Advent is the time in the churches calendar were we prepare ourselves for Jesus’ coming.
Jesus tells us to watch for his return, “But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son only the Father. Take heed watch; for you do not know the when the time will come.” Mark 13: 32, 33.
One of the conditions of his return is that the gospel will be preached to all nations.
I believe the Messiah’s Secret Revealed is part of that preparation before Jesus returns. God is bringing to light the fact that God deliberately hid from Jewish leaders and teachers of the law: the prophesies that related to the Messiah’s death on the cross as the final sacrifice for sin and his resurrection.
Antisemitism has grown in the world from a wide-spread belief that the Jewish leaders 2,000 years ago had Jesus Christ crucified. It’s not the only reason for antisemitism today: the conflict over land and the world is jealous of their prosperity. The Bible tells us that God will bless his people, but with that comes persecution by the world.
The Catholic Church’s response to Christian antisemitism. Jewish Learning website
“In 1965, as part of the Vatican II council, the Catholic Church published a long-anticipated declaration entitled Nostra Aetate, offering a new approach to the question of Jewish responsibility for the crucifixion of Jesus. The document argued that modern-day Jews could not be held accountable for Jesus’ crucifixion and that not all Jews alive at the time of the crucifixion were guilty of the crime. This was a remarkable step forward in the history of Christian attitudes toward Jews, as Jewish blame for Jesus’ death has long been a linchpin of Christian anti-Semitism.”
From the first to the 19th centuries, the level of tension between Jews and Christians was such that both groups found the claim that the Jews killed Jesus to be believable. Thankfully, in our world it is heard less frequently. But we should not be surprised if it persists among people who take the stories of the New Testament (or of the Talmud) as reliable historical sources. www.myjewishlearning.com
What do Jewish people believe about the Messiah today?
The Jewish Learning website
More than 1,000 years after Jesus’ crucifixion, the medieval sage Maimonides (also known as Rambam) laid out in his Mishneh Torah specific things Jews believe the messiah must accomplish in order to confirm his identity — among them restoring the kingdom of David to its former glory, achieving victory in battle against Israel’s enemies, rebuilding the temple (which the Romans destroyed in 70 CE) and in gathering the exiles to the land of Israel. “And if he’s not successful with this, or if he is killed, it’s known that he is not the one that was promised by the Torah,” www.myjewishlearning.com
In November 2009, I went to listen to Singer Helen Shapiro she sang and told us her life story. Helen is of Jewish decent born in London in 1946. At the age of six she went to a state school. She told us of how she remembered a child coming up to her in the playground and saying, ‘You killed Jesus.’ She was devastated and never forgot those hurtful words. In the late 1980’s she discovered Jesus as her Saviour and the promised Messiah to the Jewish people.
Why did the Jews not recognise Jesus as their Messiah 2,000 years ago?
Messiah (Hebrew) or Christ (Greek)
John the disciple wrote, “He (Jesus) was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognise him. “ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” John 1:10-13 (NIV)
Apostle John identified Jesus as the creator and Saviour of the world, but this was not recognised by God’s chosen people Israel 2,000 years ago and this has been the Jewish view up to today.
Jesus the Son of God disputed by the Jews
The angel Gabriel told Mary that her son would fulfil Nathan’s prophecy to King David. 2 Samuel 7: 12-14. “I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father and he shall be my son.”
Angel Gabriel’s words to Mary, “He will be great and be called the Son of the Most High and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Luke 1: 12-14
Jesus knew that God was his Father.
At the age of 12 Jesus had been with his Joseph and Mary at the feast of the Passover in Jerusalem. Unknown to them he had stayed behind at the temple listening to the teachers and asking questions. We read that they were amazed at his understanding and his answers. When he was found by his parents at the temple, they weren’t pleased, but Jesus indicated that he was surprised by their attitude, he said, “How is it you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father house?” Luke wrote that Joseph and Mary didn’t understand his words. To speak of God being his Father was blasphemy and Jesus would be aware of the sacredness to use the name God in this way. Eighteen years later his words, My Father is working still, and I am working,” This is why the Jews sought even more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath but also called God his Father, making himself equal with God.” John 5: 17, 18.
When I came to faith, I knew that God was my Father. It was a surprise to me, to know God as my heavenly Father, and that I had the assurance I was his child. It is amazing to know that every person in the world has this opportunity to be reconciled to God our Father and creator through faith in his Son.
Another argument that still carries on today, in John’s gospel there was a dispute over Jesus’ birthplace, Isaiah had prophesied the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, associated with the house (descendants) of King David.
“Some listening said, “This is really the prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ” but some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the scripture said, that the Christ is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” So, there was division among the people over him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.” John 7: 40-44. 10: 19. Micah 5:2.
Luke records that Mary gave birth to Jesus in a stable in Bethlehem where the House of David census was taking place. We read that they returned to Nazareth after Mary had fulfilled her purification and after they had brought Jesus to the temple for a blessing, they returned to Galilee, their own city. Later after the visit of the wise men they fled to Egypt. Luke 2: 1-7, 39. Jesus was known as ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’
The teachers taught that the Messiah would remain for ever.
