Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

The Jewish People and Jesus: It Is Time for Reconciliation
The Jewish People and Jesus: It Is Time for Reconciliation
The Jewish People and Jesus: It Is Time for Reconciliation
Ebook319 pages5 hours

The Jewish People and Jesus: It Is Time for Reconciliation

Rating: 0 out of 5 stars

()

Read preview

About this ebook

FOR THE PAST 2000 YEARS WE HAVE READ...

"I HAVE COME IN MY FATHER'S NAME, AND YOU DO NOT RECEIVE ME. IF ANOTHER COMES IN HIS OWN NAME, YOU WILL RECEIVE HIM" (JOHN 5:43).

THE PROPHET PREDICTED IN THESE LAST DAYS...

"AND I WILL POUR OUT ON THE HOUSE OF DAVID AND THE INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM A SPIRIT OF GRACE AND PLEAS FOR MERCY

LanguageEnglish
Release dateMar 9, 2022
ISBN9781637699775
The Jewish People and Jesus: It Is Time for Reconciliation
Author

Joseph A. Butta

Joseph Butta Jr. is an independent analyst, author, and instructor who specializes in issues related to the Middle East. Analytically he developed a threat exercise that forces participants or an audience to look at issues from an adversarial point of view. Mr. Butta hosts a web ministry called Christian Messianic Analysis and Apologetics with Messianic Jewish Believer Steven E. Daskal. This site provides answers concerning the exclusive claims made by Jesus of Nazareth regarding God's unconditional love and forgiveness for all who desire it. Mr. Butta is an accomplished speaker who has presented educational and threat-related material at over one hundred domestic and international locations.

Related to The Jewish People and Jesus

Related ebooks

Christianity For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for The Jewish People and Jesus

Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
0 ratings

0 ratings0 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

    Book preview

    The Jewish People and Jesus - Joseph A. Butta

    J_Butta_5.5x8.5_Cover_Front-01.jpg

    The Jewish People and Jesus

    It is Time for Reconciliation

    Joseph A. Butta, Jr.

    with
    Steven E. Daskal

    Trilogy Christian Publishers

    TUSTIN, CA

    Trilogy Christian Publishers

    A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Trinity Broadcasting Network

    2442 Michelle Drive

    Tustin, CA 92780

    The Jewish People and Jesus

    Trilogy Christian Publishers A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Trinity Broadcasting Network

    2442 Michelle Drive Tustin, CA 92780

    Copyright © 2021 by Joseph A. Butta, Jr.

    Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

    No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without written permission from the author. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

    Rights Department, 2442 Michelle Drive, Tustin, CA 92780.

    Trilogy Christian Publishing/TBN and colophon are trademarks of Trinity Broadcasting Network.

    For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Trilogy Christian Publishing.

    Trilogy Disclaimer: The views and content expressed in this book are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect the views and doctrine of Trilogy Christian Publishing or the Trinity Broadcasting Network.

    Manufactured in the United States of America

    10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

    Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

    ISBN: 978-1-63769-976-8

    E-ISBN: 978-1-63769-977-5

    Dedication

    To my wife, Kitty, for allowing me countless hours of alone time to create this work.

    To Steve Daskal for being ever available for consultation and input concerning the contents of this work.

    To Joseph A. Butta III for a helping hand in the initial editing of this work.

    To Chris Lewis for creating the book cover.

    Contents

    Preface vii

    Introduction xix

    Part One
    The Jewish People, Their Sages and the Prophets

    Chapter One. Modern Jewish Opinion Concerning

    Reconciliation 3

    Chapter Two. Josephus, Maimonides, and Nachmanides

    Concerning Reconciliation 29

    Chapter Three. The Talmud Weighs in on Reconciliation 48

    Chapter Four. Does the Tanakh Foretell the Life of Yeshua? 79

    Part Two
    Jewish Discourse Regarding the New Covenant,
    the Apostle Paul, and Yeshua

