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In Matthew 15, there is an incident that, at first, seems to confirm the idea that Jesus came only for the Jews. Jesus was traveling through Tyre and Sidon, a Gentile region, and “a Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly’” (Matthew 15:22). This Gentile woman recognized Jesus as the Messiah but “Jesus did not answer a word." As the woman kept up her appeals, Jesus finally responded, but His words seemed to hold little hope: “I was sent 'only' to the lost sheep of Israel” (v 24). However, the woman did not give up, and Jesus eventually granted her request, based on her “great faith” (v 28).
Did Jesus come only for the Jews and not the Gentiles?---if so, what was God's plan for the Gentiles???? (did he have a plan for them or where they just going to be sent to Hell?)
Christ didn't know that the Jews would reject him, else he wouldn't have preached the Gospel to them. (Since God is omniscient, he knew that the Jews would reject Christ). Is Jesus NOT also God and if so, why bother preaching to the Jews?
However, If this is true, and Christ IS GOD, then why would he say “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel” knowing full well they would reject him? Why did God send Jesus to preach to the Jews ONLY?
What was God's plan for the Gentiles...did he have a plan to Save them too? Did he change his plan (MID-WAY) into Jesus's Ministry (did God make changes to his plan "on the Fly???)
Just Curious to hear some of these answers...as i investigate more into Jesus and his mission.
In Matthew 15, there is an incident that, at first, seems to confirm the idea that Jesus came only for the Jews. Jesus was traveling through Tyre and Sidon, a Gentile region, and “a Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly’” (Matthew 15:22). This Gentile woman recognized Jesus as the Messiah but “Jesus did not answer a word." As the woman kept up her appeals, Jesus finally responded, but His words seemed to hold little hope: “I was sent 'only' to the lost sheep of Israel” (v 24). However, the woman did not give up, and Jesus eventually granted her request, based on her “great faith” (v 28).
Did Jesus come only for the Jews and not the Gentiles?---if so, what was God's plan for the Gentiles???? (did he have a plan for them or where they just going to be sent to Hell?)
Christ didn't know that the Jews would reject him, else he wouldn't have preached the Gospel to them. (Since God is omniscient, he knew that the Jews would reject Christ). Is Jesus NOT also God and if so, why bother preaching to the Jews?
However, If this is true, and Christ IS GOD, then why would he say “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel” knowing full well they would reject him? Why did God send Jesus to preach to the Jews ONLY?
What was God's plan for the Gentiles...did he have a plan to Save them too? Did he change his plan (MID-WAY) into Jesus's Ministry (did God make changes to his plan "on the Fly???)
Just Curious to hear some of these answers...as i investigate more into Jesus and his mission.
Thanks...
Hi Balkins. Jesus came to die for all men, both Jew or Gentile. But He also came to offer to bring in the physical, political kingdom of God on earth if the Jews would accept Him as the Messiah. If they had, Jesus would have brought in the kingdom after going to the cross. Because they rejected Him, as He knew they would, the offer was withdrawn and the kingdom postponed until His second advent. It is because they rejected Him that Jesus said in Matthew 21:43;
Matthew 21:43 "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it.
While Jesus came to die for all men, He had to offer to initiate the kingdom which was spoken of in the Old Testament. That is why Jesus' personal ministry was to the Jews. After His resurrection the disciples asked Jesus if it was at that time that He would restore the kingdom to Israel;
Acts 1:6 So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?"
In reply, Jesus told them that it wasn't for them to know the times and epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority (Acts 1:7). Just before ascending into heaven Jesus gave the great commission to the apostles to take the gospel to all the nations (Matthew 28:19).
It was only in the sense of offering to bring in the physical, literal, political kingdom of God on earth at that time that Jesus came only to Israel. He came to die for all men.
As for the Gentles, during the present church-age, whenever anyone, whether Jew or Gentile accepts Jesus as Savior he is entered into the body of Christ. The church is a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) in which there is neither Jew nor Gentile (Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:11), but 'Church.' Not a reference to a building where believers meet for worship, but a reference to all believers during the church-age. All believers in this dispensation have been baptized by the Holy Spirit into Christ and are one body (1 Corinthians 12:13).
Jesus spoke of the coming of His church which He would build in Matthew 16:18.
