“Please Don’t Publish This Video”
Life in Messiah is committed to helping our Jewish friends find Jesus in the Hebrew Scriptures. You can help us reach more Jewish people by giving today!
It was a busy day of filming for Beau and Levi. In the crowded Jerusalem streets, they easily found people who were willing to be interviewed on camera. Before pressing record, Beau was careful to get informed consent from each interviewee. He explained how the videos would be used and got each interviewee’s signature allowing their interview to be published.
One young man, an Israeli student named *Shlomo, readily agreed to an interview. After Shlomo signed the consent form, Levi asked him to read aloud an English translation of an ancient text. “…He was pierced for our offenses,” read Shlomo. “He was crushed for our wrongdoings…by His wounds we are healed….” Shlomo went on for several more verses, the camera rolling. His posture was relaxed as he read, though he seemed to suspect what this interview was about.
At the end of the passage, Levi asked Shlomo if he could explain what the text was about. Shlomo didn’t hesitate. “It’s obviously about Jesus,” he said. Levi confirmed this and asked, “Do you know where this comes from?” Shlomo shrugged. Considering himself a faithful Jew, he wasn’t interested in Jesus. But he tensed up at Levi’s next words.
“This passage is from the prophet Isaiah in the Hebrew Bible,” Levi explained. “It was written hundreds of years before Jesus was born.” Shlomo glanced nervously at the camera. “I know I signed a consent form, but please don’t publish this video,” he said. Beau and Levi agreed to honor Shlomo’s wishes and watched sadly as he hurried away.
It’s a familiar scene. Rabbinic Judaism rejects Jesus as Messiah, and many Jewish people consider belief in Jesus to be antithetical to Jewish identity. Our digital team has found that many Jewish people grow visibly uncomfortable when they realize they’ve acknowledged on camera who this prophecy is about. While we regret not being able to publish Shlomo’s interview, we rejoice that he has clearly seen how his own Scriptures point to Jesus as the Messiah. We pray God will soften his and others’ hearts to the truth.
Pray that Shlomo will find courage to face what he read in Isaiah: clear identification of Jesus as the Jewish Messiah.
Support ministry to Jewish people like Shlomo.
The Old Testament is clear. Not everyone is ready for it.
Several Hebrew prophecies clearly point to Jesus as the Messiah, but Rabbinic Judaism finds alternate interpretations for them. However, we have found time and again that when Jewish people read these passages without realizing they’re from the Hebrew Bible, they instantly recognize that the prophecies are about Jesus.
Many Jewish people are disturbed when they realize how clearly their own Scriptures identify Jesus as the Messiah. Though they’re not always ready to accept this, we recognize the power of God’s Word at work in these encounters. We see this in the video below, where Dan reveals how he met God in the Hebrew Scriptures.
Help us introduce more Jewish people to the Messianic prophecies!
*In order to protect our staff and those we work with, we often alter names and faces in our publications.
A Gift for You!
The time is coming when the world’s entire Jewish population will recognize Jesus as Messiah! In God, Israel, and Bible Prophecy, author Levi Hazen delves into Bible prophecies that reveal God’s ultimate purpose for Israel and the world. When you make a minimum donation of $7, we’ll mail you a copy of this exciting look at God’s future plans.
(Mailed to U.S. addresses only. Please allow 2–3 weeks for shipping.)