Israel / Gaza War

Praying for Peace: A Reflection on Our Jewish Roots in Christianity as Many Blame Our Brothers in Israel

On October 7th, Israel experienced a profound loss of peace when a terrorist army crossed their border from Gaza and initiated indiscriminate attacks on Israelis. The stories of these events are well-known, and I have no desire to recount them once more. The sheer brutality of these actions exceeded even the horrors of the Holocaust. Over the past two weeks, we have been plunged into the horrifying details of the intentional barbarism carried out by this malicious group. Each passing day has brought new stories of the agonizing suffering of the innocent, leaving me continually shocked and heartbroken. It is truly distressing.

However, in the United States, there are many who find it challenging to accept that Israel was without fault. Their immediate assumption tends to be that Israel is to blame for any given situation. They hold the belief that the Jewish State is inherently wicked and bloodthirsty.

In this blog, I will explore the origins of Christianity as a legitimate movement firmly rooted in the religious devotion of first-century Judaism. The early members of the church were devout Jews, not adherents of paganism nor were they apostates. It is essential to recognize that as Christians, our heritage is deeply intertwined with Judaism.[1]

Certain Christians hold the view that the modern State of Israel does not align with the biblical Israel of the Old Testament. According to their theological perspective, they assert that the Christian Church has taken the place of the nation of Israel in God's divine plan. For those who adhere to this theology, the connection between the State of Israel and the Israel of the Bible is seen as symbolic rather than literal, and they maintain that the spiritual significance of Israel has been transferred to the Christian Church. This theological perspective has generated considerable debate and discussion within Christian circles and continues to shape various Christian denominations' teachings and beliefs regarding the relationship between Christianity and the heritage of ancient Israel.

Within Eastern Orthodox theology, a range of perspectives exists, with some theologians embracing replacement theology while others take a more inclusive approach. Throughout history, the Roman Catholic Church has seen periods when supersessionist views held more sway. In certain Protestant denominations, such as the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the United Church of Christ, a particularly strict form of supersessionism is prevalent, and this has led some to label them as anti-Semitic. These denominations advocate for boycotting Israeli products and call for the cessation of aid to Israel. They go so far as to contend that Israel lacks the right to defend itself or retaliate against acts of aggression directed at its people and its territory.

What is supersessionism, also known as replacement theology? It is the belief that the Christian Church has assumed Israel's place in the Abrahamic Covenant. They contend that the destruction of the Jewish state and the Temple in 70 AD was divine retribution for the Jews' rejection of Jesus as the promised Messiah. Therefore, according to this point of view, God abandoned them as a nation. This inaccurate portrayal of Jews and Judaism, comes at a high cost. It leads to the formation of an inauthentic Christian identity, frequently portraying Judaism as a caricature of an inadequate religion abandoned by Christians.[2]

Now we know that God’s gifts and his calls are irrevocable (See Romans 11:29). In Romans 3 Paul asserts point blank that the rejection by the Jewish people of Jesus has not nullified God’s faithfulness to the promises He has made to them. It is true that the Jewish people are currently under discipline because of their rejection of their Messiah. Over and over in Scriptures the prophets said they would be disciplined if they were unfaithful, but always the promise was made that they would be preserved. An example of this type of prophetic statement can be found in Jeremiah 30:11

For I am with you,’ ⌊declares⌋ Yahweh, ‘to save you. For I will make a complete destruction of all the nations to which I scattered you, but you I will not make a complete destruction. And I will chastise you to the measure, and I will not leave you entirely unpunished.’ (The Lexham English Bible)

With the advent of Christ's first coming, the kingdom of God was set in motion, marking the beginning of a new age, the hope promised Israel to be fulfilled at the day of the Lord was upon them. However, the fulfillment and culmination of this kingdom are anticipated to occur upon his second coming. This tension between what God has "already" initiated and what remains "not yet" completed forms a central aspect of the Christian faith. Believers find themselves amid this tension, where they experience the "already" in the transformative power of Christ's ministry and the establishment of God's reign, and simultaneously look forward to the "not yet," when the full realization of God's kingdom will be brought to fruition. God’s spirt dwells inside of us, but we are yet to dwell in God’s complete presence. Christ had victory over sin and death and yet we do not live a perfectly sinless life and eventually we will one day physically die if Christ does not come back before then. This eschatological tension invites believers to live with hope and anticipation, guided by faith in the promises of God and the expectation of the glorious consummation of His kingdom.[3]

The promises made to Israel in the Old Testament are seen as prophecies that will be literally fulfilled by Israel itself, primarily during the millennium, and not as foretelling’s of what God will accomplish spiritually for the Church. God will restore Israel in the future. The land promise, for instance, the nation of Israel will possess all the promised land under Christ’s rule, which still awaits its fulfillment in the premillennial return of Christ and the eternal state.