    Chapter Five. The New Covenant: Misrepresentation of

    Man or Inspired Writ of God 149

    Chapter Six. Christians: Followers of Falsehood or

    Adopted Sons of The Father? 198

    Chapter Seven. Paul: Hater of Judaism or Apostle of the

    Most High? 225

    Chapter Eight. Yeshua: Fraud, Misguided Jew, or Son of

    God—Messiah of Israel? 254

    The Final Word 285

    Epilogue 293

    Afterword 295

    Postscript 296

    Bibliography 297

    Endnotes 300

    About the Author 313

    Preface

    Hello, Mishpokah! You may be wondering why I used the Hebrew word meaning family. Although I am not Jewish, the Jewish people are often on my mind. After reading the Torah, it became apparent to me that we share something special. We share a compelling history, a commonality that no two faiths possess. We share the Tanakh. Our confessions of faith share and revere the same Holy Scripture. I am not trying to minimize our differences, but what we share is, nonetheless, significant. With this realization, I was inspired to write this book. In Our Father’s Tanakh, I have learned a great deal about you and your history. Our Father chose you out of all of the peoples to be a holy nation for Him. He guided you through the wilderness into a land flowing with milk and honey. He loves you and made many promises to you with the caveat that you obey and love Him. He, most assuredly, will fulfill those promises.

    As with most families, there are occasional problems. After settling in the Promised Land of Canaan, a famine came, and the ancestors were welcomed in by one of their neighbors, the Egyptians. As the years passed, the Egyptian government changed, they turned hostile and decided to enslave the ancestors. Through a 400-year ordeal, the descendants, the tribes of Jacob the patriarch, were bound together. This enslavement of the ancestors created the people of Israel. Our Father convinced Moses to go with Him on a rescue mission. The Lord and Moses set the ancestors free. Despite the Israelites newfound freedom, many of them were ungrateful. Our Father did not permit most of the Israelites to enter into His Promised Land. Once the previous generation perished, Our Father gave their offspring a land to conquer and call their own. Nevertheless, this promise did not come without a few warnings. He told His people not to trust their neighbors because He did not want them to be polluted with idolatry. In the Promised Land, there were many neighbors, but the most prominent were the Canaanites. So, the people of Israel went into the Promised Land and conquered it. This conquest freed them from their slave mentality, so they could truly be a holy nation. However, they rebelled and often did not heed the warnings of Our Father, so He kept disciplining them. These disciplinary actions had to be taken in order to free them from this paganism and establish the royal lineage of David.

    Eventually, another neighbor, Assyria, came and captured many from the northern kingdom of Israel. Our Father let this happen because the northern Israelites were not obedient to the Lord’s commands. Sometime later, yet another neighbor, the Babylonians, came and captured the southern kingdom of Judah. This happened because they were also not being obedient. As time passed, these relatives were sorry for how they treated each other and Our Father. Our Father saw this repentance and allowed another neighbor, the Persians, to conquer Babylon. After Babylon was defeated, the Persians rescued the Judeans from their captivity and let them return to the Promised Land. This allowed them to become the Jewish people. The Jewish people settled into their land once again, but not without many trials. Years later, an outsider came into the neighborhood, invited by the current rulers, the Hasmonean Dynasty—descendants of the Maccabees. This army defeated the Greek Seleucids. This outsider was Rome. Although they were invited into the neighborhood, Rome came in and took control. With the authority of Rome over them, the situation became dire. The result was that many of the ancestors were disheartened.

    Our Father planned for this in advance. He knew the ancestors would keep violating his word, and they would not fully obey Him. So, Our Father sent an Heir. This Heir would reinforce His message to the ancestors to free them from the things they did that offended Him. Our Father reasoned if His family freed themselves from the things that offended Him, He would initiate His plan to free them from the Roman rule. The Heir spoke to the ancestors. He healed all who had faith in Him and showed them how they could do things that pleased Our Father. The Heir explained that the ancestors had to change their hearts and put their trust in Him. However, the leaders among the ancestors claimed the Heir was wrong. In so doing, they felt they did not have to honor the Heir. They believed the Heir was not sent by Our Father. Initially, the majority of the ancestors did not believe the Heir, but experiencing His compassion more, started to become believers. The leaders feared, in time, many of the people would become convinced, and the people would suffer destruction at the hands of the Romans if they followed the Heir. They believed he was a threat to their position of power and influence. In fact, these leaders were appointed by the Romans. They did not want anything to upset their station. They wanted the Romans to get rid of the Heir, and this is precisely what the Romans did. The Romans mutilated the Heir. They humiliated Him. They reveled in the torture that led to His death. Although this was foretold by the prophets, our Father was very displeased with the ancestors leadership. Although Our Father was very angry, he gave the ancestors time to come to terms with their actions.

