I pointed out to a Jewish friend last week that it is not unreasonable or anti-Semitic for me to believe that Jesus is the Prophesied One of the Old Testament, the Promised Messiah. After all, Jesus was a Jew (tribe of Judah) and of the royal line (house of David). All this was verifiable by the existing Jewish and Roman records, and unrefuted by Jewish leaders of His day. Also, almost all of the first Christians were Jews. In fact, very few Gentiles became Christians initially because they thought it was a Jewish cult or subgroup. Within a few short years, tens of thousands of Jews believed that Jesus was the Messiah, including rabbis and doctors of Jewish law. Everything about Him supported and nothing refuted the claim. As time passed, the Jews rejected Jesus. Today, Gentiles by the millions reject Jesus. Acceptance of Christ is a matter of faith, whether Jew or Gentile, and rejection of Christ is a matter of blindness, whether Jew or Gentile.
Various Responses...
There are various ways to respond to the idea that Yeshua (Jesus) is God's promised Savior, Deliverer, Messiah, Anointed One.
1- Reject the whole idea as fantasy or religious symbolism.
2- Receive, readily and mindlessly, any candidate who comes along.
3- Resist any and all candidates, deferring to a later time.
4- Refuse Biblical and historical evidence in favor of cultural or religious pressures.
5- Research and Recognize that the Biblical and historical evidence supports the claim that Yeshua (Jesus) is the Messiah.