Keep in mind the Jewish people are God’s chosen people (See Deuteronomy 7:6) God’s continuing love for the Jews despite their persistent spiritual rebellion is a great demonstration of the meaning of grace. The Jewish people have a spiritual veil over their eyes and refuse to acknowledge Jesus as their Messiah (2 Corinthians 3:14)

The new Christian believers, seven weeks after the crucifixion of Jesus, were all gathered in one place. For they too observed all the Jewish feasts. The Day of Pentecost held significant importance within the Jewish faith, alternatively referred to as the Feast of Weeks. This occasion marked the celebration of the wheat harvest and, in certain Jewish customs, was linked to the bestowal of the law and the reaffirmation of the covenant. Jerusalem buzzed with a diverse gathering of Jewish pilgrims from different lands (as seen in Acts 2:5). Among them, a group prepared to commemorate an unusual harvest and covenant recommitment.[4]

During the Pentecost celebration, these Jerusalem-bound pilgrims bore witness to the Holy Spirit's descent upon the Christian faithful. They marveled as the Galilean disciples of Jesus spoke of God's wonders in languages familiar to them. It was at this moment that Peter addressed the assembled crowd, delivering a sermon about Jesus as the Messiah of the Jewish people. Peter's words were forthright, compassionate, and compelling, echoing the style of his mentor, Jesus, yet carrying a tone of warning. His impassioned proclamations elicited a substantial response: over three thousand men (as recorded in 2:41, with no mention of women and children) stepped forward for baptism.[5]

In Peter's powerful proclamation, he introduces the transformative concept that the very Jesus whom they had crucified was not solely the long-awaited Jewish Messiah but also the divine Son of God. This revelation marked the dawning of a profound and unprecedented era—a new age was emerging. The Kingdom of God had arrived, heralding the end of an age dominated by evil and the reign of Satan. In its place, a new world order was beginning, one in which God's sovereignty would prevail unopposed, unleashing a time of divine rule and ultimate redemption. Peter's words carried the weight of a paradigm shift, ushering in a message of hope and transformation, emphasizing the momentous change in the spiritual landscape.[6]

We see that the early Christians did not segregate themselves from their Jewish community. They rather embraced it. Peter and John go together to the temple for afternoon prayers we see in Acts chapter 3. We see even after the Sanhedrin had the apostles imprisoned and beaten for preaching in the name of Jesus, they continued to teach in the temple every day.

Throughout this discussion, it has been explored how Luke meticulously portrayed the first-century Christian Church within a distinctly Jewish setting and context, emphasizing the continuity between Judaism and the emerging Christian movement. This portrayal serves to underscore the profound connections between the two faiths and to validate Christianity's roots in Jewish tradition and history. Luke's meticulous attention to Jewish rituals, the Temple, and the festivals, alongside the Jewish heritage of early Christian leaders like Peter and James, aims to establish the authenticity of the Christian message and its fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. For Christians today, comprehending the Jewish roots of their faith is crucial as it fosters a deeper understanding of the historical and theological foundation of Christianity, promotes interfaith dialogue, and encourages a respectful appreciation of Judaism as an integral part of the shared spiritual heritage. It reinforces the principle of unity amidst diversity and cultivates a richer and more inclusive faith experience.

[1] Robert W. Stacy, “The Jewish Setting of the Early Church in Acts” (video lecture in NBST 520 at Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA, 2019). [2] Anthony J. Saldarini, “Matthew,” in Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible, ed. James D. G. Dunn and John W. Rogerson (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2003), 1005. [3] J. Daniel Hays, J. Scott Duvall, and C. Marvin Pate, Dictionary of Biblical Prophecy and End Times (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2007), 120. [4]Conrad Gempf, “Acts,” in New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, ed. D. A. Carson et al., 4th ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994), 1071. [5]Walter A. Elwell and Robert W. Yarbrough, Encountering the New Testament: A Historical and Theological Survey, Third Edition., Encountering Biblical Studies (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2013), 199. [6] Robert W. Stacy, “Pentecost & the Eschatological Setting of the Early Church in Acts” (video lecture in NBST 520 at Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA, 2019).