    Rather than reflect on their actions, they eventually turned against the Romans. The ancestors tried to force the Romans to depart from their land. Since the Heir was not accepted, Our Father decided to stay out of this fight. The war with the Romans turned into a catastrophe. The ancestors lost their homes, their land, and Our Father even allowed His house to be destroyed. Many of the ancestors were forced out of the neighborhood into places where they were not welcome. To make matters worse, some of these outsiders, who claimed to honor Our Father and his Heir, treated many of the ancestors terribly. Those who claimed to honor the Heir that Our Father sent became the oppressors of the ancestors.

    Several centuries later, the descendants of Ishmael, the ancestors’ cousins, came up from the southland of Arabia and demanded the land promised to Israel. They proclaimed that the Promised Land was for them and not for the ancestors. With them, they brought the sons of Lot, Moab, and Ammon, the sons of Esau, Edom and Midian, and the sons of Ham, the Egyptians and the Berbers, into their religion. Our Father foresaw this rising threat. In His infinite wisdom and love, Our Father brought the ancestors back from their displacement and into the Promised Land. However, the return of the ancestors to the Promised Land greatly angered the descendants of Ishmael. Even today, some are still fighting to take the Promised Land away from the Jewish people. These folks include Arab Islamists and their non-Arab Co-religionists.

    In the meantime, many who have come to love Our Father and the Heir have become empathetic toward His children, the Jewish people, and have repented of their misdeeds of the past, their anti-Semitism. Nonetheless, His children do not accept and receive those who honor and believe that they have been adopted by the Father into His family. What Our Father made known is His family is still not whole. He wants His adopted sons and daughters to help bring about reconciliation between His children of the covenant and His Heir. Most of His natural sons and daughters have reasons why they want no part of this reconciliation. Most of them cite writings made long ago by their teachers, the sages, and the rabbis. They say these writings explain why the Heir was wrong and did not represent the interests of Our Father. It must be made known that many of them place as much trust and emphasis upon the words of their teachers as they do upon the words of Our Father.

    This seems to beg the question—how can we be sure that the writings of the teachers are accurate? If they are not accurate, then reconciliation is possible between Our Father’s natural and adopted children. As a person coming from a strong culture, I understand the reluctance to change to something unfamiliar. I understand that Our Father alone is the changer of hearts. It is with this understanding that I have hope—a hope that you ask Our Father to reveal the truth to you no matter what your point of view. I believe Our Father will use this book to do just that.

    How will this be done, you may ask? This book will engage the point of view of Rabbinic Jewish believers and the point of view of Biblical Christianity/Messianic Judaism. The aim of this book is that we will think and reason together so that at the end of this journey, we will make our own informed decision. What I will pray for is that the natural children of Our Father will agree that reconciliation is possible without compromising one’s Jewishness. There is no case made here for introducing the Jewish people to Gentile Christianity as expressed in Catholicism or Protestantism. The Jewish people have a rich culture. There is no reason for the Jewish people to depart from their culture.

    When writing this book, it is most important to accurately portray both points of view very carefully. The biblical Christian perspective is portrayed by me. The traditional Jewish perspective is portrayed by Steven Daskal, my friend who was raised in a conservative Jewish family and trained by an Orthodox Ashkenazi rabbi. What I have done is take the Jewish point of view as stated in David Klinghoffer’s book Why the Jews rejected Jesus and restated these ancient arguments against reconciliation. I argue for reconciliation then leave the reader to decide.

    Undoubtedly, some who read the contents of this book may get angry and not be able to accept reconciliation. For those of you who cannot or will not agree to reconciliation and believe that God has not revealed anything concerning the promised Messiah since Malachi concluded his book of prophecy 2400 years ago, kindly consider the following:

    In Judaism, there are two promised messiahs, Messiah Ben Joseph and Messiah Ben David. These messiahs are not divine. From the Orthodox Jewish perspective, Messiah Ben Joseph and Messiah Ben David are altogether human. The Prophets Micah and Zechariah state specifics concerning the Messiah.

