Tuesday: Mission to the Jews
I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel
(Matt. 15:24 NIV).
Between His first public appearance and His crucifixion, Jesus focused His ministry almost solely on the Jewish, particularly in Galilee. The Lord addressed Himself first to Israel. Before the Cross, there are very few messages of good news to the Gentiles.
Image © Jim Work from GoodSalt.com
Apparently Jesus wanted to awaken the Jewish people to their place, purpose, and role in God’s overall mission for lost humanity. Israel was to have the opportunity to be the witnesses of God’s message to the world.
Read Matthew 10:5-6. Why would Jesus say here what He did? How do we understand these words in the context of the universal scope of what Christ came to do and in the context of missions as a whole? Contrast this text to Matt. 28:19.
When we consider the life and ministry of Jesus, we must observe a clear distinction between His thinking, ideals, principles, and planning on one side and the way He accomplished these purposes on the other. In His day-to-day life and ministry, He identified Himself with Jewish culture, just as the Old Testament predicted of the Messiah. But the impact of His incarnation was universally applicable. Through His death and resurrection, He would bear the sins of the world (John 1:29).
We detect here an important biblical principle for establishing mission. The first move is directed to creating a center in order to establish a strong and stable geographical and cultural base: Israel and the Jewish people. When that has been accomplished, mission should next develop outward from the center into ever-widening expanses.
Think about your home church. How well does it model the ideas expressed above—that is, a strong and stable base that eventually is able to reach out to others? How can you avoid the danger, which many churches face, of being self-oriented, worrying about your own needs to the neglect of witness and mission?
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Jesus was sent by the Father to the lost sheep of Israel (Matthew 15:24) and by extension those already neglected (lost) by Israel because He had previously promised to make Abraham’s descendants the channel of His love (Romans 15:8; Genesis 28:14).
So why did the Jews reject the One sent? Did He not heal multitudes, feed crowds, show compassion to outcasts and the marginalized, and set at liberty captives of demons and enslaving circumstances? (Luke 4:18) This sounds like a formula for a mass movement.
The problem was with how Christ lived and what He said. Jesus’ life was a continual rebuke to sin in the life of the people and He preached decisively and uncompromisingly against sin (Matthew 5:48), an offense to the disobedient (1 Peter 2:8).
Jesus was not the first sent to Israel. Christ lamented that the people killed the prophets just like they would the Righteous One (Luke 13:34) and for much the same reasons. Those who have been sent to gather the lost sheep of this generation (John 10:16) should not expect to be spared attacks from even those who are already in the fold (or house).
Those who sigh and cry for all the abominations and waywardness of the people (Ezekiel 9:4) will be accused of working with devils, troubling Israel and harshness like Jesus, Elijah and the prophets were before. Messengers need to therefore count the cost and bear the cross (Luke 14:27, 28) as they proceed with the task.
Preachers of righteousness, like Noah, do not get to just deliver soft messages which will endear them to the audience and spare themselves the daggers of unkind remarks. The faithful learn to take the accusations and insults and not revile in kind (1 Peter 2:23). They are pleased to share in the fellowship of Christ’s suffering (1 Peter 4:13).
I love the entire reading Hugh...however the two closing sentences are extremely powerful! May we find in Christ that rock of assurance that alone is able to carry us through because we're sure gonna NEED him! GOD BLESS YOU 🙂
I used to ask "Did the Children of Israel know that their purpose was to spread the news of their wonderful, loving, just and merciful God?"
Then I found the answer in Ps 67 where David says Bless us LORD SO THAT the whole world will know You and praise You. I then discovered other texts which talk about "the nations" or the Gentiles getting to know the LORD as a result of His acts in Israel and eventually all coming to worship on His Holy Mountain. Paul also confirms that the Jews had the "oracles" of God.
I think that is why Jesus said start with those who have a background and history who just need a little revision and they will then be able to go out and share the good news.
Jesus in Matthew 10:5-6 was simply cleaning the house, He would not go to the other people leaving His clan un saved. Even if it proved difficult for Jesus to get through to His own, He had at least tried. When those have failed to accept the gospel, He focossed on the world mission to complete the work He had come to accompalish.
Thats powerful indeed Mary. We dare not go outside to switch on the light, when inside the house there is no light.
It is very interesting to study the text "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel" in context. Jesus shows us that there is an order to things, and He was working within that framework. But when choices had to be made, such as with this Canaanite woman - He felt conflicted momentarily - then chose to help her despite her background, and her daughter. Praise the Lord!
Jesus first went to the house of Israel to awaken the jewish people to their place,purpose and role in God's overall mission for lost humanity.
Israel was chosen because of their goodness, but to carry the light to the gentile world, but just as we forget our purpose by which we are call Matthew 28:19 go ye therefore and teach all nation baptizing them in the name of the father, and of the son and of the Holy Ghost. Let us not forget.
Those who were sent to the lost sheeps of Israel were also jews! amazing facts! what about modern Israel? Before the world fear the maker of the universe the 3 angels have to awake the lost sheeps of the true church. Those sheeps are in the true church :they are blind,poor, naked, etc. The tender voice is calling them to buy from the desire of all nation. But if they don't respond, a little flock , as 12, will spread abroad the glad tidings.
God has always purposed to have a people who safeguards his oracles. He gave Abraham the previledge to be the father of faith. This family of children of faith is in two different phases the literal and spiritual Israel. Jesus' life and death have a significance only to those who accept Him in faith. John 1:12 Romans 2 Rev 22:15 we are therefore invited to join this family not by necessarily becoming a church goer but a Jew spiritually ie our actions are the fruit of faith. There is a question Jesus always ask himself when he comes will he find faith. He will find people who confess but he won't find faith. We ought to pray that He showers us with the Holy spirit for He alone is the authour of our faith. Its all about Jesus it starts and end with Him.
Jesus came to show us that the Messiah was to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah, this open the way for God to fulfill his word from the fall of man. Salvation is one of the wonderful promise God gave to the world. John 4:17 is an awesome scripture with this in mind it is our mission to let other know that Jesus saves and this is a beautiful message to share.
Which is the true church? Do you Think everyone is spreading the word?
Jasmine, The short answer is that those who truly love and worship the LORD according to His Word make up the true church.
There are some texts that describe the LORD's people in the last days like Rev 12:17 and their message in Rev 14:6-12.
Reason why Israel was chosen, read Deut. 7:6,7.but they failed from fulfilling their divine purpose even after the prophetic time frame of 70-weeks. As Adventist we have been chosen to be the reflector of true light to this dark world if we fail to heed this divine mandate then other converts will finish the mission. May God have mercy on us and grant us the grace to do His work.