Biblical Wealth Wisdom
The Biblical Wealth Wisdom podcast is your guide to managing money and building wealth according to timeless biblical principles. Join us as we explore how ancient wisdom from Scripture can revolutionize your approach to modern finances. Each episode dives deep into topics like stewardship, generosity, debt management, and ethical investing, all through the lens of faith.
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Biblical Wealth Wisdom
Exploring Theological Divides: Understanding Jewish Perspectives on Jesus as Messiah
Why didn't the majority of Jewish people accept Jesus as the Messiah? This episode promises to unravel this profound question by diving into the historical and theological roots behind this longstanding debate. We take a journey back to the days of Roman rule, where Jewish expectations of a Messiah centered around liberation and the establishment of an independent kingdom—expectations not fulfilled by Jesus according to traditional Jewish perspectives. Our conversation also explores the intriguing and contentious notion of two comings of the Messiah, an idea that emerged later in Christian theology, and how prophecies from Isaiah and Micah are interpreted differently by Christians and Jews. We discuss how Jesus's claims of divinity posed a fundamental challenge to Jewish monotheism, leading to a significant theological divide.
Further, we venture into the contrasting interpretations of righteousness and empathy through the lenses of Jewish law and Paul's teachings. Delving into Paul's revolutionary idea of righteousness through faith in Jesus rather than strict adherence to the law, we underscore how this marked a pivotal shift for his followers. The episode emphasizes the importance of empathy and mutual respect between Christians and Jews, fostering a space for respectful dialogue and encouraging listeners to engage in their own exploration of history and theology. Join us as we invite a thoughtful and enlightening journey into faith and interpretation, inspiring curiosity and understanding across these age-old debates and diverse perspectives.
Okay, so today we're diving into something pretty complex and fascinating. Really. Why haven't most Jewish people accepted Jesus as well, the Messiah?
Speaker 2:Yeah, a big question for sure.
Speaker 1:We're looking at this YouTube video you sent over and it's definitely coming from a Christian perspective. But we'll, you know, unpack those arguments. Look at the history, the theology, all of it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you really need that background for this one. So much history, so much faith, you know. Unpack those arguments. Look at the history, the theology, all of it. Yeah, you really need that background for this one. So much history, so much faith, you know. All tangled up together.
Speaker 1:Totally and the video. It actually uses the term Jewish unbelief, which I don't know feels a little off doesn't it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, a bit loaded, yeah.
Speaker 1:We're going for something well more neutral here, respecting that there are lots of different beliefs out there.
Speaker 2:Definitely respecting that there are lots of different beliefs out there. Definitely Understanding why people believe what they believe that's what matters.
Speaker 1:Exactly so. The video it jumps right into Jesus performing all these miracles, right Healings, even raising people from the dead. And their argument is that at the time, jewish leaders knew the Old Testament so well. They should have seen this and well understood.
Speaker 2:It's funny because that's exactly where this whole idea of the Messiah gets kind of tricky. Both sides they're working from the same like scriptural playbook, but what a Messiah would actually do. That's where the big difference lies.
Speaker 1:Okay, so break that down for me. Where's the disconnect? What's going on there?
Speaker 2:Right. So you mentioned prophecies, right, Healing, resurrection, and those were definitely part of how Jesus's followers saw him, for sure. But you got to remember the bigger picture. What were the Jewish people at that time actually hoping for? I mean liberation from Roman rule? That was huge. The establishment of a real kingdom, strong and independent, and you know there are prophecies about that kind of Messiah too.
Speaker 1:And those prophecies? Well, they didn't really happen while Jesus was alive, did they?
Speaker 2:Exactly which brings us to this whole thing about two comings of the Messiah. The video really pushes this idea. They're saying Jewish leaders they expected is some prophecies were for the first coming meaning Jesus's life, death and resurrection and others.
Speaker 1:well, they're pointing to a second coming that hasn't happened yet.
Speaker 2:And it gets even more interesting because they're claiming this whole two comings thing was a secret like hidden in the Old Testament until get this. It was revealed to the apostle Paul way later and, honestly, historically that's a pretty wild claim.
Speaker 1:It really makes you think right, like if you were just a regular person back then, living under Roman rule, what were you expecting from the Messiah? A spiritual leader, someone to kick out the Romans? Some kind of mix of both.
Speaker 2:And how much of that expectation was just like, built up over centuries of well oppression, wanting things to go back to how they were before.
Speaker 1:We have to remember that as we go through this Definitely, and then they start bringing in specific prophecies, you know, to back up this whole two comings thing, like Isaiah 11, talking about the Messiah's character, and Micah 5.2 mentioning Bethlehem, the birthplace. Both things that you know if you're a Christian. Jesus checks off.
Speaker 2:Right, but of course, how you understand those prophecies. That's the whole debate. Nobody's got this like universal translation guide. That's saying, yep, this is definitely about two separate visits.
Speaker 1:True, it all comes down to how you connect the dots. They talk about Isaiah 53 too, the suffering servant. Christians often see that as like foreshadowing Jesus's crucifixion. And then there's Daniel 9.227, this whole thing about when the Messiah would show up.
Speaker 2:They're trying to show that even in these prophecies you could have a Messiah who suffers and dies and a Messiah who comes back all powerful.
Speaker 1:And that's really it, isn't it the core of the disagreement? Are these prophecies about one person at different times, or like different people altogether?
