Sharing Jesus
with friends who don't know Him... yet
A Faith Sharing Moment
Whose Messiah?
One Saturday night I received a phone call from Mark, an acquaintance who was a volunteer chaplain at the Salvation Army. A drunk deaf man had just checked in at the men's unit, and they did not have anyone on staff who knew Sign Language. Mark remembered that I was a pastor for a deaf church, so he looked up my number, called and asked if I could come out to interpret for the staff and their new resident.
I arrived at the unit about an hour later, shortly after nine. The front desk officer told me that Mark was in the chapel, just finishing the evening service. I slipped into the back of the tiny chapel. It was obvious that the service was over, and everyone had just left... everyone, except one man and my friend Mark. The two of them we chatting in front of the chapel. Room was small and the acoustics were good, so from the back pew, I could clearly hear everything that they were saying. I was in no hurry, so I would simply wait for Mark to finish his discussion.
"I know what the church teaches, and I understand what they say about Jesus," the man told Mark. "I have read the New Testament. And I've read arguments pro- and con- about the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. I find it interesting. But I'm Jewish, and I am not sure if all this stuff about Jesus being the Messiah is really true."
Mark reminded the man that Jesus is Jewish, as were the Twelve Disciples and the Apostle Paul. Mark also reminded him that God had chosen Israel to bring salvation to the whole world, which included him, through the Messiah Jesus. Mark reminded his friend that Christ's death on the cross was the sacrifice of the perfect lamb of God for his sins, and God offers him complete forgiveness and the promise of eternal life as a free gift.
As the eavesdropper to this momentous conversion, my role was clear. Pray!
The fellow had done his homework and he knew Christian doctrine. "But I'm Jewish, and I'm still not sure if this is right."
Mark answered, "You are obviously familiar with the New Testament. So I want to read something to you, and you tell me what part of the Bible it is from, the Old Testament or the New Testament."
"Sure, I'm game." The man relished the opportunity to show how much he knew.
See, my servant will act wisely;
He will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
Just as there were many who were appalled at Him -
His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man
and His form marred beyond human likeness-
so will he sprinkle many nations...
"Oh, that's easy. New Testament."
"Hold on," said Mark, "let me finish."
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.
Surely He took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered Him stricken by God,
smitten by Him, and afflicted.
But He was pierced for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him,
and by His wounds we are healed.
"Come on!" The man was raising his voice, "That's talking about Jesus. It's obvious!"
Mark ignored him, and kept on reading.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on Him
the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet He did not open His mouth;
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so He did not open His mouth.
The man continued to protest, even louder, "That's from the New Testament! It's talking about Jesus!" while Mark kept on reading from Isaiah 53. As he finished...
...and was numbered with the transgressors.
For He bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.
Mark asked, "Okay, now tell me. Was that from the Old Testament or the New Testament?"
"Like I told you! It's talking about the crucifixion of Jesus. It's in the New Testament!"
"Here, look for yourself," said Mark, handing the man his Bible. "This is from your Scriptures, the Jewish Scriptures. Isaiah precisely described the crucifixion of Christ in the Old Testament 600 years before the event. And it happened just like he said it would, didn't it?"
This self-taught, talkative man was overwhelmed and silent. His jaw hung open as he held Mark's Bible, looking at the text Mark had just read.
"You see," said Mark, "Jesus is the Messiah which Isaiah foretold. Isn't He?"
"Yes... Yes, He is." The man was almost whispering.
"And Jesus is the Messiah for the Jews as well as the Gentiles, isn't He?
"Yes..."
"I know, because I'm Jewish, too. Yes, I also am a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jesus is for Jews." The two stood silently for a few moments. Then Mark asked, "Is He your Messiah, too?"
"Yes... Yes, He is."
~~Pastor Ron
I arrived at the unit about an hour later, shortly after nine. The front desk officer told me that Mark was in the chapel, just finishing the evening service. I slipped into the back of the tiny chapel. It was obvious that the service was over, and everyone had just left... everyone, except one man and my friend Mark. The two of them we chatting in front of the chapel. Room was small and the acoustics were good, so from the back pew, I could clearly hear everything that they were saying. I was in no hurry, so I would simply wait for Mark to finish his discussion.
"I know what the church teaches, and I understand what they say about Jesus," the man told Mark. "I have read the New Testament. And I've read arguments pro- and con- about the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. I find it interesting. But I'm Jewish, and I am not sure if all this stuff about Jesus being the Messiah is really true."
Mark reminded the man that Jesus is Jewish, as were the Twelve Disciples and the Apostle Paul. Mark also reminded him that God had chosen Israel to bring salvation to the whole world, which included him, through the Messiah Jesus. Mark reminded his friend that Christ's death on the cross was the sacrifice of the perfect lamb of God for his sins, and God offers him complete forgiveness and the promise of eternal life as a free gift.
As the eavesdropper to this momentous conversion, my role was clear. Pray!
The fellow had done his homework and he knew Christian doctrine. "But I'm Jewish, and I'm still not sure if this is right."
Mark answered, "You are obviously familiar with the New Testament. So I want to read something to you, and you tell me what part of the Bible it is from, the Old Testament or the New Testament."
"Sure, I'm game." The man relished the opportunity to show how much he knew.
See, my servant will act wisely;
He will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
Just as there were many who were appalled at Him -
His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man
and His form marred beyond human likeness-
so will he sprinkle many nations...
"Oh, that's easy. New Testament."
"Hold on," said Mark, "let me finish."
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.
Surely He took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered Him stricken by God,
smitten by Him, and afflicted.
But He was pierced for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him,
and by His wounds we are healed.
"Come on!" The man was raising his voice, "That's talking about Jesus. It's obvious!"
Mark ignored him, and kept on reading.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on Him
the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet He did not open His mouth;
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so He did not open His mouth.
The man continued to protest, even louder, "That's from the New Testament! It's talking about Jesus!" while Mark kept on reading from Isaiah 53. As he finished...
...and was numbered with the transgressors.
For He bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.
Mark asked, "Okay, now tell me. Was that from the Old Testament or the New Testament?"
"Like I told you! It's talking about the crucifixion of Jesus. It's in the New Testament!"
"Here, look for yourself," said Mark, handing the man his Bible. "This is from your Scriptures, the Jewish Scriptures. Isaiah precisely described the crucifixion of Christ in the Old Testament 600 years before the event. And it happened just like he said it would, didn't it?"
This self-taught, talkative man was overwhelmed and silent. His jaw hung open as he held Mark's Bible, looking at the text Mark had just read.
"You see," said Mark, "Jesus is the Messiah which Isaiah foretold. Isn't He?"
"Yes... Yes, He is." The man was almost whispering.
"And Jesus is the Messiah for the Jews as well as the Gentiles, isn't He?
"Yes..."
"I know, because I'm Jewish, too. Yes, I also am a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jesus is for Jews." The two stood silently for a few moments. Then Mark asked, "Is He your Messiah, too?"
"Yes... Yes, He is."
~~Pastor Ron