30. The Messiah hasn't come; Jesus didn't bring world peace. How can He be Messiah?
The Hebrew Scriptures speak of a suffering servant who bears others' sins (Isa 53) as well as a reigning King. Jesus fulfilled the first at His first coming and will reign at His return (Acts 1:11; Acts 3:18-21).
who also said, “You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky.”
Acts 1:11 (WEB)
But the things which God announced by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled. “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, so that there may come times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send Christ Jesus, who was ordained for you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God spoke long ago by the mouth of his holy prophets.
Acts 3:18-21 (WEB)
31. We are God's covenant people. Why do Jews need Jesus?
Jesus came first to His own people, and the earliest believers were Jews (John 1:11-12; Rom 1:16). Abraham himself was counted righteous by believing God (Gen 15:6; Rom 4:3).
He came to his own, and those who were his own didn’t receive him. But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his name:
John 1:11-12 (WEB)
For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes; for the Jew first, and also for the Greek.
Romans 1:16 (WEB)
He believed in Yahweh; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness.
Genesis 15:6 (WEB)
For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
Romans 4:3 (WEB)
32. God forgives through repentance, prayer, and good deeds, as on Yom Kippur. Why a human sacrifice?
The Torah itself teaches that atonement comes by blood (Lev 17:11). The temple sacrifices pointed ahead to the Messiah's once-for-all offering (Heb 10:1-14).
For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life.
Leviticus 17:11 (WEB)
For the law, having a shadow of the good to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near. Or else wouldn’t they have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having been once cleansed, would have had no more consciousness of sins? But in those sacrifices there is a yearly reminder of sins. For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. Therefore when he comes into the world, he says, “Sacrifice and offering you didn’t desire, but you prepared a body for me; You had no pleasure in whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (in the scroll of the book it is written of me) to do your will, O God.’” Previously saying, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you didn’t desire, neither had pleasure in them” (those which are offered according to the law), then he has said, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He takes away the first, that he may establish the second, by which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Every priest indeed stands day by day serving and often offering the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins, but he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God; from that time waiting until his enemies are made the footstool of his feet. For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
Hebrews 10:1-14 (WEB)
33. Isn't the Trinity a violation of the Shema?
Christians affirm the Shema, that the LORD is one (Deut 6:4; Mark 12:29). The Bible reveals that this one God is Father, Son, and Spirit (Matt 28:19; John 1:1).
Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God. Yahweh is one.
Deuteronomy 6:4 (WEB)
Jesus answered, “The greatest is, ‘Hear, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one:
Mark 12:29 (WEB)
Go, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Matthew 28:19 (WEB)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:1 (WEB)
34. Torah is eternal. Why would anyone stop keeping it?
Jesus fulfilled the law (Matt 5:17), and Jeremiah promised a new covenant (Jer 31:31-34; Heb 8:8-13). Eternal life comes by faith, as it did for Abraham, before the law was given (Gal 3:6-17).
“Don’t think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn’t come to destroy, but to fulfill.
Matthew 5:17 (WEB)
Behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they broke, although I was a husband to them, says Yahweh. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says Yahweh: I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people: and they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know Yahweh; for they shall all know me, from their least to their greatest, says Yahweh: for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more.
Jeremiah 31:31-34 (WEB)
For finding fault with them, he said, “Behold, the days come”, says the Lord, “that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers, in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; for they didn’t continue in my covenant, and I disregarded them,” says the Lord. “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel. After those days,” says the Lord; “I will put my laws into their mind, I will also write them on their heart. I will be their God, and they will be my people. They will not teach every man his fellow citizen, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all will know me, from their least to their greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness. I will remember their sins and lawless deeds no more.” In that he says, “A new covenant”, he has made the first old. But that which is becoming old and grows aged is near to vanishing away.
Hebrews 8:8-13 (WEB)
Even as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.” Know therefore that those who are of faith, the same are children of Abraham. The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the Good News beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you all the nations will be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse. For it is written, “Cursed is everyone who doesn’t continue in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them.” Now that no man is justified by the law before God is evident, for, “The righteous will live by faith.” The law is not of faith, but, “The man who does them will live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,” that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Brothers, speaking of human terms, though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been confirmed, no one makes it void, or adds to it. Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He doesn’t say, “To seeds”, as of many, but as of one, “To your seed”, which is Christ. Now I say this. A covenant confirmed beforehand by God in Christ, the law, which came four hundred thirty years after, does not annul, so as to make the promise of no effect.
Galatians 3:6-17 (WEB)
35. Isn't a good Jew who keeps the commandments right with God?
The law shows we fall short; no one is justified by it (Rom 3:19-20; Gal 2:16). The Messiah gives life to the one who believes (John 5:24; 20:31).
Now we know that whatever things the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God. Because by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. For through the law comes the knowledge of sin.
Romans 3:19-20 (WEB)
yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law, because no flesh will be justified by the works of the law.
Galatians 2:16 (WEB)
“Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word, and believes him who sent me, has eternal life, and doesn’t come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
John 5:24 (WEB)
but these are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.
John 20:31 (WEB)
36. Christians persecuted Jews for centuries. Why should I listen?
That history is shameful and contrary to Jesus' teaching (Rom 10:1; 11:1). Jesus' offer of life comes from a Jewish Messiah to His own people first (Rom 1:16).
Brothers, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God is for Israel, that they may be saved.
Romans 10:1 (WEB)
I ask then, did God reject his people? May it never be! For I also am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
Romans 11:1 (WEB)
For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes; for the Jew first, and also for the Greek.
Romans 1:16 (WEB)
37. Isaiah 53 is about Israel, not one man.
The servant is pierced for others' transgressions and is silent before His accusers (Isa 53:5-7), which fits a single innocent person. Philip applied it to Jesus (Acts 8:32-35).
But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned to his own way; and Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he didn’t open his mouth. As a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is mute, so he didn’t open his mouth.
Isaiah 53:5-7 (WEB)
Now the passage of the Scripture which he was reading was this, “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter. As a lamb before his shearer is silent, so he doesn’t open his mouth. In his humiliation, his judgment was taken away. Who will declare His generation? For his life is taken from the earth.” The eunuch answered Philip, “Who is the prophet talking about? About himself, or about someone else?” Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, preached to him Jesus.
Acts 8:32-35 (WEB)
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