Did Jesus come for only the Jews?

[Dave M]

I have herd it said that Jesus came only for the Jews and then they usually bring up this scripture to back up there case

Matthew 15:24
He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

any thoughts on this would be appreciated, I think Jesus came to save all of us

 

[B-A-C]

Matt 15:24; But He answered and said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

It specifically says "the house of Israel" here. So it's not even talking about "spiritual Jews" here. It's talking about biological Jews.
But if Jesus only came to save the Jews, why are any Gentiles even Christians at all?

Luke 2:30; For my eyes have seen Your salvation,
Luke 2:31; Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
Luke 2:32; A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, And the glory of Your people Israel."

Acts 15:17; SO THAT THE REST OF MANKIND MAY SEEK THE LORD, AND ALL THE GENTILES WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME,'

 

[Reba1]

Matt 15:24; But He answered and said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

It specifically says "the house of Israel" here. So it's not even talking about "spiritual Jews" here. It's talking about biological Jews.
But if Jesus only came to save the Jews, why are any Gentiles even Christians at all?

Luke 2:30; For my eyes have seen Your salvation,
Luke 2:31; Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
Luke 2:32; A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, And the glory of Your people Israel."

Acts 15:17; SO THAT THE REST OF MANKIND MAY SEEK THE LORD, AND ALL THE GENTILES WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME,'

I am not well and away from my computer,so I won't have Scriptures to post.
@B-A-C iI have a different understanding of the Scriptures you post here. To me your posting clearly points out , there is one people , one body , one Christ, we are one from Adam to you and I.

 

[PearlB]

John 1:11
He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.

Jesus was sent to the Jews who were his own people but they did not recognise him as the Messiah they were waiting for so the gospel was opened up to the gentiles.

 

[JerryfromMass]

No, Jesus did not come only for the Jews. Jesus came to the Jews because HE chose Israel when HE chose Abraham, and HE chose them to provoke Israel to be a light to the entire world so that the world would know that there is a God that they can put their faith in for salvation.

Jesus is God in the flesh. In the beginning, God intended man to live in harmony with HIM for ever, but sin and rebellion brough death to humanity. After God saw that man was only evil continually, God destroyed all on the earth in the flood, save Noah and his family.

After the flood and repopulation explosion, God saw that man continued in their prideful wicked manner, seeking to bring God to them at Babel instead of worshipping God in spirit and in truth. That's when God decided to choose a faithful man (Abraham) to be a light to the peoples of the world. From Abraham came Isaac and Jacob/Israel. Soon God saw that Israel was not doing as God had purposed them, so HE sent HIS prophets and judges and then kings, all in an effort to provoke Israel to be the City shining on a hill for all the nations and peoples to see that there is a God in Israel, and God is the way to salvation through faith.

When Israel rejected the prophets and kings, God in the flesh (Jesus) came to Israel to one last time provoke Israel to do what God had commanded her to do. When Israel rejected Jesus, Jesus as God the Son died on the cross and finished the work to redeem all people who belueve through faith. Jesus was the LIGHT of the world by which men must be saved. No longer was Israel going to be provoked to be the light, but they are provoked into jealousy toward the gentiles who have come to faith in the One that the Jewish prophets said would be Messiah.

Conclusion: Jesus as God incarnate did not come just for the Jew but came to Israel (the very one HE chose to fulfill HIS purpose for all humanity) to once again provoke Israel to do that which God purposed them to do from when HE chose Abraham, that is: be a light to the nations.

Blessings

 

[Reba1]

John 1:11
He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.

Jesus was sent to the Jews who were his own people but they did not recognise him as the Messiah they were waiting for so the gospel was opened up to the gentiles.

Would the Cross have happened if the Jews had not rejected Jesus?

 

[JerryfromMass]

Would the Cross have happened if the Jews had not rejected Jesus?

Interesting question. Hypothetical of course. But if we look at the prophet Isaiah, we see that God's plan was to have Messiah come as a suffering servant who would be despised by his own, which in turn would lead to the Cross.

Blessings

 

[Reba1]

John 1:11
He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.

Jesus was sent to the Jews who were his own people but they did not recognise him as the Messiah they were waiting for so the gospel was opened up to the gentiles.

The above paragraph reads like if they had recognized as the Messiah the gospel would not have been opened to the gentiles. Which is why the question was asked?

 

[Dave M]

The above paragraph reads like if they had recognized as the Messiah the gospel would not have been opened to the gentiles. Which is why the question was asked?

exactly some people act as if God had to have a plan B in case,,,, Gods plan from the start was that Jesus would die for the sins of all us of us,,,that Jesus would start a church,,,,,,,,

God is Sovereign,

 

[Butch5]

I have herd it said that Jesus came only for the Jews and then they usually bring up this scripture to back up there case

Matthew 15:24
He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

any thoughts on this would be appreciated, I think Jesus came to save all of us

Hi Dave,

Come for or come to? There's a big difference. He came for, to redeem, all of mankind. However, He came to the Jews

 

[Born Again 2004]

HE came for ANYONE who believes, God knew this before the foundation.
John 12: 44-50
Didn't He save the Samaratin Woman?

 

[Dave M]

Hi Dave,

Come for or come to? There's a big difference. He came for, to redeem, all of mankind. However, He came to the Jews

I never noticed that before outstanding catch, thank you @Butch5

 

[Brother-Paul]

We can ask the question what if the Jews accepted Jesus as their Messiah, would he have made salvation available to the gentiles, but it is irrelevant because they didn't accept him, and God knew it would happen that way. There was no plan B, God knew beforehand what would happen and his plan A was fulfilled.