John the disciple records that the leaders and people were taught from the Law that when the Messiah came, he would remain for ever. Jesus in conversation with the crowd around him, “The crowd answered him, “We have heard from the law that the Christ remains for ever. How can you say the Son of man must be lifted up?” John 12: 34. Matthew 16: 21-23. Mark 15: 32.
Jesus was pointing to the incident in the Exodus from Egypt. The Israelite’s were moaning at God and Moses because of having no water and the same food to eat: manna and quail. God allowed poisonous snakes to enter the camp. However, they repented and came to Moses to ask God to remove the serpents. Moses was instructed by God to take a pole and put on one end a bronze snake and place it in the camp, so that when a person bitten by a snake looked up at the bronze snake they would be healed. Numbers 21: 6-9.
Jesus gave the people insight into what was to take place at Jerusalem when he was lifted up on the cross. “Those who saw him and believed would be healed of all sin including the sin of Adam and Eve. Jesus’ victory over the serpent that he won through his death on the cross. “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he likewise partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to life-long bondage.” Hebrews 2: 14, 15.
“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” John 3: 14,15.
God hid the scriptures that spoke of the death and resurrection of the Messiah at that time.
Jesus had told his disciples that he going to be killed and he would rise on the third day. These scriptures that told of the suffering, death and resurrection of the Messiah were hidden from them. Jesus said, “They will scourge him and kill him and on the third day he will rise. But they understood none of these things; this saying was hid from them, and they could not grasp what was said.” Luke 9: 43-45. 18: 34. These scriptures were revealed to Jesus’ disciples on the evening of Jesus’ resurrection. Luke 24: 44-46.
The disciples did not know what rising from the dead was about. They had been taught that the resurrection occurred on the last day. Jesus taught the same message John 6: 40. Mark 16: 11. Luke 24: 11, 21. John 20: 9.
God had given a prophecy to the head of the Sanhedrin, the Chief Priest Caiaphas, the prophecy was that one man would die so that the nation would not perish. At the crucifixion the chief priest and scribes at shouted to Jesus, “Let the Christ the King of Israel, come down from the cross that we may see and believe.” Mark 15: 23. Jesus’ death and resurrection was hidden from their understanding.
On the evening of the day of Jesus’ resurrection the disciples on the road to Emmaus said to the stranger, “We had hoped he was the one who would redeem Israel.” Shortly afterwards their eyes were opened to see that the stranger was the resurrected Jesus. Luke 24
Jesus came to fulfil the Law of Moses, so why would he continually break the Sabbath Day Laws?
Under the Law the people earned their righteousness by keeping the law, so they added stricter rules to the existing ones. Jesus was told not to heal on the Sabbath Day as there where six other days on which he could heal people. Jesus said it was right to do good on the Sabbath day. They untied their ass to water it on the sabbath day, so he had released on the sabbath a woman from her physical ailment that she had for 18 years. Luke 6: 1-11.13: 10-16.
The time for the Jewish nation to receive Jesus as their Messiah was at and after Pentecost.
The disciples, Jewish men, proclaimed for the first time that Jesus was the Messiah at and after Pentecost. They proclaimed Jesus death was in the foreknowledge of God and God resurrected him from the dead, fulfilling King David’s prophecy. Acts 2: 23-36 Psalm 16: 10.
At Pentecost Peter said that God had raised Jesus up from the dead.
Jesus in conversation with Martha revealed to her that those who believe in him, even though they die yet shall they live. “I am the resurrection and the life, even though they die, yet shall they live.” John 11: 25.
The disciples had evidence through seeing and touching Jesus after his resurrection Paul wrote that over 500 hundred people saw the resurrected Jesus.
The disciples knew that they and the people didn’t expect the Messiah to come and die on a cross. Peter said that they had acted in ignorance when the rulers and people condemned him to death. Acts 2: 29-36. 3: 17, 18, 24.
God had hidden his death from the leaders because Jesus had to be killed at Jerusalem, he had to die at the hands of both Jews and Gentiles, because Jesus died for the sins of the whole world. Acts 4: 25-30
Paul on his first ministry tour with Barnabas entered the synagogue at Antioch in Pisidia he spoke to the people about Jesus.
Paul recollected their Exodus and their entry into the Promised land. God gave them kings and from King David God had brought forth to Israel, a Saviour Jesus.
“For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognise him nor understand the utterances of the prophets which are read every sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning him. Though they could not charge him with anything deserving death, yet they asked Pilate to have him killed. And when they had fulfilled all that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead and for many days he appeared to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people.” Acts 13: 23-31.
Jesus’ death and resurrection was hidden from their understanding. Paul continued in Acts 13 to share the prophesies of King David that spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah.
Paul revealed to them that the people and rulers in Jerusalem did not recognise or understand Jesus’ words and actions, if they had they wouldn’t have killed their Messiah and God couldn’t let that happen, the Messiah Jesus had to die at Jerusalem. They had been taught and they believed the Messiah would have remained with them and they would have made him their King. He then would have removed the Romans ending their occupation of the land
The Lord is coming soon, and this message I pray will help many to understand why God in his foreknowledge couldn’t reveal Jesus as the Messiah until his disciples announced at Pentecost that was the nation’s Messiah .
Soon, Israel will recognise the one pieced for their transgressions and raised by God to give them the promised eternal kingdom that was promised to Abraham