Sharing Jesus with Jewish people
All over the world, Jewish people are coming to faith in Jesus as Messiah and Saviour. Many of these new Jewish believers were first introduced to Jesus by ordinary Christians who took the time to share their lives and the gospel with them.
Today, it is estimated that there are over 280,000 Jewish people living in the UK. This brings both opportunities and challenges for the gospel. You do not have to be an ‘expert’ to tell a Jewish person, or indeed anyone else, about Jesus. A consistent Christian life is a powerful testimony in itself but it helps to know something about the people to whom you are witnessing. And this includes Jewish people.
JEWISH PEOPLE ARE THE SAME AS EVERYONE ELSE
It may sound a strange thing to say, but Jewish people are just like everybody else; they experience the same hopes, fears, joys and sorrows as other people. Most importantly, they are the same spiritually – sinners in need of a Saviour.
JEWISH PEOPLE ARE ALSO DIFFERENT FROM EVERYONE ELSE
Many Jewish people retain a distinctive cultural and/or religious tradition. While there are significant numbers of secular Jewish people, others retain practices, opinions, attitudes and figures of speech that have become second nature to them, including the almost universally held Jewish belief that Jewish people cannot believe in Jesus.
Three major influences have contributed to this distinctiveness:
God
The Jewish people were called by God to be a kingdom of priests (Ex 19:6), his witness to the nations (Is 43:10), a light to the Gentiles (Is 49:6) and a blessing to the world (Gen 12:3). God is so involved with the history of the Jewish people that the idea of God is hard to erase from their consciousness, even though many Jewish people claim to be agnostic or atheistic.
Tradition
Since AD 70, rabbinic tradition has been the means of keeping Jewish people distinct from the nations they have lived among. Being considered the possessors of the Torah (the first five Books of the Bible) has often generated a moral sensitivity and a concern for the needs of others.
Persecution
Persecution has been a tragic and appalling feature of Jewish history. This has strengthened Jewish people’s sense of solidarity as well as making them acutely sensitive to criticism from outside the community.
YOUR APPROACH
Sharing Jesus with Jewish people is not difficult, and we have a few pointers that can help you along the way…
Be genuinely friendly
Many Jewish people think religious Christians blame them for ‘killing Christ’. Jewish people need to see that we respect and love them, so whatever you do or say, do it or say it in love.
Be grateful
Don’t be afraid to tell Jewish people you are grateful to them as a people because their ancestors preserved the Bible you know and love. Let them know you appreciate them because they have helped you to come to know the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Furthermore, because of the New Covenant (Jer 31:31) you now also worship the Jewish Messiah!
You could also add your gratitude for the fact that the Jewish community, which only comprises less than half of one percent of the world’s population, has made a disproportionate contribution to mankind. Over one hundred Jewish scientists, economists and philanthropists have received the Nobel Prize since its inception in 1901, especially in the categories of science and medicine. We have much for which to thank the Jewish people!
Be careful with your terminology
Some of the terms we love as Christians conjure up images of idolatry and persecution in the imaginations of Jewish people. Instead of ‘Christ’, try using ‘Messiah’; try to talk about ‘the Hebrew Scriptures’ instead of ‘the Old Testament’; also say ‘the Jewish people’ rather than ‘the Jews’ and ‘repent’ instead of ‘convert’.
Be Messiah-centric!
It is helpful to bring up the law (of Moses) and how we all fail to keep it. We need to remind our Jewish friend that God requires absolute and unswerving obedience to his law (Dt 28:1, 58, 59) and that this is not something we can achieve on our own – this is why God sent his Messiah, Jesus!
We should point out that Jesus is the fulfilment of all that the Jewish prophets foretold: Christianity is Jewish in its origins. The following Messianic prophecies are not only helpful, surprisingly they are actually not well known by most Jewish people…
Isaiah 7:14: The Messiah would be born of a virgin
Micah 5:2: The Messiah will be born in Bethlehem.
Isaiah 52:13-53:12: The Messiah is the Righteous Servant of God who would fulfil the role of High Priest by making intercession for transgressors (53:12) is also the sacrifice who, like the scapegoat on Yom Kippur (Lev 16:20-22), carries away sins (53:4,6,10,11,12) but that he would rise again from the dead (53:11).
Psalm 22:1, 6-8, 16-18: The Messiah was to be forsaken, mocked and his hands and feet were to be pierced.
Daniel 9:25, 26: The Messiah had to appear before Jerusalem and the temple would be destroyed.
ASK QUESTIONS
Asking questions is a great way to demonstrate genuine interest in the person you’re talking to, as well as finding out what they think about various issues.
A good way of starting a discussion is to ask leading questions about what your Jewish friends or acquaintances believe: Do they attend synagogue? How do they celebrate the festivals today? Why don't they offer sacrifices any longer? Do they believe in the coming of Messiah? If so, how will they recognise him when he comes?
Above all, be genuine, be sincere and be yourself as you share Jesus with your Jewish friends. Give thanks to God for the Jewish people you meet and make God’s love for them, as well as your own, evident as you build your relationship and tell them about Jesus.
GOING FURTHER
Christian Witness to Israel works with Jewish people all over the world, telling them about Jesus and helping to disciple them as they in grow in their faith. If you would like help in sharing Jesus with your friend, please don’t hesitate to contact us! Read inspiring stories of lives that have been transformed by meeting Jesus here, or call us on 01865 887830.