New? So Am I.
I’m curious about why you read the Life in Messiah Blog.
Are you involved with Jewish ministry, or are you new to the concept?
Perhaps you can recite volumes of Jewish history…or maybe you just have a vague idea it involves a fiddler and a roof.
I’m new to Life in Messiah, myself. It’s been six months since I joined the Communications Team. I have a lot to learn about Jewish history, culture, and ministry – and I’m still sorting through what I’ve learned thus far.
Until the last year, my knowledge of Jewish history – apart from scripture – wasn’t much broader than Fiddler on the Roof, the Holocaust, and a novel by Chaim Potok. When I needed one more elective in my final semester of Bible school, the course on Jewish history sounded the most interesting. I’m glad I chose it!
The class cleared up some gaps in my knowledge: how did the sacrificial system give way to Rabbinical Judaism? Who were the Pharisees and Sadducees – beyond being Jesus’ perceived antagonists? Why do some Jewish people dress in black and live strictly kosher lives while others lead quite secular lifestyles?
The class also conveyed some distressing revelations, like the prevalence of antisemitism throughout church history. It wasn’t just a few isolated flare-ups over the centuries. I learned that despite its Jewish roots, the church has an abysmal record of antisemitism for most of its history (for example, the Church Father Ambrose condoned the burning of a synagogue[1] – and refused Theodosius the Great communion until the emperor had retracted his order for the arsonists to pay for the synagogue’s restoration).
Another distressing reality I learned: because of historical church antisemitism[2] many Jewish people associate Christianity with the Deicide Charge, blood libels, pogroms, and forced baptisms and conversions. As believers, we want our faith to be characterized by the attributes of our loving Savior. But from the Jewish perspective, ours is a faith of hatred and violence.
Because of this history, I’m learning that outreach to Jewish people is complex and challenging. There is intense opposition to the gospel, particularly in Orthodox Jewish circles. But also because those actively seeking to learn more about Jesus risk rejection by their families and communities.
These are tragic realities of history, but they are important to be informed of nonetheless. How can believers effectively share the gospel with Jewish people if we are completely unaware of our church’s bloody history? Unsuspecting of negative associations linked to Jesus’ name? Unprepared for questions[3] we might receive? None of these are reasons to stop proclaiming the good news, but they are factors to consider in our approach.
When I became Life in Messiah’s Communications Assistant in January, I was still bursting with this new information. I was upset that in two classes I’d taken on the history of the western church, the issue of antisemitism had barely come up. I wanted to share what I had learned with other believers so they could be better equipped to share the gospel with Jewish people.
Joining Life in Messiah was an opportunity to continue learning about Jewish culture and ministry from an organization that has sensitively and lovingly served the Jewish people for over 135 years. It also gave me a platform to pass on the important things I’ve learned about Jewish-Christian relations and our shared, often tragic history.
That’s why I’m excited you’re reading this blog – especially if you’re new to the world of Jewish ministry. If you haven’t already, I think you’ll find what I’ve discovered: learning more about God’s chosen people enriches your relationship with Him. Understanding Jewish holidays and customs makes God’s Word come alive in a new way. Learning more about antisemitism, especially in church history, makes you long for Jewish people to know their Messiah as He really is, not as He has been misrepresented.
Whether you’re new to this world or you’re a veteran of it, my hope is that as you engage with Life in Messiah resources, God will stir in you a deeper love for the Jewish people and a greater passion for them to know their Messiah.
Written by Miriam, Communications Assistant
How can you learn more about Jewish history? If you are knowledgeable in this area, how can you help other believers interact with Jewish people with greater sensitivity?
Learning the dark side of church history can be confusing – especially the antisemitism of many Church Fathers. It’s a good opportunity to examine our beliefs: is our faith in God, or in godly men?
As believers, we have the wonderful privilege of introducing Jewish friends to the real Jesus: the Jewish Messiah who sacrificed everything so His people could have eternal fellowship with God. Consider sharing this apology video with a Jewish friend to start the conversation. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more great content.
Endnotes:
[1] From Ambrose’s letter to Theodosius: “There is, then, no adequate cause for such a commotion, that the people should be so severely punished for the burning of a building, and much less since it is the burning of a synagogue, a home of unbelief, a house of impiety, a receptacle of folly, which God Himself has condemned.”
[2] To learn more, read The Anguish of the Jews: Twenty-Three Centuries of Antisemitism by Edward Flannery. It is a difficult but important read.
[3] Click here for a helpful article on questions frequently asked by Jewish unbelievers.