future. Christians who understand God's destination can enjoy a foretaste and anticipation by reaching out the hand of blessing and friendship to their Jewish neighbours. Perhaps they will in return experience blessing themselves, as God promised to Abraham in Genesis:

"I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

Genesis 12:3

Chris Moffett