Last edited by Michael Way; 02-27-2018 at 07:34 AM..
and for more on this question scroll down the list of recent threads check out the one entitled "were the twelve sent out to the whole world" . and yes as Mike indicates the general "traditional" Christian belief is that it was ultimately God's plan in Christ to redeem the whole world Jew and Gentile alike---or He would not have healed Samaritans and Romans in the first place or told His disciples to indeed go "and make disciples of the whole world" so that in Christ ALL THINGS will be reconciled to Him (Col. 1:20).
or as John puts it:
He came unto His own (i.e. the Jews originally) and His own received Him not BUT as many that received Him, He gave the power to be sons of God through belief in His Name..." (John 1:11-13)
through God's eternal plan of grace and mercy ALL of us regardless of race or culture or dwelling place can become beloved children of ONE Father and co-heirs to His eternal Kingdom.
in the peace of Christ.
Last edited by georgeinbandonoregon; 02-27-2018 at 09:33 AM..
Galatians 3:8
Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith,
and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “Allnations will be blessed through you.”
Meaning the gospel message "by faith" of being God's chosen people was meant for all nations ... Gen 12:3; 18:18; 22:18
Jesus' own personal ministry was solely to the children of Israel. He did not minister to the gentiles. He later instructed His apostles to spread His gospel to all nations and the scriptures make it clear that He atoned for the sins of all mankind. John 3:16 states, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." It doesn't say, "For God so loved Israel that he gave his only begotten Son..."
and for more on this question scroll down the list of recent threads check out the one entitled "were the twelve sent out to the whole world" . and yes as Mike indicates the general "traditional" Christian belief is that it was ultimately God's plan in Christ to redeem the whole world Jew and Gentile alike---or He would not have healed Samaritans and Romans in the first place or told His disciples to indeed go "and make disciples of the whole world" so that in Christ ALL THINGS will be reconciled to Him (Col. 1:20).
or as John puts it:
He came unto His own (i.e. the Jews originally) and His own received Him not BUT as many that received Him, He gave the power to be sons of God through belief in His Name..." (John 1:11-13)
through God's eternal plan of grace and mercy ALL of us regardless of race or culture or dwelling place can become beloved children of ONE Father and co-heirs to His eternal Kingdom.
in the peace of Christ.
Hi George. Too soon to rep you, gotta spread those reps around, but good post.
In Matthew 15, there is an incident that, at first, seems to confirm the idea that Jesus came only for the Jews. Jesus was traveling through Tyre and Sidon, a Gentile region, and “a Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly’” (Matthew 15:22). This Gentile woman recognized Jesus as the Messiah but “Jesus did not answer a word." As the woman kept up her appeals, Jesus finally responded, but His words seemed to hold little hope: “I was sent 'only' to the lost sheep of Israel” (v 24). However, the woman did not give up, and Jesus eventually granted her request, based on her “great faith” (v 28).
Did Jesus come only for the Jews and not the Gentiles?---if so, what was God's plan for the Gentiles???? (did he have a plan for them or where they just going to be sent to Hell?)
Christ didn't know that the Jews would reject him, else he wouldn't have preached the Gospel to them. (Since God is omniscient, he knew that the Jews would reject Christ). Is Jesus NOT also God and if so, why bother preaching to the Jews?
However, If this is true, and Christ IS GOD, then why would he say “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel” knowing full well they would reject him? Why did God send Jesus to preach to the Jews ONLY?
What was God's plan for the Gentiles...did he have a plan to Save them too? Did he change his plan (MID-WAY) into Jesus's Ministry (did God make changes to his plan "on the Fly???)
Just Curious to hear some of these answers...as i investigate more into Jesus and his mission.
Thanks...
Two kingdoms, the Northern Kingdom called Israel and known as Ephraim had NEVER BEEN JEWS. For 300 years the kingdom of Ephraim called the Torah a strange thing and they defied God and Judah in their rejection of Jerusalem and all it's feasts and laws and they built their own holy places and temple where they became confederate with Syria and Egypt AGAINST Judah. Those Israelis were lawless pagan who claimed that they had the new wine of spirit where all of them became prophets and sons of prophets of Baal and they could not have been more different than the kingdom of Judah.
God wiped that kingdom out and he scattered those people to all the nations of the earth except for a 7000 man remnant that Paul was a member of.
''GO ONLY TO THE LOST HOUSE OF ISRAEL.''
There were 7000 members from the lost house of Israel that were currently living as Jews, amongst Jews but their fathers were not Jews, they were of the lost kingdom of Israel just as Paul was, and just as all of the disciples were.
