Article Contributed on: 2/9/2007 1:24:48 AM
One of the things that most bothers and mystifies me about some of my fellow Christians is a certain thread of anti-semitism that still lives on in today's church. Mind you - it falls WAY short of what the world witnessed during the crusades and the senseless slaughter of untold numbers of Jews - but it exists all the same. And it's just as senseless.
As near as I can tell, the main problem that many Christians have with Jews today is due to one of two things: either Christians are mad at Jews because "they killed Christ" or because "they refuse to accept Christ." Both of these arguments are foolish and utterly Un-Biblical, in my opinion, but let's begin by addressing the first one...
Those of us who read The Bible know that, although Yeshua was tried in a Roman court, the charges against Him were vacated; the ruling legal authority could find no charge to bring against Him. Since He was a Jew (hello?), He was to be released unto the Jewish citizenry, but they would not hear of it. The Jewish audience insisted that Yeshua be crucified for His claim of being the Son of God. And so it was done.
At this point, my question to my fellow Christians is, "so what?" So it was the Jews rather than Romans that insisted on Yeshua's crucifixion. Why would this surprise anyone? Was Yeshua supposed to prove His immortality by living on this earth forever? If that were the case, where would He be now - in Vegas doing shows 3 nights a week, (matinee on Sunday!), and going on the road with His Traveling, "Healing And Forgiveness" festival twice a year? Of course not.
And if you think I'm being flippant in my Faith, consider this: Christians are supposed to believe in God's Plan for everything. Christians believe with all their soul that Christ was sent here to be sacrificed. So it should come as no surprise that He was. Further, who else would God have sacrifice His Son than His Chosen people?
Even in the sacrifice of His Son Yeshua, God was doing exactly what He promised He always would: reveal Himself through the actions of the Children of Israel.
The other "dispute" - if you will - Christians seem to have with Jews is that Jews reject the notion that Yeshua is the Son of God. (Indeed, it was for this claim that they had Him crucified in the first place.) Christians will point to John 14, verse 6 where Yeshua says: "I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to The Father except through me" as a means of justifying their disgruntlement (poetic license) with Jews. It is here where the spirit of the crusades lives on.
But it's utterly unnecessary. Allow me to explain...
Yes I believe that The Bible - including John 14:6 - is the Word of God and therefore absolutely true. But I also believe that there is a great danger in the over-examination of a single verse at the expense of thousands of others. They all fit together for a reason.
So to those Christians who cite John and say that without Christ, Jews will not be saved, I offer this perspective:
Yeshua told us He was the passage between the gentiles and His Father - God. Too many of my Faith have taken that passage and run on in the error that only through Christ is one able to see God. But I suggest that this belief is only true if God is bed-ridden. And Ill. And unable to entertain visitors, except under the most important of circumstances...
To approach God is one thing. To suggest that He is unable of approaching you is another entirely.
The Christian should continually pray:
Through Yeshua's death - in my place - I have been perfected in the world that's to come.
Through Yeshua's triumph over death I have been offered ever-lasting favor in the name of the one, true God.
Through Yeshua I become a child of Abraham. Like all of the Jews and Christians before me...
Chris Stone is a member of The First Baptist Church of Evergreen.