I wonder, would the question not be better as, what did Jesus 'come for' rather than who did he come to?

He came to be our sin bearer 1 John 4:5

He came to destroy the works of the devil 1 John 3:8

He came to give us eternal life
1 John 4:9

He came to be the Atoning Sacrifice for our sins. 1 John 4:10

He came to be the Saviour of the world. 1 John 4:14

Not forgetting

Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

 

[JerryfromMass]

Hi Dave,

Come for or come to? There's a big difference. He came for, to redeem, all of mankind. However, He came to the Jews

We can ask the question what if the Jews accepted Jesus as their Messiah, would he have made salvation available to the gentiles, but it is irrelevant because they didn't accept him, and God knew it would happen that way. There was no plan B, God knew beforehand what would happen and his plan A was fulfilled.

I wonder, would the question not be better as, what did Jesus 'come for' rather than who did he come to?

He came to be our sin bearer 1 John 4:5

He came to destroy the works of the devil 1 John 3:8

He came to give us eternal life
1 John 4:9

He came to be the Atoning Sacrifice for our sins. 1 John 4:10

He came to be the Saviour of the world. 1 John 4:14

Not forgetting

Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

Amen and AMEN.

 

[Butch5]

I never noticed that before outstanding catch, thank you @Butch5

Thanks Dave. That's why I dig down into the details. Little things like this make such a big difference. They are easy to overlook.

 

[BlessedBeyondBelief]

I have herd it said that Jesus came only for the Jews and then they usually bring up this scripture to back up there case

Matthew 15:24
He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

any thoughts on this would be appreciated, I think Jesus came to save all of us

The House of Israel is specifically the Northern Tribes ( Northern Kingdom) of Israel:
Asher, Gad, Naphtali... etc (All but Judah and Benjamin, which assimilated into Judah/Jews).
The house of Israel were taken into Assyrian captivity. The tribe of Judah was taken into Babylonian captivity. ( See Kings, Chronicles )
Judah came out after 70 years and tried to recover and continue their heritage and customs ( See Ezra, Nehemiah )
The House of Israel did not come back and were scattered and assimilated into wherever they went.
No one knows who they are (in terms of bloodline) ...

So, Jesus came for many things ( atone for our sins, become the model of how to live etc.)
But He also came to regather the lost tribes back to the way of life God had commanded.



Jeremiah Prophecy

Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 4 I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord.

5 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

7 “Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when they shall no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ 8 but ‘As the Lord lives who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he[a] had driven them.’ Then they shall dwell in their own land.” -Jeremiah 23:3-8

 

[Born Again 2004]

This is fine and we'll and probably very accurate...as far as the Old Covenant is concerned but we live under the New Covenant where God saves and treats the Jew and Gentile alike.

None is more symbolic of this than Jesus's encounter with the Samaratin Woman. Eventhough this happened during the times of the Old Testament, Jesus was leading the way for the New Testament which He was about to usher in with His death, burial and ressurrction!

 

[BlessedBeyondBelief]

Jesus to the Jews. (Not "for")
Disciples and Apostles (Paul, Phillip, You etc.) to the gentiles nations.
Salvation to all who accept it.
God is good.

 

[Butch5]

How do we know that the wicked don't burn forever? Jesus told His disciple that it was better to cut off their hand than to be cast into Gehenna where the fire isn't quenched. The apostle John said that those not found in the book of life would be cast into the Lake of Fire. How do we reconcile these two destinies of sinners? We conclude that Gehenna and the Lake of Fire are one and the same place. Isaiah tells us of this place called Gehenna.

22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.
23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.
24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.(Isa. 66:22-1:1 KJV)

The first thing we notice here is that it is dead bodies that are burning. It's not disembodied living beings. It's dead bodies. So, this creates a problem for the ETC doctrine,. How can people be consciously tortured in Gehenna when we see that it is dead bodies that are burning and not living beings?

What does Jeremiah say about this place called Gehenna?

38 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the city shall be built to the LORD from the tower of Hananeel unto the gate of the corner.
39 And the measuring line shall yet go forth over against it upon the hill Gareb, and shall compass about to Goath.
40 And the whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, and all the fields unto the brook of Kidron, unto the corner of the horse gate toward the east, shall be holy unto the LORD; it shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more for ever. (Jer. 31:38-40 KJV)

Jeremiah tells us that this area will be rebuilt. It's going to be restored and the valley of dead bodies, Gehenna, will one ay be made Holy to the Lord.

 

[Reba1]

The House of Israel is specifically the Northern Tribes ( Northern Kingdom) of Israel:
Asher, Gad, Naphtali... etc (All but Judah and Benjamin, which assimilated into Judah/Jews).
The house of Israel were taken into Assyrian captivity. The tribe of Judah was taken into Babylonian captivity. ( See Kings, Chronicles )
Judah came out after 70 years and tried to recover and continue their heritage and customs ( See Ezra, Nehemiah )
The House of Israel did not come back and were scattered and assimilated into wherever they went.
No one knows who they are (in terms of bloodline) ...

So, Jesus came for many things ( atone for our sins, become the model of how to live etc.)
But He also came to regather the lost tribes back to the way of life God had commanded.



Jeremiah Prophecy

Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 4 I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord.

5 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

7 “Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when they shall no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ 8 but ‘As the Lord lives who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he[a] had driven them.’ Then they shall dwell in their own land.” -Jeremiah 23:3-8

Jos 21:42 These cities were every one with their suburbs round about them: thus were all these cities.
Jos 21:43 And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein.
Jos 21:44 And the LORD gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.
Jos 21:45 There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.