Paul is explaining his history in the beginning of Romans showing how his people had become wicked and God ended their kingdom but where God ended their kingdom in Hosea 1, God also gives these lost Gentiles great hope that one day the lost Gentiles would return in repentance of taking on Pagan holy days and becoming lawless Gentiles to be enemies with Judah.
Paul is explaining in Romans 9 and 10 and 11 how God ended the ten lost tribes known as Ephraim, and now when a Gentile comes converting to Judaism to become one with Jews, that Gentile can grasp ahold of the promise to the ten lost tribes in Hosea 2. Hosea 2 shows the betrothal that a Jew would offer many Gentiles who came under this promise, and so John the Baptist was sent out just as Elijah had been sent out into the Northern Kingdom. The mission of Elijah and John is Solely to the northern kingdom called Israel/ NOT JUDAH.
Now Gentile could repent of their pagan ways and come to celebrate a Passover lamb and be redeemed into Israel through a betrothal to a Jew.
But that was a brief moment in History when Gentiles became co-heirs with Jews. 100 years after Jesus died, we saw the great apostasy that we were informed of in Thess when the Gentiles converted to the religions of Rome and Babylon and separated themselves from Jews and being co-heirs with Jews because Gentiles were not brave enough to look like a Jew, and I don't blame them back then, but they separated themselves from the covenant of Jesus that Jesus only brings for the lost house of Israel and Judah.
For 2000 years, NO GENTILE has been added to the nation of Israel through a redeeming betrothal to a Jew because of the fact that the Gentile rejects the covenant when he calls the Torah a strange thing, rejects the holy days of Jerusalem and Jerusalem itself, and then becomes enemies to Judah.
Jesus took two men named Ephraim and Judah and made them one servant until the Gentiles abandoned Jesus and the Jews, and no Gentiles have come under the covenant of Jesus since recent years, just in the last 100 years, Gentiles are now coming back to the covenant of Jesus where they become one with Jews.
God doesn't exclude anyone, but he wont force you to abandon all your pagan ways, and he wont force you to accept only his ways, but the offer is always good.
Salvation for All Nations ~ Isaiah 56 1Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed. 2Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. 3Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. 4For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; 5Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. 6Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; 7Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. 8The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.
It is up to you to take hold of the covenant of God, but don't let anyone fool you, if they have not done the things that are written here in Isaiah 56, they have no business saying they are under the covenant of Jesus. Let the whole world be gathered, but God only has one law, one set of ways with his own peculiar worship system of Sabbaths and feasts, and you either convert to them or you don't, and if you don't, then why make the claim that you have an inheritance in Israel or any gift from the holy days of God when you in fact, don't believe in keeping the holy days ordained by God?
Jesus' own personal ministry was solely to the children of Israel. He did not minister to the gentiles. He later instructed His apostles to spread His gospel to all nations and the scriptures make it clear that He atoned for the sins of all mankind. John 3:16 states, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." It doesn't say, "For God so loved Israel that he gave his only begotten Son..."
well, Katz, Jesus apparently stayed in a Samaritan (who were of course regarded as "heathens" and most certainly not "children of Israel" by the Jews) town for several days and caused many there to believe in Him so they could say "... we know that this Man really IS the Savior of the world." (John 4:1-42--which contains the famous story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well) .
one might say that Jesus mission was to show to both the Jews and the Gentiles that He had indeed offered salvation to the Jews FIRST but that they (at least most of the religious leaders) would indeed ultimately reject him as was foretold by the prophets (like Isaiah's description of the "suffering servant"---Isaiah 53), or as Jesus told His own disciples "the Son of Man will delivered up to the hands of sinners and be crucified..." (Luke 24:7 and Mark 9:31) which would cause Him to lament for Jerusalem and it's people as "killers of the prophets" despite His desire to care for them as a hen cares for her chicks (Luke 13:34) so everything which happened was no surprise to Jesus and thus part of a Divine plan of salvation for both Jew and Gentile.
in the peace of Christ.
Last edited by georgeinbandonoregon; 02-27-2018 at 12:00 PM..
Hi George. Too soon to rep you, gotta spread those reps around, but good post.
thanks Mike. "reps" are always appreciated if they can be had but a "thumbs up" from you most especially is a pleasant way to start the day, LOL and here's one right back at you .
Galatians 3:8
Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith,
and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “Allnations will be blessed through you.”
Meaning the gospel message "by faith" of being God's chosen people was meant for all nations ... Gen 12:3; 18:18; 22:18
what he said ^^^^^
Mike also gave a good reply above.
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