    "But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days" (Micah 5:2).

    "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey" (Zechariah 9:9).

    Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward.

    Zechariah 14:3–4

    "And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one" (Zechariah 14:9).

    The prophets state that the ruler in Israel will be born in Bethlehem. His origin is from the beginning of time itself. The King of Zion will be seen riding upon an ass or the foal of an ass. He will stand on the Mount of Olives, and it will split in half. Finally, the Lord will become king over all the earth. Yeshua was born in Bethlehem. He rode into Jerusalem on an ass or the foal of an ass. Yeshua also claimed to be the Lord. How then can the Messiah not be divine? How can a human messiah do all of these things? It is not possible.

    And the LORD said, ‘Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.’

    Genesis 11:6–7

    Who is being spoken to when the Lord says, Let us go down? Could it be that God was talking to Himself? If God is referring to Himself with the word us, a question must be asked—are there different expressions of the same God? The Messiah to come must be born in Bethlehem. In the days of Yeshua, Bethlehem, the city of David, was a Jewish town. Today, Bethlehem is a Palestinian town and part of the West Bank. One would think that Jewish people would flock to live there, but they do not. The probability of a Jewish Messiah being born in Bethlehem over the past forty years or in the foreseeable future is problematic. One must also have proof of his linage. The Messiah must be a descendent of the Tribe of Judah, the house of David, through his son Nathan. Evil Jeconiah was a descendent of Solomon. His royal line was excluded, according to the prophet Jeremiah. Truly, this Messiah must be holy, blameless, and fulfill the scriptures.

    He must also climb through the political process in Israel. He’s not going to just show up and declare himself. If he did, how would the Israelis determine if he is the one? Many would think this person would be meshugana (crazy). He must prove himself not only to the people of Israel but to the world. This non-divine messiah must be placed in the position to deal with the social, political, and religious realities of today. One such reality includes the rising tide of Radical Islam, meaning Islamists that practice Jihad (i.e., to struggle), a holy war against all enemies of Islam. During the Diaspora the Prophet of Islam destroyed the Jewish communities of Arabia. Millions of his followers will strive to emulate his example. He’ll have to deal with the secular nature and ingrained anti-Semitism of Europe. Contemporary Europe increasingly devalues its ties to Judeo-Christian values. He will have to deal with Russia and reach out to the Hindus in India. Millions in India do not know the God of Abraham. Then there is the People’s Republic of China, the great dragon of the east. Can this human messiah from little Israel convince the Chinese Communist Party to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and worship the Lord? He also must prove to two billion professing Christians that Yeshua got it wrong and that his eyewitness followers who died for their testimony to Yeshua were all deceived or liars.

    According to Isaiah 11, the Messiah will come from Jesse, the father of David the King. He will pour out justice upon the earth. This human messiah must also be able to change the behavioral patterns of animals.

    The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

    Isaiah 11:6–9

    In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious (Isaiah 11:10).

    He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth (Isaiah 11:12).

    Notice, we have the root of Jesse and the Lord doing the same thing. The nations (Gentiles) are seeking the root of Jesse (signal). Could it be that they are one and the same? Consider asking yourself how a totally human messiah could do all these things? He must change the heart of the Muslim world—some Muslims no doubt will be trying to kill him. All in all, he must change the heart of the secularists in Europe and America, deal with Russia, bring the atheist Chinese into the fold, convince the Hindus not to be polytheists, and disprove Yeshua to biblical Christians. A human messiah will fail on all of these accounts.

    The Messiah to come was already born in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago. When He returns, everyone will know who has appeared. According to the prophet Daniel:

    I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

    Daniel 7:13–14

    He shall descend from heaven with great power and glory. The entire world will witness this. All those who witness the event, Jews and non-Jews, will realize that the Lord has just tangibly entered into the affairs of men. This appearing will cause great conflict for those who hate the Lord, but for those who love the Lord, there will be peace. This peace will be so complete that even the animals will obey Him, and the kingdom of men will finally be in harmony. God be with you, the Jewish people and non-Jewish readers, to help you reconcile and accept the Holy One of Israel who gave his life for us and who will return to be with his family, both Jew and non-Jew. Brothers and sisters, may we find unity with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This unity is only possible with the Holy Spirit, who, when invited into our lives, changes our hearts. May the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob guide us and bless us on this journey together. May we find unity in His Messiah who gave his life and brings true shalom. Amen.

