Christianity is very Jewish. Jesus was a Jew. Jesus’s first followers were Jews. Most of the members of the first churches were Jews. Most, if not all, of the Bible is written by Jews. The New Testament is littered with quotations and allusions to the Hebrew Scriptures. And many Christian practices are rooted in Jewish traditions (eg. the Lord’s Supper reflects the Passover meal, and baptism the ritual washings). The “Jewishness” of Christianity is undeniable.
God decided to save the world through Jews. His plan began with one nation that would bring God’s blessing to all the nations. That nation is Israel. And the fulfilment of all the promises and hopes of Israel is Jesus Christ. So if you are in Christ, you are part of God’s very Jewish plan of salvation.
Anti-Semitism is on the rise. Even many supposed Christians support, say, and do evil things against the Jews. This must not be so. Christians of all people should love and support and help protect our Jewish friends and neighbors. They are the tree that our faith grew from (Rom. 11:17-24). The people of God started with Isarel, not the church. This reminds us where we came from and encourages us toward humility. As Paul says, “Do not be arrogant toward the branches (ie. Israel). If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you” (Rom. 11:18).
Of course, most of Israel has rejected Jesus as their Messiah and Savior. God has placed a “partial hardening” on them (Rom. 11:25), so that when they read the law of Moses “a veil lies over their hearts” (2 Cor. 3:15). Because of their rejection of Jesus, “They were broken off because of their unbelief” (Rom. 11:20). Therefore, Paul says to Christians, “Do not become proud, but fear” (v. 20). Israel’s widespread unbelief leads us to humble recognition that we are only saved by grace.
This grace compels us to love and serve the Jewish people. Christians love our Jewish neighbors best by praying for their salvation in Christ and seeking to evangelize them.
The (Jewish) apostle Paul had a special burden for his people, wishing to be cut off from Christ so that they would be saved (Rom. 9:1-5). He also taught the Christians in Rome that the good news of Jesus is the “power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). He says the gospel is for Jews before it’s for Gentiles. Of course, it’s for both. But Paul says there’s a Jewish priority in evangelism.
Perhaps Paul is echoing what Jesus said to a Gentile woman who pleaded with him to heal her daughter of a demon: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Mt. 15:24). Of course Jesus came to be the Savior for anyone who turns to him in faith and repentance. But both he and Paul understood a logical priority for the salvation of the Jewish people. Why? Because God began with Israel, choosing them in love, making promises to them, and sending his Messiah to and through them. God’s plan to save the world unfolded through the Jews.
What does this mean for us? At the very least, it means we must pray for our Jewish friends and neighbors. As of 2024, there were over 87,000 Jewish people in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. We must pray for their salvation. We must pray that they would turn to Jesus in faith and repentance. We must pray that they would understand that salvation is only through faith in Jesus and not through the works of the law (Gal. 2:16). We must pray for opportunities for our church to minister the gospel to the Jewish community around us. And, as I said, it means forsaking any form of anti-Semitism.
Jesus and Paul were burdened for the salvation of Israel. May we be so burdened as well, praying with David, “O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore” (Ps. 131:3).
Praying for the Salvation of the Jews, With You,
Pastor John