Speaker 2:It's expectations versus like what actually happened. Imagine waiting I mean generations for this savior, someone to free you. Then Jesus shows up. He's preaching love, forgiveness, but he's not exactly overthrowing the Romans, is he? It's not hard to see why some people might be a little confused, maybe even feel betrayed.
Speaker 1:And that kind of takes us to this whole other level of well complexity. You know, how did what Jesus was saying about himself? How did that fit with what Jewish people believed, especially this idea of God being one? That's huge right.
Speaker 2:Huge isn't even I mean. It's fundamental, like it's the foundation in Judaism. Everything comes from that one idea.
Speaker 1:Right In this video they make a big deal about the Shema prayer. You know, hear O Israel, the Lord, our God, the Lord is one. It's not even just a prayer, it's more like what a statement.
Speaker 2:Absolutely Every day. It's part of life, you know for centuries, just reminding you constantly one God, no splitting that.
Speaker 1:Which makes these things. Jesus said kind of interesting, Like before Abraham was, I am or I and the father are one. How's that going to go over with people who like read the Shema?
Speaker 2:You pick some verses there. People have been debating those for well forever. If you're Christian, it's pointing to what divinity Jesus being special to God, right, but look at it from the Jewish side and it sounds like you're messing with that whole one God idea, a direct challenge.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's going to cause some problems. The video even says back then blasphemy wasn't a slap on the wrist. You're in big trouble under Jewish law.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, huge, you weren't dissing a belief, you were threatening the whole deal with God. Super serious stuff.
Speaker 1:OK, so you've got Jesus, maybe saying blasphemous things, but then the video adds on saying he was always challenging how things were done, traditions, how they understood the law, everything.
Speaker 2:It's kind of funny, isn't it? He just kept pushing back against the rules, saying it's more about the spirit of the law, not just the letter.
Speaker 1:Like that example they give in Matthew about washing your hands. The Pharisees, they were all about being ritually clean and Jesus comes along saying you're missing the point.
Speaker 2:It's about what's inside turns the whole thing on its head. He could argue about hand washing, but instead it's. Why are you so worried about that? But you're ignoring, like actually honoring your parents.
Speaker 1:Powerful stuff, but some people, they were not happy speaking of not happy jesus forgiving sins, and mark again if you're jewish, that's god's job, not some guys right.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and that's what it all comes down to. Everything Jesus did, even the miracles, people saw them totally differently. Some it's proof, he's a real deal, others it's going too far, overstepping.
Speaker 1:Or raising Lazarus from the dead. That's a big one, Supposed to be this undeniable miracle, but it seems like if people were already unsure about Jesus. It didn't help. It's like the more he challenged their worldview, the harder they pushed back.
Speaker 2:Wild Right.
Speaker 1:You'd think a miracle would convince you, but sometimes it did the opposite Made the gap even wider, Like they just couldn't make what they were seeing happen fit with what they believed deep down. And that brings up this other thing from the video which I got to say kind of rubbed me the wrong way. It's this whole internal resistance thing. Like some Jewish people they just couldn't accept Jesus, even with the miracles. I don't know, it feels a little too general, you know. Yeah.
Speaker 2:It's definitely a bit, I don't know a bit much. We can talk about theology, right yeah, historical context, the things people really believed and how that affected how they saw Jesus, but this whole resistance to truth thing it just seems too simple, like it's ignoring all the real reasons. People were skeptical.
Speaker 1:Right, and then the video kind of switches gears to Paul. You know he was Saul first Super devout Jewish guy actually persecuted the first Christians.
Speaker 2:Total turnaround story. It makes you think about belief. You know how what we think about faith can totally change.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and they make a big deal about how Paul, going from skeptic to believer, it shaped how he saw this whole Jewish rejection thing.
Speaker 2:It's like he's saying them not accepting Jesus. Yeah, it actually opened the door for Gentiles.
Speaker 1:The non-Jewish folks right To become Christian.
Speaker 2:Deep theological stuff, but I think what they're getting at is for Paul. God's plan was for everyone, not just one group.
Speaker 1:And that's something to think about, right. Whatever you believe, this idea of faith going beyond borders, speaking to everyone, it's pretty powerful for sure. The video also talks about righteousness, how Paul saw it. It says Jewish people. According to Paul, they were all about following the law to be righteous, while Paul he thought believing in Jesus. That's where real righteousness came from.
Speaker 2:There it is again, that fundamental difference right For Paul. Jesus's death, the resurrection. It changed everything. It wasn't about following the rules perfectly anymore. It was about believing in Jesus, that ultimate sacrifice.
Speaker 1:So, after all this, this deep dive into this video, where does that, where does that leave us?
Speaker 2:Well, the video ends with this whole thing about Christians and Jews understanding each other, respecting each other. Christians should pray for Jewish people to recognize Jesus and, yeah, that's coming from a certain belief. But that whole idea of empathy, of talking to each other, I think we can all get behind that.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. We didn't come here to tell anyone the right answer or what to believe. We just wanted to see what this video was saying, really get into the history, the theology, all the complicated stuff.
Speaker 2:I hope it makes people want to learn more. You know, Read different things about all this. Come to their own conclusions.
Speaker 1:That's the best part about these deep dives right More questions than answers. In a good way, it makes you think about history, faith, how we interpret things, it all matters.
Speaker 2:And how people are still interpreting things differently, still debating even now.
Speaker 1:For sure, as always, thanks for being here for this deep dive. It's been well interesting, to say the least. No-transcript.