    Introduction

    What I will do in this book is accurately portray the rabbinic Jewish perspective, including polemic concerning the New Covenant Scriptures and Yeshua [Jesus of Nazareth]. In this book, Jesus will be referred to by his given name, Yeshua. The rabbinic perspective and polemic or will follow the acronym, RPP. I will answer each rabbinic perspective with a Christian Messianic response. It will follow the acronym CMR. I will then use a summation to join or lead into the next topic of discussion. This will occur after the acronym SUM. I will give respectful CMRs to each issue raised from the rabbinical perspective. Traditional Jewish RPPs to the New Covenant Scriptures have been based on the words of Jewish sages. These opinions are found within the full body of Jewish tradition or the Oral Torah/Talmud. If it can be shown that the opinions of the sages in regard to interpreting the written Torah are less than fully accurate, then one who seeks truth must, at least, investigate the collection of first-century documents known as the New Covenant. Both traditional Jewish people and believers in Yeshua accept the Tanakh/Old Covenant as divinely inspired by God. Where we differ is in terms of the interpretation of the Tanakh/Old Covenant. Interpretation of the Tanakh is determined by the Oral Torah/Talmud for most Jews and the New Covenant Scriptures for Christian believers. The question then becomes, which source accurately interprets the words of Moses, David, and the prophets in relation to the blessed hope of Israel—the Messiah? This author acknowledges that the best argument cannot budge anyone who thinks they have a lock on truth. So this book is for those who are looking for answers to questions and are willing to entertain both sides of a 2000-year-old disagreement. Father be with all of us who seek the truth and reveal your truth to all who seek it, both Jew and non-Jew, in the name of He who was, who is and who is to come. Amen!

    Part One

    The Jewish People, Their Sages and the Prophets

    Chapter one

    Modern Jewish Opinion Concerning Reconciliation

    RPP: Jesus is the Christian Messiah.¹

    CMR: This term is redundant. It also insinuates that people who became followers of Yeshua were looking for a messiah-like Yeshua. The messiah that first-century Jews were looking for was the liberator/warrior king who would free the Jews of foreign bondage. The messiah that the Jewish believers in Yeshua accepted was a spiritual liberator who they believed was not only the messiah of Israel but the redeemer of the world. These Jewish believers in Yeshua preached the story of the Jew Yeshua to non-Jews. In doing so, they spoke of His impact on people’s lives which to them were truths that Jewish believers and Gentiles could position against Greek stoicism and Roman paganism. Following Yeshua’s example resulted in concrete benefits for the Gentile community. Spiritually, these early believers could understand how the Yeshua story reconciled them with God. Also, in practice, it worked; therefore, people became believers.

    SUM: The influence of Yeshua in history had an impact on the establishment of hospitals, universities, literacy for all, free enterprise, separation of political powers in government, liberty, abolition of slavery, science, discovery of a new world, elevation of women, charity, high standards of justice, elevation of the common man, condemnation of adultery and homosexuality, regard for human life, civilizing primitive cultures, codifying languages, inspiration for art and music, and the transformation of countless people from liabilities into assets. Did this have a positive impact on the formation of the United States?²

    RPP: Because the Jewish people rejected Jesus, the US was able to develop into the most enthusiastically Christian country on Earth and the most tolerant and good-hearted country in history.³

    CMR: From the Christian perspective, the Messiah had to be rejected by His own people first before He could return to those who rejected Him as their Messiah-King. The Jewish rejection of Yeshua, coupled with large-scale Gentile acceptance, led people in the more biblically literate nascent United States to develop uniquely among the nations because the words of Yeshua and his followers were read and practiced. From a Christian perspective, it made no sense for God to bless the United States as a nation, knowing that the majority of its citizens followed Yeshua, a deceiver, and the apostles who were willing accomplices to this misrepresentation of truth. To believe the stated RPP, one must believe that Christians follow a fraud, yet despite this, a good outcome occurred. From another perspective, had the Jews accepted Yeshua as the Messiah and the Romans still put him to death, like Bar Kokhba, then Yeshua would have been

    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1